Introduction: In Malaysia, excessive nutrients from livestock waste management systems are currently released to the environment. Particularly, large amounts of manure from intensive pig production areas are being excreted daily and are not being fully utilised. Alternatively, the excess manure can be applied as an organic fertiliser source in neighbouring cropping systems on the small landholdings of the pig farms to improve soil fertility so that its nutrients will be available for crop uptake instead of being discharged into water streams. Thus, there is a need for better tools to analyse the present situation, to evaluate and monitor alternative livestock production systems and manure management scenarios, and to support farmers in the proper management of manure and fertiliser application. Such tools are essential to quantify, and assess nutrient fluxes, manure quality and content, manure storage and application rate to the land as well as its environmental effects. Several computer models of animal waste management systems to assist producers and authorities are now available. However, it is felt that more development is needed to adopt such models to the humid tropics and conditions of Malaysia and other developing countries in the region. Objectives: The aim is to develop a novel model to evaluate nutrient emission scenarios and the impact of livestock waste at the landscape or regional level in humid tropics. The study will link and improve existing models to evaluate emission of N to the atmosphere, and leaching of nutrients to groundwater and surface water. The simulation outputs of the models will be integrated with a GIS spatial analysis to model the distribution of nutrient emission, leaching and appropriate manure application on neighbouring crop lands and as an information and decision support tool for the relevant users.
In Fragebogen-Untersuchungen zur Lärmwirkung wurden bisher sehr unterschiedliche Operationalisierungen von Wirkungsvariablen (wie z.B. Belästigung, Störung von Aktivitäten) und außer-akustischen Faktoren (sog. Moderatoren wie z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, misfeasance) verwendet. Deshalb hat sich die Arbeitsgruppe community response der International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN, Team No. 6) als langfristiges Ziel die Entwicklung von Fragebogen-Guidelines und die Formulierung eines Muster-Fragebogens für die Lärmwirkungsforschung gesetzt. D.h. es soll ein Vorschlag erarbeitet werden, in welcher Form globale und spezifische Lärmwirkungen in Befragungen erhoben werden sollten. Um dieses Vorhaben zu unterstützen, hat der Arbeitskreis Ökologische Lärmforschung die Erstellung einer systematischen Übersicht über vorhandene Fragebögen aus Lärmwirkungsstudien auf internationaler Ebene in Angriff genommen. Diese Übersicht soll es u.a. ermöglichen, die Struktur von verschiedenen Fragebögen sowie die in ihnen verwendeten Operationalisierungen für Lärmwirkungs- und Moderatorvariablen (hinsichtlich Art der Frageformulierung sowie der Antwortformate) zu vergleichen. Für den/die einzelne/n Lärmforscher/in bietet diese Übersicht die Möglichkeit, sich auf sehr effiziente Art und Weise darüber zu informieren, wie bestimmte Konstrukte in bisherigen Untersuchungen operationalisiert worden sind bzw. welche Alternativen zu den bereits selbst angewandten Operationalisierungen bestehen. Nach einer systematischen Ermittlung von Namen und Adressen einschlägiger Lärmforscher/innen, wurden diese um die Zusendung von Fragebögen sowie ergänzender Materialien aus eigenen Lärmwirkungsstudien gebeten. Die zugesandten Fragebögen werden gegebenenfalls übersetzt und mit der Methode der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Hierbei werden die Fragebögen im Hinblick auf formelle Aspekte (z.B. Jahr der Erhebung, Sprache, Art der Befragungsmethode) wie auch im Hinblick auf strukturelle Aspekte (z.B. Umfang des Fragebogens, abgefragte Variablengruppen, Antwortformate) ausgewertet. Hauptgegenstand der Auswertung ist aber insbesondere die Auswertung der Lärmwirkungsvariablen (z.B. die Abfrage der globalen Lärmbelästigung, Aktivitätenstörungen, Kommunikationsstörungen) sowie der Moderatorvariablen (z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, Lärmbewältigungsvermögen, misfeasance). Parallel dazu wurde eine Datenbank entwickelt, in der die Ergebnisse der Analysen dargestellt und verwaltet werden. Diese Datenbank wird ab November 2001 im Internet unter http://www.eco.psy.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/nqd für jede/n interessierte/n Forscher/in zugänglich und nutzbar sein. Langfristig ist darüber hinaus geplant, ein Archiv mit den Original-Fragebögen aufzubauen, in dem einzelne Fragebögen auf Wunsch eingesehen werden können.
Many EU cities are experiencing increasing problems with their water pipeline infrastructure. The cost of replacing these old, worn-out systems, if left to deteriorate beyond repair, is astronomical and clearly beyond the resources of many communities. Replacement, however, is not the only choice as many of these systems can be rehabilitated at 30 to 70 percent of the cost of replacement. Accordingly, resources are now increasingly being allocated to address pipeline rehabilitation management issues. Due to the emphasis on sustainable management, risk-based approaches for the rehabilitation management of the water supply network need to be developed. Rehabilitation decisions should be based, inter alia, on inspection and evaluation of the pipeline conditions. Yet, utilities cannot locate a number of their old pipes and current inspection technologies typically do not provide the needed detailed information on pipeline damage. The objectives of this work are: 1. To develop a novel, high resolution imaging ground penetrating radar for the detection of pipes, leaks and damages and the imaging of the damaged region and evaluate it at a test site. 2. To produce an integrated system that will contain the equipment in 1 and a Decision-Support-System (DSS) for the rehabilitation management of the underground water pipelines that will use input from the inspections to assess, probabilistically, the time-dependent leakage and structural reliability of the pipelines and a risk-based methodology for rehabilitation decisions that considers the overall risk, including financial, social and environmental criteria. 3. To field test the equipment and the DSS. Prime Contractor: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, Athen, Greece.
Changes in climatic conditions, land use practices and soil and sediment pollution have large scale adverse impacts on water quantity and quality. The current knowledge base in river basin management is not adequate to deal with these impacts. AquaTerra is both integrating and developing knowledge to resolve this and disseminating it to stakeholders. In the water cycle, soil is a key element affecting groundwater recharge and the chemical composition of both subsurface and surface waters (the latter is additionally affected by sediments). The proper functioning of the river-sediment-soilgroundwater system is linked to key biogeochemical processes determining the filter, buffer and transformation capacity of soils and sediments. AquaTerra aims at a better understanding of the system as a whole by identifying relevant processes, quantifying the associated parameters and developing numerical models of the groundwater-soil-sediment-river system to identify adverse trends in soil functioning, water quantity and quality. The modelling addresses all relevant scales starting from micro-scale water/solid interactions, the transport of dissolved species, pollutants as well as suspended matter in soil and groundwater systems at the catchment scale, and finally the regional scale, with case studies located in major river basins in Europe. With this integrated modelling system, AquaTerra provides the basis for improved river basin management, enhanced soil and groundwater monitoring programs and the early identification and forecasting of impacts on water quantity and quality during this century. AquaTerra is committed to the dissemination and exploitation of project results through structured workshops, dedicated short courses, and the active participation of consortium partners in national and international conferences. The quality and direction of the project is supervised by a peer review panel.
Community Directive 80/779/EEC specifies maximum permissible levels of sulphur dioxide in the ambient air. Intercomparisons organized by DG XI in support of the implementation of this Directive have shown differences in excess of 10 percent between central laboratories and in excess of 30 percent between network monitors. The aim of the project was to improve the analytical technique and agreement between results. STATUS: In the first intercomparison the values obtained ranged from 78 to 94 nmol/mol. In the final stage the sampling procedure had been improved (dead volume minimised, length of sampling line minimised, sufficient equilibration time). All laboratories agreed to within a range of 4 nmol/mol. Prime Contractor: L'Air Liquide Belge, Schelle, BE.
Post-Tsunami call for coastal protection forest has been quick and loud, as presence of trees could certainly have reduced loss of human lives. Coastal zone management has to provide environmental protection and meet economic targets of livelihood options based on sea plus land-based activities. Tree crops and trees preferred by farmers contribute to both. Pre-Tsunami 40-60 percent of the economy of West Aceh and Nias depended on tree crops. Our aim is to help rebuild a green infrastructure that enhances the resilience of the coastal population in the face of multiple stresses. We start with assessing damage to trees, changes in land suitability and impacts on the production-marketing chain and will follow up with activities supporting short term recovery (using existing trees) and preparing for the opportunities of rehabilitated infrastructure. Lessons learnt on resilience will be shared as international public goods.
The Network of Excellence, ECATS, will be a durable and long lasting means of cooperation and communication within Europe, made up of a number of leading Research Establishments and Universities who have expertise in the field of aeronautics and the environment. ECATS's vision is to contribute to the environmental goals of the Vision 2020 for Aeronautics and the Strategic Research Agenda. The overall goals of ECATS are to create a European Virtual Institute for research of environmental compatible air transport; to develop and maintain durable means for cooperation and communication within Europe and to strengthen Europe's excellence and its role of the influence in the international community. The Joint Research Programme will take into account engine technology, alternative fuels, aviations impact on air quality, operational aspects of aviation, and the development of scenarios. Lasting integration will be achieved by joint management and working structures, joint-decision making processes and will be supported through specific integration activities as a common web-based information and communication system, common education, training and exchange programmes, coordinated use of facilities and equipment, dissemination and joint management of innovation. The excellence and commitment of the ECATS partners, many of whom are already linked through their participation in AERONET, will guarantee an effective and durable integration. Support by community funding will be applied for a period of 5 years. FZK is concentrating on activities in the area of airport air quality.
The Siberian Earth System Science Cluster is a recently started project of the Department of Earth Observation at the Friedrich-Schiller University Jena (Germany) to generate and disseminate information products of central Siberia along with advanced analysis services in support of Earth System Science. Products provided cover central Siberia and have been created by a consortium of research institutions that joined forces in the FP 5 EU project SIBERIA-II (Multi-Sensor Concepts for Greenhouse Gas Accounting of Northern Eurasia, EVG2-2001-00008). The study region comprises a number of ecosystems in northern Eurasia ranging from the tundra, the boreal and temperate forests, mountainous areas and grasslands. The region is believed to play a critical role in global climate change and has been also defined as one of IGBP's Boreal transects representing a strong climate change hot spot in Northern Eurasia.
Main The main objective of BIOSTRAT is to support the further development of a European Biodiversity Research Strategy. Such Research Strategy brings together ideas on research priorities in fundamental and applied sciences to address critical gaps in knowledge on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This Strategy is intended to support the decision-making process regarding biodiversity-related research at both the European scale and in individual EU Member States by linking existing structures. Rather than developing new structures BIOSTRAT will provide specific support to EPBRS (European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy), which provides a representative forum for researchers, science and environmental policy makers, and National Biodiversity Platforms. At the same time BIOSTRAT will ensure that other European and international efforts to develop research strategies in different fields of biodiversity research are linked to the development of a European Research Strategy through the EPBRS forum. BIOSTRAT will, therefore, support other international initiatives to link their efforts to the European Biodiversity Research Strategy. The overall objective will be achieved by: - Supporting the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS) to develop and continually revise the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy - Including the results of existing and ongoing biodiversity research projects in the development of the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy. - Linking the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy to the national, European and international funding programmes, especially the ERA-Nets related to biodiversity issues - Incorporating GEOSS objectives in the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy - Linking EU Biodiversity Research Strategy with international initiatives including the multi-stakeholder consultative process of the Paris Conference, the Millennium Ecosystem assessment, the 2010 target, ESRI, GTI, GBIF, CBD, DIVERSITAS.
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