1,721,104 research outputs found
LOGIC PROGRAMMING IN GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
No full textThis paper deals with a computer model able to verify whether there is groundwater in a given place, the quantity available and its quality. The knowledge base has been constructed using degrees of certainty and other factors. The model has been applied to a region in Southern Italy, where data are available. The first results are encouraging and further questions about groundwater quantity and quality are being examined. -from Authors
Metodologie di recupero funzionale e di mitigazione dell’impatto ambientale delle cave inattive
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Metodologie di recupero funzionale e di mitigazione dell’impatto ambientale delle cave inattive
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Emerging infectious diseases of crop plants in developing countries: impact on agriculture and socio-economic consequences
No full textEmerging infectious diseases (EIDs) caused by
plant pathogens can develop into unexpected and very serious
epidemics, owing to the influence of various characteristics of
the pathogen, host and environment. Devastating epidemics,
having social implications by increasing the rate of urbanization,
occurred in the past in Europe, and many other EIDs
still occur with high frequency in developing countries.
Although the ability to diagnose diseases and the technologies
available for their control are far greater than in the past,
EIDs are still able to cause tremendous crop losses, the
economic and social impact of which, in developing
countries, is often underestimated. In the present article, four
of the most important EIDs in developing countries are
considered from the standpoint of their origin, characteristics,
symptoms, mode of spread, possible control strategies,
economic impact and the socio-economic consequences of
their dissemination. They are Cassava Mosaic Virus Disease,capable of reducing yields by 80–90% and causing the
suspension of cassava cultivation in many areas of East
Africa; Striga hermonthica, a parasitic weed affecting
cereals in an area of at least 5 million hectares in Sub-
Saharan Africa; Xanthomonas Wilt of Banana, a bacterial
disease that caused around 50% yield losses at the beginning
of 21st century in Uganda and is threatening the food
security of about 70 million people owing to its impact on
an important staple crop; and race Ug99 of the rust fungus
Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, which is having a tremendous
impact on wheat in Uganda, and is also threatening
most of the wheat-growing countries of the world
Definizione di un indice climatico per l’analisi dell’interazione clima – suolo - vegetazione
No full textA Bayesian vulnerability assessment tool for drinking water mains under extreme events
No full textDrinking water security is a life safety issue as an adequate supply of safe water is essential for economic, social and sanitary reasons. Damage to any element of a water system, as well as corruption of resource quality, may have significant effects on the population it serves and on all other dependent resources and activities. As well as an analysis of the reliability of water distribution systems in ordinary conditions, it is also crucial to assess system vulnerability in the event of natural disasters and of malicious or accidental anthropogenic acts. The present work summarizes the initial results of research activities that are underway with the intention of developing a vulnerability assessment methodology for drinking water infrastructures subject to hazardous events. The main aim of the work was therefore to provide decision makers with an effective operational tool which could support them mainly to increase risk awareness and preparedness and, possibly, to ease emergency management. The proposed tool is based on Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN), a probabilistic methodology which has demonstrated outstanding potential to integrate a range of sources of knowledge, a great flexibility and the ability to handle in a mathematically sound way uncertainty due to data scarcity and/or limited knowledge of the system to be managed. The tool was implemented to analyze the vulnerability of two of the most important water supply systems in the Apulia region (southern Italy) which have been damaged in the past by natural hazards. As well as being useful for testing and improving the predictive capabilities of the methodology and for possibly modifying its structure and features, the case studies have also helped to underline its strengths and weaknesses. Particularly, the experiences carried out demonstrated how the use of BBN was consistent with the lack of data reliability, quality and accessibility which are typical of complex infrastructures, such as the water distribution networks. The potential applications and future developments of the proposed tool have been also discussed accordingly
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