Agricultural innovation and adaptation to climate change: empirical evidence from diverse agro-ecologies in South Asia

While impacts of climate change on agricultural systems have been widely researched, there is still limited understanding of what agricultural innovations have evolved over time in response to both climatic and non-climatic drivers. Although there has been some progress in formulating national adaptation policies and strategic planning in different countries of South Asia, research to identify local-level adaptive strategies and practices is still limited. Through eight case studies and a survey of 300 households in 15 locations in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, this paper generates empirical evidence on emerging agricultural innovations in contrasting socio-economic, geographical and agro-ecological contexts. The study demonstrates that several farm practices (innovations) have emerged in response to multiple drivers over time, with various forms of institutional and policy support, including incentives to reduce risks in the adoption of innovative practice. It further shows that there is still limited attempt to systematically mainstream adaptation innovations into local, regional and national government structures, policies and planning processes. The paper shows that the process of farm-level adaptation through innovation adoption forms an important avenue for agricultural adaptation in South Asia. A key implication of this finding is that there is a need for stronger collaborations between research institutions, extension systems, civil society and the private sector actors to enhance emerging adaptive innovations at the farm level.     

A strategic management model for evaluation of health,safety and environmental performance

Strategic health, safety, and environmental management system (HSE-MS) involves systematic and cooperative planning in each phase of the lifecycle of a project to ensure that interaction among the industry group, client, contractor, stakeholder, and host community exists with the highest level of health, safety, and environmental standard performances. Therefore, it seems necessary to assess the HSE-MS performance of contractor(s) by a comparative strategic management model with the aim of continuous improvement. The present Strategic Management Model (SMM) has been illustrated by a case study and the results show that the model is a suitable management tool for decision making in a contract environment, especially in oil and gas fields and based on accepted international standards within the framework of management deming cycle. To develop this model, a data bank has been created, which includes the statistical data calculated by converting the HSE performance qualitative data into quantitative values. Based on this fact, the structure of the model has been formed by defining HSE performance indicators according to the HSE-MS model. Therefore, 178 indicators have been selected which have been grouped into four attributes. Model output provides quantitative measures of HSE-MS performance as a percentage of an ideal level with maximum possible score for each attribute. Defining the strengths and weaknesses of the contractor(s) is another capability of this model. On the other hand, this model provides a ranking that could be used as the basis for decision making at the contractors’ pre-qualification phase or during the execution of the project.     

Effectiveness of participatory planning for community management of fisheries in Bangladesh

This study provides statistical evidence that support for community-based management of resources was more effective when initiated through a process known as participatory action plan development (PAPD). Thirty-six sites were studied where community management of fisheries was facilitated by NGOs. All involved community participation and establishing local fisheries management institutions. However, communities were able to take up more conservation-related interventions and faced fewer conflicts in the 18 sites where a PAPD was the basis for collective action and institution development. This indicates the value and effectiveness of adopting good practice in participatory planning, such as PAPD, which helps diverse stakeholders find common problems and solutions for natural resource management.     

Presenting a conceptual pattern of HSE performance of oil trucks

Accidents are among the main problems in the oil product supply chain. The most important effective factors in these events are the kind of trucks used and their health, safety, and environment (HSE) condition. The aim of this study was to present a conceptual pattern of the HSE performance of oil trucks in oil industries. In this study, 20 truck models (with fixed tanks), in use over different periods of time, were investigated. In this regard, the criteria and sub-criteria were first determined in two parts—carrier and tank—and weighted by fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). The results showed that the most important sub-criteria regarding the HSE factors of the carrier were resistance and strength of the front and rear shields, the brake system, and the ventilation system. The most important sub-criteria regarding the HSE factors of the tank were tank shell thickness and a good tank design shape with respect to portable material. It should be noted that the weight of the criteria with each other and sub-criteria with each other are not equal. This issue is important for decision-making. The main reason for the use of trucks with the lowest score in developing countries is the lack of attention by managers to safety issues and international standards and agreements such as the ADR.     

Methane oxidation in a landfill biowindow under wide seasonally fluctuating climatic conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the current study, a pilot biowindow was constructed in a closed cell of a Canadian Landfill, undergoing high seasonal fluctuations in the...     

Preparation and Characterization of Gamma Irradiated Sugar Containing Starch/Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Blend Films

Blends based on different ratios of starch (35–20%) and plasticizer (sugar; 0–15%) keeping the amount of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) constant, were prepared in the form of thin films by casting solutions. The effects of gamma-irradiation on thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties were investigated. The studies of mechanical properties showed improved tensile strength (TS) (9.61 MPa) and elongation at break (EB) (409%) of the starch-PVA-sugar blend film containing 10% sugar. The mechanical testing of the irradiated film (irradiated at 200 Krad radiation dose) showed higher TS but lower EB than that of the non-radiated film. FTIR spectroscopy studies supported the molecular interactions among starch, PVA, and sugar in the blend films, that was improved by irradiation. Thermal properties of the film were also improved due to irradiation and confirmed by thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA), differential thermo-gravimetric analysis (DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Surface of the films were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) image that supported the evidence of crosslinking obtained after gamma irradiation on the film. The water up-take and degradation test in soil of the film were also evaluated. In this study, sugar acted as a good plasticizing agent in starch/PVA blend films, which was significantly improved by gamma radiation and the prepared starch-PVA-sugar blend film could be used as biodegradable packaging materials.     

Clustering the Concentrations of PM10 and O3: Application of Spatiotemporal Model–Based Clustering

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - Air pollution data are large-scale datasets that can be analyzed in low scales by clustering to recognize the pattern of pollution and have simpler and...