A multi-scale flood vulnerability assessment of agricultural production in the context of environmental change: The case of the Sangkae River watershed, Battambang province

peer reviewedFlooding on Cambodian land use systems is not a new phenomenon but its significance has increased in the context of global environmental changes. This study aims to assess the vulnerability of agricultural production to floods in the Sangkae River watershed in Battambang province, Northwestern Cambodia. The study was conducted in conjunction with the provincial spatial planning team hosted by the Provincial Department of Land Management and can be viewed as a first step toward a flood management decision-making tool for provincial authorities. The assessments rest on specific dimensions of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) at different levels in a multi-scale framework: spatial scale (watershed, commune and household); temporal scale (decade, year and season); and institutional scale (national policy, provincial operating rules and communal agencies). The analysis rests on triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data (time-series rainfall data, land use systems, participatory flood mapping, commune workshops (n=31), social-economic statistical databases, in-depth interviews with relevant institutions (n=5) and household surveys (n=162). Intensification of rainfall since the 1920s has increased the risk of flooding in the Sangkae River watershed during the late rainy season, particularly in the upstream area. Using an indicator-based approach, we discovered that the vulnerability of communes is highly dependent on the agro-ecology of land use systems. The household assessment reveals the variability of adaptive capacity between households according to their food security status and income portfolio. Agricultural innovation and structural adaptation to flood are scarce; the households mostly cope with flood through credit, external aid and de-capitalization (sale of household assets). These coping mechanisms adopted by farmers do not reduce vulnerability but reinforce it.The application of this assessment methodology provides nested pictures of vulnerability at different levels and scales and we argue that a dialogue between these levels and scales is necessary to understand the nature of the vulnerability and to act to reduce it. Using these different typologies of vulnerability, this approach enables recommendations to be formulated to reduce vulnerability through better horizontal and vertical integration of institutions and agencies, and effective collective action

CHORUS Deliverable 2.2: Second report - identification of multi-disciplinary key issues for gap analysis toward EU multimedia search engines roadmap

After addressing the state-of-the-art during the first year of Chorus and establishing the existing landscape in multimedia search engines, we have identified and analyzed gaps within European research effort during our second year. In this period we focused on three directions, notably technological issues, user-centred issues and use-cases and socio- economic and legal aspects. These were assessed by two central studies: firstly, a concerted vision of functional breakdown of generic multimedia search engine, and secondly, a representative use-cases descriptions with the related discussion on requirement for technological challenges. Both studies have been carried out in cooperation and consultation with the community at large through EC concertation meetings (multimedia search engines cluster), several meetings with our Think-Tank, presentations in international conferences, and surveys addressed to EU projects coordinators as well as National initiatives coordinators. Based on the obtained feedback we identified two types of gaps, namely core technological gaps that involve research challenges, and “enablers”, which are not necessarily technical research challenges, but have impact on innovation progress. New socio-economic trends are presented as well as emerging legal challenges

Logistische Leistungsdifferenzierung im Supply Chain Management : Theoretische und empirische Entwicklung eines Gestaltungsansatzes für die Differenzierung der logistischen Leistungserstellung produzierender Unternehmen zur Erfüllung individueller Kundenwünsche

Zugleich gedruckt erschienen im Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin: ISBN 978-3-7983-2157-1; ISSN 1865-3170Zum Erhalt und Ausbau von Wettbewerbsvorteilen arbeiten produzierende Unternehmen kontinuierlich an der Steigerung der Kundenzufriedenheit durch logistische Leistungen. Die Wertschöpfungsstrukturen der meisten Unternehmen sind in diesem Zusammenhang durch den Umstand gekennzeichnet, dass sie unterschiedlichen Produkten mit unterschiedlichen Produkteigenschaften, verschiedenen Marktsegmenten mit differierenden Kundenanforderungen und unterschiedlichen geografischen Märkten mit anderen Marktbedingungen gerecht werden müssen. Unternehmen versuchen daher kontinuierlich, logistische Kundenanforderungen besser zu verstehen, individueller zu erfüllen und ansprechender zu kommunizieren. Die Arbeit befasst sich folglich mit den Umsetzungsproblemen und Lösungsansätzen, die mit einer an differierenden Kundenerwartungen an logistische Leistungen ausgerichteten Gestaltung und Planung von Supply Chains einhergehen. Das Ergebnis der Arbeit stellt einen Gestaltungsansatz der logistischen Leistungsdifferenzierung in Form eines systematisierten, methodengestützten Rahmens dar, um die logistische Leistungsdifferenzierung – von der Analyse der Markt- und Kundenanforderungen ausgehend, über die logistische Marktsegmentierung hinweg, bis hin zur Gestaltung differenzierter Supply Chain-Konfigurationen – umsetzen zu können

Combining evidence and values in priority setting: testing the balance sheet method in a low-income country

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Procedures for priority setting need to incorporate both scientific evidence and public values. The aim of this study was to test out a model for priority setting which incorporates both scientific evidence and public values, and to explore use of evidence by a selection of stakeholders and to study reasons for the relative ranking of health care interventions in a setting of extreme resource scarcity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Systematic search for and assessment of relevant evidence for priority setting in a low-income country. Development of a balance sheet according to Eddy's explicit method. Eight group interviews (n-85), using a modified nominal group technique for eliciting individual and group rankings of a given set of health interventions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study procedure made it possible to compare the groups' ranking before and after all the evidence was provided to participants. A rank deviation is significant if the rank order of the same intervention differed by two or more points on the ordinal scale. A comparison between the initial rank and the final rank (before deliberation) showed a rank deviation of 67%. The difference between the initial rank and the final rank after discussion and voting gave a rank deviation of 78%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Evidence-based and deliberative decision-making does change priorities significantly in an experimental setting. Our use of the balance sheet method was meant as a demonstration project, but could if properly developed be feasible for health planners, experts and health workers, although more work is needed before it can be used for laypersons.</p

Zum Zusammenhang zwischen Budgetdefiziten und Leistungsbilanzdefiziten eine theoretische Analyse

SIGLEUuStB Koeln(38)-11Y3228 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman