Coastal risk adaptation: the potential role of accessible geospatial Big Data

Increasing numbers of people are living in and using coastal areas. Combined with the presence of pervasive coastal threats, such as flooding and erosion, this is having widespread impacts on coastal populations, infrastructure and ecosystems. For the right adaptive strategies to be adopted, and planning decisions to be made, rigorous evaluation of the available options is required. This evaluation hinges on the availability and use of suitable datasets. For knowledge to be derived from coastal datasets, such data needs to be combined and analysed in an effective manner. This paper reviews a wide range of literature relating to data-driven approaches to coastal risk evaluation, revealing how limitations have been imposed on many of these methods, due to restrictions in computing power and access to data. The rapidly emerging field of ‘Big Data’ can help overcome many of these hurdles. ‘Big Data’ involves powerful computer infrastructures, enabling storage, processing and real-time analysis of large volumes and varieties of data, in a fast and reliable manner. Through consideration of examples of how ‘Big Data’ technologies are being applied to fields related to coastal risk, it becomes apparent that geospatial Big Data solutions hold clear potential to improve the process of risk based decision making on the coast. ‘Big Data’ does not provide a stand-alone solution to the issues and gaps outlined in this paper, yet these technological methods hold the potential to optimise data-driven approaches, enabling robust risk profiles to be generated for coastal regions.     

A procedural framework for robust environmental management of deep-sea mining projects using a conceptual model

Robust environmental management of deep-sea mining projects must be integrated into the planning and execution of mining operations, and developed concurrently. It should follow a framework indicating the environmental management-related activities necessary at each project phase, and their interrelationships. An environmental management framework with this purpose is presented in this paper; it facilitates the development of environmental information and decision-making throughout the phases of a mining project. It is based environmental management frameworks used in allied industries, but adjusted for unique characteristics of deep-sea mining. It defines the gathering and synthesis of information and its use in decision-making, and employs a conceptual model as a growing repository of claim-specific information. The environmental management activities at each phase have been designed to enable the implementation of the precautionary approach in decision making, while facilitating review of adaptive management measures to improve environmental management as the quantity and quality of data increases and technologies are honed. This framework will ensure fairness and uniformity in the application of environmental standards, assist the regulator in its requirements to protect the environment, and benefit contractors and financiers by reducing uncertainty in the process.     

Socio-economic aspects of boat-based ecotourism during the sardine run within the Pondoland Marine Protected Area,South Africa

Understanding recreational aspects of the tourism industry developing around the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run is important for the protection and sustainability of the Pondoland Marine Protected Area (MPA), on the south-east coast of South Africa. Between June and July 2007, a total of 128 people visited this area to experience the sardine run using boat-based access. An onsite questionnaire survey of 108 (84.4%) participants at Port St Johns and Mbotyi indicated that the direct value of their visit was around R5.47 million (95% CI = R5.14–5.82 million). Although the benefits of the sardine run tourism industry extend throughout the South African economy, local indigenous communities receive little direct benefit. Almost half of all sardine run participants, however, showed a willingness to contribute R500 or more towards a community development programme. On a ranking from one (poor) to five (excellent), the average participant's response to overall quality of the experience and quality of the dive charter was 3.9 and 4.4, respectively. Over a quarter (27%) of participants never saw a sardine during their visit, despite the fact that their trip was marketed as ‘the sardine run’, so participant experiences often did not meet with expectations. The sardine run within the Pondoland MPA is currently an undermarketed and underexploited resource.     

Attacks on oil transport pipelines in Nigeria: A quantitative exploration and possible explanation of observed patterns

In countries with insufficient investments in infrastructure and weak environmental governance, oil leakage from pipelines often occurs as a result of poor management and maintenance. Nigeria has its share of such incidents, but also, it suffers a large number of deliberate attacks (‘interdictions’) on oil pipelines. Often these attacks are accompanied by oil theft, carried out by well-equipped professionals and/or at a smaller scale by opportunistic local residents. The causes of these attacks, and the extent of subsequent damage to local communities and the environment, are obscured by a complex web of stakeholders, claims and actions. Any efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of interdiction on the environment and people require a better understanding of its spatiotemporal pattern of occurrence. This article presents a first quantitative and regional exploration of the problem of oil pipeline interdiction in Nigeria. It illustrates geographic patterns through choroplethic and bivariate GIS (Geographical Information Systems) map overlays. We examine interdiction statistics, identify spatiotemporal patterns and discuss correlations with socioeconomic factors. Findings include: (a) strong negative correlation between pipeline interdiction and poverty; and (b) statistically and non-statistically significant mean differences in the pattern of interdiction occurrence amongst the five geographic regions. Finally, we highlight the need for much better data collection and reporting for the mitigation of the negative socio-environmental impacts of interdiction incidences.     

The application of remote sensing techniques to landscape level environmental research: A hybrid approach combining visual and digital interpretation

The development of new technology for use in environmental research provides us with numerous sophisticated tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). However, throughout recent decades there have been debates regarding the appropriate use of these tools. The question still remains as to whether they can strengthen environmental research, or whether perhaps more conventional methods are better suited? This paper focuses on the use of remote sensing in environmental applications, such as strategic or regional environmental assessments. By providing a case study from Sri Lanka, it is shown how the benefits from a visual interpretation of satellite imagery can be combined with a digital supervised classification in a hybrid approach. The use of these techniques in environmental assessments is further discussed in the light of 'best practicable science' as proposed by the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA). The intention is not to discourage the use of digital techniques, but to discuss how they should be utilized to their fullest extent. The approach argued for here provides data of a more general and possibly integrative nature. It may therefore be well suited for the early screening and scoping stages of environmental assessments at a landscape level.     

基于GIS的输变电项目景观可视化环境影响评价研究

为评价输变电线路建设对风景名胜景点的影响,利用地理信息系统（GIS）三维可视化分析技术构建评价区的三维景观。结果表明：利用GIS提供的空间分析工具分析输变电线路与景点的关系,实现了利用GIS模拟输变电线路对景点的视觉影响,分析效果较好。可以为输变电线路项目靠近风景名胜区的环境影响评价提供参考。     

基于条件价值法的气象服务效益评估研究

近年来极端灾害性天气频发,日益引起人们对气象服务的重视,而如何评估气象服务效益的价值一直是个难题。＂气象服务效益评估的技术与方法研究＂课题组以条件价值法为基础,设计了问卷,针对＂中国天气网＂的网民、南京信息工程大学的教师和学生共获取了近5万个数据。首先对数据进行了描述性统计,得到了一系列富有启示意义的结论;采用条件价值法计算得知,我国网络民众每年的支付意愿值为73.6亿元到205.8亿元之间。多元回归分析还显示,与支付意愿直接正相关的因素包括受访者的受教育年限、户外工作时间、月收入、年龄和居住地等;如果受访者本人或其家属在气象部门工作时,对气象服务的支付意愿也呈现增加的趋势。而性别、本地居住时间等变量并不显著。最后还提出了几点建议。