Last but not least: Resettlement as a climate change adaptation strategy in Metro Manila, Philippines

Abstract The severity of climatic changes threatening urban coastal areas is introducing and intensifying environmental hazards that are endangering physical safety and livelihood security. The Philippines, and the capital Manila in particular, is at extreme risk from intensifying climate change impacts, such as sea level rise and the increased frequency and intensity of storms, leading to increased runoff that quickly overwhelms existing flood infrastructure. These exacerbated risks require drastic adaptation actions than past coping strategies. One possible adaptation strategy is managed retreat, the facilitated movement of populations away from at-risk areas. Managed retreat can be conducted through resettlement, suggesting that the existing resettlement infrastructure for informal settlements in Manila could be an avenue for conducting future climate change adaptation in the city. This thesis assesses the feasibility of employing resettlement as a climate change adaptation strategy for low-income communities in less developed nations, using the case study of Manila, Philippines. It is written as two manuscripts, with linking pieces for clarity. The research first develops defining Principles for climate-related resettlement, and then applies them to Manila’s resettlement landscape to identify if resettlement is an appropriate climate change adaptation (CCA) strategy for the megacity. The study uses multiple research methods, including secondary data collection and analysis, and key informant interviews (n=27) with actors involved in resettlement, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and CCA Manila. The first manuscript outlines the concept of resettlement as climate change adaptation. The review considers three literature themes surrounding resettlement: (1) climate change, (2) hazard and natural disasters (i.e. floods, hurricanes, earthquakes) and (3) economic development (i.e. dam construction, natural resource extraction). Successful resettlement planning, approaches, and lessons learned are extracted to identify 5 Principles for resettlement in a climate change context: Proactivity, Communication and Participation, Permanence, Compensation, and Livelihood Protection. The results of the analysis suggest these 5 Principles are appropriate as a guideline for implementing resettlement as climate change adaptation for low-income and informal communities in less developed nations. Ultimately, these recommendations can be used to assess the feasibility of employing resettlement as managed retreat in less developed nations. The second manuscript assesses the feasibility of using resettlement as structured by the 5 Principles as CCA in Manila, Philippines. Using data from key informant interviews (KII) with resettlement, CCA, and DRR professionals, this research addresses the topic in three phases. First, it investigates the role of resettlement in existing CCA and DRR priorities and projects to understand if movement from environmental hazards is already occurring. Next, the research gathers interviewee perspectives on the applicability of the 5 Principles in relation to Manila’s existing resettlement landscape, and identifies any amendments or foreseen challenges to them. Finally, it explores the perceptions of resettlement, DRR, and CCA actors on the feasibility of employing resettlement as CCA in Manila, including any challenges that may impede the strategy. The findings suggest that there are some existing infrastructure that could be enhanced to include CCA planning as identified by the 5 Principles, such as in-city relocation sites and vertical housing. Poverty is the greatest challenge to implementing any successful adaptation strategy, including resettlement. Thus, poverty reduction may be the foundation of CCA planning for some urban poor communities in Manila. Further research is needed investigating the Principles identified as challenging to fully implement in Manila, including Communication, Compensation, and Livelihood Protection

Directrices para una reubicación ‘dirigida’

Aunque desde hace 20 años se viene reconociendo la probabilidad de que se produzcan desplazamientos relacionados con el cambio climático, la comunidad internacional se ha tomado con calma el desarrollo de instrumentos específicos que guíen los procesos de reubicación más allá de los que genéricamente hacen referencia al desplazamiento

Investigation of Plating Process Variability and Mechanism for Oxide Disruption in a Ni-Modified Fluxless Brazing Process for Aluminum Alloys

The effect of surface oxides and the presence of ternary constituents were examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) along with SEM, EDX, and TEM studies to quantitatively analyze the role of nickel in its use as a fluxless braze promoter for aluminum alloys during brazing. This braze promoter exhibits an exothermic reaction due to intermetallic reaction with neighboring aluminum and silicon which disrupts the tenacious surface oxide allowing molten liquid to flow. Seven surface conditions were created with various oxide thicknesses and surface chemistries to better understand their role in this fluxless brazing process. These surface altered coupons were then sputtered with various nickel thicknesses. DSC and post characterization techniques confirmed that a larger surface oxide poses a barrier to this intermetallic reaction and that nickel still remained present on the surface

Probing interactions between chiral plasmonic nanoparticles and biomolecules

Chiral plasmonic nanoparticles (and their assemblies) interact with biomolecules in a variety of different ways, resulting in distinct optical signatures when probed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. These systems show promise for biosensing applications and offer several advantages over achiral plasmonic systems. Arguably the most notable advantage is that chiral nanoparticles can differentiate between molecular enantiomers and can, therefore, act as sensors for enantiomeric purity. Furthermore, chiral nanoparticles can couple more effectively to chiral biomolecules in biological systems if they have a matching handedness, improving their effectiveness as biomedical agents. In this article, we review the different types of interactions that occur between chiral plasmonic nanoparticle systems and biomolecules, and discuss how circular dichroism spectroscopy can probe these interactions and inform how to optimize systems for biosensing and biomedical applications.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020-117779RB-I0

Urban vulnerability, disaster risk reduction and resettlement in Mzuzu city, Malawi

For most developing countries at risk of disasters and climate change, adopting structural measures to reduce disaster risks remain a challenge. This paper presents findings of a study conducted through a mixed methods design in a flood risk city in Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa. The study assesses the city's vulnerability to floods and actions being taken to reduce the risks. It then investigates how resettlement is being promoted as one such risk reduction measure. The study finds multiple vulnerability factors, including unsafe construction practices, poor drainage systems, unregulated solid waste disposal, institutional incapacity, inadequacy of land, settlements in high risk areas, deforestation, siltation of rivers and national disaster risk reduction policies that neglect urban areas. However, efforts to tackle underlying causes of vulnerability are wanting. One positive programme is a slum upgrading pilot project implemented by non-state actors that also lacks government support. In the case of resettlement, its planning and execution is fraught with multiple challenges emanating from haphazard planning and lack of community participation. The paper argues that the emphasis on resettlement is obscuring the key drivers of vulnerability, while simultaneously exposing both resettled and those left behind to further risks. It, therefore, calls for caution when planning and implementing disaster risk reduction policies that have the potential to create new forms of vulnerability to hazards or exacerbate them

EXAMINING THE MECHANISMS AND KINETICS OF TRANSIENT LIQUID PHASE BONDING OF TITANIUM ALLOYS USING COPPER AND NICKEL FILLER METALS

Copper and nickel were examined as potential interlayers in transient liquid phase brazing (TLPB) of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V. Experimental parameters were set such that the braze temperature was above intermetallic formation (1050°C) and was examined for all systems for the purpose of consistency. In addition, a foil width of 50 μm and a heating and cooling rate of 20 Kpm was used throughout experimentation. Using high temperature thermal analysis techniques (DSC, DIL), as well as microstructural observations (SEM, Optical Microscopy), the efficacy of these interlayers was monitored for levels and mechanisms of dissolution, rates of isothermal solidification, and the time to homogenization. Dissolution in both titanium systems requires the development and evolution of a diffusion couple between Ti-Cu and Ti-Ni as dictated by the binary phase diagram. This involves the growth of intermetallic compound (IMC) layers and progresses with incipient melting at the lowest melting intermetallic. In copper systems this is found on the Cu-rich side whereas in the nickel systems it occurs on the Ti-rich side. For copper systems this led to a preferential dissolution of copper foil with minimal solute uptake. In nickel systems the IMC layer is slowly consumed by the liquid which delays homogenization. Overall gap widening is largest in Ni systems since the solubility of titanium in the liquid phase is higher, but this was found to be mitigated by a higher Ni solute uptake when compared to copper. These trends were also observed in Ti-6Al-4V samples. Isothermal solidification studies showed that the rate of isothermal solidification is faster in nickel than in copper and faster in CP-Ti in comparison to Ti-6Al-4V. These trends can be explained by the apparent diffusivity of solute in these systems which was calculated. The higher rate of isothermal solidification led to shorter isothermal solidification times compared to copper-based joints. DSC analysis was able to produce 2WISZ curves with the capability of predicting complete isothermal solidification time for any starting gap, or foil, size. In addition, the time to homogenization can be calculated directly from these curves