API src

Found 53 results.

Related terms

OPERA - OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval^OPERA - OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval - Work package 7, Scenario development and Performance Assessment - OPERA Performance Assessment Project (OPAP-II), Work package 7, Scenario development and Performance Assessment - OPERA Performance Assessment Project (OPAP-I)

Das Projekt "OPERA - OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval^OPERA - OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval - Work package 7, Scenario development and Performance Assessment - OPERA Performance Assessment Project (OPAP-II), Work package 7, Scenario development and Performance Assessment - OPERA Performance Assessment Project (OPAP-I)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: COVRA N.V.. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group.In September 2009, the third Research Programme for the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste (OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval, or OPERA) 2011-2016 was initiated. The aim of the research programme is to evaluate the existing safety and feasibility studies (the Safety Case). For many industrial risk-bearing activities it is required to review the permits and accompanying safety analyses on a regular basis (every 5 to 10 years). This review is made using new insights and looks at possible modifications to company management. The reviews conducted regarding the feasibility and safety of geological disposal for radioactive waste are now over 10 to 20 years old; it is important to periodically re-evaluate them and take into account new developments. In work package 7, Scenario development and Performance Assessment, ten tasks are defined. All methods and instruments that are required for the safety assessments in the Safety Case are defined, developed and documented. For these safety assessments, scenarios need to be identified and represented. The OPAP-I project will define and build the technical and methodological backbone that enables the safety assessment of the OPERA Safety Case. The OPAP-I project covers all six tasks of WP7 tendered in the 1st Call and forms a consistent package that efficiently addresses the links between all tasks. The project will be executed by an international, interdisciplinary consortium of NRG, TNO, SCK-CEN and GRS, which many years of experience will guarantees the successful application of state-of-the-art methodologies. The project is structured in a way that it enables the integration of the scientific results of all supporting OPERA WPs and translates these results into the technical format necessary to execute PA calculations. The main outcome of the OPAP-I project will be a list of safety and performance indicators and their accompanying probability distributions, calculated for all scenarios. This list enables the OPERA programme to make a statement on the longterm safety of a future disposal of radioactive waste in Boom Clay. Task 7.1.1 Scenario development - Task 7.1.2 Scenario representation - Task 7.2.1 PA model for radionuclide migration in Boom Clay - Task 7.3.1 Safety and Performance Indicators calculation methodology - Task 7.3.2 Methods for the uncertainty analysis - Task 7.3.3 Safety assessment calculations.

Forschung im Ökologischen Landbau - Integrale Schwerpunktthemen und Methodikkriterien

Das Projekt "Forschung im Ökologischen Landbau - Integrale Schwerpunktthemen und Methodikkriterien" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung / Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft Österreich. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Institut für Ökologischen Landbau.Die Forschungsinitiative Biologischer Landbau (FBL) Österreich besteht seit dem Jahr 1991 als informeller Zusammenschluß von im Biologischen Landbau tätigen Wissenschaftlern mit dem Ziel, den Erfahrungsaustausch auch zwischen fachlich auseinanderliegenden Disziplinen innerhalb der Forschung im Biologischen Landbau zu fördern. In den Jahren 1994/95 erfolgte von seiten des BMLF und des BMWFK die Finanzierung eines acht-monatigen Forschungsprojektes zu grundlegenden Fragen der Forschung im Biologischen Landbau ( Erarbeitung integraler Schwerpunktthemenbereiche und Methodikkriterien für die Forschung im Biologischen Landbau in Österreich). Unter Mitwirkung von Wissenschaftlern aus Deutschland und der Schweiz sowie unter Einbeziehung eines erweiterten Expertenkreises fand im Rahmen der FBL eine intensive Diskussion über die zukünftige Ausrichtung der Forschung im Biologischen Landbau statt. Dabei erfolgte ein umfassender Diskurs über aktuelle Forschungsdefizite, interdisziplinär auszurichtende Schwerpunktthemen, über Methodikkriterien sowie über Kriterien zur Beurteilung der Dringlichkeit und Systemgerechtheit von Forschungsthemen im Biologischen Landbau in Österreich. Des weiteren wurden schlußfolgernd aus dieser Arbeit Forderungen der Forscher, die im Biologischen Landbau aktiv sind, an die Institutionen der Forschungsförderung zur Optimierung der wissenschaftlichen Weiterentwicklung dieser Landbaumethode formuliert. Grundlage der Diskussion über die zukünftige Forschung im Biologischen Landbau in Österreich sind die Prinzipien des Biologischen/Ökologischen Landbaus: Das Streben nach weitgehend geschlossenen Stoffkreisläufen im Betrieb, der schonende Umgang mit nicht erneuerbaren Rohstoff- und Energieressourcen, die Stärkung und Nutzung natürlicher Selbstregulationsmechanismen sowie die Erhaltung und Verbesserung der Vielfalt der Arten und des Landschaftsbildes. Diese Leitlinien der Biologischen Landwirtschaft werden im Rahmen der vorliegenden Studie (als Folge der Diskussion in der FBL) präzisiert und zu Strategien, Schwerpunktthemen, Forschungsdefiziten sowie Methodikkriterien für die Forschung im Biologischen Landbau ausgeweitet. Damit soll letztlich eine effektive ökosystemorientierte Weiterentwicklung dieser Landbaumethode sichergestellt werden.

Water and global Change (WATCH)

Das Projekt "Water and global Change (WATCH)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung e.V..The Integrated Project (WATCH) which will bring together the hydrological, water resources and climate communities to analyse, quantify and predict the components of the current and future global water cycles and related water resources states, evaluate their uncertainties and clarify the overall vulnerability of global water resources related to the main societal and economic sectors. WATCH project will: - analyse and describe the current global water cycle, especially causal chains leading to observable changes in extremes (droughts and floods) - evaluate how the global water cycle and its extremes respond to future drivers of global change (including greenhouse gas release and land cover change) - evaluate feedbacks in the coupled system as they affect t he global water cycle - evaluate the uncertainties in the predictions of coupled climate-hydrological- land-use models using a combination of model ensembles and observations - develop an enhanced (modelling) framework to assess the future vulnerability of water as a resource, and in relation to water/climate related vulnerabilities and risks of the major water related sectors, such as agriculture, nature and utilities (energy, industry and drinking water sector) - provide comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessments and predictions of the vulnerability of the water resources and water-/climate-related vulnerabilities and risks for the 21st century - collaborate intensively with the key leading research groups on water cycle and water resources in USA and Japan - collaborate intensively in dissemination of its scientific results with major research programmes worldwide (WCRP, IGBP) - collaborate intensively in dissemination of its practical and applied results with major water resources and water management platforms and professional organisations worldwide (WWC, IWA) and at a scale of 5 selected river basins in Europe. Prime Contractor: Natural Environment Research Council, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Swindon; United Kingdom.

Optimized Strategies for Risk Assessment of Chemicals based on Intelligent Testing (OSIRIS)

Das Projekt "Optimized Strategies for Risk Assessment of Chemicals based on Intelligent Testing (OSIRIS)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH - UFZ, Department Ökologische Chemie.The proposed regulation concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) requires demonstration of the safe manufacture of chemicals and their safe use throughout the supply chain. There is therefore a strong need to strengthen and advance human and environmental risk assessment knowledge and practices with regard to chemicals, in accord with the precautionary principle. The goal of the project OSIRIS is to develop integrated testing strategies (ITS) fit for REACH that enable to significantly increase the use of non-testing information for regulatory decision making, and thus minimise the need for animal testing. To this end, operational procedures will be developed, tested and disseminated that guide a transparent and scientifically sound evaluation of chemical substances in a risk-driven, context-specific and substance-tailored (RCS) manner. The envisaged decision theory framework includes alternative methods such as chemical and biological read-across, in vitro results, in vivo information on analogues, qualitative and quantitative structure-activity relationships, thresholds of toxicological concern and exposure-based waiving, and takes into account cost-benefit analyses as well as societal risk perception. It is based on the new REACH paradigm to move away from extensive standard testing to a more intelligent, substance-tailored approach. The work will be organised in five interlinked research pillars (chemical domain, biological domain, exposure, integration strategies and tools, case studies), with a particular focus on more complex, long-term and high-cost endpoints. Case studies will demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the new ITS methodologies, and provide guidance in concrete form. To ensure optimal uptake of the results obtained in this project, end-users in industry and regulatory authorities will be closely involved in monitoring and in providing specific technical contributions to this project.

FP6-SUSTDEV, Full-chain and uncertainty approaches for assessing health risks in future environmental scenarios (2-FUN)

Das Projekt "FP6-SUSTDEV, Full-chain and uncertainty approaches for assessing health risks in future environmental scenarios (2-FUN)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH - UFZ, Department Ökologische Chemie.The aim of 2-FUN is to provide decision-makers with a Decision Support System (DSS) that supports the analysis of current and future trends in environmental conditions and pressures causing health problems, and to evaluate and rank the management options of the composing risk factors using a cost-benefit evaluation. The DSS and its associated Geographical Information System (GIS) will offer a wide range of functionalities allowing the generation of results of high concern for health risk assessment: building of long-term environmental and socio-economic scenarios, exposure and effects mapping, provision of uncertainty margins, identification of sensitive pathways and risks, integrated risk indices and monetary values mapping, ranking of risk factors. Specific scientific actions will be set up to feed the DSS with methodologies/databases/models/ software on the following topics: Building future realistic socio-economic, environmental and health scenarios; Integrated exposure, effect and monetary assessment of multi-stressors and multi-routes; Integration of childrens issues in health risk assessments; Environment-related health indicators for relevant ranking and comparison of risk factors and monetary valuation of health effects; Development of uncertainty models for further health management; Implementation of a full-chain approach for health risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. 2-FUN also proposes to engage in a structural dialogue with all interested parties (stakeholders, policy-makers and researchers) to monitor large environment- and health-focused scientific initiatives and to incorporate stakeholders vision and needs regarding the development of tools for health risk assessment. The DSS will be tested on contrasted case studies covering a wide range of temporal, spatial, sectorial, environmental, societal contexts requiring comprehensive costbenefit analysis and able to provide policy-makers with relevant and easy-to-use information. Prime Contractor: Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques; Paris; France.

Trees in multi-Use Landscapes in Southeast Asia (TUL-SEA): A Negotiation Support Toolbox for Integrated Natural Resource Management

Das Projekt "Trees in multi-Use Landscapes in Southeast Asia (TUL-SEA): A Negotiation Support Toolbox for Integrated Natural Resource Management" wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Tropische Agrarwissenschaften (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institut), Fachgebiet Pflanzenbau in den Tropen und Subtropen (490e).Trees use water while storing carbon; tree crops replace natural forest while reducing poverty; market-oriented monocultures compete with risk-averse poly-cultures, trading off income and risk; plantations displace smallholders, trading off local rights and income opportunities; national reforestation programs use public resources, promising an increase in environmental services that may not happen. Trees in all these examples are closely linked to tradeoffs and conflict, exaggerated expectations and strong disappointment. Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) requires site-specific understanding of tradeoffs between and among the goods and services that trees in agro-ecosystems can provide. It is thus costly when compared to readily scalable green revolution technologies. Replicable, cost-effective approaches are needed in the hands of local professionals with interdisciplinary skills to help stakeholders sort out positive and negative effects of trees in multi-use landscapes ( agroforestry) on livelihoods, water and (agro) biodiversity, associated rights and rewards, and thus on Millenium Development Goals (reducing poverty - promoting equitable forms of globalisation - building peace). ICRAF in SE Asia has developed a negotiation support approach for reducing conflict in multi-use landscapes. The approach aims to bridge perception gaps between stakeholders (with their local, public/policy and scientific knowledge paradigms), increase recognition and respect for these multiple knowledge systems, provide quantification of tradeoffs between economic and environmental impacts at landscape scale, and allow for joint analysis of plausible scenarios. Building on the achievements of participatory rural appraisal, we can now add quantitative strengths with the toolbox for tradeoff analysis. The TUL-SEA project (NARS, ICRAF and Hohenheim) will in 3 years lead to: Tests of cost-effectiveness of appraisal tools for tradeoff analysis in a wide range of agroforestry contexts in SE Asia represented by 15 INRM case studies; building on ASB (Alternatives to Slash and Burn; http://www.asb.cgiar.org/) benchmark areas with significant positive local impacts on poverty, environment and peace (www.icraf.org/sea/Publications/searchpub.asp?publishid=1290); Enhanced national capacity in trade-off analysis, information-based INRM negotiations and ex ante impact assessments; An integrated toolbox ready for widespread application. The toolbox consists of instruments for rapid appraisal of landscape, tenure conflict, market, hydrology, agrobiodiversity and carbon stocks, and simulation models for scenario analysis of landscape-level impacts of changes in market access or agroforestry technology.

Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environmental Key Pollutants on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems and Biodiversity - MODELKEY, Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environmental Key Pollutants on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems and Biodiversity - MODELKEY

Das Projekt "Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environmental Key Pollutants on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems and Biodiversity - MODELKEY, Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environmental Key Pollutants on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems and Biodiversity - MODELKEY" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH.MODELKEY comprises a mulitdisciplinary approach aiming at developing interlinked and verified predictive modelling tools as well as state-of-the-art effect-assessment and analytical methods generally applicable to European freshwater and marine ecosystems: 1) to assess, forecast, and mitigate the risks of traditional and recently evolving pollutants on fresh water and marine ecosystems and their biodiversity at a river basin and adjacent marine environment scale, 2) to provide early warning strategies on the basis of sub-lethal effects in vitro and in vivo, 3) to provide a better understanding of cause-effect-relationships between changes in biodiversity and the ecological status, as addressed by the Water Framework Directive, and the impact of environmental pollution as causative factor, 4) to provide methods for state-of-the-art risk assessment and decision support systems for the selection of the most efficient management options to prevent effects on biodiversity and to prioritise contamination sources and contaminated sites, 5) to strengthen the scientific knowledge on an European level in the field of impact assessment of environmental pollution on aquatic eco-systems and their biodiversity by extensive training activities and knowledge dissemination to stakeholders and the scientific community. This goal shall be achieved by combining innovative predictive tools for modelling exposure on a river basin scale including the estuary and the coastal zone, for modelling effects on higher levels of biological organisation with powerful assessment tools for the identification of key modes of action, key toxicants and key parameters determining exposure. The developed tools will be verified in case studies representing European key areas including Mediterranean, Western and Central European river basins. An end-user-directed decision support system will be provided for cost-effective tool selection and appropriate risk and site prioritisation.

FP6-SUSTDEV, Tsunami Risk ANd Strategies For the European Region (TRANSFER)

Das Projekt "FP6-SUSTDEV, Tsunami Risk ANd Strategies For the European Region (TRANSFER)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum.The project main goal is to contribute to our understanding of tsunami processes in the Euro-Mediterranean region, to the tsunami hazard and risk assessment and to identifying the best strategies for reduction of tsunami risk. Focus will be posed on the gaps and needs for the implementation of an efficient tsunami early warning system (TEWS) in the Euro- Mediterranean area, which is a high-priority task in consideration that no tsunami early warning system is today in place in the Euro-Mediterranean countries. The main items addressed by the project may be summarised as follows. The present Europe tsunami catalogue will be improved and updated, and integrated into a world-wide catalogue (WP1). A systematic attempt will be made to identify and to characterise the tsunamigenic seismic (WP2) and non-seismic (WP3) sources throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region. An analysis of the present-day earth observing and monitoring (seismic, geodetic and marine) systems and data processing methods will be carried out in order to identify possible adjustments required for the development of a TEWS, with focus on new algorithms suited for real-time detection of tsunami sources and tsunamis (WP4). The numerical models currently used for tsunami simulations will be improved mainly to better handle the generation process and the tsunami impact at the coast (WP5). The project Consortium has selected ten test areas in different countries. Here innovative probabilistic and statistical approaches for tsunami hazard assessment (WP6), up-to-date and new methods to compute inundation maps (WP7) will be applied. Here tsunami scenario approaches will be envisaged; vulnerability and risk will be assessed; prevention and mitigation measures will be defined also by the advise of end users that are organised in an End User Group (WP8). Dissemination of data, techniques and products will be a priority of the project (WP9). Prime Contractor: Alma Mater Studiorum-Universita di Bologna; Bologna, Italy.

Ensuring Health and Food Safety from Rapidly Expanding Wastewater Irrigation in South Asia

Das Projekt "Ensuring Health and Food Safety from Rapidly Expanding Wastewater Irrigation in South Asia" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Universität Freiburg, Institut für Umweltsozialwissenschaften und Geographie, Professur für Physische Geographie.Identification the risks and benefits associated with the use of untreated wastewater in urban and peri-urban fodder and vegetable cropping systems in India and Pakistan, with a particular focus on livelihoods, livestock and food safety. The project activities are in Hyderabad (India) and Faisalabad (Pakistan). Main task is the creation of a project GIS database and field mapping.

FP6-POLICIES, Assessment of Desalination Mortars and Poultices for Historic Masonry (DESALINATION)

Das Projekt "FP6-POLICIES, Assessment of Desalination Mortars and Poultices for Historic Masonry (DESALINATION)" wird/wurde gefördert durch: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften Brüssel. Es wird/wurde ausgeführt durch: Fachhochschule Köln, Institut für Restaurierungs- und Konservierungswissenschaften.European cultural heritage is often damaged by salt related damaging processes. There appears to be an increasing risk of salt damage to our monuments, due to climate changes and possibly resulting floods. According to recent research, in some situations, desalination may be the only possible conservation technique. For buildings, desalination still constitutes a major problem as the bath-method can not be used. The use of desalination mortar/poultices seems to be the most promising conservation technique for immovable objects. However, the performance and especially the effectiveness of different desalination systems is not clear, which hinders the choice of an appropriate mortar/poultice. The research project DESALINATION will result in a clear guideline how to choose an adequate desalination system. This is of great importance to the European decision makers and will incorporated in a knowledge based decision tool. A second major result will be better knowledge of moisture and salt transport from the historic material to the desalination product. This knowledge will give raise to a recommendation for a test to assess the effectiveness of desalination products. The better understanding of the transport process may be used in product development and increases the competitiveness of European SMEs, and may have a much broader spin-off in all kind of salt related problems. Prime Contractor: Universita IUAV; Venezia; Italy.

1 2 3 4 5 6