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Integrated flood disaster management and spatial information

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XL-8, 147-154, 2014www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XL-8/147/2014/doi:10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-8-147-2014Integrated flood disaster management and spatial information: Case studies ofNetherlands and IndiaS. Zlatanova1, T. Ghawana2, A. Kaur2, and J. M. M. Neuvel31Faculty of Architecture, Jullianalaan, TU Delft, 134, 2628BL Delft, the Netherlands2Centre for Disaster Management Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector-16C, Dwarka, New Delhi, P.O. Box-110078, India3Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Risk management, Handelskade 75, 7417 DH Deventer, the NetherlandsKeywords: Floods, Spatial Information Infrastructure, GIS, Risk Management, Emergency Management Abstract. Spatial Information is an integral part of flood management practices which include risk management &emergency response processes. Although risk & emergency management activities have their own characteristics, forexample, related to the time scales, time pressure, activities & actors involved, it is still possible to identify at least onecommon challenge that constrains the ability of risk & emergency management to plan for & manage emergencieseffectively and efficiently i.e. the need for better information. Considering this aspect, this paper explores flood managementin Netherlands& India with an emphasis on spatial information requirements of each system. The paper examines theactivities, actors & information needs related to flood management. Changing perspectives on flood management inNetherlands are studied where additional attention is being paid to the organization and preparation of flood emergencymanagement. Role of different key actors involved in risk management is explored. Indian Flood management guidelines, byNational Disaster Management Authority, are analyzed in context of their history, institutional framework, achievements andgaps. Flood Forecasting System of Central Water Commission of India is also analyzed in context of spatial dimensions.Further, information overlap between risk & emergency management from the perspectives of spatial planners & emergencyresponders and role of GIS based modelling / simulation is analyzed. Finally, the need for an integrated spatial informationstructure is explained & discussed in detail. This examination of flood management practices in the Netherlands and Indiawith an emphasis on the required spatial information in these practices has revealed an increased recognition of the stronginterdependence between risk management and emergency response processes. Consequently, the importance of anintegrated spatial information infrastructure that facilitates the process of both risk and emergency management isaddressed.Conference Paper (PDF, 1063 KB)   Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XL-8, 147-154, 2014www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XL-8/147/2014/doi:10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-8-147-2014Integrated flood disaster management and spatial information: Case studies ofNetherlands and IndiaS. Zlatanova1, T. Ghawana2, A. Kaur2, and J. M. M. Neuvel31Faculty of Architecture, Jullianalaan, TU Delft, 134, 2628BL Delft, the Netherlands2Centre for Disaster Management Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector-16C, Dwarka, New Delhi, P.O. Box-110078, India3Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Risk management, Handelskade 75, 7417 DH Deventer, the NetherlandsKeywords: Floods, Spatial Information Infrastructure, GIS, Risk Management, Emergency ManagementAbstract. Spatial Information is an integral part of flood management practices which include risk management &emergency response processes. Although risk & emergency management activities have their own characteristics, forexample, related to the time scales, time pressure, activities & actors involved, it is still possible to identify at least onecommon&

Urban Innovation Systems

Introduction: There are good reasons to study urban innovation from a systemic perspective. A key finding in innovation research is that organizations rarely innovate in isolation, but in interaction with clients, competitors, suppliers, and other organizations. A system perspective is useful in understanding and analyzing these interactions. Cities and urban regions are increasingly recognized as key milieus in which these interactions occur. The urban innovation system approach conceptualizes the city or urban region as a context in which innovations emerge from complex interactions between urban actors—firms, citizens, governments, knowledge institutes— in a particular institutional setting. The systemic view of innovation departs from traditional linear models that depict innovation as a staged process that starts with (basic) scientific research and ends with commercialization by companies. Innovation processes are much more complex and diverse, influenced by multiple actors that interact in networks with feedback loops, and involving many types of knowledge beyond scientific knowledge. Urban innovation systems are nested in innovation systems on other spatial levels—regional, national, international. Studies on urban innovation systems seek to explain how innovations emerge in an urban context, why urban regions differ in their innovative performance, and also address questions on the governance and management of such systems. Studies in this field draw from a variety of disciplines including economic geography, urban and regional economics, political sciences, innovation studies, social sciences, and urban planning.

Systems Thinking, Mapping and Change in Food and Agriculture

Societal actors across scales and geographies increasingly demand visual applications of systems thinking – the process of understanding and changing the reality of a system by considering its whole set of interdependencies – to address complex problems affecting food and agriculture. Yet, despite the wide offer of systems mapping tools, there is still little guidance for managers, policy-makers, civil society and changemakers in food and agriculture on how to choose, combine and use these tools on the basis of a sufficiently deep understanding of socio-ecological systems. Unfortunately, actors seeking to address complex problems with inadequate understandings of systems often have limited influence on the socio-ecological systems they inhabit, and sometimes even generate unintended negative consequences. Hence, we first review, discuss and exemplify seven key features of systems that should be – but rarely have been – incorporated in strategic decisions in the agri-food sector: interdependency, level-multiplicity, dynamism, path dependency, self-organization, non-linearity and complex causality. Second, on the basis of these features, we propose a collective process to systems mapping that grounds on the notion that the configuration of problems (i.e., how multiple issues entangle with each other) and the configuration of actors (i.e., how multiple actors relate to each other and share resources) represent two sides of the same coin. Third, we provide implications for societal actors - including decision-makers, trainers and facilitators - using systems mapping to trigger or accelerate systems change in five purposive ways: targeting multiple goals; generating ripple effects; mitigating unintended consequences; tackling systemic constraints, and collaborating with unconventional partners.

Energy storage label

This report describes the creation and use of a database for energy storage technologies which was developed in conjunction with Netbeheer Nederland and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. This database can be used to make comparisons between a selection of storage technologies and will provide a method for ranking energy storage technology suitability based on the desired application requirements. In addition, this document describes the creation of the energy storage label which contains detailed characteristics for specific storage systems. The layout of the storage labels enables the analysis of different storage technologies in a comprehensive, understandable and comparative manner. A sampling of storage technology labels are stored in an excel spreadsheet and are also compiled in Appendix I of this report; the storage technologies represented here were found to be well suited to enable flexibility in energy supply and to potentially provide support for renewable energy integration [37] [36]. The data in the labels is presented on a series of graphs to allow comparisons of the technologies. Finally, the use and limitations of energy storage technologies are discussed. The results of this research can be used to support the Dutch enewable Energy Transition by providing important information regarding energy storage in both technically detailed and general terms. This information can be useful for energy market parties in order to analyze the role of storage in future energy scenarios and to develop appropriate strategies to ensure energy supply.

Steering in complex education systems

In the wake of neo-liberal informed global trends to set performance standards and intensify accountability, the Dutch government aimed for ‘raising standards for basic skills’. While the implementation of literacy standards was hardly noticed, the introduction of numeracy standards caused a major backlash in secondary schools, which ended in a failed introduction of a high stakes test. How can these major differences be explained? Inspired by Foucault’s governmentality concept a theoretical framework is developed to allow for detailed empirical research on steering processes in complex systems in which many actors are involved in educational decision-making. A mixed-methods multiple embedded case-study was conducted comprising nine school boards and fifteen secondary schools. Analyses unveil processes of responsibilisation, normalisation and emerging dividing practices. Literacy standards reinforced responsibilities of Dutch language teachers; for numeracy, school leadership created entirely new roles and responsibilities for teachers. Literacy standards were incorporated in an already used instrument which made implementation both subtle and inevitable. For numeracy, schools distinguished students by risk of not passing the new test affirming the disciplinary nature of schools in the process. While little changed to address teachers main concerns about students’ literacy skills, the failed introduction of the numeracy test usurped most resources.