Annual Technical Report


Book Description










Recent Advances in Modeling Landslides and Debris Flows


Book Description

Landslides and debris flows belong to the most dangerous natural hazards in many parts of the world. Despite intensive research, these events continue to result in human suffering, property losses, and environmental degradation every year. Better understanding of the mechanisms and processes of landslides and debris flows will help make reliable predictions, develop mitigation strategies and reduce vulnerability of infrastructure. This book presents contributions to the workshop on Recent Developments in the Analysis, Monitoring and Forecast of Landslides and Debris Flow, in Vienna, Austria, September 9, 2013. The contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics from material behavior, physical modelling over numerical simulation to applications and case studies. The workshop is a joint event of three research projects funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Program: MUMOLADE (Multiscale modelling of landslides and debris flows, www.mumolade.com), REVENUES (Numerical Analysis of Slopes with Vegetations, http://www.revenues-eu.com) and HYDRODRIL (Integrated Risk Assessment of Hydrologically-Driven Landslides, www.boku.ac.at/igt/).




Nature-Based Solutions for Building Resilience in Towns and Cities


Book Description

Urban populations are projected to increase from 54% to 66% of the global population by 2050, with close to 90% of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. Cities and towns---a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions---will need to address challenges posed by climate change. A nature-based approach in identifying climate change vulnerabilities and developing relevant adaptation options was conducted in three towns of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Working with local governments, nongovernment organizations, women's groups, and professional associations, town-wide adaptation measures were defined by overlaying climate change projections on town plans and zoning schemes for strategic infrastructure. This publication captures valuable experience and lessons from the project.




Scour and Erosion


Book Description

The 7th International Conference on Scour and Erosion (ICSE 2014) was organised by the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering and the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at the University of Western Australia under the guidance of the Technical Committee 213 for Scour and Erosion of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). This biennial conference draws together leading academics, scientists and engineers engaged in scour and erosion research to present and exchange their latest scientific findings. These proceedings, together with the six previous proceedings dating from 2002, present a rare collection of technical and scientific developments in scour and erosion research which have been established over the last 12 years. This book includes state-of-the-art papers in scour and erosion from ICSE 2014, covering the 6 themes of: internal erosion, sediment transport, advanced numerical modelling of scour and erosion, terrestrial scour and erosion, river/bridge scour and erosion, and marine scour and erosion. The proceedings include 5 keynote lectures from world leading researches cutting across the themes of scour and erosion, together with 87 peer-reviewed papers from 19 countries. This book is ideal for researchers and industry working at the forefront of scour and erosion, both with application to rivers and marine operations.




Sustainable Solutions for Water Resources


Book Description

Get the single-source solutions guide to the sustainable management of water resources. Why is water the environmental issue? The answer is simple: without it, life on this planet could not exist. Yet, despite this fact, reckless consumption practices from a growing population are drying up the Earth's already limited water resources. Other factors, such as river and lake contamination, rising temperatures, and disproportionate geographic accessibility further contribute to the fresh water crisis. To confront this pressing concern, this enlightening guide, which covers over twenty case studies offering insights into real-world projects, uses a holistic, integrated approach to illustrate ways to preserve vital water supplies -- from green design remedies to encouraging greater personal responsibility. This book: Provides a basic overview of water resources, hydrology, current problems involving water resources, and the potential impact of global warming and climate change. Covers watershed planning, Best Management Practices, and potential design and planning solutions. Offers a concise overview of the issues affecting water use and management. Includes a full chapter dedicated to planning issues, and a full chapter covering site planning, design, and implementation. Sustainable Solutions for Water Resources takes a practical approach to head off a global water catastrophe by offering sensible measures that can be put in place immediately to promote a clean, plentiful flow of the Earth's most precious resource.




Sustainability of Natural Resources


Book Description

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy in most countries and its output can be impacted by climate change effects. India, as well as other countries which are predominantly agricultural are facing various challenges due to increasing population which can be met by technological innovations for sustainable agriculture. Advanced and innovative technologies in agriculture will not only solve the problems of fulfilling the food requirement of the growing population but also sustain agriculture in the future. Sustainability of Natural Resources Planning and Management addresses the advancement of innovative techniques to address the issues of water scarcity and agricultural yield. It discusses various aspects of natural resource management, agriculture micro irrigation, AI applications for water management and impacts of climate change on water resources. This book also deals water resource exploration, planning, recent geographic information system-based studies, groundwater modelling, and related applications. It highlights the optimal strategies for sustainable water resource management and development. It also examines precision farming using remote sensing and GIS techniques.