Development Of Risk Map Research Articles

Updated indicators of seismic risk for the territory of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia

For all earthquake prone countries, including the Russian Federation, seismic risk assessment is periodically updated. The need for updating is increasing due to changes in assessments of hazard level and vulnerability properties of the elements at risk. For the earthquake prone regions of the Russian Federation classified as the priority development zones, risk indicators updating should increase the effectiveness of preventive measures implementation aimed at risk reduction. Calculations show that the development of risk maps, as well as the subsequent planning and implementation of preventive measures tied to the place marked on the map as the most dangerous, can reduce possible social and economic losses by 20-30%. The article describes the issues of updating seismic risk indicators for the territory of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. For the considered areas, which are included in the advanced development program, the actual values of seismic hazard and building vulnerability were used. The procedure for assessing and mapping risk indicators with the geographic information system “Extremum” application is given. Examples of thematic maps are presented, illustrating rather high estimates of individual risk for 6% of the territory of the Irkutsk region and 39% of the territory of the Republic of Buryatia. The results of the study indicate the need and importance of ensuring the seismic safety of the population in the framework of planning measures for the advanced development of territories.

Geospatial modeling of environmental hazards to coral reefs in the Oman Sea

Globally, there have been overwhelming concerns about the effects of climate changes on various species’ ecosystems and habitats. In the marine realm, significant loss and degradation of coral reefs have been identified. Along the coastlines of the Oman Sea, coral reefs are highly threatened and degraded. The deterioration of this marine ecosystem has occurred as a direct response to a variety of environmental and natural threats. Consequently, mass bleaching and coral mortality have been reported in several sites causing loss of live coral cover and their values and services. Although anthropogenic impacts on coral reefs across the northern Oman coasts have been examined, explicit spatial modeling of environmental stressors on coral reefs has not been yet conducted. In this study, a combination of Geographical Information Systems techniques and a quantitative Analytical Hierarchical Process have been utilized to investigate spatial patterns of environmental risks posed to coral reef cover. A multiple risk index was calculated, and a map which represents risk classes was produced based on various vulnerability, exposure, and hazard criteria. The key findings of this analysis revealed that specific coral reef sites were severely susceptible to environmental threats, particularly sites at Muscat, Sur, Matrah and Ras Al Sawady. The deep exposure of coral reefs to natural threats was found to be highly triggered by thermal stress, coastal pollution, and proximity to potential sedimentation sources. This research may inform beneficial policy actions to lessen the outcomes of natural threats to coral cover across the Oman Sea coasts, specifically in terms of the development of risk maps and spatial strategies to protect the most vulnerable, fragile, and sensitive coral reef ecosystems.

Grounding urban resilience through transdisciplinary risk mapping

During 2015, three key global agreements were established which converged on enhancing resilience as an overall strategy towards sustainable development. This paper builds an argument and a structured process for future research and practice that succinctly links urban resilience enhancement with the transdisciplinary development of risk maps. Risk maps are highlighted as useful tools improving a shared understanding of risk, raising awareness, and effectively guiding land use planning and zoning towards enhanced urban resilience. Building codes incorporating past and recent disaster experiences, and multi-hazard maps with high quality data for different performance levels, should be the foundation of transdisciplinary risk mapping.

Ergonomic work analysis of airbus pilots job in Brazil

This article is the result of a case study of ergonomic work analysis carried out in a Brazilian airline company, focused on the safety of the activity of Airbus pilots from the company's national lines. The study was divided in three parts, each one with different approach. First step is how critical situations such as accidents and incidents are dealt with during flight. Then it comes to discuss about adversities found in the working place, the airbus cockpit, and the development of risk map. Last but not least, the study focused in how the irregular working journey compromises the biological clock of the pilots end may cause social issues.

Humoral Response to the Anopheles gambiae Salivary Protein gSG6: A Serological Indicator of Exposure to Afrotropical Malaria Vectors

Salivary proteins injected by blood feeding arthropods into their hosts evoke a saliva-specific humoral response which can be useful to evaluate exposure to bites of disease vectors. However, saliva of hematophagous arthropods is a complex cocktail of bioactive factors and its use in immunoassays can be misleading because of potential cross-reactivity to other antigens. Toward the development of a serological marker of exposure to Afrotropical malaria vectors we expressed the Anopheles gambiae gSG6, a small anopheline-specific salivary protein, and we measured the anti-gSG6 IgG response in individuals from a malaria hyperendemic area of Burkina Faso, West Africa. The gSG6 protein was immunogenic and anti-gSG6 IgG levels and/or prevalence increased in exposed individuals during the malaria transmission/rainy season. Moreover, this response dropped during the intervening low transmission/dry season, suggesting it is sensitive enough to detect variation in vector density. Members of the Fulani ethnic group showed higher anti-gSG6 IgG response as compared to Mossi, a result consistent with the stronger immune reactivity reported in this group. Remarkably, anti-gSG6 IgG levels among responders were high in children and gradually declined with age. This unusual pattern, opposite to the one observed with Plasmodium antigens, is compatible with a progressive desensitization to mosquito saliva and may be linked to the continued exposure to bites of anopheline mosquitoes. Overall, the humoral anti-gSG6 IgG response appears a reliable serological indicator of exposure to bites of the main African malaria vectors (An. gambiae, Anopheles arabiensis and, possibly, Anopheles funestus) and it may be exploited for malaria epidemiological studies, development of risk maps and evaluation of anti-vector measures. In addition, the gSG6 protein may represent a powerful model system to get a deeper understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the immune tolerance and progressive desensitization to insect salivary allergens.

Application of remote sensing and gis for the monitoring of diseases: A unique research agenda for geographers

Vector‐borne diseases are a heavy burden on the population of the world, especially for the poor people of developing countries. With traditional methods inadequate for control and eradication, remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) offer potential to combat these diseases through development of risk maps, that is, maps which show areas where human populations live in environmental conditions susceptible to disease infestation. However, appropriate application requires proper training of health scientists in these technologies and of geographers in the field of epidemiology and public health. To help achieve this goal, this paper provides: (a) a review of the impact of RS and GIS on the monitoring of vector‐borne diseases, (b) an evaluation of the contribution of geographers, (c) an examination of the role and significance of geography in this area of research, and (d) a proposal for a research agenda for geographers in this growing field of inquiry.