Flood protection and river restoration in the urban catchment basin of Cassarate river: An opportunity to restore public areas along an urban watercourse running through the city of Lugano

Author(s):  
L Filippini ◽  
S Ambroise ◽  
S Peduzzi
Author(s):  
Geovana Geloni Parra ◽  
Bernardo Arantes do Nascimento Teixeira ◽  
Érico Masiero ◽  
Thais Borges Martins Rodrigues

Abstract Many housing estates of social interest have not contributed to implementing leisure areas and reducing their environmental and urban quality. This paper aims to propose a leisure unit using a compensatory urban drainage technique in a housing complex of social interest in the city of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The characterization of the area, land use and occupation surveys, area sectorization, and catchment division were carried out. Afterwards, proposals for interventions based on surface runoff were presented using calculations of existing runoff and future scenarios. Results related to environmental and social gains for the area are discussed, as well as the possibility of implementing decentralized compensatory techniques. Moreover, 156 rain gardens and 3 ditches were proposed throughout the subdivisions, which enabled a gain of 989m² of contribution area to infiltrate the whole area, and the use of the retention basin as a leisure area. The total storage volume achieved with the sum of all the techniques implemented was approximately 3,000 cubic meters more than that projected for the existing retention basin.


Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Kaneko ◽  
Tetsuo Hatanaka ◽  
Aki Nagase ◽  
Seishiro Marukawa ◽  
Tetsuya Sakamoto

Introduction: In Japan, the number of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) placed in public areas has climbed up to the estimated 530,000. We reported previously that a half of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurred within 100 m from a public AED in urban areas. However, shocks for defibrillation were given to less than 15% of those patients. The objectives of this study was to identify the limiting factors against the use of AEDs by bystanders. Methods: A prospective survey on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was conducted in the city of Osaka (Dec 2016 through Mar 2017) and the city of Nagoya (Dec 2016 through Nov 2017) searching for patient demographics and AED settings including; absence/presence of a public AED on the scene, attachment of AED pads, delivery of shocks before the time of EMS arrival. Results: Of 558 cases of cardiac arrest registered during the survey period, an AED had already been delivered at the patient side by the time of EMS arrival in 92 case (16.5%). Of those, pads had been attached in 89 cased (96.7%). Shocks had been advised in 35 cases (39.3%) and to all but one of those cases at least 1 shock had been given by the bystanders. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups of cases with and without AEDs at the patient side regarding the patient age (65 years [IQR: 48-74] vs 63 years [IQR49-75], p=0.84), gender (p=0.68) and the time from call to EMS arrival (7 min [IQR: 6-9] vs 7 min [IQR: 6-9], p=0.74). Cases occurring indoors had more chances of AEDs being delivered on the patient side than cases occurring outdoors (24.0% vs 7.8%, p<0.001). Conclusions: Our study indicates that once an AED is delivered at the patient side, pads are successfully attached and shocks are given if indicated in almost all cases. This suggests that finding and delivering an AED onto the patient side are the limiting factors against the use of AEDs by bystanders. In order to popularize the use of AEDs by bystanders, informing people with AED placement and clear direction to the AED location seem to be the key steps.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naceur Haouet ◽  
Simona Pistolese ◽  
Raffaella Branciari ◽  
David Ranucci ◽  
Maria Serena Altissimi

Acrylamide is a byproduct of the Maillard reaction and is potentially carcinogenic to humans. It is found in a number of foods with higher concentrations in carbohydrate-rich foods and moderate levels of protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and seafood. Acrylamide levels in food distributed in vending machines placed in public areas of the city of Perugia were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Samples included five different categories, depending on the characteristics of the products: 1) potato chips; 2) salted bakery products; 3) biscuits and wafers; 4) sweet bakery products; 5) sandwiches. A high variability in acrylamide level among different foods and within the same category was detected. Potato chips showed the highest amount of acrylamide (1781±637 μg/kg) followed by salted bakery products (211±245 μg/kg), biscuits and wafers (184±254 μg/kg), sweet bakery products (100±72 μg/kg) and sandwiches (42±10 μg/kg). In the potato chips and sandwiches categories, all of the samples revealed the presence of acrylamide while different prevalence was registered in the other foods considered. The data of this study highlight the presence of acrylamide in different foods sold in vending machines and this data could be useful to understand the contribution of this type of consumption to human exposure to this compound.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Wannewitz ◽  
Matthias Garschagen

Abstract. Coastal cities are under increasing pressure to adapt to climate change. They suffer from the severe effects of increased frequencies and intensities of coastal hazards, particularly flooding, whilst oftentimes continuing to sprawl into hazard exposed areas and grow beyond the pace of sufficient infrastructure development. Even though these problems have been quite well understood for a while, there is still comparatively little knowledge on the solution space, i.e. on the options available for adaptation and the ways in which they are being perceived, framed and evaluated. Focusing on Jakarta as one of the cities with the highest flood risk and adaptation pressure globally, this study presents findings from a systematic review of scientific English literature on mitigation options and the adaptation solution space to counter the city’s chronic flood problem. Results indicate that the perceived solution space is skewed towards protection against flooding, while soft adaptation options as well as measures to live with flooding or retreat from exposed areas are less widely considered. This appears to not only stem from the government’s traditional preference for engineered flood protection measures but also from a bias of scientific analyses towards focusing on understanding the hazard and analyzing engineered flood protection measures, while giving much less attention to soft adaptation options and community-led adaptation focusing among others on social and natural capital, empowerment and capacity building. Similarly, hybrid adaptation approaches, which combine soft and hard measures in a complementary way, are only rarely considered. Looking into the future, the findings suggest that a more integrative scientific approach would be helpful to populate and balance the considered solution space. Jakarta is one of the most heavily researched coastal cities worldwide and lessons from Jakarta are hence of global reach and importance. Future science on the city can play a significant role in piloting new approaches on the pressing frontiers in adaptation research. But increased attention is needed on current epistemic gaps.


2020 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 14001
Author(s):  
Mariya Balmashnova ◽  
Tatyana Sorokoumova

As a result of increase in the number of residents of megacities, the anthropogenic impact on the public, recreational and agricultural areas is increasing. Anthropogenic load causes degradation of the natural structure of the city and has a negative impact on public health. In current situation, more recreational areas are organized for residents of the city. However, the organization of recreational areas does not always comply with the population requirements. In the formation that sort of spaces, it is necessary to obtain complete and reliable information about the quality of the environment, which can only be obtained through the regular monitoring studies. This article considers a number of recreational, agricultural and public areas under the noise exposure. The spatial organization of recreational areas should be carried out taking into account the main goal of creating a comfortable architectural and planning structure of the urban environment. This article shows the insolvency of the public, recreational and agricultural areas as comfortablespaces.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Nasra Haque ◽  
Stelios Grafakos ◽  
Marijk Huijsman

Dhaka is one of the largest megacities in the world and its population is growing rapidly. Due to its location on a deltaic plain, the city is extremely prone to detrimental flooding, and risks associated with this are expected to increase further in the coming years due to global climate change impacts as well as the high rate of urbanization the city is facing. The lowest-lying part of Dhaka, namely Dhaka East, is facing the most severe risk of flooding. Traditionally, excess water in this part of the city was efficiently stored in water ponds and gradually drained into rivers through connected canals. However, the alarming increase in Dhaka’s population is causing encroachment of these water retention areas because of land scarcity. The city’s natural drainage is not functioning well and the area is still not protected from flooding, which causes major threats to its inhabitants. This situation increases the urgency to adapt effectively to current flooding caused by climate variability and also to the impacts of future climate change. Although the government is planning several adaptive measures to protect the area from floods, a systematic framework to analyze and assess them is lacking. The objective of this paper is to develop an integrated framework for the assessment and prioritization of various (current and potential) adaptation measures aimed at protecting vulnerable areas from flooding. The study identifies, analyzes, assesses and prioritizes adaptive initiatives and measures to address flood risks in the eastern fringe area, and the adaptation assessment is conducted within the framework of multi-criteria analysis (MCA) methodology. MCA facilitates the participation of stakeholders and hence allows normative judgements, while incorporating technical expertise in the adaptation assessment. Based on the assessment, adaptive measures are prioritized to indicate which actions should be implemented first. Such a participatory integrated assessment of adaptation options is currently lacking in the decision-making process in the city of Dhaka and could greatly help reach informed and structured decisions in the development of adaptation strategies for flood protection.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Bompangue ◽  
Sandra Moore ◽  
Nadège Taty ◽  
Benido Impouma ◽  
Bertrand Sudre ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Rapid control of cholera outbreaks is a significant challenge in overpopulated urban areas. During late-2017, Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, experienced an increase in cholera cases that showed potential to spread throughout the city. A novel targeted water and hygiene response strategy was implemented to quickly stem the outbreak. Methods We describe the first implementation of the cluster grid response strategy carried out in the community during the cholera outbreak in Kinshasa, in which water and hygiene response activities targeted cholera case clusters. Interventions, which focused on emergency water supply, household water treatment and safe storage, home disinfection and hygiene promotion, were organized using a grid approach. We also performed a preliminary community trial study to assess the temporal pattern of the outbreak, before and after response interventions were implemented. Cholera surveillance databases from the Ministry of Health were analyzed to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of the outbreak using epidemic curves and cartography. Results From January 2017 to November 2018, a total of 1,712 suspected cholera cases were reported in Kinshasa. During this period, the health zones most affected included Binza Météo, Limeté, Kokolo, Kintambo and Kingabwa. Following implementation of the response strategy, the weekly cholera case numbers in Binza Météo, Kintambo and Limeté decreased by an average of 57% in two weeks and 86% in four weeks. The total weekly case numbers throughout Kinshasa Province dropped by 71% at four weeks after the outbreak peak. Conclusion During the 2017-2018 period, Kinshasa experienced a sharp increase in cholera cases that showed potential to rapidly spread throughout the city. To contain the outbreak, water and hygiene response interventions targeted case households, nearby neighbors and public areas in case clusters using a grid approach. Following implementation of the response, the outbreak in Kinshasa was quickly brought under control. A similar approach may be useful to quickly interrupt cholera transmission in other urban settings.


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