Assessment of Flood Vulnerability Based on CMIP5 Climate Projections in South Korea

The objective of this article was to assess flood vulnerability based on the representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios at city and county levels. A quantile mapping method was adopted to correct bias that is inherent in climate change scenarios. A series of proxy variables related to climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity were chosen to assess flood vulnerability. Proxy variables were standardized using the Z‐score method. Principal component analysis was carried out to calculate the weighting of proxy variables. The study area was the Korean peninsula. The spatial resolution was on a city and county basis and the temporal resolution was 1990s, 2025s, 2055s, and 2085s (divided into 1976‐2005, 2011‐2040, 2041‐2070, and 2071‐2100). In the spatial comparison, we found that the areas with high‐level flood vulnerability increased over time in the central region, including metropolitan areas, and near the southern coast. In the temporal comparison, we found that the RCP4.5 scenario showed a tendency to increase steadily and the RCP8.5 scenario showed a tendency to decrease in the 2055s slightly and increase again in the 2085s. The study findings may provide useful data for the determination of priority for countermeasure development, though robustness of these findings with additional future projections should be established.     

Beyond the conventional: Meeting the challenges of landscape governance within the European Landscape Convention?

Academics and policy makers seeking to deconstruct landscape face major challenges conceptually, methodologically and institutionally. The meaning(s), identity(ies) and management of landscape are controversial and contested. The European Landscape Convention provides an opportunity for action and change set within new governance agendas addressing interdisciplinarity and spatial planning. This paper critically reviews the complex web of conceptual and methodological frameworks that characterise landscape planning and management and then focuses on emerging landscape governance in Scotland within a mixed method approach involving policy analyses, semi-structured interviews and best practice case studies. Using Dower's (2008) criteria from the Articles of the European Landscape Convention, the results show that whilst some progress has been made in landscape policy and practice, largely through the actions of key individuals and champions, there are significant institutional hurdles and resource limitations to overcome. The need to mainstream positive landscape outcomes requires a significant culture change where a one-size-fits-all approach does not work.     

欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目及其对我国农用地质量监测的启示

＂十二五＂期间,我国国土资源调查评价的重点任务之一是建立农用地质量监测体系。当前我国农用地质量变化监测技术仍然处于研究探索阶段,欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目是较为成熟的监测项目,可为中国农用地质量监测工作提供借鉴。文章分别就欧盟土壤环境评价监测的相关研究和国内学者对农用地质量监测的研究进行了综述,认为欧盟土壤环境评价监测项目在指标选取、监测网络建立、数据更新技术等方面建立了较为成功的机制。未来中国农用地质量监测工作可在关注土壤环境质量、分类土壤退化原因、针对性地选取指标、应用DPSIR模型、确定监测点的方法、充分利用原有监测网络和监测数据等方面借鉴欧盟经验。     

欧洲污染物排放与转移登记制度简介

污染物排放与转移登记制度（简称PRTR制度）,是发达国家为了对化学污染物质进行更严格的管理而实行的一种管理制度。该制度起源于1984年,最早实行的是荷兰,其后美国、欧盟、澳大利亚、加拿大、韩国、日本等国家也相继实施了PRTR制度。本文着重介绍了欧盟污染物排放与转移登记制度的发展历史,并就EPER和E—PRTR进行了简单的比较。     

未来50年鄱阳湖流域气候变化预估

据 ECHAM5/ MPI OM模式在3种排放情景（SRES高排放A2,中排放A1B,低排放B1）下所做的21世纪前50年气候变化预估试验得到的数据,研究鄱阳湖流域2001~2050年气温和降水相对于目前气候（1961~1990年）的可能变化。结果表明：①未来50年气温在3种排放情景下都将迅速增加,远远高于1990s的增加幅度和速度。A1B情景温度增加最明显,平均气温变化达到162°C。②降水量变化相对复杂,前30年主要为减少趋势,A2情景下减少幅度最大,2020s年均降水量减少了67%;后20年降水量增加,B1情景增加最显著,2030s年增加幅度达到108%。③根据预估的各季节变化结果,1~3月和 4~6月降水量增加;而降水减少主要在7~9月和10~12月,则赣江流域类似于2003~2005年的伏旱、秋旱连冬旱的情况将可能阶段性出现,并在2011~2030年加强。④降水量的空间分异非常明显,东部变化大于西部,南部变化大于北部。⑤如果2001~2050年在A2或A1B情景下,降水序列存在20a的周期振荡;在B1情景下,存在30a的周期振荡。人类排放增加可能弱化振荡强度,并使周期发生变化。     

Perceived stress,mental health,organizational factors,and self-reported risky driving behaviors among truck drivers circulating in France

Introduction: The growth of the European market for road-freight transport has recently led to important changes. The growing number of foreign pavilion drivers transiting in France, which plays a bridging role among European countries, has influenced the lives of truck drivers by increasing competition, pressure on day-to-day activities, and constraints related to delivery deadlines. Adding this new pressure to those inherent in the road-freight transport sector has raised concerns, especially ones linked to levels of perceived stress by truck drivers. Method: With safety concerns in mind, we devised a questionnaire aimed at understanding how French truck drivers and non-French truck drivers, passing through four highway rest areas in France perceive stress, organizational factors, mental health, and risky driving behaviors. A sample of 515 truck drivers took part in the survey (260 French nationals), 97.9% of whom were male. Results: The results of a structural equation model indicated that perceived stress can increase self-reported risky driving behaviors among truck drivers. Furthermore, organizational factors and mental health were closely linked to perceived stress. Finally, some differences were found between French and non-French truck drivers with respect to mind-wandering and mental health, and to perceive driving difficulties to overcome and driving skills. Practical Applications: Several recommendations based on the findings are provided to policymakers and organizations.     

Fire and risk analysis during loading and unloading operation in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plant

The article focuses on analyzing risks associated with the gas transfer operation in a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plant in India. The transfer operations involve transferring liquified gas from the transport tanker to the underground storage tank. Due to the rapid expansion of the cities, many LPG bottling plants in India got surrounded by residential areas and business centers. Moreover, to maintain the supply chain, the frequency of the transfer operations at the bottling plant also increased. In this scenario, an accidental release of LPG during the transfer operation may lead to various consequences such as a pool fire, a fireball, and even a catastrophic rupture of the tank with a successive explosion of its contents. In the study, the operations involved in bottling plants are classified into different hazard zones and analyzed. The probability of occurrence of events leading to an accident is modeled using modeling tools such as ALOHA and PHAST. The consequences of an accident following various events, such as jet fire, fireball, etc., are modeled, and the simulation results are compared. The thermal radiation has been estimated as 4–40 kW/m², which could adversely affect the nearby population and could result in damaging plant machinery and equipment.     

Changes in the sorption, desorption, distribution, and availability of copper, induced by application of sewage sludge on Chilean soils contaminated by mine tailings

The effect of mine tailings and sewage sludge was evaluated on sorption, desorption, availability and distribution of copper in two soils, one high (sandy soil) and one low in copper (clay soil). In both soils contaminated by mine tailings the copper sorption capacity and the affinity of the substrate for the metal decreased substantially compared to the uncontaminated soils, however, the sorption remained always high in the clay soil substrates. In the substrates with sandy soil, the high Cu content and lower clay content were determining factors in the lower magnitude of the sorption. Similarly, metal desorption was closely related to these two parameters, and it was higher in clay soil with lower pH. In general, the application of sewage sludge favored the sorption of Cu in soils contaminated and uncontaminated with mine tailings, and in all cases desorption decreased, an effect that remained for at least 30 days. Simple extraction of Cu with CaCl2 and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gave contradictory results, so a careful choice of the procedure is required, depending on the level of metal in the soil and on the acting principle of the extracting agent. In that relation, more complete information on the changes in the metal forms was obtained by application of the sequential extraction procedure proposed by the European Community Bureau of Reference.     

Biosafety principles for GMOs in the context of sustainable development

If genetically modified organisms are to contribute to welfare they must be considered in the context of sustainable development. Biosafety implies considering the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. These dimensions can be interpreted through the principles of precaution, polluter pays and public participation. In this article, these key biosafety principles are operationalised and ways of implementing them in society are discussed. A comparison is made between the principles and the present EU law for deliberate release of GMOs. It is concluded that several improvements in EU policy are necessary to ensure sustainable development really is promoted.     

Quantified scenarios analysis of drivers and impacts of changing flood risk in England and Wales: 2030–2100

Flood risk to the economy, society and the environment reflects the cumulative effects of environmental and socio-economic change over decades. Long-term scenarios are therefore required in order to develop robust and sustainable flood risk management policies. Quantified national-scale flood risk analysis and expert appraisal of the mechanisms causing change in flood risk have been used to assess flood risk in England and Wales over the period 2030–2100. The assessment involved the use of socio-economic and climate change scenarios. The analysis predicts increasing flood risk unless current flood management policies, practices and investment levels are changed—up to 20-fold increase in economic risk by the 2080s in the scenario with highest economic growth. The increase is attributable to a combination of climate change (in particular increasing precipitation and relative sea level rise in parts of the UK) and increasing socio-economic vulnerability, particularly in terms of household/industrial contents and infrastructure vulnerability. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.