Transformaciones territoriales en áreas de riesgo de inundación. El caso del Arroyo El Gato. Partido de La Plata. Período 1980-2004

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo realizar el estudio de los cambios territoriales a partir de la evolución en los usos de suelo, la estructura morfológica urbana y aspectos socio-económicos de la población en uno de los asentamientos poblacionales situados en las márgenes del Arroyo El Gato. El mismo se llevará a cabo a partir de la implementación de la teledetección, análisis de datos estadísticos y encuestas. El estudio de las transformaciones territoriales nos ayudará a abordar en una primera aproximación las dimensiones de peligrosidad y exposición enmarcadas en la teoría social del riesgo. Este análisis servirá como insumo para la determinación de áreas de riesgo de inundación que se está desarrollando dentro del proyecto "Inundaciones en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Factores naturales y antrópicos desde la Teoría Social del Riesgo. Cuenca Parano-Platense. 1980-2000".

Transformaciones territoriales en áreas de riesgo de inundación. El caso del Arroyo El Gato. Partido de La Plata. Período 1980-2004

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo realizar el estudio de los cambios territoriales a partir de la evolución en los usos de suelo, la estructura morfológica urbana y aspectos socio-económicos de la población en uno de los asentamientos poblacionales situados en las márgenes del Arroyo El Gato. El mismo se llevará a cabo a partir de la implementación de la teledetección, análisis de datos estadísticos y encuestas. El estudio de las transformaciones territoriales nos ayudará a abordar en una primera aproximación las dimensiones de peligrosidad y exposición enmarcadas en la teoría social del riesgo. Este análisis servirá como insumo para la determinación de áreas de riesgo de inundación que se está desarrollando dentro del proyecto "Inundaciones en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Factores naturales y antrópicos desde la Teoría Social del Riesgo. Cuenca Parano-Platense. 1980-2000".

Spatio-temporal distribution of pyrethroids in soil in Mediterranean paddy fields

Purpose The demand of rice by the increase in population in many countries has intensified the application of pesticides and the use of poor quality water to irrigate fields. The terrestrial environment is one compartment affected by these situations, where soil is working as a reservoir, retaining organic pollutants. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods to determine insecticides in soil and monitor susceptible areas to be contaminated, applying adequate techniques to remediate them. Materials and methods This study investigates the occurrence of ten pyrethroid insecticides (PYs) and its spatio-temporal variance in soil at two different depths collected in two periods (before plow and during rice production), in a paddy field area located in the Mediterranean coast. Pyrethroids were quantified using gas chromatography?mass spectrometry (GC?MS) after ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethyl acetate. The results obtained were assessed statistically using non-parametric methods, and significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) in pyrethroids content with soil depth and proximity to wastewater treatment plants were evaluated. Moreover, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to monitor the occurrence of PYs in paddy fields and detect risk areas. Results and discussion Pyrethroids were detected at concentrations ?57.0 ng g?1 before plow and ?62.3 ng g?1 during rice production, being resmethrin and cyfluthrin the compounds found at higher concentrations in soil. Pyrethroids were detected mainly at the top soil, and a GIS program was used to depict the obtained results, showing that effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were the main sources of soil contamination. No toxic effects were expected to soil organisms, but it is of concern that PYs may affect aquatic organisms, which represents the worst case scenario. Conclusions A methodology to determine pyrethroids in soil was developed to monitor a paddy field area. The use of water fromWWTPs to irrigate rice fields is one of the main pollution sources of pyrethroids. It is a matter of concern that PYs may present toxic effects on aquatic organisms, as they can be desorbed from soil. Phytoremediation may play an important role in this area, reducing the possible risk associated to PYs levels in soil.

Análise espacial da leishmaniose visceral canina no município de Panorama, São Paulo, Brasil

A leishmaniose visceral é uma zoonose de grande importância para a saúde pública, com ampla distribuição geográfica e epidemiologia complexa. Apesar de diversas estratégias de controle, a doença continua se expandindo, tendo o cão como principal reservatório. Levando em consideração que análises espaciais são úteis para compreender melhor a dinâmica da doença, avaliar fatores de risco e complementar os programas de prevenção e controle, o presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a distribuição da leishmaniose visceral canina e relacionar sua dinâmica com características ou feições espaciais no município de Panorama (SP). A partir de dados secundários coletados em um inquérito sorológico entre agosto de 2012 e janeiro de 2013, 986 cães foram classificados como positivos e negativos de acordo com o protocolo oficial do Ministério da Saúde. Posteriormente uma análise espacial foi conduzida, compreendendo desde a visualização dos dados até a elaboração de um mapa de risco relativo, passando por análises de cluster global (função K) e local (varredura espacial). Para avaliar uma possível relação entre o cluster detectado com a vegetação na área de estudo, calculou-se o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI). A prevalência da doença encontrada na população de cães estudada foi de 20,3% (200/986). A visualização espacial demonstrou que tanto animais positivos quanto negativos estavam distribuídos por toda a área de estudo. O mapa de intensidade dos animais positivos apontou duas localidades de possíveis clusters, quando comparado ao mapa de intensidade dos animais negativos. As análises de cluster confirmaram a presença de um aglomerado e um cluster foi detectado na região central do município, com um risco relativo de 2,63 (p=0,01). A variação espacial do risco relativo na área de estudo foi mapeada e também identificou a mesma região como área significativa de alto risco (p<0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças no padrão de vegetação comparando as áreas interna e externa ao cluster. Sendo assim, novos estudos devem ser realizados com o intuito de compreender outros fatores de risco que possam ter levado à ocorrência do cluster descrito. A prevalência, a localização do cluster espacial e o mapa de risco relativo fornecem subsídios para direcionamento de esforços do Setor de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Panorama para áreas de alto risco, o que pode poupar recursos e aperfeiçoar o controle da leishmaniose visceral no município.

A Review of the Environmental and Health Effects of Termiticides under Australian Conditions

There exists a major cost issue as regards termite damage to wooden structures. A factor in this cost has been the increasing trend towards slab-on-ground construction. Current literature has been reviewed in relation to concerns about the possible public/environmental health consequences of the repeated use of termiticides in large quantities. The previous, current and projected future use patterns of termiticides are reviewed in the context of techniques appropriate for termite control and treatment priorities. The phasing out of organochlorine termiticides in Australia was undertaken to minimise impact of these substances on the environment and to a lesser extent on public health. These persistent chemicals were replaced by substances with high activity but relatively low persistence in the soil. There has also been an increase in the use of alternative methods (e.g. physical barriers) for the control of termites. The transition away from organochlorine termiticides has led to a realisation that significant information gaps exist with regard to replacement chemicals and other technologies. Although relatively persistent, the organochlorine chemicals have a limited lifespan in soils. Their concentrations are gradually attenuated by processes such as transport away from the point of application and biodegradation. Wooden structures originally treated with these substances will, with the passing of time, be at risk of termite infestation. The only available option is re-treatment with chemicals currently registered for termite control. Thus, there are likely to be substantial future increases associated with the cost of re-treatment and repairs of older slab-on-ground dwellings. More information is required on Australian termite biology, taxonomy and ecology. The risks of termite infestation need to be evaluated, both locally and nationally so that susceptible or high risk areas, structures and building types can be identified and preventive measures taken in terms of design and construction. Building regulations and designs need to be able to reduce or eliminate high-risk housing; and eliminate or reduce conditions that are attractive to termites and/or facilitate termite infestation.

Ross River virus disease clusters and spatial relationship with mosquito biting exposure in Redland Shire, southern Queensland, Australia

The spatial heterogeneity in the risk of Ross River virus (family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, RRV) disease, the most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia, was examined in Redland Shire in southern Queensland, Australia. Disease cases, complaints from residents of intense mosquito biting exposure, and human population data were mapped using a geographic information system. Surface maps of RRV disease age-sex standardized morbidity ratios and mosquito biting complaint morbidity ratios were created. To determine whether there was significant spatial variation in disease and complaint patterns, a spatial scan analysis method was used to test whether the number of cases and complaints was distributed according to underlying population at risk. Several noncontiguous areas in proximity to productive saline water habitats of Aedes vigilax (Skuse), a recognized vector of RRV, had higher than expected numbers of RRV disease cases and complaints. Disease rates in human populations in areas which had high numbers of adult Ae. vigilax in carbon dioxide- and octenol-baited light traps were up to 2.9 times those in areas that rarely had high numbers of mosquitoes. It was estimated that targeted control of adult Ae. vigilax in these high-risk areas could potentially reduce the RRV disease incidence by an average of 13.6%. Spatial correlation was found between RRV disease risk and complaints from residents of mosquito biting. Based on historical patterns of RRV transmission throughout Redland Shire and estimated future human population growth in areas with higher than average RRV disease incidence, it was estimated that RRV incidence rates will increase by 8% between 2001 and 2021. The use of arbitrary administrative areas that ranged in size from 4.6 to 318.3 km2, has the potential to mask any small scale heterogeneity in disease patterns. With the availability of georeferenced data sets and high-resolution imagery, it is becoming more feasible to undertake spatial analyses at relatively small scales.

Impacts of flood hazards on small and medium companies:strategies for property level protection and business continuity

Worldwide floods have become one of the costliest weather-related hazards, causing large-scale human, economic, and environmental damage during the recent past. Recent years have seen a large number of such flood events around the globe, with Europe and the United Kingdom being no exception. Currently, about one in six properties in England is at risk of flooding (EA, 2009), and the risk is expected to further increase in the future (Evans et al., 2004). Although public spending on community-level flood protection has increased and some properties are protected by such protection schemes, many properties at risk of flooding may still be left without adequate protection. As far as businesses are concerned, this has led to an increased need for implementing strategies for property-level flood protection and business continuity, in order to improve their capacity to survive a flood hazard. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute a significant portion of the UK business community. In the United Kingdom, more than 99% of private sector enterprises fall within the category of SMEs (BERR, 2008). They account for more than half of employment creation (59%) and turnover generation (52%) (BERR, 2008), and are thus considered the backbone of the UK economy. However, they are often affected disproportionately by natural hazards when compared with their larger counterparts (Tierney and Dahlhamer, 1996; Webb, Tierney, and Dahlhamer, 2000; Alesch et al., 2001) due to their increased vulnerability. Previous research reveals that small businesses are not adequately prepared to cope with the risk of natural hazards and to recover following such events (Tierney and Dahlhamer, 1996; Alesch et al., 2001; Yoshida and Deyle, 2005; Crichton, 2006; Dlugolecki, 2008). For instance, 90% of small businesses do not have adequate insurance coverage for their property (AXA Insurance UK, 2008) and only about 30% have a business continuity plan (Woodman, 2008). Not being adequately protected by community-level flood protection measures as well as property- and business-level protection measures threatens the survival of SMEs, especially those located in flood risk areas. This chapter discusses the potential effects of flood hazards on SMEs and the coping strategies that the SMEs can undertake to ensure the continuity of their business activities amid flood events. It contextualizes this discussion within a survey conducted under the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded research project entitled “Community Resilience to Extreme Weather — CREW”.

Vulnerabilidade socioambiental no município de Natal, RN

Contemporary society lives surrounded by various types of risks, causing individuals to be taken by a constant feeling of fear and insecurity, as the negative risks, always bring some harm to the population directly or indirectly involved. The city of Natal has several risk areas, especially on the outskirts of the city, due to the occupation of spaces that have laws and / or natural physical limitations as well as the lack of urban organization, thus increasing the vulnerability of the population living in these areas. The principal objective of this research was to map the areas of social vulnerability and natural hazards in Natal, taking into account the interrelationships between social vulnerability and differential exposure to natural hazards. Therefore, it was necessary to establish, according to the methodology used, the degree of social vulnerability and vulnerability to natural hazard in which individuals are subject, to establish the relationship between society/ risks. In this case, the methodology proposed by Crepani (2001) which is based on ecodynamic Tricart (1977), which classifies the areas of risk and the degree of vulnerability of these areas according to the morphodynamic processes for preparation of the Vulnerability Index was used Physical natural, and for organizing the social Vulnerability Index adopted an adaptation of the Paulista social Vulnerability Index, prepared by SEADE (Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados) of the State of São Paulo, drawing on data that denote social disadvantage at the census tract level. Then, with the superposition of these two indices, it was elaborated a Socioenvironmental Vulnerability Index. Thus, it is concluded that besides spatialize areas of risk which indicates the degree of vulnerability of individuals potentially exposed to natural hazard.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and hatch rates of Antarctic krill

Marine ecosystems of the Southern Ocean are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba; hereafter krill) is the key pelagic species of the region and its largest fishery resource. There is therefore concern about the combined effects of climate change, ocean acidification and an expanding fishery on krill and ultimately, their dependent predators-whales, seals and penguins. However, little is known about the sensitivity of krill to ocean acidification. Juvenile and adult krill are already exposed to variable seawater carbonate chemistry because they occupy a range of habitats and migrate both vertically and horizontally on a daily and seasonal basis. Moreover, krill eggs sink from the surface to hatch at 700-1,000 m, where the carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) in sea water is already greater than it is in the atmosphere. Krill eggs sink passively and so cannot avoid these conditions. Here we describe the sensitivity of krill egg hatch rates to increased CO2, and present a circumpolar risk map of krill hatching success under projected pCO2 levels. We find that important krill habitats of the Weddell Sea and the Haakon VII Sea to the east are likely to become high-risk areas for krill recruitment within a century. Furthermore, unless CO2 emissions are mitigated, the Southern Ocean krill population could collapse by 2300 with dire consequences for the entire ecosystem.

Dealing with flood damages: will prevention, mitigation, and ex post compensation provide for a resilient triangle?

There is a wealth of literature on the design of ex post compensation mechanisms for natural disasters. However, more research needs to be done on the manner in which these mechanisms could steer citizens toward adopting individual-level preventive and protection measures in the face of flood risks. We have provided a comparative legal analysis of the financial compensation mechanisms following floods, be it through insurance, public funds, or a combination of both, with an empirical focus on Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and France. Similarities and differences between the methods in which these compensation mechanisms for flood damages enhance resilience were analyzed. The comparative analysis especially focused on the link between the recovery strategy on the one hand and prevention and mitigation strategies on the other. There is great potential within the recovery strategy for promoting preventive action, for example in terms of discouraging citizens from living in high-risk areas, or encouraging the uptake of mitigation measures, such as adaptive building. However, this large potential has yet to be realized, in part because of insufficient consideration and promotion of these connections within existing legal frameworks. We have made recommendations about how the linkages between strategies can be further improved. These recommendations relate to, among others, the promotion of resilient reinstatement through recovery mechanisms and the removal of legal barriers preventing the establishment of link-inducing measures.

Apoio geoespacial a uma operação NEO

No âmbito das obrigações que o Estado Português tem em garantir a segurança dos seus cidadãos, é efetuada, em países ou regiões onde há comunidades nacionais, uma avaliação quanto ao risco de vida para os cidadãos nacionais que aí residam ou aí se encontrem, entendendo-se, à luz do direito internacional consuetudinário, que é legítima a eventual execução de intervenção militar de extração de nacionais não combatentes dessas zonas de risco. Este trabalho pretende contribuir para uma reflexão sobre o apoio geoespacial a uma operação de extração de cidadãos nacionais não combatentes, que se denomina NEO (non-combatant evacuation operation). Dada a importância do conhecimento holístico do ambiente operacional para os comandantes militares, os Sistemas de Informação Geográfica desempenham um papel fundamental em termos da análise, contextualização e visualização da informação geoespacial, sendo um precioso sistema de apoio à decisão. A tomada de decisão é efetuada com os contributos de várias áreas de conhecimento, sendo fundamental que o planeamento seja efetuado com base na mesma informação geoespacial, evitando a existência de uma multitude de dados geoespaciais nem sempre coerentes, atualizados e acessíveis a todos os que deles necessitam, pretendendo-se com este trabalho fornecer um contributo para resolver este problema. Aborda-se também a escassez dos dados geográficos nas zonas em que este tipo de operações se poderá desenrolar, a pertinência e a adequabilidade de utilização de dados espaciais abertos, os modelos de dados, bem como a forma como a informação pode ser disponibilizada.

A COMPARISON OF PIXEL-BASED VERSUS OBJECT ORIENTED ANALYSIS OF LANDSLIDES USING HISTORICAL REMOTE SENSING DATA

With recent advances in remote sensing processing technology, it has become more feasible to begin analysis of the enormous historic archive of remotely sensed data. This historical data provides valuable information on a wide variety of topics which can influence the lives of millions of people if processed correctly and in a timely manner. One such field of benefit is that of landslide mapping and inventory. This data provides a historical reference to those who live near high risk areas so future disasters may be avoided. In order to properly map landslides remotely, an optimum method must first be determined. Historically, mapping has been attempted using pixel based methods such as unsupervised and supervised classification. These methods are limited by their ability to only characterize an image spectrally based on single pixel values. This creates a result prone to false positives and often without meaningful objects created. Recently, several reliable methods of Object Oriented Analysis (OOA) have been developed which utilize a full range of spectral, spatial, textural, and contextual parameters to delineate regions of interest. A comparison of these two methods on a historical dataset of the landslide affected city of San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala has proven the benefits of OOA methods over those of unsupervised classification. Overall accuracies of 96.5% and 94.3% and F-score of 84.3% and 77.9% were achieved for OOA and unsupervised classification methods respectively. The greater difference in F-score is a result of the low precision values of unsupervised classification caused by poor false positive removal, the greatest shortcoming of this method.

Mapping the likelihood of foot-and-mouth disease introduction along the border between Brazil and Paraguay.

The objective of this work was to apply fuzzy majority multicriteria group decision?making to determine risk areas for foot?and?mouth disease (FMD) introduction along the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The study was conducted in three municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, located along the border with Paraguay. Four scenarios were built, applying the following linguistic quantifiers to describe risk factors: few, half, many, and most. The three criteria considered to be most likely to affect the vulnerability to introduction of FMD, according to experts? opinions, were: the introduction of animals in the farm, the distance from the border, and the type of property settlements. The resulting maps show a strong spatial heterogeneity in the risk of FMD introduction. The used methodology brings out a new approach that can be helpful to policy makers in the combat and eradication of FMD.

Assessing Cardiovascular Risk in Regional Areas: The Healthy Hearts – Beyond City Limits Program

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in regional and remote Australia compared to metropolitan areas. The aim of Healthy Hearts was to determine age and sex specific CVD risk factor levels and the potential value of national risk clinics. Methods: Healthy Hearts was an observational research study conducted in four purposefully selected higher risk communities in regional Victoria, Australia. The main outcome measures were the proportion of participants with CVD risk factors with group comparisons to determine the adjusted likelihood of elevated risk factor levels. Trained personnel used a standardized protocol over four weeks per community to measure CVD risk factor levels, estimate absolute CVD risk and provide feedback and advice. Results: A total of 2125 self-selected participants were assessed (mean age 58 ± 15 years, 57% women). Overall, CVD risk factors were highly prevalent. More men than women had ≥ 2 modifiable CVD risk factors (76% vs. 68%, p < .001), pre-existing CVD (20 vs. 15%, p < .01) and a major ECG abnormality requiring follow-up (15% vs. 7%, p < .001) . Less men reported depressive symptoms compared to women (28% vs. 22%, p < .01). A higher proportion of women were obese (adjusted OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.63), and physically inactive (adjusted OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.63). Conclusions: High CVD risk factor levels were confirmed for regional Victoria. Close engagement with individuals and communities provides scope for the application of regional risk management clinics to reduce the burden of CVD risk in regional Australia.