Vulnerability Of Infrastructure Research Articles

Analisis Faktor-Faktor Kerentanan Banjir Pesisir (Studi pada Pesisir Pantai Utara Jawa Tengah)

Flooding is a natural phenomenon that occurs in Indonesia, including the coastal areas of Pantura) which are complicated problems for the government that have not been fully handled properly. Pantura coastal flooding occurs due to rainwater flooding and tidal flooding, causing vulnerability. This study aims to determine the factors that cause vulnerability and determine the adaptation strategy for Pantura coastal flooding. This type of research is quantitative research because research is in the form of case studies based on descriptive assessments and the existence of quantitative data based on numbers and research is carried out by observation and data collection using data collection techniques and data analysis with SPSS Version 25.00 with 183 respondents. The research location is the coastal area of Pantura. Primary data collection method with questionnaires, interviews, observations, and documentation,. Based on the results of the study, the factors of coastal flood vulnerability are classified into physical vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure, biophysical and hydrological vulnerability, vulnerability of community capability and safety and flood vulnerability. The validity test of the vulnerability of coastal flooding shows all valid and reliable indicators because it has a validity value of > 0.300 and the reliability test value of the cronbrach alpha research instrument is above 0.700.

Vulnerability assessment of water supply infrastructures through multiple indicator methodology

Abstract Water supply infrastructures are essential to ensure the well-being of communities and to support social and economic growth and must be protected from damage in the context of future threats related to the environmental consequences of climate change. Those consequences include natural disasters, i.e., landslides, which can cause destruction of water infrastructure, causing distress for water users, cascading effects to other critical infrastructures and environmental impacts. Vulnerability analyses represent a key point in international risk management programs for protecting critical infrastructure, especially in the context of climate change. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to evaluate crucial water supply infrastructure vulnerabilities based on multiple indicators. A learning-from-experience approach is applied to establish specific indicators for vulnerability assessment. Eight different indicators are identified, divided into four categories, regarding land characteristics, service inefficiencies for users due to infrastructure failure, pipeline route characteristics, and physical characteristics of the aqueduct pipe. Along with the indicators, a graphical representation is proposed using the Kiviat chart, producing a vulnerability chart that represents a useful tool to identify the main vulnerability factors in existing water supply infrastructure, in the management of interventions, in the planning and design processes of new infrastructure, and for comparing different design solutions.

Improving Adaptive Capacity of Riverine Communities in Responding to Floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia

This study aimed at improving the adaptive capacity of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne district, Somalia. The objectives of the study were to examine the factors that determine flood vulnerability of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia, to assess the indicators of adaptive capacity of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia and to evaluate the adopted strategies for improving adaptive capacities to flood hazards by riverine communities of Beledweyne District, Somalia. The study employed quantitative research approach using descriptive research design to analyse the adaptive capacity of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia. The research used data collection tools like questionnaire, interview and documentary review to collect the data. The main findings of the study were that there are many factors determining flood vulnerability of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia like staying very close to the river increases community members’ vulnerability to floods in the areas, staying near the estuary to flood, staying near the high-water mark, staying near the river defense walls, staying near the basin bridge with poor condition and many others. Secondly, the findings of the study indicate that there are indicators of adaptive capacity of riverine communities in responding to floods in Beledweyne District, Somalia which they encompass: low level of emergency and preparedness plan and resources, low level of emergency and preparedness plan and resources, low improvement of livelihoods and rural economy in the flood prone areas and low improvement of livelihoods and rural economy in the flood prone areas. Furthermore, the findings of the study indicate that the recommend strategies for improving adaptive capacities to flood hazards by riverine communities of Beledweyne District, Somalia entail: continuous assessment of the sector and infrastructure vulnerability in the riverine communities, executing early actions to increase economic resilience in livelihoods, assessment of the critical infrastructure (roads, bridges, utilities, prevention of ad hoc basin defenses, favor non-structural solutions and preparation and implementation of effective early warning messages that reach marginalized groups of people. The study recommends that there should be preparation of medium-term development and spatial plans, there should be proper preparation of medium-term development and spatial plans in Beledweyne district, preparation of proper local plans and the district authority or leaders in collaboration with the national leaders should prepare proper local plans for riverine communities.

A Critical Analysis of COVID 19 Pandemic’s Effect on Education System in India

The COVID-19 pandemic in our country is a part of the worldwide pandemic of corona virus disease which is caused by “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2” or SARS-COV-2. The first case of COVID-19 in India, which originated from China, was reported on Thursday, 30th January 2020. India currently has the largest number of confirmed cases in Asia, and has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the world after the United States of America, with almost more than 3 crores reported cases of COVID-19 infection, more than 4 lakhs deaths and more than 3 crores discharged after treatment. As the disease crept in our lives the Government of India declared a series of lockdown when several institutions and offices were to shut down, including school, colleges and universities. It was the first time in our history when a disease that turned into pandemic forced to stop and changed our lives to such an extent. One of the major impacts of it has been on the education system of our nation and its vulnerable infrastructure that till now was offline was forced to stop and find an alternative. The forced choice we were only left with is off course resorting to online mode of teaching and learning which hadn’t happened in the past. But since as we are accustomed to traditional modes of teaching and learning process, the virgin way of online mode of teaching and learning besides other unconventional systems/methods, has posed certain difficulties and challenges before the education system of India. Thus, this paper attempts to cover up different facets and dimensions regarding challenges of teaching and learning in this pandemic era and its large scale effects on our education system in India.

Development of a Complex Vulnerability Index for Fishing Shelters—The Case of Cyprus

Small fishing harbours substantially contribute to coastal economies as they support not only fishing but also tourism activities. They are located at the land–sea interface and are considered vulnerable infrastructure affected by the increased human activities but also by the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events. In this paper, the 16 existing fishing shelters of Cyprus are used as a case study to develop a complex vulnerability index for assessing the shelters’ vulnerability. The index incorporates physical, environmental, technical and socioeconomic variables, which are quantified and scored to denote the current state of vulnerability. The results are validated through on-site visits, questionnaires answered by local fishermen and targeted interviews with representatives of the port authorities. Furthermore, climate change projections are taken into account for the physical variables to evaluate the impact of climate change on vulnerability changes. The study highlights the complex interactions between a variety of factors characterising the fishing shelters and driving vulnerability. The proposed index can assist decisionmakers with prioritising interventions, allocating funding and designing adaptation pathways that reduce the shelters’ vulnerability while increasing their resilience.

Seismic and Tsunami Risk Analysis for Installing Resilient Power Systems Based on Isolated Microgrids on Buildings: The Case of Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

Due to their geographical condition and worldwide environmental protection policies, the Galapagos Islands must opt for implementing clean energy infrastructure considering natural hazard effects that can directly affect the resilience of community residents. Santa Cruz Island is part of this archipelago, with rich biodiversity in flora and unique fauna. This study proposes identifying earthquake and tsunami risk assessment components on the island, such as the infrastructure vulnerability of Puerto Ayora, the central city of Santa Cruz Island. The FEMA P-154 and FEMA P-646 methodologies are used to classify buildings for technically installing microgrids based on photovoltaic generation systems. For this purpose, maps and data from state entities are used in combination with catalogs from development and land use planning, Software for Geoprocesses and virtual tours, and cadastral information provided by the Decentralized Autonomous Government (GAD) of Santa Cruz to develop techniques that offer a risk index to identify buildings that could sustain seismic and tsunamic loads. The study exposes alarming results that would prevent the installation of photovoltaic generation systems on the buildings’ roofs. Consequently, a more detailed field study is recommended to contrast the reported analysis to implement mitigation strategies accordingly. Finally, geoprocesseced maps are presented, in addition to general installing recommendations for the photovoltaic system’s infrastructure.

InSAR time series and LSTM model to support early warning detection tools of ground instabilities: mining site case studies

Early alarm systems can activate vital precautions for saving lives and the economy threatened by natural hazards and human activities. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) products generate valuable ground motion data with high spatial and temporal resolutions. Integrating the InSAR products and forecasting models make possible to set up early alarm systems to monitor vulnerable areas. This study proposes a technical support to early warning detection tools of ground instabilities using machine learning and InSAR time series that is capable of forecasting regions affected by potential collapses. A long short-term memory (LSTM) model is tailored to predict ground movements in three forecast ranges (i.e., SAR observations): 3, 4, and 5 multistep. A contribution of the proposed strategy is utilizing adjacent time series to decrease the possibility of falsely detecting safe regions as significant movements. The proposed tool offers ground motion-based outcomes that can be interpreted and utilized by experts to activate early alarms to reduce the consequences of possible failures in vulnerable infrastructures, such as mining areas. Three case studies in Spain, Brazil, and Australia, where fatal incidents happened, are analyzed by the proposed early alert detector to illustrate the impact of chosen temporal and spatial ranges. Since most early alarm systems are site dependent, we propose a general tool to be interpreted by experts for activating reliable alarms. The results show that the proposed tool can identify potential regions before collapse in all case studies. In addition, the tool can suggest an optimum selection of InSAR temporal (i.e., number of images) and spatial (i.e., adjacent measurement points) combinations based on the available SAR images and the characteristics of the study area.

Data-driven analysis and integrated modeling of climate change impacts on coastal groundwater and sanitary sewer infrastructure

The variation of the coastal groundwater table and the vulnerability of sanitary sewer infrastructure under a changing climate is considered for Imperial Beach (CA, USA) by incorporating the compound impacts of Sea-Level Rise (SLR), groundwater shoaling, and precipitation intensification. For 2 m of SLR, marine inundation is expected to impact only 2% of the urbanized area; however, SLR-driven groundwater shoaling is projected to impact 36% of the subterranean sewer system. Due to GroundWater Infiltration (GWI) and Rainfall-Derived Inflow and Infiltration (RDII), the sanitary sewage flow increases by 21% and 49% during dry- (i.e., consecutive days without precipitation) and wet-weather conditions (i.e., 24-hour rainfall with a 25-year return period), respectively. At SLR = 2 m, defect flows (GWI + RDII) can be elevated by 84% and 120% in dry- and wet-weather conditions, respectively. Such elevated hydraulic loads may place $0.5−$2.7 M additional cost on the collection system and treatment facilities every year. Moreover, pressurized junctions due to the above-mentioned hydraulic loading are likely to expose the community and the environment to raw sewage pollution. By involving structural, hydrological, and hydraulic criteria, a holistic approach is presented and implemented for prioritizing sewer system rehabilitation.

Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment of Grand Bay, Mauritius, Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS)

Small island countries located in the Indian ocean are mostly vulnerable to tsunamis generated from the Makran and Sumatra earthquake sources. A minor inundation was experienced from the 26th December 2004 tsunami caused by the Sumatra Andaman earthquake while the close island of Rodrigues recorded relatively high surges within its coasts. As a tourist destination for its sandy beaches and blue lagoons, most hotels and foreign invested real estates are located mostly within the coastal region, making the Mauritian economic mainstay vulnerable to the slightest tsunami threat. This research study therefore aims at assessing the vulnerability of the northern region of Mauritius namely Grand Bay, under a possible tsunami threat. Assessment has been categorised in three main vulnerability areas namely the building and infrastructure vulnerability, the human life vulnerability and the environmental vulnerability. The methodology set up includes digitalisation of the Grand Bay region using the QGIS software from satellite raster images, showing the demarked area with geospatial and attributes data. These were analysed using the area intersection in the QGIS Software. Vulnerability indexing was calculated using a risk matrix analysis which was in turn mapped in QGIS, showing highly exposed buildings, an account for human lives under major threat and areas that can suffer saline water infiltration as part of the negative environmental impact.

The Mediating Role of Infrastructure Vulnerability on the Political Risk of Foreign Infrastructure Investment in Developing Countries: Insights from Brazil and China

The Mediating Role of Infrastructure Vulnerability on the Political Risk of Foreign Infrastructure Investment in Developing Countries: Insights from Brazil and China

Under the radar: Ireland, maritime security capacity, and the governance of subsea infrastructure

ABSTRACT Subsea infrastructure is typically out of sight, but in recent times, seldom out of mind. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in October 2022 has magnified the vulnerability and critical importance of subsea infrastructure. It also exposed a lack of understanding on how subsea networks operate, how they are regulated, who controls them and how they are protected. Ireland matters in this context. Despite its official policy of neutrality, Ireland occupies an important strategic position in terms of transatlantic telecommunications cables between the United States, Britain and continental Europe. The conflict in Ukraine has amplified tensions in this context in terms of the increased threat of grey-zone/hybrid warfare activity. This article will consider for the first time how a global connectivity hub on the western periphery of Europe governs critical underwater infrastructure. It will discuss the context and agencies involved in subsea cable governance in Ireland and identify the gaps in this protection before formulating suggestions for the long-term improvement of Ireland’s maritime security capacity. The Irish case is important as it can help inform defence policy and security practice in other island states with large maritime jurisdictions and in particular states with small navies.

Vulnerability assessment of critical infrastructures for cascading failures: An application to water distribution networks

Critical infrastructures form the backbone of any nation, and the failures of these infrastructures could lead to economic disruptions and fatal consequences. Assessing the vulnerability of such critical infrastructures has now evolved into a necessary and imperative task for researchers around the world. Water distribution networks form an essential class of critical infrastructures of modern society. The uninterrupted functioning of such networks is crucial for ensuring a nation’s economic development and welfare of society. The objective of this article is to evaluate the vulnerability of nodes for Water Distribution Networks considering cascading failures. The system dynamics of a water network are included in the simulation process to estimate the impacts of cascading failures. Vulnerability metrics based on loss of topological connectivity and supply capability are formulated in this article. The applicability and significance of the proposed methodology are demonstrated using a sample network case study. Identification of different vulnerability zones is done by employing k-means clustering to perform a methodical comparison between the proposed and existing metrics of vulnerability assessment.

ENHANCING SECURITY IN SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING THROUGH ROUTING TECHNIQUES EXPLORATION

In today's world, network security is a key issue of information security. Virtual Networks have become an integral part of modern IT infrastructure, which presents us with challenges in the field of security. One solution to this problem is the use of software-defined networking (SDN), which provides a means to control and manage network traffic. However, as with any technology, SDN has its vulnerabilities that must be considered when deploying it. One of the tools that helps to take into account the vulnerabilities of network infrastructure is the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) standard. It allows you to quantify the level of vulnerability of the infrastructure, which enables effective network protection. Analysis of the CVSS standard is an important stage in the development of a network security strategy. This paper analyzes the standards for building software-configured networks. It is noted that SDN is a modern approach to the design, construction, and operation of information communication networks. Using SDN makes it possible to directly program and dynamically manage the network, as well as to abstract the functionality of the infrastructure layer. However, the growing interest in SDN has revealed the shortcomings of their application in the fight against cybersecurity threats. The SDN architecture itself, external malicious attacks, and insufficient access control and encryption tools were found to be the main security challenges. The use of secure routing tools based on vulnerability metrics is proposed to increase the level of SDN data plane network security. According to the conducted analysis of SDN data plane vulnerabilities and the functionality of routing tools, the authors recommend using the CVSS standard to quantify the level of infrastructure vulnerability during the development and research of promising approaches to secure routing in the data plane of software-configured networks.

Assessing Indirect Impacts of Extreme Sea Level Flooding on Critical Infrastructure

This study investigates the direct and indirect impacts of extreme sea level (ESL) flooding on critical infrastructure. While methods to quantify the direct impacts of ESL flooding on coastal areas are well established, the indirect impacts that extend beyond the directly affected population are less well understood. This study assesses the vulnerability of electricity, road, telecommunication, water supply, and wastewater infrastructure to service disruption from coastal flooding in South Dunedin, New Zealand. We quantified the population affected by single and multiple service losses caused by 100-year average recurrence interval (ARI) ESL flooding across 0.1 m sea-level rise (SLR) increments up to 1.5 m. The study identified an ESL “tipping-point” at 0.6 m SLR, where direct loss of road access and electricity services is extensive, and causes indirect loss of telecommunication services. This also impacted the functionality of a key wastewater pumpstation servicing the wider region. As sea levels in the area are projected to rise 0.60 m in the next ~60–90 years, this information can inform assessments of potential adaptation investments in long-term infrastructure management plans in the face of uncertainty.

Forty years of climate risk research in Zimbabwe – 1980–2021

ABSTRACT Identifying sound strategies to manage climate risks requires understanding complex systems, characterised by; a large number of potential factors that interact; multiple stakeholder constituencies with diverse values, deep and dynamic uncertainties. This paper assesses the general understanding and dominant narrative regarding climate change in particular societies in order to track the trends regarding the management of climate risk. In this regard, this paper considers climate risk from a Zimbabwean perspective between 1980 and 2021. The assessment of climate risk in Zimbabwe took cognisance of the fact that climate change is a subject that has received a considerable amount of attention in Zimbabwean focused literature. As such, secondary data were used to understand the dominant narratives regarding climate risk in Zimbabwe. The climate risk discussion in Zimbabwe has significantly grown over past four decades nonetheless, it is evident that the dominant narrative is biased towards climate change adaptation particularly on aspects of agricultural and livelihoods sensitivity from a water scarcity perspective. Other adaptation components such as the exposure to hazards, indigenous knowledge systems, ecological and infrastructure vulnerability, communication and gender dimensions of climate change also form the bulk of issues that dominate the adaptation centred narrative.

Disaster Risk Management and Spatial Planning: Evidence from the Fire-Stricken Area of Mati, Greece

The debate over spatial planning highlights the need for more interdisciplinary, strategic, and collaborative methods to achieve broad policy goals such as resilience and sustainability. Risk-based planning is gaining importance due to the rising vulnerability of urban infrastructure. Incorporating disaster risk management into spatial planning requires a geographically based strategy for reducing catastrophe risk. This article outlines the role of spatial planning in the reconstruction of the Mati settlement in Attica, Greece, that was devastated by a forest fire in 2018. It presents a set of proposals that relate to the urban reorganization of the area and considers disaster risk reduction and disaster management, as well as sustainability issues relating to mobility, the management of the natural environment, and the recovery of the coastline as a public resource. The basis for this article is the contribution of the Urban Planning Research Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens/School of Architecture to the preparation of the Special Urban Plan for the fire-stricken area of Mati, Attica, on behalf of the Technical Chamber of Greece.

Flood Mitigation and Pollution Abatement in Kaduna Metropolis Through Engineering Assessment and Analytical Hierarchy Process Design

Pollution abatement and flood control activities require effective water resource planning, engineering assessment, sophisticated technology, and appropriate hydraulic structure designs. This paper x-rays flood mitigation and pollution abatement strategies that can be adopted in the Kaduna metropolis in Nigeria. Analytical hierarchy process of design, questionnaires, engineering assessment approach, and standard method for estimation of the runoff discharge was adopted for this research. Estimating water balance components and QSWAT Hydrological Model can be used with the QGIS interface for a greener environment. Suitable hydraulic systems were designed for long-term flood control in the River Kaduna catchment area through an analytic hierarchy Process. Statistical analysis, manning equations, and rational methods were utilized for adequate assessment and planning. The hydraulic discharge capacity of culverts, open channels, and other hydraulic structures was carefully checked. Flooding greatly impacts infrastructural development, and inadequate drainage systems contribute to it. Mitigation strategies, adequate water resource planning, and management will greatly benefit from addressing flood-related issues in the study area. This research provides information on the flood vulnerability of infrastructures and mitigation strategies that can be adopted in the study area. Viable policies and management strategies can be utilized to avert losses traceable to floods in developing and developed countries.

Traffic resilience modeling for post-earthquake emergency medical response and planning considering disrupted infrastructure and dislocated residents

Quick access to hospitals is essential for severely injured people during post-earthquake emergency medical response. In addition to emergency medical vehicles, most injured residents are often transported to hospitals by private vehicles. Unlike emergency vehicles, private vehicles carrying injured people don't have the driving privilege and therefore become part of regular traffic. Meanwhile, there is usually considerable traffic from dislocated people subjected to various levels of road disruptions following earthquakes. A realistic and efficient assessment of the resilience performance of the disrupted transportation network during the emergency medical response is crucial to saving as many lives as possible through optimal emergency response planning. This study proposes a new methodology to quantify the resilience of disrupted transportation networks during the emergency response stage considering private-vehicle-based injury transport and evacuation traffic. The proposed methodology simulates the traffic during the emergency medical service using the dynamic traffic assignment method by considering various road disruptions. A resilience index is proposed based on the traffic efficiency of the hospitalization trips and uncertainties in earthquakes and infrastructure vulnerability. Finally, the reasonable number of EMS vehicles is investigated from the optimal emergency medical transportation perspective.

Preparing infrastructure for surprise: fusing synthetic network, interdependency, and cascading failure models

Faced with destabilizing conditions in the Anthropocene, infrastructure resilience modeling remains challenged to confront increasingly complex conditions toward quickly and meaningfully advancing adaptation. Data gaps, increasingly interconnected systems, and accurate behavior estimation (across scales and as both gradual and cascading failure) remain challenges for infrastructure modelers. Yet novel approaches are emerging—largely independently—that, if brought together, offer significant opportunities for rapidly advancing how we understand vulnerabilities and surgically invest in resilience. Of particular promise are interdependency modeling, cascading failure modeling, and synthetic network generation. We describe a framework for integrating these three domains toward an integrated modeling framework to estimate infrastructure networks where no data exist, connect infrastructure to establish interdependencies, assess the vulnerabilities of these interconnected infrastructure to hazards, and simulate how failures may propagate across systems. We draw from the literature as an evidence base, provide a conceptual structure for implementation, and conclude by discussing the significance of such a framework and the critical tools it may provide to infrastructure researchers and managers.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Health Care Aspects of Industrial Disasters Around the World

Introduction:Industrial disasters can have a myriad of repercussions ranging from acute deaths, injuries, and long-term adverse health impacts on nearby populations to political fallout and environmental damage. This is a descriptive epidemiological analysis of industrial disasters occurring between 1995 and 2021 which may provide useful insight for health care systems and disaster medicine specialists to better prevent and mitigate the effects of future industrial disasters.Method:Data was collected using a retrospective database search of the Emergency Events Database (EM-DATS) for all industrial disasters occurring between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2021.Results:1,054 industrial disasters were recorded from 1995 to 2021. The majority of these disasters occurred in Asia (720, 68.3%), with 131 (12.4%) in Africa, 107 (10.2%) in Europe, 94 (8.9%) in the Americas, and 2 (0.2%) in Oceania. Half of these disasters were explosions (533, 50.6%), 147 (13.9%) were collapses, 143 (13.6%) were fires, 46 (4.4%) were chemical spills, 41 (3.9%) were gas leaks, and 34 (3.2%) were poisonings. There were 6 (0.6%) oil spills and 3 (0.3%) radiation events.Conclusion:A total of 29,708 deaths and 57,605 injuries were recorded as a result of industrial disasters and they remain a significant contributor to the healthcare risks of both workers and regional communities. The need for specialized emergency response training, the potential devastation of an industrial accident, and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure as terror targets highlight the need to better understand the potential immediate and long-term consequences of such events and to improve healthcare responses in the future.