154092 research outputs found
Sort by
Democratic transition:Political accountability and policy responsiveness of directly elected mayors in Indonesia
Get PDFThis study explores the transformative impact of democratization and decentralization reforms on local governance in Indonesia, emphasizing the significance of direct mayoral elections introduced in 2005. Historically governed by an authoritarian regime for over three decades, Indonesia's shift toward democratic decentralization involved devolving responsibilities and budgets to local municipalities and reforming mayoral selection processes—from presidential appointment to direct election by local councils, and eventually, to direct voting by constituents. Central to these reforms was the requirement for mayoral candidates to present a development plan, fostering transparency, accountability, and policy coherence, thereby empowering local leaders to better address community needs. The research defines political accountability in terms of mayors’ responsibility to the populace and public spending, and policy responsiveness as tailoring actions to societal needs and improving outcomes. It seeks to assess how the move to direct elections influences mayoral accountability and responsiveness, addressing four core questions about institutional development, effects on public spending and societal well-being, the moderation of these effects by political competition and elite influence, and the fulfillment of election pledges—particularly in health sectors.The thesis contributes novel insights through four key aspects: firstly, an integrated analysis of how direct mayoral elections influence public spending and social outcomes, considering the persistence of clientelist practices; secondly, a conditional model that incorporates political competition, elite veto power, and local state capacity to explain variations in redistributive policies; thirdly, an examination of mayoral pledge fulfillment and its relation to accountability, revealing pragmatic and institutional factors influencing responsiveness; and finally, the application of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods—ranging from legal analysis to statistical modeling—providing a comprehensive assessment of Indonesia’s decentralization trajectory.Structured across five chapters, the research traces the evolution of legal frameworks, examines the effects of democratization on governance quality, develops a conditional redistribution model, analyzes pledge fulfillment, and discusses policy implications. Collectively, the findings highlight the complex relationship of formal institutions, informal practices, contextual factors, and political incentives shaping local governance in Indonesia’s transitioning democracy. This work offers valuable theoretical and practical insights for promoting accountable, responsive governance in decentralizing democracies worldwide
Enhancing the usefulness and usability of Drought Early Action Protocols through co-creation
Get PDFThe lack of saliency, credibility, and legitimacy of information in climate services constrains their use in decision-making. Co-creation processes involve end users, purveyors, and providers in an iterative approach to develop tailored climate services that are useful and usable. Such approaches facilitate contextual understanding, integrate different knowledges, and are key in bridging the gap between innovation and use.Co-creation approaches have been applied in climate service development over the past years. However, there has been little exploration on whether and how the process can be organised to ensure that the co-created climate services are sustainably used. Unpacking this relationship between co-creation and use enables an understanding of the factors to consider, and pathways to follow when co-creating climate services to effectively upscale innovation and sustainable use in decision-making.This research aims to identify the pathways through which co-creation processes contribute towards the use of climate services in decision-making. We follow and critically evaluate an ongoing co-creation process for the development of a Drought Early Action Protocol (and the revisions thereof) in Lesotho. We apply the Contribution Analysis method to evaluate the process with key stakeholders from the Lesotho Meteorological Services, the Disaster Management Agency, and the Lesotho Red Cross Society. Preliminary findings suggest that a combination of i) embedding the climate service in an already existing decision-making framework, ii) actively building the capacity of institutional staff to use the climate service, and iii) providing avenues for maintenance after the co-creation process, is a likely pathway a co-creation process may take towards ensuring use of the climate service. This work is beneficial to practitioners and researchers as it provides an empirically grounded explanatory account of the relationship between co-creation and the use of climate services
Innovative data solutions for inclusive cities:The IDEAtlas User Portal
Get PDFAddressing the challenge of mapping deprived urban areas (DUAs) globally requires both technical innovation and user engagement. The IDEAtlas project developed a novel approach to monitor DUAs by combining advanced Earth Observation (EO) technologies with a user-centered design. Central to this is our IDEAtlas User Portal, a data platform that provides scalable, accessible, and participatory mapping solutions in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.1.1. The portal provides outputs from a custom Multi-Branch Convolutional Neural Network (MB-CNN) model trained on freely available Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, enriched with ancillary open datasets such as building footprints. Presently, the portal offers binary settlement maps, with future plans to include deprivation severity indices, and multi-temporal urban growth maps for the period 2019 to 2023. A unique feature of the IDEAtlas platform is its two-tier access model: an open section offering 100 by 100 m gridded outputs for public use, and a protected section for sensitive, city-level data. In the protected section, users can validate outputs. The user validation is an essential element of our Living Labs and is done in the form of continuous stakeholder collaboration. Through Living Labs and iterative user feedback across eight global cities, the portal has demonstrated how involving local governments, NGOs, and community organizations can enhance data quality, relevance, foster ownership, and empower decision-making. Early user engagements, such as the update of Argentina's RENABAP informal settlement registry, highlight the portal's operational value. By coupling technological scalability with participatory validation. Thus, the IDEAtlas User Portal represents a significant step toward inclusive, evidence-based urban planning and policymaking
Nature-based sandy interventions:finding synergies between flood safety, beach recreation and nature
No full textSocio-economic pressures in coastal zones are rising worldwide, leaving increasingly less room for natural coastal dynamics. Identifying synergies between social and natural systems seems crucial for fostering sustainable coexistence and co-development. Recent multi-functional, nature-based interventions on the Dutch coast offer great potential in that respect. Constructed by mega-nourishment, these interventions aim at improving flood safety on a decadal scale by increased dune growth, while enhancing ecological and recreational value. Surprisingly, studies evaluating these innovative solutions paid little attention to how the social and natural systems interact in these human-made coastal landscapes (which we refer to as sandy anthropogenic shores, or SAS). We do not know whether these interactions strengthen or weaken the primary safety function of the nature-based interventions throughout its lifetime.Using the Hondsbossche Dunes and the Sand Motor SAS as Living Labs, we investigated how recreation, embryo dunes and flood safety co-evolve over time and across space. Based on field studies and a participatory modelling process we have integrated beach visitors’ behaviour with novel biomorphological models to evaluate the evolving functionality of the interventions.Simulations over 20–50 years showed that on wide, elevated SAS beaches, high recreation pressure constrained embryo dune formation, allowing for continued growth of the original foredune thus enhancing long-term flood safety. However, this synergy between recreation and flood safety came at the cost of ecological value. Further exploration of SAS design and recreation scenarios could reveal whether ways exist to achieve synergies among all three functions: recreation, flood safety, and ecological value
Using low-cost sensors and citizen science:Assessing thermal inequality in African slums
Get PDFUrban heat exposure is intensifying due to climate change and urbanisation, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations. Unfortunately, many urban areas, particularly informal settlements, lack sufficient data for detailed analysis to understand these impacts. Traditional air temperature measurement methods—such as meteorological stations—are sparsely distributed in African cities, typically located on city outskirts (e.g., airports), and fail to capture localized temperature variations. This study explores the use of low-cost sensors and citizen science initiatives to measure air temperature with higher spatial resolution in informal and surrounding formal settlements. A two-stage process is employed to evaluate data quality: first, statistically assessing biases in low-cost sensor (LCS) measurements, and second, employing Monte Carlo simulations to quantify uncertainties. The resulting data reveals significant temperature differences between informal settlements and surrounding formal areas, with informal settlements consistently exhibiting higher temperatures. This approach not only highlights the value of low-cost sensors and citizen science in generating high-resolution temperature data but also provides insights into thermal inequalities between different urban environments
An Optimization Framework for Managing Resource Flows in Hubs for Circularity
Get PDFThe hub for circularity (H4C) is an emerging concept that extends the traditional boundaries of industrial symbiosis networks by facilitating resource exchanges not only within an industrial cluster but also with surrounding urban and rural areas. Unlocking the economic, environmental, and social benefits of such hubs requires efficiently exchanging different types of resources across space and time. This remains a major challenge as it involves cross-company coordination, managing trade-offs between economic and environmental sustainability goals, and accounting for uncertainties in waste availability, renewable energy generation, and market prices, among other. To address this challenge, in this study we first identify critical research and practical gaps through a comprehensive literature review on resource flow optimization in H4Cs and related concepts. Building on these insights, we propose a two-phase framework to model and optimize the H4C operations. The first phase involves data collection and synergy identification, which is illustrated in two real H4Cs in Spain and Türkiye. The second phase integrates predictive and prescriptive analytics to guide decision making in daily hub operations while accounting for uncertainties. Our study shows that different predictive and prescriptive methods are available to optimize resource flows in H4Cs. However, selecting and integrating the most appropriate techniques is non-trivial as it depends on the hub scale, data availability, uncertainty dynamics, and preferences of the decision maker. Thus, the proposed framework offers practical guidance for hub managers in choosing appropriate modeling and optimization tools, thereby supporting the implementation of efficient and sustainable H4C operations.</p
Engageing vulnerable urban populations in co-designing climate-resilient public spaces
No full textUrban blue and green spaces are known for mitigating climate events such as heatwaves and floods, while offering co-benefits that build health resilience for society. However, these benefits are not equitably distributed, with vulnerable community members and deprived neighbourhoods often facing limited access to green and blue spaces. Additionally, these individuals are often excluded from planning processes. Our project aims to counteract these barriers by addressing the needs and preferences of diverse communities and integrate them in urban climate project planning processes through a participatory co-design approach supported by geoinformation systems (GIS) and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).Based on a systematic scoping literature review, we synthesized knowledge on the role of green and blue spaces in building resilience of vulnerable populations, particularly in the context of extreme weather events. Building on the resulting urban green and blue space for inclusive climate and health framework, we assessed the needs, perceptions, and barriers faced by vulnerable residents using mixed methods in Enschede, a mid-sized city in the Netherlands. The results inform the planning of AI-supported participatory co-design workshops engazing citizens and decision-makers in collaboration with Urbanist AI and the UT DesignLab. In a pilot workshop, students were involved in role-plays as personas, and jointly identified diverse needs related to thermal comfort, mobility, and safety. In another workshop, local citizens and decision-makers were engaged. This technology supported initiative brings together diverse perspectives from vulnerable groups and decision-makers, fostering collaborative and inclusive urban planning.The knowledge generated in this process is disseminated through science communication, inform collaborative educational initiatives, and contributes to developing climate-resilient public spaces codesigned to enhance inclusivity, resilience, and well-being for vulnerable urban populations
To Block Or Not To Block?:Evaluating Parental Controls Across Routers, DNS Services, and Software
Get PDFIn today’s society, ensuring the safety of children online has become a priority for parents, educators, and policymakers. Parental control systems are widely used to restrict access to age-inappropriate online content, offering a tool for protecting children from potential online risks. However, their blocking behavior across different technologies remains hidden and poorly analyzed. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of seven parental control solutions: three provided by routers with built-in filtering functionalities (TP-Link, Netgear, and ASUS), two DNS-based services (OpenDNS and DNS.eu), and a software tool (Norton Family). Each system was tested by systematically visiting a large set of domains and recording which were blocked. We then classified all domains into content categories and used this classification to evaluate the consistency and selectivity of each parental control system. Our findings show that parental controls frequently fall short of providing adequate protection: Some systems fail to block up to 96% of sensitive domains, while others block appropriate content or apply inconsistent and arbitrary filtering rules. For example, ASUS allows access to over 95% of gambling websites, and Netgear exhibits internal inconsistencies, with one-third of the domains blocked under its ”Adult” settings remaining accessible under its stricter ”Child” setting. These results provide insight into the real-world operation of popular parental control technologies and show a methodology for evaluating category-based filtering at scale
The pre-processing InSAR feasibility assessment method for wide-area slope displacement monitoring
No full textThe pre-processing feasibility assessment of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is important for predicting the quality of InSAR results and guiding the further accurate slope displacement monitoring. However, such kinds of pre-processing (i.e. before the interferometry data processing) assessment method are few, especially for the slope displacement in wide areas. In this article, a method for assessing the pre-processing feasibility of InSAR displacement monitoring is proposed, which mainly takes into accounts the maximum detectable deformation gradients (MDDG), SAR geometric distortions and vegetation coverage. Based on the above factors, the classification criteria employed for InSAR feasibility assessment are built. The approach is applied over Guangxi Province, China a landslide prone area, and an InSAR feasibility map categorized into four categories: high, moderate, low, and very low over the entire study area for pre-processing analysis is obtained. The feasibility results indicate that approximately 77% of areas are classified as very low in the four categories, while the high and moderate feasibility are mainly distributed in urban areas and regions with a NDVI value of less than 0.5. The feasibility results show great agreement with the time series InSAR monitoring results derived from the real Sentinel-1 data in the further validation. This developed methodology is useful for predicting the quality of time series InSAR measurements and providing important information before the SAR data collection and processing, especially in wide-area slope displacement monitoring.</p
Towards optimal anticipatory action:Maximizing the effectiveness of agricultural early warning systems with operations research
No full textThis paper explores how optimization can enhance anticipatory action by improving resource allocation in response to agricultural risks such as droughts and floods. Anticipatory action relies on early warning systems, which monitor, forecast, and communicate risks to trigger preemptive measures like cash transfers and resource distribution. However, translating forecasts into effective actions often relies on predefined thresholds that may not account for varying needs or constraints. Optimization methods, which use mathematical models and data-driven techniques, offer a structured approach to make these responses more targeted and equitable. To illustrate this, we first outline the agricultural risks posed by climate crises and the role of early warning systems and anticipatory action in mitigating them. We then introduce concepts from operations research and demonstrate how these methods can enhance anticipatory action, using examples such as distributing drought-tolerant seeds and tailoring cash transfers. Finally, we propose research directions to explore how optimization can be best applied to improve the outcomes of anticipatory action.</p