Environmental Management Program Research Articles

Assessing Tourists’ Preferences of Negative Externalities of Environmental Management Programs: A Case Study on Invasive Species in Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan

This study uses discrete choice experiments to evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of negative externalities of managing invasive alien species (IAS), such as “ecological shock”, “health risk”, “waiting time” “tour range” and “prevention and control fee”, on the support of IAS prevention and control. We used data from Taiwan’s Shei-Pa National Park and its visitors for the case study and obtained 602 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that visitors consider that each unit of externality of IAS prevention and control measures significantly reduces their utility, and the magnitude equals the estimated value of externality. However, although negative externalities are inevitable, the support for IAS prevention and control measures could be maximized by adjusting the types and proportions of negative externalities. For example, visitors are willing to sacrifice up to 1.41% of the tour range in exchange for a 1% reduction in ecological shock. This study summarizes the negative externalities of IAS prevention and control measures and proposes to adjust the combination of negative externalities to reduce the shocks of those IAS prevention and control measures on the public, so as to increase the public support for IAS policies and increase the sustainability of tourism.

International Practice of Environmental Challenges Regulation

Modern society needs to establish a balance between social and economic development and environment conservation. This target can be met through the integrated use of legislative, economic and administrative measures developed and implemented by various international, national and regional organizations. Environmental management can achieve the maximum efficiency only through the joint use of three environmental policy instruments: direct regulating, market-based instruments, and voluntary programs. Direct regulating is inherently directive in terms of establishing emission standards / discharge limits, industry product and process specifications, and transparency reporting requirements. The implementation of market-based instruments depends on the day-to-day use of private sector financial calculations. Economic methods include price-based instruments and property-based instruments. Voluntary programs, actively encouraged by governments, offer intangible rewards such as public recognition. The vast legislative framework and activities of governmental and public organizations encourage mining and processing enterprises to strictly conform to environmental rules and regulations. While multiple market-based instruments of environmental management and voluntary programs provides businesses with greater autonomy in choosing ways, means and terms of restructuring their environmental policies to meet pressing environmental challenges.

Movement and longitudinal distribution of a migratory fish ( Salminus brasiliensis) in a small reservoir in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT We investigated whether the movement and distribution of the migratory fish, Salminus brasiliensis, were affected by a small reservoir. We also examined how movement and distribution were related to water temperature, flow, and rainfall. In December 2011 and January 2012, 24 individuals were captured downstream from the dam, tagged with radio transmitters and released in the reservoir (5.46 km² total area). After being released in the reservoir, 18 of the 24 tagged fish travelled upstream, taking an average of 16.6 days to leave the reservoir, with daily movements varying from < 5 km/day to > 24 km/day. However, only seven tagged specimens (29.16%) returned to the lower reservoir section, while the rest remained in the intermediate and upper reservoir sections. Longitudinal distributions and movements were positively related to both upstream flow into the reservoir and water temperature. We found evidence that S. brasiliensis can recognize the longitudinal gradient and is able to continue its upstream migration. On the other hand, the reservoir negatively affected downstream movements, possibly because disorientation prevented movement to the lower reservoir section. Based on these results, we suggest that the impact of small reservoirs on migratory fish species should be objectively addressed in environmental impact assessments and management programs.

Using Remote Sensing Technics for Land Use Land Cover Changes Analyses from 1950s to 2000s in Somone Tropical Coastal Lagoon, Senegal

In many developing countries, some natural areas are faced with gaps in appropriate map coverage mainly on land use and land cover (LULC) changes. This situation makes it difficult to plan and implement natural environmental protection and natural resource management programs. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are excellent tools for mapping LULC changes. This study investigated LULC changes in ‘Somone’ coastal lagoon in Senegal using multisource remote sensed data. Data sets included aerial photographs recorded in March 1954, and February 1978, as well as satellite images recorded in February 2003 and April 2016. All images were geometrically corrected and segmented. Photos and/or images interpretations were made with the aid of computer and post-classification change detection technique was applied to classify multisource data and to map changes. Stratified sampling was used to assess all classification results. The accuracies of image classifications averaged 65% (1954), 62% (1978), 79% (2003) and 88% (2016). The post-classification analysis resulted in the largest overall accuracy of 66, 72.7, 72.4 and 80.6% for the 1954–1978, 1978-2003 and 2003–2016 image pairs, respectively. Results indicated an increase in Settlements, from 0.29% in 1954 to 9.21% in 2016, the expansion of the Sabkha, from 5.29% in 1954 to 18.48% in 2016. The mangrove forest has experimented a reduction between 1954 and 1978 (from 4.07% to 0.56%) and a regeneration (linked to the protection and preservation policies within the protected area) from the year 2003 to 2016 (from 1.44% to 2.65%). However, the forest areas were greatly reduced (from 51.06% in 1954 to 10.86% in 2016) and replaced by Settlements (urbanization) as well as Croplands.

Do Voluntary Environmental Programs Reduce Emissions? EMAS in the German Manufacturing Sector

Voluntary environmental management programs for firms have become an increasingly popular instrument of environmental policy. However, the literature’s conclusion on the effectiveness of suchprograms is ambiguous, and for the European region there is a lack of evidence based on a large control group. We seek to fill this gap with an evaluation of the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), introduced in 1995 by the European Union as a premium certification of continuous pro-environmental efforts above regulatory minimum standards. It is more demanding than other voluntary programsdue to annual public reports of the environmental performance and targets for improvements. We use official firm-level production census data on the German manufacturing sector, a major energy consumer and emitter in Europe. To account for the self-selection of firms, we combine the Coarsened Exact Matching approach with a Difference-in-Differences estimation. Our results do not suggest reductions of firms’ CO2 intensity and energy intensity neither before nor after certification. Moreover, program participants do not increase renewable energy consumption or investments into the protection of the environment and climate. Our results are robust to a variety of checks and call into question the effectiveness of the EMAS program concerning these particular outcome variables.

Development of environmental management program in environmental impact assessment reports and evaluation of its robustness: an Indian case study

ABSTRACTThe degree of robustness of environmental management program in the EIA reports of 56 green-field and 28 brown-field environmentally approved projects was found to be low, revealing that it is not considered seriously by the EIA consultants and the decision-makers. EMPg, akin to EIA follow-up, specific to a project at a given location, is the most important output of the EIA process especially for the developing countries where priority is on the economic development by way of development projects and the EIA process has inherent weaknesses. A meticulously prepared, implemented, operationalized, monitored, periodically audited and continually improved EMPg in different life-cycle phases of a project could possibly offset limitations of the EIA process. Considering lack of guidelines available on the development of EMPg, elaborate guidelines are proposed. EMPg could be prepared as a separate document to facilitate development of project manual. TOR for brown-field projects need a totally different approach. Amending the currently followed EIA process and introducing an additional stage of mandatory approval of EMPg, and third party audit would improve its robustness.

THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE PRODUCTION OF BIOGAS FROM WASTEWATER SLUDGE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT

The study aimed at studying and measuring the impact of the economic and environmental of the production of biogas from sewage sludge on sustainable development in Egypt. It also aims to study the application of the Holding Company for water and wastewater and its subsidiaries in Egypt to study the production of biogas from sewage sludge, And the views of a sample of the employees of these companies, and the problem of research on the extent of the impact of the production of biogas from sewage sludge in terms of economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, and the researchers in this study to combine the method of extrapolation and the method of extraction The researchers used a survey list prepared for the purpose of collecting data according to the study variables, which consisted of the production of biogas from sewage sludge (independent variable) and sustainable development (a dependent variable). The researchers also used Alpha ). In addition, both simple and multiple regression analyzes were used to analyze the field study data using a sample of 376 individuals. The researchers found several results that showed a statistically significant effect between all dimensions of biogas production The researchers also highlighted the importance of adopting biogas production from sludge sludge to support the sustainable development of the Holding Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation and its subsidiaries. The researchers recommended a number of recommendations, including: Environmental policy includes a commitment to the formulation of environmental legislation and regulations, Which supports sustainable development and the development of an effective corporate environmental and economic management program for the production of biogas from sewage sludge to support sustainable development.

Strategies for the management of environmental hazards: implications for sustainable healthy living in Calabar Urban, Cross River State, Nigeria

The study was designed to asses the strategies adopted in the management of environmental hazards in Calabar urban. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the strategies adopted by the government to promote environmental management consciousness and prevention of environmental hazards as well as the role of the residents on environmental hazards prevention. Calabar urban comprises of two local government areas which include; Calabar municipality and Calabar south. A total of one hundred and twenty respondents were randomly selected from the study area. Also interview were conducted on staff of the ministry of environment, Calabar Urban Development Agency (CUDA) and Cross River Waste Management Agency (CRWMA). A structured questionnaire and interview guide were the instruments used to collect data for the study. Data for the study were analyzed using simple statistical tools such as frequency distribution tables and percentages. The results revealed that certain strategies were adopted by both government and agencies in reaching people with information on environmental issues. Some of the strategies include distribution of waste disposal materials (75%), use of radio, television jingles (60%), provision of designated dumping sites, daily sweeping and excavating of waste were identified as the most important strategies for prevention and management of environmental hazards. The study therefore recommended that government should extend its environmental management programmes beyond certain areas in Calabar urban to other remote streets in Calabar urban through the provision of accessible roads and good drainage channels to ensure effective environmental hazards prevention. Also that awareness campaigns should be increased to enlighten the public of their role in the prevention of environmental hazards, and environmental education be included in the curriculum of secondary schools to inculcate good environmental management attitude among young people. Keywords: Environmental hazards and sustainable healthy living

Merging Low-Cost and Conventional Air Monitoring Methods to Investigate Biomass Burning in a Highly Impacted, Multi-Cultural Rural Setting

The lower Yakima Valley of Washington State is a rural area home to communities including Latinx farmworker families, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and Native Americans of other tribes. Episodic poor air quality impacts this region, partly due to a mixture of different particulate matter (PM) sources, including residential wood smoke, agricultural biomass burning, and diesel emissions. We investigated air quality using low-cost and conventional approaches. University of Washington partnered with Yakama Nation Environmental Management Program and Heritage University to collect data at a tribal air monitoring site from 1/29/18-3/12/18 using a laser based, low-cost, 5-bin particle counter and a 5-wavelength aethalometer (MA200 Aethlabs). We used an established indicator for biomass burning and wood smoke: Delta-C, the difference in absorbance of the aethalometer at 375nm-880nm. We estimated an indicator for soot and aged diesel using the ratio of the mass at 375 vs. 880, where a ratio closer to 1 indicated more soot and aged diesel. A co-located tribal beta-attenuation monitor measured hourly PM2.5 mass. Over 43 days, the daily PM2.5 mean was 7.5 μg/m3 (SD 4.7 μg/m3, range 1.3-20.7 μg/m3). Hourly Delta-C mean was 0.27 μg/m3 (IQR 0.34 μg/m3). For 11 instances, the hourly ratio of Delta-C to PM2.5 mean was >1/7.5, indicating episodes of high biomass burning. The hourly ratio of the mass at 375 vs. 880 mean was 1.5 (IQR 0.95). Nighttime mean PM2.5 (8.8 μg/m3) and Delta-C (0.39 μg/m3) were greater than daytime PM2.5 (5.9 μg/m3) and Delta-C (0.16 μg/m3). The mean ratio of Delta-C to PM2.5 mass was greater at night (0.038) than daytime (0.027). Daytime correlations varied between Delta-C and PM1 (0.33), PM2.5 (0.28), and PM10 (0.21) and nighttime correlations were all 0.79. This study shows a promising example of merging data from novel low-cost instruments with existing technology that can inform a community about their exposure to biomass burning.

Analysis of Rainfall Distribution, Temporal Trends, and Rates of Change in the Savannah Zones of Nigeria

ABSTRACT The impact of climate change is often demonstrated by rainfall and its attributes. Consequently, this study analyzes rainfall concentration, temporal trends, and rates of change in the savannah zones of Nigeria. Rainfall data were acquired from the archives of the Environmental Management Programme, Federal University of Technology, Minna, for 13 synoptic stations at annual, seasonal, and monthly time scales for the 1970–2016 period. The precipitation concentration index (PCI), Mann–Kendall trend test, Theil–Sen’s slope estimator (β), and relative percentage change methods were adopted for data analysis. The findings reveal that PCI calculated on an annual scale falls into three categories 11–15, 16–20, and PCI > 20. Two distinct patterns emerged from the calculated PCI indicating that stations in the Guinea savannah zone (Bida, Yola, Minna, Jos, Bauchi, and Kaduna) have moderate, irregular, and strongly irregular rainfall concentrations, whereas stations in the Sudano-Sahelian savannah zone (Kano, Gusau, Maiduguri, Yelwa, Nguru, Sokoto, and Katsina) have irregular and strongly irregular rainfall concentrations. The Mann–Kendall analysis of the PCI values reveals that 8 of the 13 stations (62%) experienced downward trends. This implies that rainfall is sliding toward a moderate to uniform distribution. The trends, and consequently the variability in the annual and seasonal rainfall, reveal that, with the exception of Yola and Jos stations, where the trends were downward, the overall rainfall was increasing significantly in some areas and insignificantly in others. The magnitude of the significant upward trends in the annual rainfall was found to be 3.59 mm yr−1 at Yelwa station, 9.84 mm yr−1 at Bauchi station, 17.13 mm yr−1 at Kano station, 3.98 mm yr−1 at Sokoto station, and 3.11 mm yr−1 at Katsina station. It is understood that the changes in rainfall distribution and trends have positive effects on water availability for crops, and this should facilitate enhanced productivity in rain-fed farming.

ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE SLOPE FAILURE ALONG THE KIMANIS TO KENINGAU HIGHWAY, SABAH, MALAYSIA

The geology along the Kimanis to Keningau Highway provides a favourable setting for engineering geological instability. The area is underlain by the Crocker Formation (Late Eocene to Early Miocene age) to vary recent Quaternary alluvial materials which are still being deposited. Crocker Formation consists mostly of interbedded grey sandstones and grey mudstones or shales. The sandstones are texturally immature where angular to subrounded quarts grains are cemented by clay minerals and occasionally by calcite. The Crocker Formation has also undergone intense deformation. The tectonic complexities influenced the physical and mechanical properties of the rocks, resulting in a high degree of weathering and instability. The weathered materials are unstable and may experience sliding due to by high pore pressure and intensively geomorphological processes. In this study, a total of 28 selected critical slope failures were studied and classified into two main groups: rock slope and soil slope. Failures in soil slopes (including embankments) are 18 (64 %) whereas 10 of all failures (36 %) of rock slope. Soil slope failures normally involved large volumes of failed material as compared much rock slopes, where the failures are mostly small. Of the 18 failures in soil slopes, 6 (33 %) are embankment failures making them 21 % of all types of failures. Kinematics rock slope analyses indicates that the variable potential of circular, planar, wedges and toppling failures modes as well as the combination of more than one mode of aforementioned failure. Rock and soil slopes stability analysis indicates that the factor of safety value as unsafe (0.50 to 0.96). The main factors causing slope failure occurrences in the study area are natural (geology, meteorology, topography and drainage system) and human factors (lack of proper planning, human activities and community’s attitude). Development planning has to consider the hazard and environmental management program. This engineering geological study should be prioritized and take into consideration in the initial step in all infrastructures program and it may play a vital role in landslide hazard and risk assessment to ensure the public safety.

Corporate environmental responsibility and competitiveness: The maquiladora industry of the Mexican northern borderlands

AbstractThis article sustains that competitive advantages can be developed when industries implement corporate environmental responsibility (CER) programs systematically and strategically, as demonstrated by data provided by a case study conducted with maquiladora industries in Ciudad Juárez, on the Mexico–United States border. In that study, organizational theory and studies were combined with qualitative analytical techniques to explore relationships between environmental management programs and competitive advantage indicators such as innovation, corporate image, and cost reduction. The data were collected from semistructured interviews with managers of environmental issues and from the official documents of seven regional maquiladoras. The findings showed a direct relationship between implementation of CER programs and activities with the resulting evolution of competitive advantages. Further analysis shows that it is the systematic and strategic implementation of CER programs as part of an overall managerial strategy that allows for the generation of competitive advantages through the mediation of innovation as a key factor.

Importance of dam-free tributaries for conserving fish biodiversity in Neotropical reservoirs

Dams change the hydrological dynamics, patterns of biological production and distribution of organisms in space and time. In contrast, tributary rivers can function as source areas in reservoirs, since they harbor spawning and early development grounds for native fish species. Here, we analyze a time series of the first 14 years after the impoundment of the Porto Primavera Reservoir, a large reservoir with free tributaries in southeastern Brazil. To evaluate the impact of damming on the fish assemblage, we evaluated the abundance (catch per unit effort, CPUE) and α (species richness and Shannon-Wiener index) and β (Sørensen dissimilarity and turnover) diversity of four sites distributed along the reservoir. Overall, there was no decreasing trend in the α diversity and no increasing trend in the β diversity relative to the initial year or among the sites over time. Despite the expected disturbance in the fish assemblage at the lacustrine site, the sites located near the tributary mouths presented resistant fish assemblages, compensating the results of the overall assessment. We attribute this unusual variation in the ecological attributes to source-sink demographic dynamics, with the undammed tributaries as the source and the reservoir as the sink for native species. We highlight that the presence of these rivers minimized the expected trend towards biotic homogenization, and the preservation of the tributaries is imperative since they contribute to diversity maintenance in areas that are already impacted by damming. The inclusion of this agenda in environmental management programs and new impoundment plans will allow a balance between the demand for electricity production and the conservation of fish diversity.

Environmental management and monitoring for education building development

The purpose of research were (1) a conceptual, functional model designed and implementation for environmental management and monitoring for education building development, (2) standard operational procedure made for management and monitoring for education building development, (3) assessed physic-chemical, biological, social-economic environmental components so that fulfilling sustainable development, (4) environmental management and monitoring program made for decreasing negative and increasing positive impact in education building development activities. Descriptive method is used for the research. Cibiru UPI Campus, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia was study location. The research was conducted on July 2016 to January 2017. Spatial and activities analysis were used to assess physic-chemical, biological, social-economic environmental components. Environmental management and monitoring for education building development could be decreasing water, air, soil pollution and environmental degradation in education building development activities.

Evaluating and managing environmental water regimes in a water‐scarce and uncertain future

Abstract While the number of environmental flows and water science programmes continues to grow across the globe, there remains a critical need to better balance water availability in support of human and ecological needs and to recognise the environment as a legitimate user of water. In water‐stressed areas, this recognition has resulted in friction between water users in the public and private sectors. An opportunity exists for practitioners to be on the forefront of the science determining best practices for supporting environmental water regimes. This Special Issue brings together a collection of environmental flows science and water management papers organised around three major themes: (1) method development and testing; (2) application case studies; and (3) efficacy evaluation. Contents of this Special Issue are intended to foster collaboration and broaden transferability of the information, technical tools, models and methods needed to support environmental water management programmes. The technical sophistication of methods and modelling tools, while important to the advancement of environmental water science, may come at the expense of easily interpretable outcomes that positively influence management decisions. Researchers need to be more proactive in translating the results of advanced modelling methodologies into user‐friendly tools and methods. This will allow stakeholders and water managers to proactively test alternative water allocation scenarios to help address growing human water demands in the face of droughts and changes in climatic patterns. The application of environmental flows science and water management strategies cannot be done in isolation. Implementation involves a complex decision‐making process that integrates ecological, hydrologic and social science across diverse multifaceted governance systems and requires active stakeholder involvement. Scientists and managers must strengthen partnerships at multiple scales to develop sensible science investment strategies so that collective knowledge can be translated into wise environmental water management decisions.

Identifikasi bentuk partisipasi masyarakat Dalam pelaksanaan program Peningkatan kualitas permukiman Studi Kasus : Pada Pelaksanaan Program PLPBK di Permukiman Masyarakat Berpenghasilan Rendah di Kelurahan Tenilo Kota Gorontalo

The participation of the community in an implementation of the program or activity greatly affects the success of the program. This participation itself was born because of the factors from inside and outside the individual as members of that community group. This writing is based on a study that takes place in low-income community settlements in Tenilo RT II / RW II Kelota Kelota Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province with the aim of identifying the forms of community participation as well as the factors that influence the participation of the community in the implementation of the quality improvement program which is part of the Community-Based Settlement Environment Management (PLPBK) program by the government in the National Urban Empowerment Community Empowerment Program (PNPM-Mandiri Urban). The method used in this research is by qualitative analysis approach to analyze the primary and secondary data. The study finds that the form of community participation in the implementation of the program of improving the quality of settlements of low income community groups in Tenilo RT II / RW II Kelota District Gorontalo in the form of energy and goods . Internal factors that influence are gender, education, occupation, age, and income, while external factors as the incentive is the willingness, ability and opportunity.

Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework

There has been increasing attention to and investment in local environmental stewardship in conservation and environmental management policies and programs globally. Yet environmental stewardship has not received adequate conceptual attention. Establishing a clear definition and comprehensive analytical framework could strengthen our ability to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of environmental stewardship in different contexts and how to most effectively support and enable local efforts. Here we propose such a definition and framework. First, we define local environmental stewardship as the actions taken by individuals, groups or networks of actors, with various motivations and levels of capacity, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment in pursuit of environmental and/or social outcomes in diverse social–ecological contexts. Next, drawing from a review of the environmental stewardship, management and governance literatures, we unpack the elements of this definition to develop an analytical framework that can facilitate research on local environmental stewardship. Finally, we discuss potential interventions and leverage points for promoting or supporting local stewardship and future applications of the framework to guide descriptive, evaluative, prescriptive or systematic analysis of environmental stewardship. Further application of this framework in diverse environmental and social contexts is recommended to refine the elements and develop insights that will guide and improve the outcomes of environmental stewardship initiatives and investments. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of environmental stewardship as a valuable and holistic concept for guiding productive and sustained relationships with the environment.

The medical-recreational and balneotherapeutic regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory

the creation of the efficient system of the spa and health resort-based health care for the population of the entire territory of the Russian Federation requires the systematic evaluation and protection of the natural resources of country as a basis for the further development of the health resort and recreation facilities in different regions. The objective of the present study was to estimate the possibilities of expansion of the health resort and recreational activities based on the rational exploitation of the natural resources of the medical-recreational and balneotherapeutic areas of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The inspection of the medical-recreational and balneotherapeutic regions of the southern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory with the evaluation of the medicinal and raw materials resources of the spa and health resort facilities located in this area. The comprehensive assessment of the landscape and climatic conditions of the territory was performed in compliance with the methodological recommendations No 96/226 «The bioclimatic passport of the medical-recreational and balneotherapeutic region» approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation as of 7 February 1997. The quality of water bodies/sources was carried out in conformity with the criteria envisaged by the methodological recommendations No 96/225 «Quality and safety control of mineral waters based on their chemical and microbiological characteristics» approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation as of 7 April 1997. Water typing was performed in accordance with GOST R 54316-2011 «Natural drinking mineral waters». The medical-recreational and balneotherapeutic regions in southern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory are notable for the great variety of mountainous, forest and steppe landscape forms with their favorable bioclimatic conditions and unique resources of therapeutic muds and mineral carbonic waters. The area is characterized by the great potential for the further development of the climatic spa and health resort facilities, and the improvement of the health care service for both children's and adult populations based on the rational use of the local landscape and climatic factors available at the territories occupied by the spa and health resort facilities of the balneotherapeutic profile. The prospects for the further expansion of medical and recreational tourism are discussed. This article was designed to systematize the available data characterizing the balneotherapeutic and recreational conditions of the medical-recreational regions of the southern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory with special reference to the value of their natural resources, such as bioclimate, mineral waters, therapeutic muds, etc., for their inclusion in the registry of the areas possessed of the great health-improving potential based on the rational nature use and environmental management programs.

ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT (EGA) ON SLOPES ALONG THE PENAMPANG TO TAMBUNAN ROAD, SABAH, MALAYSIA

This study focused on the engineering geological investigation of slope failures along Penampang to Tambunan road, approximately 12th km to 101th km from Kota Kinabalu city, Sabah, Malaysia. The area is underlain by the Crocker Formation (Late Eocene to Early Miocene age) and the Quaternary Deposits (Recent age). These rock units show numerous lineaments with complex structural styles developed during several regional Tertiary tectonic activities. The tectonic complexities influenced the physical and mechanical properties of the rocks, resulting in a high degree of weathering and instability. The weathered materials are unstable and may experience sliding due to by high pore pressure and intensively geomorphological processes. In this study, a total of 31 selected critical slope failures were studied and classified into two main groups: rock slope and soil slope. Failures in soil slopes (including embankments) are 21 (67 %) whereas 10 of all failures (33 %) of rock slope. Soil slope failures normally involved large volumes of failed material as compared much rock slopes, where the failures are mostly small. Of the 21 failures in soil slopes, 15 (71 %) are embankment failures making them 48 % of all types of failures. Physical and mechanical properties of 84 soil samples indicated that the failure materials mainly consist of poorly graded to well graded materials of clayey loamy soils, which characterized by low to intermediate plasticity content (9 % to 28 %), containing of inactive to normal clay (0.34 to 1.45), very high to medium degree of swelling (5.63 to 13.85), variable low to high water content (4 % to 22 %), specific gravity ranges from 2.57 to 2.80, low permeability (9.66 X 10-3 to 4.33 X 10-3 cm/s), friction angle () ranges from 7.70˚ to 29.20˚ and cohesion (C) ranges from 3.20 KPa to 17.27 KPa. The rock properties of 10 rock samples indicated that the point load strength index and the uniaxial compressive strength range classified as moderately week. Kinematics slope analyses indicates that the variable potential of circular, planar, wedges and toppling failures modes as well as the combination of more than one mode of aforementioned failure. Rock and soil slopes stability analysis indicates that the factor of safety value as unsafe (0.52 to 0.98). Engineering geologic evaluation of the study area indicates that the slope failures took place when rock and soil materials were no longer able to resist the attraction of gravity due to a decrease in shear strength and increase in the shear stresses due to internal and external factors. Internal factors involve some factors change in either physical or chemical properties of the rock or soil such as topographic setting, climate, geologic setting and processes, groundwater condition and engineering characteristics. External factors involve increase of shear stress on slope, which usually involves a form of disturbance that is induced by man includes removal of vegetation cover, induced by vehicles loading and artificial changes or natural phenomenon such as tremors. Development planning has to consider the hazard and environmental management program. This engineering geological study may play a vital role in slope stability assessment to ensure the public safety.

The Impact of Hydrocarbon Pollution on Soil Degradation Using GIS Techniques and Soil Characterization in Burgan Oil field, South Kuwait

Understanding the complex spatio-temporal relationships between environmental pollution and disease and identifying exposures to environmental hazards in high-risk populations are essential elements of an effective environmental and public health management program. Modern computer technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), provide cost-effective tools for evaluating interventions and policies potentially affecting health outcomes. Military activities during the occupation and subsequent liberation war at 1991 caused direct and indirect damage to Kuwait’s environment and ecosystems. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a powerful tool in managing and analyzing spatial data. It has been applied successfully to large variety of fields, one field of particular interest is the field of disaster identification and mitigation represent in the impact of hydrocarbon pollution on soil degradation in Burgan oil field, South Kuwait. It is well understood that hazard identification and land management play a major part in the reducing the impact of natural disasters. This is a role GIS is well suited to especially when combined with field investigation work .This study highlights the high level achievements of the environmental assessment for the oil contaminated status in GC32 pipe line dry oil lake and wet oil lake, Burgan oil field, state of Kuwait by using GIS application and field investigation including soil sampling, logging in order to determine the magnitude of damage, mapping present day contamination boundaries, extent of contamination and volume of contaminated soil in the area of study. In fact, the study clearly indicates that the problems persist even after 25 years although the lakes and lagoons that contained oil have been drained and many of them have dried out, their hazard potential has actually increased.