Emergency Recovery Research Articles

Bending the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss: what are the prospects?

Freshwater biodiversity conservation has received substantial attention in the scientific literature and is finally being recognized in policy frameworks such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and its associated targets for 2030. This is important progress. Nonetheless, freshwater species continue to be confronted with high levels of imperilment and widespread ecosystem degradation. An Emergency Recovery Plan (ERP) proposed in 2020 comprises six measures intended to "bend the curve" of freshwater biodiversity loss, if they are widely adopted and adequately supported. We review evidence suggesting that the combined intensity of persistent and emerging threats to freshwater biodiversity has become so serious that current and projected efforts to preserve, protect and restore inland-water ecosystems may be insufficient to avert substantial biodiversity losses in the coming decades. In particular, climate change, with its complex and harmful impacts, will frustrate attempts to prevent biodiversity losses from freshwater ecosystems already affected by multiple threats. Interactions among these threats will limit recovery of populations and exacerbate declines resulting in local or even global extinctions, especially among low-viability populations in degraded or fragmented ecosystems. In addition to impediments represented by climate change, we identify several other areas where the absolute scarcity of fresh water, inadequate scientific information or predictive capacity, and a widespread failure to mitigate anthropogenic stressors, are liable to set limits on the recovery of freshwater biodiversity. Implementation of the ERP rapidly and at scale through many widely dispersed local actions focused on regions of high freshwater biodiversity and intense threat, together with an intensification of ex-situ conservation efforts, will be necessary to preserve native freshwater biodiversity during an increasingly uncertain climatic future in which poorly understood, emergent and interacting threats have become more influential. But implementation of the ERP must be accompanied by measures that will improve water, energy and food security for humans - without further compromising the condition of freshwater ecosystems. Unfortunately, the inadequate political implementation of policies to arrest widely recognized environmental challenges such as climate change do not inspire confidence about the possible success of the ERP. In many parts of the world, the Anthropocene future seems certain to include extended periods with an absolute scarcity of uncontaminated surface runoff that will inevitably be appropriated by humans. Unless there is a step-change in societal awareness of - and commitment to - the conservation of freshwater biodiversity, together with necessary actions to arrest climate change, implementation of established methods for protecting freshwater biodiversity may not bend the curve enough to prevent continued ecosystem degradation and species loss.

Putting tendencies and trajectories to work: useful tools for engaging with accounts of change and recovery?

Dominant understandings of recovery emphasise personal responsibility for initiating and sustaining changes in people's subjectivities and relationships to alcohol and other drugs. However, this potentially obscures the complexities and temporalities of change processes and the range of socio-material elements involved. Addressing this gap, critical drug studies scholars have productively employed the concepts of tendencies and trajectories to analyse how past events of drug consumption flow into current and future consumption events. Critiquing notions of personal responsibility within recovery processes, we apply the concepts of tendencies and trajectories to help explain recovery's emergence and continuities. Doing so helps decentre the individual as the agent responsible for improved capacity by broadening the perspective of developing health and wellbeing. In this paper, we provide a qualitative analysis of interviews with fourteen people with lived recovery experiences within an urban-rural setting in Melbourne, Australia. This analysis illustrates how recovery tendencies and trajectories are cultivated through repeated actions, habits, and practices over time. Applying the concept of trajectories to change narratives reveals how accumulated moments precede and follow turning points, supporting shifts in consumption patterns. These moments are not necessarily connected but, when considered collectively, contribute to a recovery trajectory and assemblage of health. In reflecting on the affordances of thinking, researching and doing with recovery tendencies and trajectories, we argue that analysing tendencies and trajectories illuminate opportunities where change lies within an endless combination of human and non-human forces. Applying these concepts to recovery research, practice, and policy engages with temporal and socio-material elements of recovery, offering a more emancipatory approach than is currently provided by common recovery theories and approaches that assume individuals are personally responsible for change.

A method for evaluating safety reliability of descend/ascend drop-weight system and mission abort decision for deep-ocean scientific human submersibles

Descend and ascend of deep-water human-occupied submersibles based on buoyancy changes are enabled using a denomination of dispensable drop-weights, and loss of buoyancy are managed using emergency drop-weights and jettisoning identified systems. Failing to release the drop weights or jettison results in submersible stranding on the sea floor, leads to emergency recovery, and hence the drop-weight configuration has to be highly reliable. The paper, for the first time, based on hydrostatic stability, descend/ascend velocity needs, ocean salinity profile and loss-of-buoyancy situations, proposes a novel on-demand reliability based methodology for determining the safe drop-weight configuration and degradation-based mission abort strategy for deep-ocean human submersibles. Probabilistic on-demand reliability analysis based on IEC61508 standards for safety–critical systems using component field-failure data is carried out and the drop-weight configuration essential to meet the human-rated safety integrity level 3 during all stages of the subsea mission is identified for the deep-ocean human scientific submersible Matsya6000, based on which a mission abort protocol is evolved.

Salvaging Art Collections in the Face of Natural Disasters: Challenges and Outcomes

ABSTRACT A case study describes the impact on a collection of the extreme floods in eastern Australia in February 2022, and the salvaging of the Lismore Regional Art Gallery art collection. Despite predetermined protocols and preparedness efforts, the gallery suffered unprecedented flooding, requiring coordinated solutions to support emergency recovery. The project included relocating and stabilising around 1400 artworks, divided between the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Coordinated collaboration with stakeholders was needed to determine which artworks were salvageable; initial assessments indicated 60%. However, after further assessment this was reduced to 40% of all artworks able to be returned to a condition suitable for storage and display. The paper focuses on the assessment criteria used to prioritise artworks for salvage and conservation: insurance value, condition post-flooding, the views of living artists on display of treated works, and sentimental and community importance. It also outlines the conservation processes for flood-damaged paintings on canvas, works on paper, and photographgraphs, highlighting challenges and outcomes.

Reliability model and emergency maintenance strategies for smart home systems

After the smart home system is impacted by malicious attacks or other factors, the system reliability drops drastically, so the user's living environment is greatly disturbed. To determine the emergency maintenance strategy, firstly, we study the failure mechanism of the smart home system by the fault tree theory, and distinguish the components into two types: critical components and non-critical components. Secondly, a recovery prioritization is proposed to measure the extent to which changes in the reliability of each component affect the reliability of the system. Then, three scenarios of smart home system failure are proposed. Under the constraints of time and cost, the maintenance strategies for the three scenarios are determined to achieve emergency recovery. Finally, through the multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm, the system reliability is maximized, the maintenance cost is minimized, and the optimal reliability recovery level of each component is obtained, so that the reliability of the smart home system is further improved. The effectiveness and practicality of the emergency maintenance strategies proposed in this paper are demonstrated by a smart home system example.

АДАПТАЦИЯ ПОДХОДОВ К ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЮ СУЩНОСТИ ПОНЯТИЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИОННО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО МЕХАНИЗМА УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ДЛЯ АВАРИЙНО-ВОССТАНОВИТЕЛЬНЫХ РАБОТ ОБОРУДОВАНИЯ КОМПАНИЙ ГАЗОВОЙ ОТРАСЛИ

In this article, the authors investigated such a concept as an organizational and economic mechanism, its essence, its tools, mechanisms and components. The reasons for the improvement of organizational and economic mechanisms within the organization were formulated. The author's definition of the concept of an organizational and economic mechanism for managing emergency recovery operations of equipment was given. We have identified the tools with which this mechanism works.

A cascading failure propagation model for a network with a node emergency recovery function

Cascading failures are ubiquitous in physical networks such as power grids and water networks and have become a trending research topic in the field of complex networks. In real cases, once a node in a network fails, the entire system can completely collapse, causing considerable economic losses and casualties. Implementing an appropriate node repair strategy can effectively prevent system crashes in complex networks due to cascading failure. This paper presents a network cascading failure propagation model with a node emergency recovery function. Numerical simulations with typical case scenarios are conducted to analyze network cascading failure when the nodes have an emergency recovery probability. The results of the case study show that incorporating an emergency recovery probability for nodes can reduce the maximum failure probability of nodes in a network and reduce the risk of network failure. As the recovery probability increases, the network failure risk probability gradually decreases. The proposed network cascading failure propagation model with a node emergency recovery function can accurately reflect the dynamic behavior of complex network cascades and provide a reference for the control and prevention of cascading failures in actual networks.

Оценка зоны интенсивного испарения газоконденсата при выбросах на мелководных скважинах

The paper reviews the approach of assessing mechanisms and factors determining the formation of a gas condensate spill from a shallow underwater emergency discharge at a gas condensate field. The researcher determine spatial and temporal formation scales of an intense evaporation zone for the characteristic flow rates of underwater wells, necessary for assessing the area of increased gas contamination in which it is impossible to carry out emergency recovery measures. They establish that the radial flow in the area where the gas-liquid plume exits the sea surface determines the size of the intense evaporation area; at low values of wind speed and currents, it depends on the well flow rate, gas factor and fractional composition of the oil product. The researchers have carried out calculations using the SPILLMOD model and the evolution model of a characteristic Lagrangian element in the spilling region.

Blockchain Oriented Effective Charity Process During Pandemics and Emergencies

During any emergency, a donation is considered a moral responsibility all over the globe. The lack of transparency and oversight in charity donations hurts people’s enthusiasm to donate. Donors are distrustful about how their funds are utilized. The use of blockchain technology (BCT) will provide a solution to make the donation procedure more viable. It is a distributed technology that offers a secure and transparent environment by avoiding the involvement of third parties between contributors and charities. This article proposed a blockchain-based donation mechanism for the convenience of charity organizations, donors, and beneficiaries during disasters, pandemics such as Covid-19, and other emergencies. All transactions can be traced in blockchain, giving donors visibility into where and how their funds are utilized. This article contributes to improving donations’ openness to strengthen public interest in donations and encourage BCT in charity. Ethereum blockchain is used to implement the proposed framework and provides a convenient donation platform. Smart contracts are used to make donations, which build trust between contributors, beneficiaries, and charity organizations. The blockchain-based donation method saves time, lowers donation costs, and eliminates the chances of dubious campaign funds. This study will contribute to improving emergency recovery efforts.

Postearthquake train operation safety assessment model based on machine learning

Abstract Assessing the seismic risk to high-speed rail systems with limited structural damage data is a challenging task. This study employs machine learning algorithms to predict the wheel–rail forces of high-speed trains operating under postearthquake conditions, particularly when infrastructure along the railway is damaged. By developing a postearthquake train operation safety assessment model, this article effectively predicts the impact of track irregularities induced by different earthquake intensities on wheel–rail interactions. The results obtained through feature selection and regression analysis using the Random Forest algorithm provide valuable insights into key safety indicators for postearthquake train operations. Compared to traditional multibody dynamic models, this approach significantly improves the efficiency of analysis and computation. An analysis of the results across multiple speed levels reveals that trains operating at 250 km/h face derailment risks when subjected to high-intensity earthquakes (PGA > 0.6 g). The proposed predictive safety assessment model demonstrates that adjusting train speeds according to seismic intensity can effectively enhance operational safety, offering critical support for postearthquake emergency recovery efforts.

Effects of working conditions on the perception of night work safety and health effects on nurses.

To examine night working conditions by shift work type and identify the effects of night working conditions on nurses' perceptions of shift work safety and health effects. Night work is the main factor affecting nurses' health. However, the safety of night working conditions has not been sufficiently examined in previous studies. This study used a cross-sectional research design and an online survey using a tool released by the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, and the responses of 348 shift work nurses in Korea were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effects of shift work conditions on the perceived safety of night work and health effects. The STROBE reporting guidelines were utilized, and data were collected from December 1 to December 31, 2021. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that perceived threat to safety and the health effects of shift work were not significant according to shift type. However, night-shift-work nurses who worked alone (P=0.003), lacked an emergency recovery system (P=0.026), and had difficulty commuting perceived a threat to their health (P=0.007). Additionally, nurses who experienced loss of concentration (P=0.006) and inadequate rest time (P<0.001) perceived the health effects of shift work. Urgent monitoring of night work conditions is necessary for the 2-shift work type. Nurses must work night shifts together and an emergency system should be established for their safety. Night work conditions should be improved to prevent the hazards of night work and its negative health effects on nurses. This study suggests the necessity of a policy to enhance night work safety, including emergency coping systems and sufficient inter-shift rest time.

Zalety materiałów kompozytowych stosowanych w otworowych narzędziach skrawających

One of the important reserves for the growth of oil and gas production is the acceleration of emergency recovery work in production and exploration wells at minimal cost. A significant amount of work in downhole conditions is performed using downhole destructive and cutting tools. Each oil and gas producing country annually uses more than 100 standard sizes, thousands of cutting tool sets: downhole, annular, combined, pilot, internal and external pipe cutters, as well as reamers for cutting side “windows” in production strings. Therefore, the need for them is growing significantly every year. The conducted experiments show that during the operation of cutting tools, the working abrasive-cutting part of the tool wears out and collapses, but the body, other elements and the connecting thread remain suitable for further operation. Therefore, the restoration of working bodies, consisting of crushed particles of used borehole cutting tools, is an urgent scientific and technical task for the oil and gas industry. When repairing oil and gas wells, as well as eliminating the most complex accidents, more than a hundred standard sizes of downhole cutting and destructive tools are used. Currently, an acute shortage of this equipment in oilfield facilities makes it necessary to reconsider the technologies for restoring downhole cutting and destructive tools and introduce them into production. The conducted studies show that there is not enough information about the thickness and height of the layers of the material applied to the damaged area of the cutting and destructive tool, as well as the information necessary for the optimal mode of its operation and its effectiveness after restoration. Composite materials are widely used in the preparation of cutting-chopping and destructive elements of oil-field tools and equipment used in the drilling, operation and repair of wells. In order to increase the cutting capacity of the cutting part of the tool, it is necessary to investigate the advantages of tungsten-carbide (TC) type composite materials compared to other materials and ensure their resistance to high temperatures. As a result of theoretical studies, the stress-deformation state of the contact areas of the composite elements, where the working areas of the cutting and destructive tools are reinforced, and the dependence of the productivity of the composite materials on the speed of transition to metal and the sizes of the composite grains were determined by using the finite element method (two-dimensional simplex elements).

A Comparison of Estimated and Actual Indicators of Flood Damage on the Yana River in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

In 2022, Verkhoyansky District of Yakutia experienced the largest flood of the regional scale, affecting 1,220 people and with the cost of emergency recovery work amounting to RUB 160.2 million. For the Arctic regions, the consequences of natural disasters are felt several times more acutely, due to the natural and geographical peculiarities and the duration of the process of restoration of the disturbed ecosystem. Protection of the population and territories of the Arctic is one of the priority tasks of the state policy of Russia. The article assesses the flood hazard on the Yana River. Based on the analysis of historical elevations at hydrological posts, hydrological characteristics of the water body, determination of maximum levels, water discharge of the river, and basic hydrological calculations, the area of flooded territory of settlements in Verkhoyansky District of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) under the percentage availability is determined, and a map of flood zones is drawn up. Using the cadastral value of lands falling into the flood zone, the index of forecast economic damage is determined in order to preliminarily determine the scale of flooding; to carry out preventive measures for preparation, protection of the population, socially important objects, buildings and structures; to plan the amount of financial resources required for rescue operations and for liquidation of the consequences of emergency situations. A comparison and an analysis of actual and estimated damage indicators are given. A strong disproportion in the actual and calculated indicators of economic damage is proved.

The future of global river health monitoring

Rivers are the arteries of human civilisation and culture, providing essential goods and services that underpin water and food security, socio-economic development and climate resilience. They also support an extraordinary diversity of biological life. Human appropriation of land and water together with changes in climate have jointly driven rapid declines in river health and biodiversity worldwide, stimulating calls for an Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater ecosystems. Yet freshwater ecosystems like rivers have been consistently under-represented within global agreements such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Even where such agreements acknowledge that river health is important, implementation is hampered by inadequate global-scale indicators and a lack of coherent monitoring efforts. Consequently, there is no reliable basis for tracking global trends in river health, assessing the impacts of international agreements on river ecosystems and guiding global investments in river management to priority issues or regions. We reviewed national and regional approaches for river health monitoring to develop a comprehensive set of scalable indicators that can support “top-down” global surveillance while also facilitating standardised “bottom-up” local monitoring efforts. We evaluate readiness of these indicators for implementation at a global scale, based on their current status and emerging improvements in underlying data sources and methodologies. We chart a road map that identifies data and technical priorities and opportunities to advance global river health monitoring such that an adequate monitoring framework could be in place and implemented by 2030, with the potential for substantial enhancement by 2050. Lastly, we present recommendations for coordinated action and investment by policy makers, research funders and scientists to develop and implement the framework to support conservation and restoration of river health globally.

STABLITY OF TEMPORARILY PLACED LARGE SANDBAGS AGAINST WAVES

In Japan, Typhoon No. 15 (Faxai) hit the Kanto region on September 5, 2019, causing massive flooding damage due to the collapse of seawalls (Suzuki et al., 2020). In the Fukuura district of Yokohama City, the parapet of the seawall collapsed and large overtopping waves inundated an area 0.75 km inland from the seawall, resulting in a flooded area of 0.8 km2. Since the typhoon season lasts until November, there was a possibility that typhoons would continue to hit the area after that. Therefore, with the parapet collapsed, there was a possibility of major flooding damage again. Under such conditions, temporary overtopping measures were necessary. In Japan, large sandbags are commonly installed in such cases. However, there are many unknowns regarding the stability of sandbags against waves. Even if they are installed, they are likely to be scattered by waves. In this study, emergency recovery measures and subsequent responses in the Fukuura district due to Typhoon No. 19 were examined. Furthermore, the stability of sandbags was examined through large hydraulic experiments.

Emergency management capability evaluation of chemical parks based on PFDEMATEL‐G1 and PFTOPSIS

AbstractConducting an evaluation of the emergency management capacity of the chemical park and implementing targeted improvements based on the assessment results can significantly enhance the emergency preparedness and response capabilities of both the management departments and enterprises. This article proposes an emergency management capability assessment model for chemical parks based on PFDEMATEL (the Pythagorean fuzzy decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory)‐G1 (the ordinal relation method) and PFTOPSIS (the Pythagorean fuzzy set TOPSIS). Firstly, based on the four stages of emergency management of chemical parks, emergency prevention, emergency preparedness, emergency response, and emergency recovery, an index system for evaluating the emergency management capacity of chemical parks was established. Secondly, PFDEMATEL is used to modify the G1 method to determine the index weight, so as to realize the objective rationality of the G1 method empowerment. On this basis, an emergency management capability evaluation model of chemical park to improve PFTOPSIS is proposed. Finally, taking three chemical parks as examples, the applicability of the evaluation model is verified. The research results can provide a theoretical reference for the emergency management decision‐making of governments and enterprises, improve the status quo of emergency management, and improve the prevention and handling capabilities of emergencies.

Modelling enablers of the post-disaster recovery of road infrastructure using ISM and fuzzy MICMAC analysis

The road infrastructure is damaged after a disaster, resulting in the area being disconnected from other locations. Thus, road clearing, and recovery operations are on priority during the emergency recovery operations to restore access to the disaster-affected area. Therefore, an investigation was conducted on the disaster in Uttarakhand (a Northern state in India) that occurred during February 2021, to advance our understanding of the enablers of the emergency recovery operations for road infrastructure. For this purpose, the study undertakes a comprehensive review of contemporary literature and discussion with the practitioners and academicians involved in this field of study. The study uses interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Fuzzy MICMAC analysis to identify and develop a hierarchical model of enablers to improve the post-disaster recovery of road infrastructure. The study identifies eleven enablers to the post-disaster recovery of road infrastructure, and interrelationships among these enablers are derived using the ISM model. The enablers include a focus on preparedness, prevention and mitigation phase, engagement of local communities, engagement of local contractors, support from local government, developing policies with more focus on disaster preparedness, allocation of funds, investment in technology, more utilization of technology, developing trust among stakeholders, promoting information sharing among stakeholders and foster coordination and collaboration among stakeholders. Further, the result indicates that driver variables, including the focus on preparedness, prevention and mitigation phase, engagement of local communities, engagement of local contractors, support from local government, and developing policies with more focus on disaster preparedness, are critical to improving the post-disaster recovery of road infrastructure.

Undergraduate Internship on Yamuna River Exploration: Raising Awareness about SDG6

A semester-long internship was designed for undergraduate students at the University of Delhi, India. Teams comprising 30 students from all over the University were trained to carry out field exploration activities on the Yamuna River flowing in Delhi. The students were provided with portable kits to measure the physicochemical parameters at a selected bank of the Yamuna River. Students documented the invertebrate fauna in the riparian zone of the banks. At the same time, they noted the anthropogenic polluting activities on the bank of the Yamuna River. This internship educated students about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They all studied Ecology and Environmental Science in their undergraduate curriculum, but they all confessed that they were unaware of the 17 SDGs and the deteriorating health of the Yamuna River in the city. We educated students about the freshwater emergency recovery plan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of ecosystems. This internship is a great example of an undergraduate-directed study or research experience that supported student constructivism and inquiry-based learning, and this research article elaborates on student reports and situational interest in freshwater biology to achieve SDG6.

Future-proofing the emergency recovery plan for freshwater biodiversity

Freshwater biodiversity loss is accelerating globally, but humanity can change this trajectory through actions that enable recovery. To be successful, these actions require coordination and planning at a global scale. The Emergency Recovery Plan for global freshwater biodiversity aims to reduce the risk for freshwater biodiversity loss through six priority actions: (1) accelerate implementation of environmental flows; (2) improve water quality to sustain aquatic life; (3) protect and restore critical habitats; (4) manage exploitation of freshwater species and riverine aggregates; (5) prevent and control nonnative species invasions in freshwater habitats; and (6) safeguard and restore freshwater connectivity. These actions can be implemented using future-proofing approaches that anticipate future risks (e.g., emerging pollutants, new invaders, and synergistic effects) and minimize likely stressors to make conservation of freshwater biodiversity more resilient to climate change and other global environmental challenges. While uncertainty with respect to past observations is not a new concern for freshwater biodiversity, future-proofing has the distinction of accounting for the uncertainty of future conditions that have no historical baseline. The level of uncertainty with respect to future conditions is unprecedented. Future-proofing of the Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity will require anticipating future changes and developing and implementing actions to address those future changes. Here, we showcase future-proofing approaches likely to be successful using local case studies and examples. Ensuring that response options within the Emergency Recovery Plan are future-proofed will provide decision makers with science-informed choices, even in the face of uncertain and potentially new future conditions. We are at an inflection point for global freshwater biodiversity loss; learning from defeats and successes can support improved actions toward a sustainable future.

Resilience assessment and recovery of distribution network considering the influence of communication network

Aiming at the existing research ignoring the influence of communication network (CN) on resilience recovery strategy and evaluation of distribution network (DN), this paper will discuss the impact of communication network state on resilience recovery and construct corresponding quantitative evaluation indexes. Firstly, a comprehensive importance evaluation index is constructed for communication failures to determine the order of communication restoration in the failure area. Then the emergency communication recovery in the fault area is carried out by using 5G micro base station. Second, a quantitative evaluation index of the impact of communication on distribution network status recovery is established, considering the fluctuation of distributed power output and load. At the same time, thermal rating constraints are considered in load transfer and island formation, and the effects of static and dynamic thermal rating (DTR) on load recovery are compared. Considering the influence of emergency resource warehouse location on repair time during fault repair, the location of the resource warehouse is determined through spectral clustering to improve repair efficiency. At the same time, the average headway time is introduced to quantify the impact of extreme weather on traffic, modify the road resistance model, and then use the minimum road method to establish an emergency recovery strategy that considers the effects of extreme weather. The IEEE-123 node system is used as an example to verify the rationality of the resilience recovery strategy and the resilience assessment with communication impact.