The Swedish Geotechnical Society’s methodology for risk management: a tool for engineers in their everyday work

The Swedish Geotechnical Society has adopted a general methodology for risk management in geotechnical engineering projects to reduce the costs related to negative outcomes of geotechnical risks. This technical note highlights the main features of the methodology and strives to inspire the international geotechnical community to apply sensible risk management methods. In the authors’ opinion, a successful geotechnical risk management needs to be structured, be tailored to the project, and permeate the engineers’ everyday work. Then, sufficient quality can be achieved in the project with larger probability.     

河西走廊疏勒河流域水资源管理问题分析

从水资源管理体制、配置程序、市场化管理等方面探讨了河西走廊疏勒河流域水资源管理及存在的问题。目前流域已建成较健全的用水者协会体系,水价和水权在不断调整以适应水资源管理的需求。其管理存在以下问题：受地方行政、企业等多方权力博弈的影响,地表水和地下水处于双线管理状态,未能实现流域水资源的全面统一管理;用水者协会的职能未得到充分发挥,公众参与水资源管理不积极;流域内水价、水权制度不完善。建议如下：应在甘肃省水利厅和酒泉市政府之间形成协调机制,以协调各相关方的权益,完善流域管理局和地方政府统一协调的水资源管理体系,实现流域水资源的集成管理;加强流域机构立法,实现流域水资源的统一管理与调配;将协会的职责和义务融入到村委会的职务中,并完善水价制度,建立水权交易市场,以调动公众的自我管理和实现水资源的高效利用。     

国际上水资源综合管理进展

中国近年实施最严格水资源管理制度、全面推行河长制等一系列政策,不断探索完善水资源综合管理的体制和机制。为加强对水资源综合管理的认识,推动中国水资源综合管理的实施,结合国际社会对水资源综合管理认识和实践新成果,主要梳理总结水资源综合管理理念的形成过程、主要组成、实施状况、存在问题和发展趋势。结果显示:(1)随着对传统水资源管理存在分散化等问题的认识,水资源综合管理的理念逐渐形成,并已被国际社会所接受;(2)水资源综合管理实施"综合"途径管理水资源,强调通过完善实施的环境条件、机构框架、具体管理手段和稳健的水基础设施投资机制,实现用水效率、社会公平、环境可持续的均衡;(3)许多国家已把综合管理的理念和措施纳入到其水资源管理政策和体制框架设计中,并在水管理的实践过程中取得新进展;(4)国际上水资源综合管理理念和经验为进一步完善中国水资源管理提供了启示和借鉴;(5)未来水资源综合管理将进一步得到推广实施,从理念到解决具体水问题的实践过程将进一步加强,并呈现多样性和动态性特征。尽管面临由于气候变化影响和水与社会经济交互作用导致的不确定性、复杂性等问题的挑战,随着水资源综合管理的实践和水科学研究进步,水资源管理将进一步采用整体、多学科和可持续的途径,助力可持续发展目标的实现。     

2-D delineation of individual citrus trees from UAV-based dense photogrammetric surface models

One of the challenges of remote sensing and computer vision lies in the three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of individual trees by using automated methods through very high-resolution (VHR) data sets. However, a successful and complete 3-D reconstruction relies on precise delineation of the trees in two dimensions. In this paper, we present an original approach to detect and delineate citrus trees using unmanned aerial vehicles based on photogrammetric digital surface models (DSMs). The symmetry of the citrus trees in a DSM is handled by an orientation-based radial symmetry transform which is computed in a unique way. Next, we propose an efficient strategy to accurately build influence regions of each tree, and then we delineate individual citrus trees through active contours by taking into account the influence region of each canopy. We also present two efficient strategies to filter out erroneously detected canopy regions without having any height thresholds. Experiments are carried out on eight test DSMs composed of different types of citrus orchards with varying densities and canopy sizes. Extensive comparisons to the state-of-the-art approaches reveal that our proposed approach provides superior detection and delineation performances through supporting a nice balance between precision and recall measures.     

Geometric-constrained multi-view image matching method based on semi-global optimization

Targeting at a reliable image matching of multiple remote sensing images for the generation of digital surface models, this paper presents a geometric-constrained multi-view image matching method, based on an energy minimization framework. By employing a geometrical constraint, the cost value of the energy function was calculated from multiple images, and the cost value was aggregated in an image space using a semi-global optimization approach. A homography transform parameter calculation method is proposed for fast calculation of projection pixel on each image when calculating cost values. It is based on the known interior orientation parameters, exterior orientation parameters, and a given elevation value. For an efficient and reliable processing of multiple remote sensing images, the proposed matching method was performed via a coarse-to-fine strategy through image pyramid. Three sets of airborne remote sensing images were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Results reveal that the multi-view image matching can improve matching reliability. Moreover, the experimental results show that the proposed method performs better than traditional methods.     

Development of groundwater favourability map using GIS-based driven data mining models: an approach for effective groundwater resource management

The development of groundwater favourability map is an effective tool for the sustainability management of groundwater resources in typical agricultural regions, such as southern Perak Province, Malaysia. Assessing the potentiality and pollution vulnerability of groundwater is a fundamental phase of favourability mapping. A geographic information system (GIS)-based Boolean operator of a spatial analyst module was applied to combine a groundwater potentiality map (GPM) model and a groundwater vulnerability to pollution index (GVPI) map, thereby establishing the favourable zones for drinking water exploration in the investigated area. The area GPM model was evaluated by applying a GIS-based Dempster–Shafer–evidential belief function model. In the evaluation, six geoelectrically determined groundwater potential conditioning factors (i.e. overburden resistivity, overburden thickness, aquifer resistivity, aquifer thickness, aquifer transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity) were synthesized by employing the probability-based algorithms of the model. The generated thematic maps of the seven hydrogeological parameters of the DRASTIC model were considered as pollution potential conditioning factors and were analysed with the developed ordered weighted average–DRASTIC index model algorithms to construct the GVPI map. Approximately 88.8 and 85.71% prediction accuracies for the Groundwater Potentiality and GVPI maps were established using the reacting operating characteristic curve method and water quality status–vulnerability zone relationship scheme, respectively. Finally, the area groundwater favourability map (GFM) model was produced by applying a GIS-based Boolean operator on the Groundwater Potentiality and GVPI maps. The GFM model reveals three distinct zones: ‘not suitable’, ‘less suitable’ and ‘very suitable’ zones. The area analysis of the GFM model indicates that more than 50% of the study area is covered by the ‘very suitable’ zones. Results produce a suitability map that can be used by local authorities for the exploitation and management of drinking water in the area. The study findings can also be applied as a tool to help increase public awareness of groundwater issues in developing countries.     

Novel fusion approach on automatic object extraction from spatial data: case study Worldview-2 and TOPO5000

The automatic extraction of information content from remotely sensed data is always challenging. We suggest a novel fusion approach to improve the extraction of this information from mono-satellite images. A Worldview-2 (WV-2) pan-sharpened image and a 1/5000-scaled topographic vector map (TOPO5000) were used as the sample data. Firstly, the buildings and roads were manually extracted from WV-2 to point out the maximum extractable information content. Subsequently, object-based automatic extractions were performed. After achieving two-dimensional results, a normalized digital surface model (nDSM) was generated from the underlying digital aerial photos of TOPO5000, and the automatic extraction was repeated by fusion with the nDSM to include individual object heights as an additional band for classification. The contribution was tested by precision, completeness and overall quality. Novel fusion technique increased the success of automatic extraction by 7% for the number of buildings and by 23% for the length of roads.     

A novel approach to leveraging social media for rapid flood mapping: a case study of the 2015 South Carolina floods

Rapid flood mapping is critical for local authorities and emergency responders to identify areas in need of immediate attention. However, traditional data collection practices such as remote sensing and field surveying often fail to offer timely information during or right after a flooding event. Social media such as Twitter have emerged as a new data source for disaster management and flood mapping. Using the 2015 South Carolina floods as the study case, this paper introduces a novel approach to mapping the flood in near real time by leveraging Twitter data in geospatial processes. Specifically, in this study, we first analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of flood-related tweets using quantitative methods to better understand how Twitter activity is related to flood phenomena. Then, a kernel-based flood mapping model was developed to map the flooding possibility for the study area based on the water height points derived from tweets and stream gauges. The identified patterns of Twitter activity were used to assign the weights of flood model parameters. The feasibility and accuracy of the model was evaluated by comparing the model output with official inundation maps. Results show that the proposed approach could provide a consistent and comparable estimation of the flood situation in near real time, which is essential for improving the situational awareness during a flooding event to support decision-making.     

浅议矿山地质环境问题及其生态环境修复措施以某矿区为例

矿山地质环境问题治理是一项复杂的长期系统工程,本文以某矿区为例,简要阐述了矿山地质环境存在问题,有针对性地提出治理措施。经济建设同时,坚持生态优先、绿色发展道路,切实把绿色发展理念贯穿于矿山资源开发、利用、保护的全过程,全力推进矿山地质环境治理和生态修复工程。     

对甘肃矿山生态保护修复资金管理的思考及建议

矿山开采生产的生态保护与修复工作,涉及自然资源、生态环境、水利、林草等多部门,结合矿政管理工作实际,梳理了矿山生态保护修复资金类型,总结剖析了目前不同部门分头管理存在的问题,在此基础上,提出应整合各部门矿山生态保护修复方案及资金,形成管理合力,把生态保护修复工作贯穿到从地质勘查、矿山建设、开采、闭坑、管护的全过程,边开采边治理,整体保护,综合整治,系统修复。