Over the past few decades, environmental changes have led to more frequent occurrences and greater intensities of natural disasters worldwide. In terms of globally connected supply chains, this has resulted in an enormous economical loss for corporations. Therefore, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) planning and management has become essential for businesses in order to protect their critical business flow. Yet there is a lack of systematic and transparent methodologies for companies to handle this problem. Hence, this thesis introduces a novel approach to combine consecutive steps of the Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) process within one application. The multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tool called the Analytic Network Process (ANP) is employed to identify critical products of a business and match them with optimal disruption mitigation strategies based on an evaluation of benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks (BOCR). To validate the method developed in this thesis, a case study using historical data of a U.S. company (Company XYZ) is introduced. The results of the ANP mathematical modeling demonstrate that the developed methodology provides a valuable approach to analyze and confirm BC/DR planning decisions. Moreover, an expert of Company XYZ confirmed that the suggested solution established through this case study is in agreement with the preferable choice based on his expertise and professional decision-making. Further research could extend the proposed methodology to other fields of BC/DR planning, such as IT Disaster Recovery Planning or Human Disaster Relief.

In this work, various topics regarding (urban) boundary simulations for a city situated in the alps will be discussed. First of all, we will present novel parameterization adopted to take into account the effect of mitigation strategies, such as rooftop Photovoltaic Panels and Green Roofs, on the urban environment, and their effect on average temperature and energy consumption by buildings. Secondly, a new turbulence closure, that adopts a diagnostic equation for dissipation rate, and then independent on mixing length scales, will be introduced. The new turbulence closure, implemented into the WRF model, has been coupled with multi-layer urban parameterization schemes and compared with high-resolution CFD and LES simulations.

This study addresses flood risk assessment in the Catalpa Creek watershed, located in northeast Mississippi, USA. Employing the Hydrological Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and the River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), integrated models were developed and calibrated, to predict flood behavior within the watershed. The study conducted flood frequency analyses for return periods ranging from 2 to 100 years and generated flood inundation maps, pinpointing flood-prone areas. Mitigation measures for flood risk management were recommended. The results underscore the effectiveness of the integrated modeling approach for simulating and understanding the complex dynamics of flood events. The research identified critical flood-prone zones, emphasizing the importance of proactive flood risk management. The calibrated hydrological model serves as a valuable tool for stormwater management, water resource planning, and watershed assessment. The study provides insights into flood risk in the Catalpa Creek watershed, offering valuable guidance to regional decision-makers. This study lays the foundation for future investigations in floodplain encroachment, sediment transport, stream restoration, and flood inundation hazard mapping.

No description available.

The objective of this thesis was to establish how, in an emerging era of sinking islands andincreasing environmental degradation, ideas concerning climate justice have been developedin pacific small island states. These ideas have been analysed from a framework of southernand justice theory and, hence, been put in comparison to the global framework of climatejustice and the notion that sovereign states, no matter location or historical circumstances, areleft alone to deal with the worst effects of climate change.The research questions used to achieve the objective were: what ideas of climate justiceare produced in Kiribati, Fiji and the Maldives; in what way do these ideas affect their local adaptation strategies and how can these ideas be understood in light of southern theory? Thedata consisted of three national policies from the countries of interest in this thesis – Kiribati,Fiji and the Maldives – and manifest each country’s approach to dealing with the impacts of achanging climate and, especially, rising seas. These were analysed through a qualitativecontent analysis where an abductive approach was used to establish the themes that guided theanalysis. The result was that ideas of climate justice in the three countries are affected by thechanging tides, both by nature and the international community, but differ depending onnational leadership. It was also found that the adaptation strategies, while being nationalpolicies, all emphasise the need for international solidarity if being able to solve the issue ofdisappearing islands. This is something that has yet to take place within the global frameworkof climate change, where the global North do not want to acknowledge any responsibility forthe fate of small island states but rather aids affected countries based on goodwill and not oflaw.

Tunnelbana är ett transportsätt med mycket låg klimatpåverkan i driftsfasen. I konstruktionsfasen däremot orsakar tunnelbanan, precis som andra bygg- och anläggningsprojekt, stora växthusgasutsläpp. Utsläppen härstammar dels från produktionen av material som stål och betong men också från transporter och energianvändning. År 2013 beslutades att Stockholms tunnelbana ska byggas ut vilket beskrivs som ett sätt för Stockholm att bidra till det nationella målet om att Sverige ska vara klimatneutralt år 2045. Dock kvarstår det faktum att själva utbyggnaden står för en stor klimatpåverkan. Förvaltning för utbyggd tunnelbanan ansvarar för utbyggnaden och har beslutat om ett klimatmål som innebär att klimatbelastningen från utbyggnaden ska reduceras med 25% under projektets genomförande. För att nå målet har förvaltningen tagit fram ett arbetssätt för mätning och reduktion av klimatpåverkan som bygger på att åtgärder för att minska projektets klimatbelastning identifieras, kvantifieras och implementeras. Planeringsfasen av utbyggnaden börjar nu gå mot sitt slut och produktionsfasen är på- börjad. Inför det fortsatta arbetet och inför framtida projekt önskar man nu utvärdera det arbete som gjorts och dra lärdomar av det. Denna studie har haft som syfte att undersöka hur klimatmålet förhåller sig till andra målsättningar, att identifiera synergieffekter och målkonflikter samt att diskutera klimat- arbetets överförbarhet och möjliga lärdomar. För att uppfylla studiens syfte genomfördes en kvalitativ intervjustudie där projektörer från olika teknikområden intervjuades baserat på följande frågeställningar: Vilka drivkrafter ligger bakom de åtgärder som införts för att minska klimatpåverkan från projektet? Vilka hinder finns i arbetet med att identifiera och implementera åtgärder för att minska klimatpåverkan? Vilka lärdomar kan tas med från klimatarbetet och i vilken typ av projekt kan de användas? Resultatet visade att det finns många drivkrafter bakom de införda åtgärderna vilket leder till slutsatsen att flera synergieffekter kopplade till klimatarbetet förekommer. En tydlig synergi identifierades kopplat till drivkraften att sänka kostnaderna inom projektet. Klimatarbetet bedömdes också ha bidragit till en kunskapsspridning inom projektorganisationen. Ett flertal målkonflikter identifierades också mellan klimatmålet och andra mål och drivkrafter. Utöver detta urskildes också andra hinder, exempelvis att det finns en brist på kunskap om klimatpåverkan hos många projektörer och att många inte är vana vid arbetet med att minska den. Studien fann att många av de åtgärder som implementerats i nya tunnelbanan är överförbara till andra framtida projekt. Studien identifierade flera erfarenheter och lärdomar som kan användas för att förbättra klimatarbetet i framtida projekt. Bland annat rekommenderas att kunskapen om synergieffekter och målkonflikter används i utformningen av klimatarbete och klimatmål i framtida projekt. Studien rekommenderar också att det tas hänsyn till vilka åtgärder som inte medför några synergieffekter då dessa annars riskerar att förkastas i ett tidigt stadie. Att arbeta för att höja kunskapsnivån om utbyggnadens klimatpåverkan bedömdes ha haft en positiv effekt på klimatmålets uppfyllelse i arbetet med nya tunnelbanan och ytterligare satsningar på detta föreslås. / Metro as a way of transport has a very low climate impact during its operation phase. However, during the construction phase the metro, like other infrastructure projects, causes large greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions originate partly from the production of materials such as steel and concrete but also from transports and energy use. In 2013 it was decided that the Stockholm metro will be expanded as a way for the city to contribute to the national goal of Sweden becoming climate neutral in 2045. The fact remains however that the expansion itself will result in considerable emissions. The Extended Metro Administration is responsible for the expansion and has decided on a climate goal implicating that the climate impact from the metro expansion shall be reduced by 25% during the realization of the project. To reach its goal the administration has developed a method for measuring and reducing the climate impact by identifying, quantifying and implementing measures to lower the emissions from the project. The planning phase of the project is now coming to an end and the production phase has started. The administration now wishes to evaluate the work that has been done and to learn from it when continuing the work and when planning new projects. This study aims to investigate the relations between the climate goal and other goals, to identify synergies and goal conflicts and to discuss whether the climate impact mitigation strategy and the implemented measures can be transferred to future projects. To reach the aim a qualitative interview study was conducted where consultants from different fields within the organization where interviewed based on the following research questions: What are the driving forces behind the climate impact mitigation measures implemented in the project? What barriers exist in the climate impact mitigation process? What can be learned from the work with the climate impact mitigation process and in what type of projects can the learnings be used? The result showed that several driving forces can lead to the implementation of climate impact mitigation measures which brings about the conclusion that there are several synergy effects connected to the climate impact mitigation process. One distinct synergy was identified with the goal of lowering the costs within the project. Several goal conflicts were also identified between the climate goal and other goals and drivers. In addition, other barriers were also discovered such as a lack of knowledge about climate impact among the planners and designers and a lack of experience in how to work with these issues. The study also found that a large share of the mitigation measures that have been implemented in the expansion of the Stockholm metro can be used also in other projects. The study identified a number of learnings and experiences that can be used to improve the climate impact mitigation strategies in future project. Among other things, the study recommends that the knowledge about synergies and goal conflicts is used when creating mitigation strategies and in adopting climate goals. It is also recommended that attention is given to the mitigation measures that do not entail synergies to lower the risk of them being discarded at an early stage. To put effort into raising the level of knowledge about the climate impact caused by the project is assessed to have had a positive effect in reaching the climate goal and additional efforts to do this is suggested.

The aim of the study was to explore the fundamental operational risks, mitigation strategies and the key performance indicators (KPIs) in last-mile delivery (LMD) of perishable goods for African and Asian retailers. Particularly, the research was guided by the following research questions.  RQ1: What operational risks are related to LMD of perishable goods for African and Asian retailers? RQ2: How do African and Asian retailers mitigate these operational risks?  RQ3: What KPIs can be used to ensure the efficiency of LMD of perishable goods?

Though heavily criticized, the Kyoto Protocol has stood out as the key political tool in addressing climate change. However the only of its instruments (IET, JI, CDM) that allows industrialized and developing countries to cooperate towards mitigation of GHGs is CDM. The underlying assumption of forestry CDM is that forest plantations (afforestation/ reforestation) might help to remove carbon dioxide (the most representative GHG) emissions. This assumption takes for granted that forest plantations might compensate for the loss of natural forests. Therefore this alleged trade-off constitutes the very focus of this study. Due to high monetary price instability in brand new markets, like the carbon offset one, the analysis abstracts out money variables. Additionally, this engine helps overcome the trap set up by monetary prices as scarcity indicators. Thus, to go along with the bioeconomic analysis, a Gordon-Schaefer fishery-like model is applied to carbon forest sequestration in Rio Grande do Sul. This state is thought of bringing an interesting picture to the analysis of the claimed trade-off between natural and planted forests. This owes both to Rio Grande do Sul s unworthy deforestation rates and to its high natural-to-planted forest ratio. This land use assortment is thought of as if there were two countries or regions: a forest-rich one, where natural forests still remain, and a forest-poor one, where afforestation and/or reforestation takes place. Only physical units (MtC) are used to calculate exchange and interest rates as well as non-monetary prices. Next, a function that assigns the land use to natural and planted forests is arrived at. As such, it works as the emission removal demand. On the other hand, the emission supply function depends on the economic growth rates. The results show that, eventually, the sustainability of economic growth hinges on a region s or country s ecological situation namely, equilibrium, credit or debt. The economic and environmental advantages of each mitigation strategy CDM and natural forest conservation are crosschecked. A nearly 40-year long overshoot rate is, after all, estimated for the forest sector in Rio Grande do Sul. The estimates suggest that CDM might help relieve environmental stress only where ecological credit is reported. Where ecological debt is already on, CDM was found unable to compensate for conservation disregard. / Apesar das críticas que tem sofrido, o Protocolo de Kyoto tem-se constituído na principal ferramenta política para enfrentar a mudança climática. No entanto o único de seus instrumentos (comércio internacional de emissões, implementação conjunta e MDL) que prevê a cooperação entre países industrializados e em desenvolvimento para mitigar as emissões de GEE é o MDL. A modalidade florestal do MDL pressupõe que as plantações florestais (florestamento/reflorestamento) podem ajudar na remoção das emissões de dióxido de carbono (o GEE mais representativo). Esse pressuposto aceita que as plantações florestais podem compensar a perda de florestas naturais. Por isso esse proclamado trade-off constitui o foco principal deste estudo. Devido à grande instabilidade dos preços monetários em mercados incipientes como o do carbono, a análise abstém-se de utilizar variáveis monetárias. De resto, esse artifício ajuda a contornar certas dificuldades decorrentes da utilização dos preços monetários como indicadores de escassez. Assim, a análise bioeconômica prossegue com a aplicação, ao seqüestro florestal de carbono no Rio Grande do Sul, de um modelo similar ao de Gordon-Schaefer, tradicionalmente empregado na gestão da pesca. Por duas razões principais, o caso do Rio Grande do Sul contribui para a análise do suposto trade-off entre florestas naturais e plantadas. Em primeiro lugar, por não se registrarem taxas de desmatamento pronunciadas no estado. Em segundo lugar, pela elevada proporção de florestas naturais em relação às florestas plantadas em seu território. A repartição do uso do solo entre as florestas é utilizada para estudá-las como se representassem nações ou regiões diferentes: uma, rica em florestas, onde as formações florestais nativas permanecem em pé; outra, pobre em florestas, onde as plantações florestais se estabelecem através de florestamento e/ou reflorestamento. Apenas unidades físicas (MtC) são utilizadas para calcular taxas de câmbio, taxas de juro e preços não-monetários. A seguir, deduz-se uma função que reparte o uso da terra entre florestas naturais e plantadas. Essa função equivale à demanda por remoção de emissões. Sua contraparte é a função oferta de emissões, que depende das taxas de crescimento econômico. Os resultados mostram como, em última análise, a sustentação do crescimento econômico está condicionada à situação ecológica (dívida, crédito ou equilíbrio) de um país ou região. Em cada cenário, confrontam-se as vantagens econômicas e ambientais das estratégias do MDL e da conservação de florestas naturais. Além disso, estima-se uma taxa de overshoot para a atividade florestal no Rio Grande do Sul ao longo dos últimos 40 anos aproximadamente. As estimativas sugerem que o MDL pode aliviar pressões ambientais somente onde se registre crédito ecológico. Onde o endividamento ecológico já esteja em curso, o MDL não substitui a conservação.

De nombreuses études au cours des dernières décennies ont porté sur l'effet l’îlot de chaleur urbain (ICU). Les efforts initiaux visant à comprendre les facteurs qui influent sur l’ICU ont contribué à la mise en place de solutions et de stratégies d'atténuation adaptées. Les stratégies d'atténuation comprennent généralement l'augmentation de l'albédo urbain (réflectivité au rayonnement solaire) et l'évapotranspiration. Les augmentations d'albedo sont obtenues grâce à des technologies de toiture et de pavage ayant un albédo élevé. Une augmentation de l'évapotranspiration est obtenue par une combinaison de la diminution de la fraction de surfaces imperméables et la plantation de végétation dans les zones urbaines. Le confort thermique extérieur est défini à partir d’indices prenant en compte différents paramètres physiques et traduit la perception et la satisfaction des piétons. Ce confort est très difficile à obtenir en climat chaud et aride. Par conséquent, le travail présenté dans ce document met l'accent sur les méthodes appropriées pour réduire l’ICU et ainsi améliorer le confort thermique en plein air des piétons. Jusqu’à présent, peu de recherches ont été menées sur le confort thermique extérieur dans un climat chaud et aride. Les études sur l'atténuation de l'ICU et le confort thermique extérieur sont pratiquement inexistantes pour la ville de Bagdad. Bagdad a un tissu urbain complexe avec des constructions modernes, des maisons traditionnelles et des éléments caractéristiques du patrimoine local. Le climat en été est chaud, et les mois d'été sont considérés comme la plus longue saison avec près de 7 mois de l'année. Dans un premier temps, cette étude se concentre sur l'étude des stratégies d'atténuation à envisager afin d’évaluer comment le confort des piétons est affecté par les choix de conception des constructions, en comparant un quartier traditionnel à un quartier moderne. L’étude envisage ensuite la façon dont la végétation et les ombrages contribuent à réduire l'effet de l'ICU et à améliorer le confort thermique extérieur. Quatre scénarios différents sont élaborés pour évaluer le rôle d’éléments végétaux tels que les arbres, l'herbe et les différents modèles d'ombrage. L'évaluation a été effectuée le jour le plus chaud de l'été, la température radiante moyenne, l'humidité spécifique, la température de l'air et les distributions de la vitesse du vent ont été analysées à l'aide du logiciel ENVI-met. Le confort thermique est ensuite évalué à l'aide des indices thermiques de la température équivalente physiologique PET et du PMV étendu aux ambiances extérieures. En outre, une proposition de solution est abordée afin d’étudier son impact sur le confort thermique pour la journée la plus chaude (situation extrême) et une journée typique d’été. Les résultats ont révélé une amélioration du confort thermique dans la journée typique d’été. L'étude montre comment les facteurs urbains tels que le rapport d'aspect, la couverture végétale, les ombres et la géométrie du quartier sont des éléments cruciaux que les urbanistes et les municipalités doivent prendre en compte, en particulier pour les nouveaux aménagements urbains dans un climat chaud et aride. Une proposition d’aménagement global pour atténuer les ICU dans le cas d’un nouveau quartier sous climat aride, est détaillée en fin de mémoire. / Numerous studies over the past several decades focused on the effect of the Urban Heat Island. Initial efforts on understanding the factors affecting UHI contributed to proceed the appropriate solutions and mitigation strategies. Mitigation strategies comprise increase both urban albedo (reflectivity to solar radiation), and evapotranspiration. Albedo increases are obtained through high albedo roofing and paving technologies. An increase in evapotranspiration is achieved through a combination of decreasing the fraction of impervious surfaces and planting vegetation in urban areas. The outdoor thermal comfort is influenced by the perception and satisfaction of the pedestrians, especially in hot and arid climates. Consequently, this work focuses on the appropriate methods for reducing the Urban Heat Island and thus to enhance the pedestrians outdoor thermal comfort. However, there is limited research conducted on the outdoor thermal comfort in hot and arid climate. The studies on the mitigation the Urban Heat Island and the outdoor thermal comfort are almost non-existent for Baghdad city. Baghdad has a complex urban fabric with modern design constructions buildings, traditional and heritage houses. The climate in summer is hot, and summer months are considered the longest season with nearly 7 months of the year. This study focuses on investigating possible mitigation strategies to ensure how pedestrian comfort is affected by the constructions design choices comparing a traditional district to a modern one, and on how vegetation and shading patterns contribute to reducing the effect of UHI and improving the outdoor thermal comfort. Four different scenarios are designed to assess the role of vegetation elements such as trees, grass, and different shading patterns. The evaluation was performed on the hottest day in summer, the mean radiant temperature, specific humidity, air temperature, and wind speed distributions have been analyzed using ENVI-met software. Thermal comfort is assessed using the thermal indices the Physiological Equivalent Temperature PET and the Predicted Mean Vote PMV. Also, a proposal model is designed to evaluate the thermal comfort on the hottest day and the typical day in summer. The results revealed an improvement on thermal comfort in the typical day in summer. The study shows how the urban factors such as the aspect ratio, vegetation cover, shadings, and geometry of the canyon are crucial elements that urban planners and municipalities have to take into account, especially for new urban developments in hot, arid climate.

La biodiversité est actuellement fortement menacée par les activités humaines. Dépendant des milieux marins et terrestres, les oiseaux marins sont particulièrement exposés aux pressions anthropiques. À La Réunion, les conséquences des impacts des aménagements sur les populations restent méconnues. Dans une optique de conservation et de réalisation d'études environnementales pertinentes, des informations fiables sur la répartition des espèces, sur leur comportement de vol et une évaluation de leur vulnérabilité vis-à-vis des aménagements sont nécessaires. Les objectifs de cette thèse sont de préciser des données biologiques et d'évaluer la vulnérabilité des oiseaux marins nocturnes de La Réunion face aux aménagements. Nous avons étudié l'évolution de la taille et de la répartition des colonies de puffin tropical Puffinus bailloni à l'échelle de l'île sur une période de 19 ans. Les patterns de vol du puffin tropical et du pétrel de Barau Pterodroma baraui ont été caractérisés par imagerie radar à différentes échelles temporelles et spatiales. Nos résultats montrent une stabilité apparente de la population de puffin tropical malgré la forte pollution lumineuse. Le puffin tropical et le pétrel de Barau présentent des patterns de vol spécifiques. Les effectifs estimés de pétrel de Barau suggèrent une population plus importante que celle connue actuellement. Les effectifs estimés de puffin tropical sont cohérents avec les estimations actuelles. Les jeunes pétrels de Barau s'envolent principalement durant les premières heures de la nuit. Des outils d'aide à la décision ont été produits. Nos travaux soulèvent la nécessité de poursuivre des recherches fondamentales et appliquées. / The biodiversity is currently threatened by human activities. As they depend both of marine and terrestrial habitats, seabirds are particularly exposed to human pressures. In Reunion Island, the consequences of the urbanization on populations are unknown. For conservation and environmental assessment purposes, accurate information on the species repartition, flight patterns and vulnerability to infrastructure is required. The goals of this thesis are to update biological information on species and to assess the vulnerability of nocturnal seabirds of Reunion Island exposed to infrastructure. We studied the evolution of the size and the repartition of the colonies of tropical shearwater Puffinus bailloni at the scale of the entire island over a 19-years period. The flight patterns of tropical shearwater and Barau's petrel Pterodroma baraui were described with radar technology at different spatial and temporal scales. Our results show an apparent stability of the tropical shearwater population despite an important light pollution. Tropical shearwater and Barau’s petrel present specific flight patterns. The estimated census of Barau's petrel suggests a population size higher than current estimation whereas the estimated census of tropical shearwater is reliable to current estimations. Barau's petrels' juveniles mostly take off during the first hours of the night. Decision making tools have been produced. Our study also highlights the need to conduct further fundamental and applied researches.