The reasons for choosing or promoting a certain way of transporting goods are dependent on a multitude of factors. Shippers will be interested in reliable logistics and low cost, while authorities are in general more concerned with relieving congestion and minimizing the environmental impact of transport in general. Historically, transport analysts have mainly focused on either economic or environmental aspects, but have hardly ever joined the two. This thesis aims to achieve an integrated approach to the assessment of transport, in this case focused on intermodal chains at a micro level. This means we focus on the performance of the entire intermodal logistic chain as a whole and not on the performance of each transport mode. During the three last years, we have participated in the European funded 6th framework project CREATING, where we have been the leader of the work package in charge of the assessment activities. To achieve this task, we developed an integrated assessment framework that can translate quantitative and qualitative values into a single performance indicator. This model is implemented in usable software, quite easily understandable by the users. The impacts considered in the integrated assessment framework are related to various performance areas: the economy, the environment, the logistics and the safety. The logistics and the safety are directly taken in charge by the software while the economy and the environment require the use of an underlying model developed by colleagues from Delft University, working in close relation with the model developed within this thesis: LODA stating for Logistic Optimization and Decision Aiding. The Delft model provides outputs related to the costs and the environmental impacts of transport chains based on technical aspects of transport means. These outputs are directly imported in LODA to perform the integrated evaluation. A list of indicators is elaborated for each performance domain. After a first aggregation step, the model provides four global indexes presenting the performance of transport projects related to the four above-mentioned fields. These four aggregations are realized by means of a multicriteria decision aiding method named PROMETHEE stating for Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment and Evaluation and other aggregation methods such as a sum and an average. Then, a final indicator provides the global performance of transport projects by aggregating the indexes into one global score by using the PROMETHEE method. This single indicator makes possible to rank the scenarios on the basis of the aggregated performances. In addition, it is possible to test the robustness of the ranking on the basis of different weights. The assessment framework developed in this thesis is demonstrated by means of cases under evaluation in the CREATING project. The first case covers the transport of cargo from Germany to South-Eastern Europe by road and by intermodal scenarios featuring RORO (stating for Roll-on / Roll-off) waterborne transport along the Danube. This case highlights the major benefits of an intermodal transport compared to an all-road transport regarding the pollution, the reduction of accidents as well as the positive impacts on the costs and the logistics. iii The second case revolves around the transport of biomass on a lake in the Paijanne area in Finland. The woodchips are used as an important source of energy by a local power plant which plans to increase its activity in the coming years. The increase demand of biomass will generate a lot of traffic which can not be absorbed by the only road transport. So, regarding the lake system, the waterborne transport alternative could be an efficient solution to ensure the sustainable development of biomass transport in that area. The third case is dedicated to the study of conditioned banana transport (temperature controlled and kept under an atmosphere with reduced amounts of oxygen). The bananas arrive in Antwerp, from South America, by seagoing reefer ships and have to be transported to ripening houses in Strasbourg. This transport is currently realized by truck. The impacts of intermodal transport alternatives are studied and show that intermodal transport can perform better than an all-road transport. Finally, the integrated assessment framework is applied to the transport of chemicals over the inland waterways in the Netherlands. This transport is currently done by single hulled ships which need to be replaced by double hulled ships in the near future while the transport by road could take a slight shortcut. Once again, the model demonstrates the competitiveness of inland navigation. The above-mentioned cases highlight the possible application of our model in real conditions while possible further developments can be identified regarding the internalization of external transport impacts. On the basis of the case studies, it appears that intermodal transport represents a pertinent alternative to all-road transport allowing a better modal balancing.

No description available.

Ribeirão Cachoreira de Cima s watershed is located in the municipality Itapagipe, west mesoregion portion of Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba (Minas Gerais) and presents a system of fundamental importance for the municipality because it s responsible for the water supply to the urban population and for taking part of the county's dairy herd, which has in its production of milk and derivatives one of its main economic activities. The developed research aimed to complete the precipitation monitoring and the environmental and integrated evaluation of the basin, covering not only the environmental preservation issue and, also, the alliance between preservation and socioeconomic development, trying to promote sustainable development of the studied area and ensuring the water maintenance regime of the basin. The necessity of conducting an environmental evaluation is justified by the fact that the system has significant physical and environmental diversity, showing areas of residual relief, very sandy soil and high vulnerability areas with natural and physical-environmental ideas for the development of several farming activities in an area of relatively small portion of about 210 km ². The integration of these elements, combined with different types of land use, most of times inadequate, leads the system to a state of alert for the production of water use and availability of this resource in adequate quantity and quality to support all the activities developed in a medium/long period of time. According to these information, it is also justified the rainfall monitoring made, which can optimize the rainwater use and reduce its negative impacts on the system. From the results of the environmental and integrated evaluation and the rainfall monitoring, we intend to propose actions the aim recovering the environmental quality of the Ribeirão Cachoreira de Cima s basin, providing better management, handling and conservation of the natural resources. / A Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Cachoeira de Cima localiza-se no município de Itapagipe, porção oeste da mesorregião do Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba (Minas Gerais) e apresenta-se como um sistema de fundamental importância ao município por ser responsável pelo abastecimento de água à população urbana e por abrigar parte considerável do rebanho leiteiro do município, que tem na produção de leite e derivados uma de suas principais atividades econômicas. A pesquisa desenvolvida teve como objetivo realizar o monitoramento pluviométrico e a avaliação ambiental integrada da bacia, contemplando não apenas a questão da preservação ambiental e, sim, a aliança entre preservação e desenvolvimento socioeconômico, buscando promover o desenvolvimento sustentável da área de estudo e garantindo a manutenção do regime hídrico da bacia. A necessidade da realização de uma avaliação ambiental justifica-se pelo fato de o sistema possuir significativas diversidades físicas e ambientais, apresentando áreas de relevo residual, solo extremamente arenoso e elevada fragilidade natural e áreas com características físico-ambientais ideais para o desenvolvimento de diversas atividades agropecuárias, em uma porção territorial relativamente pequena, de 210 Km². A integração destes elementos, aliados aos diferentes tipos de uso e manejo da terra, na maioria das vezes inadequado, leva o sistema a uma situação de alerta em relação à produção de água e a disponibilidade deste recurso em quantidade e qualidade adequadas para sustentar todas as atividades desenvolvidas na área a médio/ longo prazo. Nesse sentido, justifica-se também o monitoramento pluviométrico realizado, que pode otimizar o aproveitamento da água pluvial e reduzir seus impactos negativos no sistema. Procura-se, a partir dos resultados da avaliação ambiental integrada e do monitoramento pluviométrico, propor ações que visem recuperar a qualidade ambiental do sistema Bacia do Ribeirão Cachoeira de Cima , proporcionando uma melhor gestão, manejo e conservação dos recursos naturais. / Mestre em Geografia

The purpose of the study is to develop a comprehensive analysis of local strategic economic complex, as part of an integrated assessment of the effectiveness of the regional executive authority (the example of the Republic of Ingushetia). Relevance of the research topic. A significant place in the economy of any region are leading the business structure, influencing the formation of a profitable part of budgets of various levels, to ensure employment and social infrastructure development, attracting foreign investment and so on. From the efficiency of interaction of the regional executive authority with the largest representatives of the business depends on the level of social -economic prosperity territory. The elements of scientific novelty presented the following results for the defense: Permission for the concept of scientific revolution local strategic economic complex that allows the subject of the subjective, the evaluation of which should be taken into account when analyzing the effectiveness of the regional executive. The technique of the complex analysis of local strategic economic complex, which includes an analysis of individual companies and the integration of the data that allows you to evaluate the statics and dynamics of the development of key business organizations in the region. Improved methods of evaluating the effectiveness of an integrated regional executive authorities, taking into account the impact assessment of the local strategic economic complex that allows a more accurate and balanced manner to evaluate the activity of the subject of federation leadership. The mechanism of systematization and objectification assessment of the regional executive power, representing a professional social control that will not only build a power system of assessment, but also to develop a number of civil society institutions in the territory of his actions. Obtained by the author in the course of the master's thesis results can be used by governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders as a methodological basis for assessing the effectiveness of the regional executive authority. / Цель исследования состоит в развитии комплексного анализа локального стратегического экономического комплекса, как элемента интегрированной оценки эффективности региональной исполнительной власти (на примере Республики Ингушетия). Актуальность темы исследования. Существенное место в экономике любого региона занимают ведущие бизнес-структуры, оказывающие влияние на формирование доходной части бюджетов различных уровней, на обеспечение занятости населения, развитие социальной инфраструктуры, привлечение внешних инвестиций и пр. От эффективности взаимодействия региональной исполнительной власти с крупнейшими представителями бизнеса зависит уровень социально-экономического благополучия территории. Элементы научной новизны представлены следующими результатами, выносимыми на защиту: Введено в научный оборот понятие локальный стратегический экономический комплекс, что позволяет субъективировать предмет, оценка которого должна быть учтена при анализе эффективности деятельности региональной исполнительной власти. Разработана методика комплексного анализа локального стратегического экономического комплекса, включающая анализ отдельных предприятий и интегрирование полученных данных, что позволяет оценить статику и динамику развития ключевых бизнес структур региона. Усовершенствована методика интегрированной оценки эффективности региональной исполнительной власти, учитывающее влияние оценки локального стратегического экономического комплекса, что позволяет более точно и сбалансировано оценить деятельность руководства субъекта РФ. Предложен механизм систематизации и объективизации оценки региональной исполнительной власти, представляющий из себя профессиональный общественный контроль, что позволит не только построить систему оценки власти, но и развить ряд институтов гражданского общества на территории его действия. Полученные автором в ходе выполнения магистерской диссертации результаты могут быть использованы органами власти, общественными организациями, и прочими заинтересованными лицами в качестве методической основы оценки эффективности региональной исполнительной власти.