scholarly journals Flood Hazard Assessment of the Urban Area of Tabuk City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Integrating Spatial-Based Hydrologic and Hydrodynamic Modeling

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Abdelkarim ◽  
Ahmed Gaber ◽  
Ahmed Youssef ◽  
Biswajeet Pradhan

This study deals with the use of remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GISs), hydrologic modeling (water modeling system, WMS), and hydraulic modeling (Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System, HEC-RAS) to evaluate the impact of flash flood hazards on the sustainable urban development of Tabuk City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Determining the impact of flood hazards on the urban area and developing alternatives for protection and prevention measures were the main aims of this work. Tabuk City is exposed to frequent flash flooding due to its location along the outlets of five major wadis. These wadis frequently carry flash floods, seriously impacting the urban areas of the city. WMS and HEC-HMS models and RS data were used to determine the paths and morphological characteristics of the wadis, the hydrographic flow of different drainage basins, flow rates and volumes, and the expansion of agricultural and urban areas from 1998 to 2018. Finally, hydraulic modeling of the HEC-RAS program was applied to delineate the urban areas that could be inundated with floodwater. Ultimately, the most suitable remedial measures are proposed to protect the future sustainable urban development of Tabuk City from flood hazards. This approach is rarely used in the KSA. We propose a novel method that could help decision-makers and planners in determining inundated flood zones before planning future urban and agricultural development in the KSA.

Transport ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 948-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Veličković ◽  
Đurđica Stojanović ◽  
Svetlana Nikoličić ◽  
Marinko Maslarić

The identification and mitigation of negative externalities from goods deliveries in urban areas are important aspects of sustainable urban development. Previous studies have shown that urban freight consolidation increases the load factor of Delivery Vehicles (DVs), reducing the vehicle-kilometres driven and thus reducing negative freight transport externalities in urban areas. The objective of this paper is to explore the possible impact of the number of Urban Consolidation Centres (UCCs) on the external costs of last-mile deliveries in freight transport and to determine the possible contribution of such consolidation scenarios to external cost mitigation. Therefore, several consolidation scenarios are considered assuming different numbers of UCCs in operation. A new consolidation scheme is proposed with more than one UCC to serve a given city area. Input data are obtained from a roadside questionnaire survey with a sample of 1617 drivers at 9 access roads to an urban area as part of the NOvi Sad TRAnsport Model (NOSTRAM) study. Externalities are calculated using the IMPACT methodology and discussed for different urban freight consolidation options. The best option is identified, and the results indicate that properly planned, organised and managed urban freight consolidation can significantly reduce transport externalities. The main research results showed that all of the proposed consolidation options increase the total driving distance in an urban area. However, some consolidation options significantly reduce the driving distance of less manageable vehicles in last-mile deliveries (long-haul heavy- and light-duty vehicles). Consequently, the external costs ranged from 2108.3 to 5420.5 EUR for the consolidation option, whereas the current state externalities are 2791.4 EUR. Thus, more small UCCs may provide better results than the central centre even in medium-sized cities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 766
Author(s):  
Yuanmao Zheng ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
Yuanrong He ◽  
Cuiping Wang ◽  
Xiaorong Wang ◽  
...  

Quantitative and accurate urban land information on regional and global scales is urgently required for studying socioeconomic and eco-environmental problems. The spatial distribution of urban land is a significant part of urban development planning, which is vital for optimizing land use patterns and promoting sustainable urban development. Composite nighttime light (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Program Operational Line-Scan System (DMSP-OLS) have been proven to be effective for extracting urban land. However, the saturation and blooming within the DMSP-OLS NTL hinder its capacity to provide accurate urban information. This paper proposes an optimized approach that combines NTL with multiple index data to overcome the limitations of extracting urban land based only on NTL data. We combined three sources of data, the DMSP-OLS, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the normalized difference water index (NDWI), to establish a novel approach called the vegetation–water-adjusted NTL urban index (VWANUI), which is used to rapidly extract urban land areas on regional and global scales. The results show that the proposed approach reduces the saturation of DMSP-OLS and essentially eliminates blooming effects. Next, we developed regression models based on the normalized DMSP-OLS, the human settlement index (HSI), the vegetation-adjusted NTL urban index (VANUI), and the VWANUI to analyze and estimate urban land areas. The results show that the VWANUI regression model provides the highest performance of all the models tested. To summarize, the VWANUI reduces saturation and blooming, and improves the accuracy with which urban areas are extracted, thereby providing valuable support and decision-making references for designing sustainable urban development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Alessandro Sorichetta ◽  
Son V. Nghiem ◽  
Marco Masetti ◽  
Catherine Linard ◽  
Andreas Richter

The rapid economic growth, the exodus from rural to urban areas, and the associated extreme urban development that occurred in China in the decade of the 2000s have severely impacted the environment in Beijing, its vicinity, and beyond. This article presents an innovative approach for assessing mega-urban changes and their impact on the environment based on the use of decadal QuikSCAT (QSCAT) satellite data, acquired globally by the SeaWinds scatterometer over that period. The Dense Sampling Method (DSM) is applied to QSCAT data to obtain reliable annual infrastructure-based urban observations at a posting of ~1 km. The DSM-QSCAT data, along with different DSM-based change indices, were used to delineate the extent of the Beijing infrastructure-based urban area in each year between 2000 and 2009, and assess its development over time, enabling a physical quantification of its urbanization which reflects the implementation of various development policies during the same time period. Eventually, as a proxy for the impact of Beijing urbanization on the environment, the decadal trend of its infrastructure-based urbanization is compared with that of the corresponding tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities as observed from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard the second European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-2) between 2000 and 2002, and from the SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY aboard of the ESA’s ENVIronmental SATellite (SCIAMACHY /ENVISAT) between 2003 and 2009. Results reveal a threefold increase of the yearly tropospheric NO2 column density within the Beijing infrastructure-based urban area extent in 2009, which had quadrupled since 2000.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Francesca Dal Cin ◽  
Fransje Hooimeijer ◽  
Maria Matos Silva

Future sea-level rises on the urban waterfront of coastal and riverbanks cities will not be uniform. The impact of floods is exacerbated by population density in nearshore urban areas, and combined with land conversion and urbanization, the vulnerability of coastal towns and public spaces in particular is significantly increased. The empirical analysis of a selected number of waterfront projects, namely the winners of the Mies Van Der Rohe Prize, highlighted the different morphological characteristics of public spaces, in relation to the approximation to the water body: near the shoreline, in and on water. The critical reading of selected architectures related to water is open to multiple insights, allowing to shift the design attention from the building to the public space on the waterfronts. The survey makes it possible to delineate contemporary features and lay the framework for urban development in coastal or riverside areas.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorden J. S. Lefler

This thesis discusses a method of analysing the input of interventions in a building's site design, all of which affect the heat island effect, bio-diversity and hydrology of urban areas. Existing standards from Toronto, Vancouver and Berlin have been researched and analysed. This paper presents an evolution of a method called biotope area factor used in Berlin, Germany. A synthesis of the approach of all three systems was considered and distilled into the key points which were then incorporated into the proposed method. In addition to the impact of an individual building, it also includes the impact from the adjacent street area. The final components of this thesis are the application of the method developed to an urban area in the city of Toronto and results showing the impacts on architectural design from site rating systems.


Author(s):  
Maha Abbas Abo Hussain

This study aimed to shed light on the impact of environmental accounting measured in (environmental cost accounting, environmental sustainability, and environmental policies) in industrial enterprises on the economy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To achieve the objectives of the study, the study relied on the descriptive-analytical approach, due to its suitability of the nature of the study, as well as the questionnaire tool was distributed to the study sample using random sample method, where (200) questionnaires were distributed to financial managers working in industrial enterprises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Jeddah, the final study sample was (96) questionnaires. The results of the study showed that there is an impact of environmental accounting measured by (environmental cost accounting, environmental sustainability, and environmental policies) in industrial companies on the economy, individually and collectively. The study came out with a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the necessity of developing local standards or adopting international standards for environmental disclosure in other sectors in general and the state’s contribution to providing quantifiable environmental data and raising the limitations imposed on companies in particular in order to follow and encourage environmental laws.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Abdullah Alnasser

The present study aims to identify the Difficulties of Teaching Based On Differentiated Instruction Viewpoint Of Arabic Teachers In Qatif Governorate In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to achieve these objectives, a questionnaire was designed, It consisted of (33) items distributed to five Domains. It was distributed to the study Sample wish was formed from (172) Arabic teachers chosen randomly from all study phases. The study found that the whole mean of Difficulties of Teaching Based On Differentiated Instruction Viewpoint Of Arabic Teachers In Qatif Governorate was (3.60). At the domains level: The difficulties of the environment of the school was the first with a mean (3.97), then the difficulties of a teacher with a mean (3.73).Booth with a high degree of difficulty. Difficulties of Curriculum was the third with a mean of (3.58), Then The difficulties of Administrative Regulation with a mean of (3.43), Finally The difficulties of Students with a mean of (3.28). All final three domains with a Medium degree of difficulty. The study also found that there were no significant differences between the average of these answers at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) due to the impact study phase. Based on these results The researcher recommended to train teachers and supply schools with suitable facilities and materials to teach the Arabic language based on Differentiated Instruction.


Author(s):  
Shahabuddin Mohammed Ahmed Abdullah

The traffic accidents in the high ways and towns are still increasing, their effect on the community development clearly seen. The control of this problem is highly significant. The analysis of the data and the information about the traffic accidents, their direct, indirect, a variables and continues cost represented in curing the injured, paying the Diya, the cost of the medical operations on behalf of the government and the relatives of the injured dealt with through the accounting view. This paper aimed at measuring the effect of traffic accidents in terms of money, to be use for the development of Accer province – South of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The overall cost of the traffic accidents in 2013 is 23 pillions Riyal. The percentage of the injured is 30% per family. The cost account of traffic accidents in Accer province is 1. 6 pillions Riyal. These sums of money could have been use for the development of the province. The paper recommends The direct, indirect, a variables and continues costs of the traffic accidents should give a due consideration The traffic administration should give a due consideration as well, to be minimizing the number of the traffic accidents. There should be decisive practical measures to stop these accidents.


Correct representation of characteristics of different attributes of a city helps in understanding the impact of these attributes on evolution of a city. And the way they are dependent on each other. It may further help in identifying the factors which can be a potential threat to sustainable urban development. This chapter aims to develop an understanding about the meaning and significance of characterization of a city, or say, an urban system. In addition, it provides detail about the approaches which can be adopted for characterizing an urban system. It is expected that this chapter will succeed in developing a good understanding about the need and significance of accurate and effective characterization of a city in the context of sustainable urban development.


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