scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic in Mountainous Areas: Impact, Mitigation Strategies, and New Technologies in Search and Rescue Operations

Author(s):  
Michiel J. van Veelen ◽  
Anna Voegele ◽  
Simon Rauch ◽  
Marc Kaufmann ◽  
Hermann Brugger ◽  
...  
OENO One ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Rienth ◽  
Thibaut Scholasch

Rising global air temperatures will lead to an increased evapotranspiration and altered precipitation pattern. In many regions this may result in a negative water balance during the vegetative cycle, which can augment the risk of drought and will require mitigation strategies. These strategies, ultimately, will mean the installation of irrigation systems in some winegrowing regions where vines were cultivated historically under rain-fed conditions and growers do not have many years of experience with vine water management.This review aims to provide a state-of-the-art summary of the recent and most important literature on vine water assessment for monitoring and adapting vineyard management strategies to production goals in view of global warming. Plant, soil and atmospheric methods are reviewed, and their advantages and drawbacks are discussed. Recent advances in plant water status measurement reveal the limitation of traditional techniques such as water potential, particularly in the context of drought and high vapor pressure deficit and the discoveries regarding hydraulic and stomatal regulation. New technologies can integrate heterogeneous sources of information collected in the vineyard at different spatial and temporal resolutions. Such new approaches offer new synergies to overcome limitations inherent to plant water status measurement techniques obtained directly or indirectly from proxy measurements.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-11
Author(s):  
Dilip S ◽  
, Joginder Singh Malik ◽  
R.N. Sheokand

The greatest influencer of agricultural productivity is the weather. Climate is typically defined as the normal weather, or more precisely, as the statistical explanation of important parameters in relations of the mean and variability over time scales extending from months to thousands or millions of years. Agriculture in India, as well as the respite of the world, is mostly reliant on the weather. Global warming has had an important impact on agriculture and its output. The shift in growing seasons and changes in agricultural zones have been exacerbated by rising temperatures. Changes in rainfall patterns, on the other hand, pose a severe threat to agriculture, affecting the country’s economy and food security. The sale of agricultural products such as fertilizers, agro-chemicals and tractors are also affected by the delayed or insufficient monsoons. As a result, the farmer’s income is impacted. The present study conducted during 2020-21 focuses on Knowledge level farmers on climate change and constraint experienced by the farmers in adopting recommended mitigation strategies in Hisar district. The majority of beneficiary farmers (48.89 per cent) had high knowledge level on Agro-met Advisory Services whereas majority of non-beneficiary farmers (67.76 per cent) had low knowledge level on Agro-met Advisory Services. Lack of technical skills and capacities for technology adoption, lack of awareness and sensitization about the creation and use of new technologies, non-availability of timely inputs, and lack of information about long-term mitigation strategies were the major constraints


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 5555
Author(s):  
Jhuma Sadhukhan ◽  
Mark Christensen

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are an essential component of renewable electricity infrastructure to resolve the intermittency in the availability of renewable resources. To keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 °C, renewable electricity and electrification of the majority of the sectors are a key proposition of the national and international policies and strategies. Thus, the role of BESS in achieving the climate impact mitigation target is significant. There is an unmet need for a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) of BESS with lithium-ion batteries being the most promising one. This study conducts a rigorous and comprehensive LCA of lithium-ion batteries to demonstrate the life cycle environmental impact hotspots and ways to improve the hotspots for the sustainable development of BESS and thus, renewable electricity infrastructure. The whole system LCA of lithium-ion batteries shows a global warming potential (GWP) of 1.7, 6.7 and 8.1 kg CO2 eq kg−1 in change-oriented (consequential) and present with and without recycling credit consideration, scenarios. The GWP hotspot is the lithium-ion cathode, which is due to lithium hexafluorophosphate that is ultimately due to the resource-intensive production system of phosphorous, white, liquid. To compete against the fossil economy, the GWP of BESS must be curbed by 13 folds. To be comparable with renewable energy systems, hydroelectric, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar (4–76 g CO2 eq kWh−1), 300 folds reduction in the GWP of BESS will be necessary. The areas of improvement to lower the GWP of BESS are as follows: reducing scopes 2–3 emissions from fossil resource use in the material production processes by phosphorous recycling, increasing energy density, increasing lifespan by effective services, increasing recyclability and number of lives, waste resource acquisition for the battery components and deploying multi-faceted integrated roles of BESS. Achieving the above can be translated into an overall avoided GWP of up to 82% by 2040.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Wade Edwards

Abstract Described is a methodology for accelerating the development of innovative and high-risk technologies, specifically, subsurface safety valve technologies. Focus is on methods of mitigating technical and commercial risks that can delay or prevent successful development of new technologies. Example risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies are provided from a recent subsurface safety valve technology development project. Mitigation strategies include fixture level testing, design changes, and deep client collaboration. In the example project, it is estimated that the total development time was reduced by as much as 50% by implementing these strategies. While a subsurface safety valve development is used in this example, it is believed that many strategies are applicable to other domains.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Hamlet ◽  
Amy Irwin ◽  
Molly McGregor

Objective: The research objective of the current study was to examine and compare the non-technical skills utilised by search and rescue and offshore transport helicopter pilots.Background: Non-technical skills encompass the interpersonal and cognitive skills necessary for safe and efficient team performance in high-risk environments. There is a lack of research investigating non-technical skill use during helicopter flight or assessing differences in skills according to mission parameters.Method: The current study comprised of twenty-eight semi-structured qualitative interviews, based upon the critical incident technique (16 offshore transport pilots, 12 search and rescue pilots). Interviews were thematically coded to identify, and compare, non-technical skills.Results: All key non-technical skills were reported across both pilot groups. Differences were identified at the element level of skills across the group (e.g. while both groups reported utilising situational awareness, elemental sub-components were based upon different attentional factors). A category of cognitive readiness was identified specific to search and rescue, this category encapsulated the elements necessary for a swift, effective response to emergencies.Conclusion: The results indicate helicopter pilots’ non-technical skills vary according to mission parameters, suggesting specific flight goals require different nuances of non-technical skills for mission achievement. We suggest that non-technical skills training should be tailored to the mission focus of helicopter pilots in order to further error mitigation strategies, enrich training relevance and enhance effectiveness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuhud Rozaki ◽  
Nur Rahmawati ◽  
Oki Wijaya ◽  
Ikhlas Amalia Khoir ◽  
Masateru Senge ◽  
...  

Abstract. Rozaki Z, Rahmawati N, Wijaya O, Khoir IA, Senge M, Kamarudin MF. 2021. Perception of agroforestry adopter and non-adopter on volcano risk and hazard: a case in Mt. Merapi, Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3829-3837. Agroforestry is an agricultural system that many people use in mountainous areas. Some experts have proven that this system can become the mitigation strategy in volcano areas. This study analyzes the risk and hazard perception of agroforestry adopters and non-adopters in the Mt. Merapi prone area. 139 agroforestry adopters and 130 non-adopters were randomly taken from four different areas in Mt. Merapi. Results show that both adopters and non-adopters show different perceptions regarding hazards and risk. The effectiveness of agroforestry practice for mitigation strategies needs to be studied more. The awareness of hazards and risks in the Mt. Merapi prone area is essential to save more lives during the eruption. The challenge is how to persuade agroforestry adopters and non-adopters to flee when the big eruption comes. Even though they flee, they still insist on returning home to take care of their livestock, farm, and protect properties. Mitigation education is needed; also, the infrastructure is important in supporting the mitigation efforts.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Stimpson ◽  
Jay Todesco ◽  
Amy Maginley

Oil and gas companies are constantly in search of opportunities to expand their resource base and create value. Emerging markets can provide companies with opportunities for significant rewards, especially in regions where oil and gas resources may be underdeveloped and where new technologies have not yet been exploited. However, emerging markets also pose numerous challenges and risks, which can potentially lead to significant legal and reputational damage. This article explores key legal risk areas for oil and gas companies in emerging markets and best practices for managing those risks and operating in a socially responsible way, recognizing that risk management centers around controlled and reasoned decision-making, not eliminating risk. The article is intended to provide a high-level overview of the key legal risk areas and mitigation strategies to serve as a guide for directors and management teams operating in these challenging regions as opposed to providing a comprehensive discussion on any particular risk area.


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