Environmental Improvement Projects Research Articles

Sustainability and dialysis: the 4 main points for a green dialysis

Dialysis represents a big challenge for the environmental sustainability, because it is bound to high consumption of water and electricity, hazardous waste incineration and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, it has been recognized the urgent need to preserve our environment together with the people’s health, starting from making dialysis greener. This awareness has led to a new paradigm in the history of dialysis, the concept of Green Nephrology. The Italian Society of Nephrology published 10 affordable actions in the Position Statement with the aims to increase awareness, propose joint actions and coordinate industrial/social interactions. Starting from these, there are four key points to pave the way for environmental sustainability: 1) Sustainable technologies (i.e., machines, filters, water treatment systems, acid concentrates, lighter materials, electronic patient record); 2) Green dialysis centers; 3) Environmental improvement project, using tools to define targets and their monitoring; 4) Nurse role, as he is the main environmental sustainability promoter. To achieve Green Nephrology it’s necessary a partnership between all the stakeholders of the healthcare system. Since the growing awareness of the problem and the existence of ways to solve it, it’s time to act and the effective way to do it is to implement all the solutions provided in this article in an immediate future.

An Urban Renewal Design Method Based on Carbon Emissions and Carbon Sink Calculations: A Case Study on an Environmental Improvement Project in the Suzhou Industrial Investment Science and Technology Park

In the process of urban renewal, the high carbon emissions caused by pollution from construction waste and the consumption of materials and energy via “demolition and construction” present significant problems. Calculating carbon emissions and sinks is a prerequisite to carving out a low-carbon path via urban renewal. In this paper, we take an environmental improvement project in the Suzhou Industrial Investment Science and Technology Park as an example. Under the framework of the entire life cycle, we define the “renewal phase”, which includes “demolition” and “construction”, as the calculation boundary, and use the emission coefficient method as the primary calculation approach to assess carbon emissions and sinks. We construct a design-oriented carbon revenue and expenditure estimation system based on the BIM model. After its application in empirical cases, the results show the following: ① The building carbon emissions of Scheme A are 342 t higher than those of Scheme B, due to the fact that the “demolition and construction” works in the former increased by 6000 m2 compared to the latter. ② The landscape carbon emissions of Scheme B are 269 t higher than those of Scheme A, due to the addition of a 2500 m2 reinforced concrete overhead walking platform. ③ The annual carbon sink of Scheme A is six times higher than that of Scheme B, due to the fact that the number of trees and shrubs in the former is five-to-six times greater than in the latter. The number of trees planted plays a decisive role in enhancing the carbon sink benefit. ④ In the year during which the renewal project was implemented, the difference in carbon emissions between Scheme A and Scheme B was 72.9 t. By the 16th year, the difference in carbon emissions between the two schemes approached zero, and the carbon reduction advantages of Scheme A became more pronounced over the entire life cycle thereafter. Finally, this article summarizes four low-carbon design strategies for industrial park renewal projects: rational construction and demolition, three-dimensional parking, low-carbon materials, and plant carbon sequestration. In the context of inventory renewal, this article makes a significant contribution in terms of carbon footprint control and the “dual-carbon” goal.

커뮤니티디자인 분야 연구 동향 분석

Community design in South Korea has developed into a theory emphasizing practice as keywords such as urban regeneration and resident participation have become important institutionally and politically. The implications derived from the research are as follows: (1) Community design in South Korea began to emerge for integrated regional revitalization through economic, social, and cultural approaches, moving away from existing physical environment improvement projects. (2) Hot topic shows that the concept of community design and the welfare perspective from the view of culture are considered as an crucial part. (3) Related keywords such as brand, company, marketing, shopping mall, region, and change derived from Topics 19 and 21 are community design, as in the case of the successful rebranding of a local business mentioned in the introduction of this research. It can be interpreted that this new business model is being built.

A method for evaluating ecosystem services that can be used for the management of nature-based solution projects: A case study of Shiosai-Nagisa in Tokyo Bay

The major challenges in nature-based solution projects are evaluating the various ecosystem services and managing the projects in a sustainable manner while also considering various social issues. Here, we propose a method that can simultaneously evaluate multiple ecosystem services of nature-based solution projects (e.g., environmental improvement projects) and their sustainability, and we apply this method to Shiosai-Nagisa in Tokyo Bay. This method has three steps: (1) scoring each ecosystem service based on field data, (2) estimating the permissible economic value (i.e., the acceptable cost in monetary terms) of public works for each service in the reference value condition (service score = 100 points), and (3) calculating the economic value of each ecosystem service by using the service score and the permissible economic value of public works. Service scores are calculated from the present status and the likely near-term future status. This future status is obtained from a trend score and pressure and resilience scores, the latter of which represent environmental factors that can positively or negatively impact services. Since the service scores are related to environmental factors, the economic value obtained by this method is also related to environmental factors. Sustainability scores can also be evaluated using the likely near-term future status. As a test case, the method was applied to the management of an actual environmental improvement project. For ecosystem services with a negative sustainability score, we identified the environmental factors that contribute to negative sustainability and confirmed that improving those factors would improve the service index, sustainability score, and economic value. These results suggest that this method can be used to compare various project values and help project managers and stakeholders to better understand and visualize ecosystem services.

A Study on the Impact of Home Occupant Characteristics on Housing Renewal and Improvement in Management-type Residential Environment Improvement Project Areas in Seoul: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Home Occupancy Status

A Study on the Impact of Home Occupant Characteristics on Housing Renewal and Improvement in Management-type Residential Environment Improvement Project Areas in Seoul: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Home Occupancy Status

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Urban Green Infrastructures: A Case Study of the LiuChuan River Corridor, Taichung City, from Linsenliu Bridge to Minquanliu Bridge

Green infrastructure has been shown to play the role of adaptation and adjustment under the effect of harsh climate. The creation of urban green infrastructure is an important indicator of sustainable urban development, and determining the cost-effectiveness of green infrastructure is a necessary step to help investment decisions. The whole economic worth of Taichung City’s Liuchuan pollution cleanup and environmental improvement project is examined using cost-benefit analysis from three perspectives: investment value, tangible value, and intangible value. The study findings demonstrate that green infrastructure has long-term development value and can help the sustainable development of cities.

남북 그린데탕트 추진을 위한 국내법제 정비 방안

This paper raises the necessity and utility of environmental cooperation in the context of the climate change crisis caused by environmental pollution and the strained North-South relations influenced by the US-China rivalry. It presents a plan for the domestic legal revision needed to facilitate this. Particularly, in the case of North and South Korea, where land and sea are interconnected, a joint response to climate change is necessary, and such cooperation can be mutually beneficial. Additionally, environmental improvement projects in North Korea can enhance the quality of life of its residents, offering a humanitarian aspect and potentially not conflicting with international sanctions against North Korea. In this regard, efforts for environmental cooperation are necessary for both Koreas, and there is a considerable possibility that North Korea will respond to these efforts. According to reports submitted to the UN and others, environmental pollution in North Korea is at a serious level, and there is observed intent to seek international support for its resolution. This situation implies that the resolution of environmental issues between North and South Korea can at least be achieved within the framework of multilateral international cooperation. The South Korean government has proposed the “Green Detente” policy as part of its North Korea policy to address the problems arising from climate change in North and South Korea and East Asia. The Green Detente can be understood as a process that aims for unification through reconciliation and cooperation by enhancing mutual benefits through cooperation in the environmental sector, which is a non-political field. In a situation where political exchanges are difficult, environmental cooperation has the advantage of being less burdensome as it can be conducted through local governments, private sector, or so-called 1.5 track exchanges. However, when examining the current state of domestic legislation for promoting the Green Detente as part of this policy, several limitations and problems have been identified. Firstly, our laws do not anticipate the divided situation and are not formulated to be applicable to North Korean areas. Nor is there a special law for the promotion of Green Detente. Even if there were such a law, it would not be simple to pre-emptively legislate for various unpredictable situations. Therefore, the most useful approach currently available is to create a legislative environment for the implementation of the Green Detente policy by revising laws, particularly those governing North-South relations and laws addressing environmental pollution and disaster preparedness. A brief examination reveals that the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, which regulates all areas of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, needs revision due to unnecessary and complex regulatory elements concerning environmental exchange and cooperation. Individual environmental laws lack the foundation for research and study on North Korean areas and nearly lack provisions considering the possibility of cooperation with North Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to legislate including plans for cooperation, investigation, and research on North Korean areas in the provisions for establishing basic plans in individual environmental laws. Additionally, provisions related to international cooperation may be difficult to apply to bilateral cooperation issues between North and South Korea. The revision of domestic laws should be done in a way that respects the basic principles of unification under the constitution, does not harm North-South relations, prepares for unification, and complies with international standards on environmental issues.

고령 보행자 교통사고 영향요인의 상호작용 효과 분석 : 보행환경개선사업과 보행자안전시설을 중심으로

고령 보행자 교통사고 영향요인의 상호작용 효과 분석 : 보행환경개선사업과 보행자안전시설을 중심으로

Influence of Revitalization on the Social and Economic Well-Being of Residents: Case Study of Lithuania

The lack of public spaces, recreational areas, and sports facilities in older city neighborhoods, as well as the importance of people’s social and economic well-being, have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revitalization is used to update the physical environment of old neighborhoods; it improves not only the physical environment of the neighborhood, but also contributes to ensuring the social and economic well-being of the residents. The article aims to identify which typical revitalization project solutions, only referring to physical environmental improvement projects, improve the social and economic well-being of the residents. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of the Žirmūnai triangle residents was performed with obtained survey data. The hypothesized connections between typical revitalization solutions and changes in the social and economic well-being of the population were verified using Pearson’s Chi-Square test. The results showed that the public spaces, sports, and playgrounds provided by revitalization were directly related to the social and economic well-being of the residents. As a result of this typical revitalization solution, 17% of the residents experienced an improvement in their economic well-being, 17% of the residents got to know their neighbors, and 95% of the residents indicated that they enjoy living in the neighborhood.

Prioritisation of Environmental Improvement Projects in Deep-Level Mine Ventilation Systems

Deep-level underground mining costs in South Africa are continuously rising due to the increased depth at which gold is being mined, resulting in a rise in virgin rock temperature and an increase in cooling requirements. Therefore, mines must evaluate various ventilation and cooling optimisation projects required to be implemented throughout their life of mine (LOM). This study develops a method to identify and prioritise large capital expenditure (CAPEX) underground environmental improvement projects, to improve thermal comfort underground. The solution presents a ‘multi-criteria decision-making’ (MCDM) process, incorporating the ‘analytic hierarchy process’ (AHP) and the ‘technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution’ (TOPSIS) into the method to provide for scientific decision-making. These projects are evaluated based on four criteria, namely project risk, the impact on the underground thermal comfort, cost, and implementation time. This study’s solution uses ventilation simulations to determine the impact of the projects on the underground environment. The identification and evaluation of an environmental improvement project to best suit the current economic climate, while improving underground conditions and decreasing the safety risk is an essential aspect of the solution developed in this study. The method was implemented on a mechanised deep-level underground mine and showed that surface refrigeration is the most suitable alternative, which was implemented at the case study mine as validation of the developed solution. The study proves that the MCDM method is an adequate solution to incorporate subjective criteria into the decision-making process, resulting in a scientific and structured approach to making significant and complex decisions.

Application of the Biofilm Technology in the Water Environment Improvement Project

The river plays an important role in the development of the human society. But because of the rapid development of the cities, human overuse of river water and random discharge of pollutants into the rivers, the pollution of river water environment is becoming more and more serious. The biofilm technology is used to repair the water environment of the river in order to purify the water body and improve the overall water environment of the river. Water samples were collected from the trial river channel. In the initial stage, samples were taken once a day. After stable operation, the sampling interval was 4 days, 7 days and 11 days. A total of 14 water samples were collected. The results showed that the removal rate of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄+-N) reached 65.28% from M1 to M2 after 32 days of stable operation of the microbial membrane. And that reached 66.67% from M1 to M2. The research shows that the effect of removing NH₄+-N by in-situ biofilm technology is obvious. It can effectively improve the river water environment and provide reference for the in-situ treatment of urban rivers.

A Study on Paldang Reservoir Water Quality Improvement Effect by Pollutant Source Location Regulation Using Watershed-Reservoir Integrated Prediction

Objectives:Since the enactment of the 「Han-River Watershed Act」, comprehensive analysis about direct and indirect contributions and effects of various environmental policies and water quality improvement projects for the preservation of water quality in the Han-River watershed is insufficient. Especially, effect of pollutant source location regulation should be inferred and estimated through model prediction because it does not exist unregulated conditions. As development pressure in non-urban areas near the metropolitan area is increasing, it is necessary to analyze the effects of pollutant source location regulation.Methods:In this study, average pollutant density of Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do, where the regulation areas located, and average pollutant density of water source management areas were compared and analyzed. After that changes in pollutant sources in regulation areas were estimated by assuming load of pollutant sources in unregulated areas that load of pollutant sources in regulation areas. Since many reservoirs are located in Han-river watershed, it is difficult to simulate the water quality of Paldang reservoir using only watershed model, BASINS/WinHSPF and EFDC-WASP were linked. Through this, change in water quality of Paldang Lake was tried to predict when the pollutant location regulation was not implemented, and to analyze the effect of the pollutant location regulation.Results and Discussion:Water quality improvement of Paldang reservoir was evaluated by applying the discharge load when the pollution source location regulation was not implemented to the calibrated model. As a result of the pollution source location regulation, discharge load in the location regulation area was analyzed to reduce by 53.90% and T-P by 48.58%, and the BOD and T-P improvement effect of Paldang Dam was analyzed 6.77% and T-P 6.62%. Since the water quality improvement effect of Paldang Lake is accumulated to the entire upstream, it is evaluated relatively less than pollutant load reducing effect.Conclusion:It was analyzed that pollutiont source location regulation has water quality improvement effect, despite the small area which only located in near Paldang reservoir compared to the total area of the Han-River watershed.

Analysis of the income elasticity of demand for recreational and environmental of three ecosystems in Mexico

The objective of this research is to estimate the income elasticity of demand for environmental services of three ecosystems in Mexico. In the three studies of stated preferences about the willingness to pay for an environmental quality improvement project, we used a sample size of 289 observations for the Primas Basalticos ecosystems and 150 for the La Michilía Biosphere Reserve and the Molino de Las Flores National Park. The selection of interviewees was random among visitors. To carry out the estimation, a cluster analysis was carried out to determine the income strata, where the indicator was formulated and calculated in each ecosystem for three income strata (high, medium and low) based on a segmentation of the consumers of recreational services through the two-stage clustering method. In this way, the recreational services of the three ecosystems in both cases behave as a normal good; that is, if the income of the high and middle income consumer increases, the demand for recreational services will increase less than proportionally.

스마트기술을 활용한 도시재생사업 운영⋅관리 실태 분석

As the 4th industrial revolution technology leads changes in the social environment, smart city is highlighted as an important issue in the city, and related policies have been focused on as a growth engine for national innovation.‘Smart city-type urban regeneration project’ and ‘living-friendly urban regeneration smart technology support project’ are being promoted as projects that utilize smart technology to solve local problems in connection with existing urban regeneration projects. However, various difficulties have arisen in the course of the project, and several issues regarding sustainability have been raised after the completion of the project.Therefore, this study reviewed the current status of related projects and conducted in-depth interviews with the project managers in the target site on the aspects of operation, maintenance, and management.Through this, it was suggested that ‘the establishment of a standardized integrated system system and the establishment of a department in charge of related tasks’ is necessary.It is expected that the local environment improvement project using smart technology will change into more diverse forms in the future, and a structural system should be prepared to support it in response to specific business objectives.

Shifting to Circular Manufacturing in the Global South: Challenges and Pathways

As the Global South shifts towards increased manufacturing, the negative effects on climate change and environmental pollution raise serious concerns. These global effects are increasingly felt locally, as reflected in health surveys throughout the Global South. The world cannot afford to wait for a natural development process to take place in which rising incomes might curb pollution. This article examines the challenges of reforming manufacturing in the Global South towards more sustainable practices. It also focuses on the lessons of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Program (SMEP) which has funded a series of environmental improvement projects across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia aimed at reducing pollution in the manufacturing process. The lessons learned from these projects include the need to improve the tracking of the negative effects of the environmental damages caused by manufacturing and analyze the manufacturing supply chain processes to better identify potential points of intervention; as well as the need for more external financial and technical resources to expand these projects.

Managing a portfolio of environmental projects: Focus, balance, and environmental management capabilities

AbstractThis research examines the influence of a firm's portfolio of environmental projects on its ability to efficiently improve environmental outcomes. The data comes from Chinese automotive suppliers of a western manufacturer and consists of 154 environmental project portfolios that contain 614 environmental improvement projects as well as firm‐level data from Dun & Bradstreet. A data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the firms' efficiency in transforming resources into environmental outcomes. Then an econometric analysis evaluates the impact of the portfolio effect (i.e., environmental project portfolio composition) on the firm's efficiency in improving the environment. The empirical results show that when firms reduce the heterogeneity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolios (i.e., a more focused portfolio), they can more efficiently improve environmental outcomes. However, firms may want to introduce diversity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolio (i.e., reducing the focus).The analysis shows that more environmentally capable firms can increase the diversity of the projects in their portfolios without negatively impacting outcomes. In addition, firms can better manage diversity in their portfolios when they balance socially oriented projects with technically oriented projects. This study contributes to the theory of project portfolio roles in improving environmental outcomes and offers several novel insights for project portfolio managers working to improve environmental outcomes with limited resources.

Differences in Satisfaction by Variables of the Residential Environment Improvement Project of Community-integrated Care

Differences in Satisfaction by Variables of the Residential Environment Improvement Project of Community-integrated Care

A Satisfaction Study of Community Care's Residential Environment Improvement Project

연구목적 : 본 연구는 청양군에서 실시하고 있는 커뮤니티 케어의 주거 환경 개선 사업의 만족도에 관해 알아보고자 실시하였다. 연구방법 : 본 연구는 충남 청양에 거주하는 커뮤니티 케어의 주거 환경 개선 사업 이용자 중 60세 이상의 노인150명을 대상으로 하였다. 자료 분석방법은 SPSS 23.0 프로그램을 이용하여 일반적 특성은 빈도분석, 진단은 다중응답의 빈도분석, 안전사고 예방설치물과 서비스의 만족도 수준은 기술통계, 일반적 특성과 만족도간의 상관성은 스피어만 상관분석을 실시하였다. 연구결과 : 일반적 특성과 만족도간의 상관성은 안전사고 예방 설치물의 규격이 9개 항목과 유의한 상관성을 보여 가장 높은 상관성이 나타났으며, 나이와 설치/개선 항목은 0개의 항목과 상관성을 보여 가장 낮은 상관성을 보였다. 결론 : 본 연구 결과를 기초자료로 활용하여 향후 커뮤니티 케어의 주거 환경 개선 사업의 만족도를 높이고 거주지역에서 안전하게 생활할 수 있는 주거 환경 지원이 보다 더 다각적이고 활발하게 이루어지길 바라며, 또한 그에 따른 후속 연구가 지속적으로 이어지길 기대한다.

A Study on an Evaluation of the Managed Residential Environment Improvement Project Using Deep-Learning Model

A Study on an Evaluation of the Managed Residential Environment Improvement Project Using Deep-Learning Model

A Study on the Characteristics of Smart Wellness Housing Promotion Project for Classes in Need of Housing Support in Japan

This study identifies the characteristics of the smart wellness promotion project through on overview of the project for classes in need of housing support, such as the elderly, the disabled, and childrearing households in Japan, as well as case studies. In addition, this data is intended to be used as a data that can be used to fine the direction of housing welfare projects for the people requiring housing support according to the current situation in Korea. The methods used were literature review and case analysis. Data were collected from the Internet, research materials, and papers. From among the various housing-related projects in Japan, the paper analyzed three types of project characteristics in the Smart Wellness Housing Promotion Project. The study results are as follows. The Service-type Housing Improvement Project for the Elderly ensures residential stability for the elderly by linking with barrier-free structures, long-term care, and medical care; the Safety Net Housing Improvement Project establishes a housing safety net using vacant homes or rooms, focusing on the elderly, the disabled, and childrearing households; and the Housing Environment Improvement Project conducts maintenance for a safe residential environment based on regional characteristics or life stages for the elderly, the disabled, and childrearing household. It is necessary to reorganize various housing welfare-related laws and to broadly expand the class of people in need of housing support.