Academic literature on the topic 'Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools'
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Journal articles on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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Lee, So Young, José M. Díaz-Puente, and Pablo Vidueira. "Enhancing Rural Innovation and Sustainability Through Impact Assessment: A Review of Methods and Tools." Sustainability 12, no. 16 (August 13, 2020): 6559. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12166559.
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Assessing impacts in innovation contexts/settings with the aim of fostering sustainability requires tackling complex issues. Literature shows that key sources of this complexity relate to the need to integrate the local context; identify the underlying problems; engage key stakeholders; and reflect on their feedback throughout the innovation process. A systematic literature review on innovation impact assessment reveals that social impacts have been the most studied, thus, where promising methods and tools were used. Nevertheless, there are many unresolved issues beyond assessing social impacts in innovation processes. Literature highlights that building on co-creating innovation processes that respond to stakeholders’ real needs and context, and adapting to changing circumstances by integrating timely feedback from stakeholders are two critical challenges calling for a systems thinking approach. This study proposes Developmental Evaluation (DE) as a systemic approach to evaluation which supports adaptive development in complex environments and that adds value by integrating continuous feedback from diverse stakeholders. As a non-prescriptive evaluation approach in terms of methods and tools, DE can provide meaningful guidance to use diverse methods and tools in furthering ongoing development and adaptation in innovation processes by linking the evaluation activities—impact assessment among them—with the DE principles that are situational, adaptive and continuously responsive.
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Kocurova, Petra, Michal Faltejsek, and Roman Osika. "Transportation Factors in the Selected Methods of Sustainable Development Assessment Tools." International Journal of Engineering Research in Africa 47 (March 2020): 139–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/jera.47.139.
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The interests focus on the tools, used in the case of evaluating the sustainability in the mobility structures. In the present is sustainable development regular part of planning in every scale. According to growing development and innovations, it was necessary to ensure a sustainable framework of progress or traffic performance. Sustainable development goals were founded as a reaction to limited natural sources and also as a response to the human impact on nature. Evolution of those goals started with the environmental base and then had also been added social and economic aspects. A study wants to find sophisticated tools for the evaluation of sustainable development in urban structures. As was located, in Europe exist methods for assessment of sustainability (EIA, SEA, LCA, EF, ER, GP, CBA, CEA, MCDA, EA, SIA, SEIA, etc.). Although even their large amount, they are mostly based on just one section of SD. Other tools which are used, are methods for evaluation sustainability (BREEAM, CASBEE-UD, GBI, LEED, IGBC, SB tool, DGNB, etc.), where are also included other sections (environmental, economic, social). Assessment tools were described and preliminary compared in the context of the factors’ coverage.
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Zimek, Martina, Andreas Schober, Claudia Mair, Rupert J. Baumgartner, Tobias Stern, and Manfred Füllsack. "The Third Wave of LCA as the “Decade of Consolidation”." Sustainability 11, no. 12 (June 14, 2019): 3283. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11123283.
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Several authors have pointed out the importance of systems thinking, and have considered both environmental and social aspects (holistic perspective) of sustainability assessment in the past. Sustainability assessment tools which integrate different aspects (e.g., environmental/social aspects) in order to identify negative impacts have already been developed. Common tools used to assess environmental, social, or economic impacts include the life cycle assessment (LCA), social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), life cycle costing (LCC) and life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) approaches. The goal of the present study was to investigate how and to what extent the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social, economic; holistic sustainability perspective) have been integrated into the field of LCA. A topic modeling method was applied to examine whether the emphasis placed on integrating environmental, social, and economic aspects in sustainability assessment has resulted in a more comprehensive application of the LCA approach. The results show that topics related to energy and infrastructure are currently prevailing, and that topics related to methods have been decreasing since 1997. A minor discussion of social aspects and a lack of discussion on economic aspects were identified in the present study. These results do not support the predicted “decade of life cycle sustainability assessment.” Consequently, a new period of LCA extension and application is predicted, namely, the third wave of LCA as the “decade of consolidation.” During this period, the LCA framework will be enhanced to reduce existing practical and methodological difficulties and integrate environmental and social aspects in a sustainability assessment to support global sustainable development.
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Henke, Ilaria, Armando Cartenì, Clorinda Molitierno, and Assunta Errico. "Decision-Making in the Transport Sector: A Sustainable Evaluation Method for Road Infrastructure." Sustainability 12, no. 3 (January 21, 2020): 764. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12030764.
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The transport sector is often the center of political and scientific debate on sustainability due to negative externalities produced by the daily movement of goods and people which impact both on the environment and on quality of life. Great interest has therefore focused on impact estimation of transport infrastructures/services with respect to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Among the consolidated assessment methods, the cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the quantitative tools representing the final stage (decision) in decision-making processes, which compares design alternatives and verifies the sustainability of a transport project. Recently the Italian Government proposed the national “Guidelines for Assessment of Investment Projects” based on CBA. The aim of this research is twofold: a) from a research point of view, to propose a sustainable evaluating method for impact assessment of the new transportation infrastructure aimed in performing both rational and shared decisions with the territories; b) for a practical point of view, to propose a first application of the CBA Italian guideline useful for the professional practice in the field of public investment evaluation. A quantitative impacts assessment of social, economic and environmental sustainability was performed for a revamping project of a new “greenway” in the south of Italy. Furthermore, also the social equity impacts produced by the new road infrastructure was also quantified, estimating the GINI indexes variation as a measure of effectiveness.
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Lynn Birkeland, Janis. "Positive development and assessment." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 3, no. 1 (May 13, 2014): 4–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/sasbe-07-2013-0039.
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Purpose – There has been a tendency in sustainability science to be passive. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an alternative positive framework for a more active and direct approach to sustainable design and assessment that de-couples environmental impacts and economic growth. Design/methodology/approach – This paper deconstructs some systemic gaps that are critical to sustainability in built environment management processes and tools, and reframes negative “sustainable” decision making and assessment frameworks into their positive counterparts. In particular, it addresses the omission of ecology, design and ethics in development assessment. Findings – Development can be designed to provide ecological gains and surplus “eco-services,” but assessment tools and processes favor business-as-usual. Despite the tenacity of the dominant paradigm (DP) in sustainable development institutionalized by the Brundtland Report over 25 years ago, these omissions are easily corrected. Research limitations/implications – The limitation is that the author was unable to find exceptions to the omissions cited here in the extensive literature on urban planning and building assessment tools. However, exceptions prove the rule. The implication is that it is not too late for eco-positive retrofitting of cities to increase natural and social capital. The solutions are just as applicable in places like China and India as the USA, as they pay for themselves. Originality/value – Positive development (PD) is a fundamental paradigm shift that reverses the negative models, methods and metrics of the DP of sustainable development. This paper provides an example of how existing “negative” concepts and practices can be converted into positive ones through a PD prism. Through a new form of bio-physical design, development can be a sustainability solution.
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Ren, Zhong Ming, and Dai Zhong Su. "Comparison of Different Life Cycle Impact Assessment Software Tools." Key Engineering Materials 572 (September 2013): 44–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.572.44.
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The comparison of five popular life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) software tools was conducted, including CES EDUPACK, Solidworks Sustainability, Sustainable Minds, SimaPro, and Gabi. Six comparison criteria were used, regarding the function to define a product and its life cycle, LCIA methods employed in the software, availability for the user to modify/update the databases embedded in the software, and detail information and Presentation of the results. The comparison results provide useful information for the user to select suitable software tools for LCIA applications.
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Ustaoglu, Eda, and Marcus J. Collier. "Farmland abandonment in Europe: an overview of drivers, consequences, and assessment of the sustainability implications." Environmental Reviews 26, no. 4 (December 2018): 396–416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2018-0001.
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In the last decades, there have been large areas of agricultural land that were abandoned in Europe, producing significant social and environmental impacts. Land abandonment is a dynamic process, which is influenced by a complex range of drivers that vary over time and space. This process is driven by a combination of socio-economic, political, and environmental factors by which formerly cultivated fields are no longer economically viable under existing land-use and socio-economic conditions. The implications of land abandonment on biodiversity and other ecosystem services can be positive or negative depending on the conservation status of the area, agro-climatic conditions, and local factors. Therefore, the scope and extent of environmental impacts vary over time and location. Considering that land abandonment is a contentious issue in Europe, there is still growing need for research on this topic. This paper reviews (i) drivers and consequences of farmland abandonment in Europe, (ii) policy measures and tools developed by the European Union in relation to land abandonment process, (iii) the impacts and indicators that are used to assess ecosystem services that are related to land abandonment, and (iv) the methods by which socio-economic, environmental, and cultural values can be assessed. An overview of key impacts and indicators and the impact assessment methodologies will guide policy-making and planning processes that focus on sustainability impact assessment of land abandonment related to ecosystem services in Europe.
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Hermann, Carsten. "Assessing Historic Places Regarding Risks and Vulnerabilities Associated with Climate Change to Inform Conservation Planning—Development of Assessment Methods in Northern Europe." Journal of Heritage Management 2, no. 1 (June 2017): 32–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2455929617726927.
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In the face of anthropogenic climate change, the management of cultural heritage must change the world over, in order to adapt historic places to the resulting impacts. Concepts for climate change mitigation and adaptation are well developed, but their application specifically in the context of the historic environment is limited. The number of methods and tools to assess the risks of climate change impacts on historic places and the vulnerabilities of these places to these risks is still small. In this article, three assessment methods will be discussed, which were developed through projects in Northern Europe: Cultural and Heritage Added Value to Regional Policies for Tourism and Sustainability (CHARTS) disseminated a risk and vulnerability assessment to investigate the impacts of climate change on the historic environment of Wales. The Aurland project, in Norway, piloted a site-specific assessment method through local and expert input. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is reviewing its portfolio of historic places with a novel impact assessment and mapping method, using a geographical information system (GIS). This article discusses the differences of the approaches chosen by the projects to assess climate change impacts and plan adaptation measures. The article concludes with outlining a recently started project, Adapt Northern Heritage, involving HES and two Aurland partners, Riksantikvaren and the Norsk institute for kulturminneforskning, as well as Minjastofnun Íslands.
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Balkau, Fritz, Alberto Bezama, Noemie Leroy-Parmentier, and Guido Sonnemann. "A Review on the Use of Life Cycle Methodologies and Tools in Sustainable Regional Development." Sustainability 13, no. 19 (September 30, 2021): 10881. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su131910881.
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This review examines how life cycle methodologies are presently used by regional authorities in their sustainable development programmes. The review incorporates formal methods of life cycle assessment (LCA) as well as non-standardised approaches like life cycle management (LCM). The review describes the sustainability agenda facing regions, and a ‘life cycle toolbox’ that can be used at territorial level. Several parallel literature research methods were used to collect representative examples from around the world of regional life cycle approaches, identifying a variety of common and still-evolving methodologies used to address sustainability issues and applications. Results show that regional use of various life cycle methodologies from the toolbox is growing although scope is often constrained to short life chains, and with limited consideration of secondary (“spillover”) impacts. The conclusions confirm earlier findings that current life cycle tools are not always ideally structured for public sector organisations, with some not yet mature for addressing regional sustainability issues, such as biodiversity, land use and social impacts. Regional data aggregation is currently insufficient for certain methods. Further research is needed to adapt certain life cycle methodologies for regional application, but many available tools could already be further applied than is currently the case.
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Putri, A. A. A., R. Purwaningsih, and S. Hartini. "A comparison of rap-tourism method and multi attribute aggregation in sustainability assessment of tourist destination." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1098, no. 1 (October 1, 2022): 012046. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1098/1/012046.
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Abstract The development of the tourism industry causes emergence of positive and negative impacts on tourist destinations. The development of the tourism industry has led the government to implement the concept of sustainable tourism. To assist the implementation of sustainable tourism, it is important to know the sustainability status of tourist destinations. The measuring tools used for calculated sustainability index values and identification of sensitive indicators. The method used must be easy to use and provide accurate results. This study compares between the rap-tourism and the multi attribute aggregation method. The aim is to choose which method better in measuring sustainability status when the objects of measurement are a lot of tourist destinations, better means easy to use and represent indicators condition briefly. The results of the assessment using both methods obtain the same sustainability status but there are differences in the sustainability index value. These two methods also use different approaches in determining sensitive indicators that should be improved to increase the sustainability index of tourist destinations.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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Findler, Florian, Norma Schönherr, Rodrigo Lozano, and Barbara Stacherl. "Assessing the Impacts of Higher Education Institutions on Sustainable Development - An Analysis of Tools and Indicators." MDPI AG, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11010059.
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Many higher education institutions (HEIs) have started to incorporate sustainable
development (SD) into their system. A variety of sustainability assessment tools (SATs) have been
developed to support HEIs to systematically measure, audit, benchmark, and communicate SD efforts.
In recent years, stakeholders have increasingly asked HEIs to demonstrate their impacts on SD. These
impacts are the direct and indirect effects an HEI has outside of its organizational boundaries on
society, the natural environment, and the economy. This study analyzes to what extent SATs are
capable of measuring the impacts that HEIs have on SD. A mixed-method approach, using descriptive
statistics and an inductive content analysis, was used to examine 1134 indicators for sustainability
assessment derived from 19 SATs explicitly designed for application by HEIs. The findings reveal that
SATs largely neglect the impacts HEIs have outside their organizational boundaries. SATs primarily
use proxy indicators based on internally available data to assess impacts and thus tend to focus on
themes concerning the natural environment and the contribution to the local economy. Updating
existing SATs and developing new ones may enable HEIs to fully realize their potential to contribute
to SD.
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Quiedeville, Sylvain. "Ex-post assessment of impacts of research on innovations for organic farming : issues, methods, tools and instruments." Thesis, Montpellier, SupAgro, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017NSAM0038/document.
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Cette thèse a pour objet d’évaluer, de développer et de tester différentes méthodes qualitatives et manières d’évaluer ex-post les impacts et la contribution de la recherche sur les processus d’innovations et la société, par rapport à la transition à l’agriculture biologique.Nous avons réalisé deux cas d’études traitant de la transition à l’agriculture biologique. Le premier est le cas camarguais (en France) englobant un ensemble d’innovations techniques. Le second concerne le développement du produit biologique Ecostop pour protéger les abeilles contre la maladie de la varroatose en Bulgarie.Nous évaluons le potentiel d’une approche globale basée sur l’analyse participative du chemin de l’impact (PIPA) mais adaptée et complémentée par de nombreuses autres méthodes (premier article, partie 4), ainsi que le potentiel de l’analyse du réseau social (SNA) (deuxième article, partie 5) et de la théorie de l’acteur réseau (ANT) (troisième article, partie 6) pour l’évaluation ex-post des impacts et de la contribution de la recherche. Nous étudions les impacts de la recherche en Camargue et la manière dont ils ont été générés. Le cas Bulgare est seulement utilisé pour évaluer le potentiel d’ANT (avec le cas camarguais).L’approche basée sur PIPA permet d’évaluer avec succès les impacts et la contribution de la recherche. Nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la recherche a contribué au changement en Camargue à travers le développement d’interactions de co-apprentissage avec les producteurs bien que cela ne se soit pas avéré crucial pour le succès de l’innovation dans son ensemble. Les politiques agricoles, facteurs économiques, tests conduits indépendamment par les agriculteurs, et le cadre institutionnel, ont été les facteurs les plus importants et ayant eu le plus d’effets. En ce qui concerne SNA, il est apparu utile pour valider les dires des parties prenantes sur les relations entre acteurs ainsi que leurs implications sur la transition à l’agriculture biologique. Par exemple, le rôle grandissant joué par l’INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) au sein du réseau d’acteurs a été confirmé de même que sa contribution à la transition vers l’agriculture biologique. Quant à l’approche ANT, elle permet de mettre en avant les relations interpersonnelles d’acteurs et leurs effets sur le développement de l’innovation. Nous soulignons en particulier l’importance des leaders d’opinion au cours des phases d’implémentation et de diffusion ; et montrons également l’importance de problématiser les questions devant être traitées afin d’améliorer le succès des programmes de rechercheThis thesis intends to evaluate, develop and test different qualitative methods and ways of ex-post assessing the impacts and contribution of the research on innovation processes and the society, in relation to the transition to organic agriculture.We have conducted two case studies focusing on the transition to organic farming. First is the Camargue case (in France) that encompasses a broad range of technical innovations. Second is on the development of the organic product Ecostop to protect bees against the varroatosis disease in Bulgaria.We evaluate the potential of a broad approach based on the Participatory Impact Pathway Analysis (PIPA) and adapted & complemented by several other methods (first article, part 4), as well as the potential of the Social Network Analysis (SNA) (second paper, part 5) and of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) (third paper, part 6), in evaluating ex-post the impacts and contribution of the research. We study the impacts of the research in the Camargue and how they were generated. The Bulgarian case is only used to evaluate the potential of ANT (together with the Camargue case).The approach based on PIPA allows assessing successfully the impacts and contribution of the research. We could show that the research contributed to change in the Camargue by developing co-learning interactions with farmers although this was not critical to the success of the innovation as a whole. The agricultural policies, economic factors, the testing conducted independently by farmers, and the institutional framework, were the most important and influential factors. With respect to SNA, it was of interest to validate stakeholders’ views on actors’ relationships and their implications on the transition to organic farming. For example, the growing role played by INRA (National Research Agronomic Institute) within the actor network was confirmed as well as its contribution to the transition. As to ANT, it allows highlighting interpersonal actors’ relationships and their effects on the innovation development. We particularly underline the importance of opinion leaders in the phases of implementation and diffusion; and also show the importance of problematizing the issues to be tackled in order to increase the success of research programs
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Murphy, Michael W., and Michael E. Barkenhagen. "The Sunset Supply Base long term COTS supportability, implementing affordable methods and processes." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1154.
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Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited.This thesis represents a cross Systems Command (NAVSEA/NAVAIR) developed product. The product - the Sunset Supply Base (SSB) system - provides a complete system for addressing the risks and supportability issues involved with Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products in Navy combat and support systems. The SSB system was implemented on three Navy combat weapon systems at various phases of the product development life cycle. The main body provides to the Program Management Offices (PMO) and other decision makers, a high level summary of performance expectations. Appendix A - The Sunset Supply Base Architecture - identifies at a high level of abstraction a collaborative architecture providing a roadmap for design and development of the SSB system. Appendix B - The Systems Engineering Development and Implementation (SEDI) plan - is a prescriptive or "How to" manual describing activities that have been used to successfully implement the SSB system. Appendix C - Business Case Analysis (BCA) - presents the data collected as a result of SEDI plan implementation then addresses the business/programmatic attributes showing the viability and value proposition possible through the SSB system. Appendix D - The Marketing Plan for the SSB system - defines methods and practices necessary to establish the SSB system as the alternative of choice.
Chemical Engineer, United States Navy
Systems Engineer, United States Navy
Books on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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Radivojević, Ana, and Linda Hildebrand. SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT BUILDING DESIGN: approaches, methods and tools. Edited by Saja Kosanović, Tillmann Klein, and Thaleia Konstantinou. TU Delft Bouwkunde, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.47982/bookrxiv.26.
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The challenges to which contemporary building design needs to respond grow steadily. They originate from the influence of changing environmental conditions on buildings, as well as from the need to reduce the impact of buildings on the environment. The increasing complexity requires the continual revision of design principles and their harmonisation with current scientific findings, technological development, and environmental, social, and economic factors. It is precisely these issues that form the backbone of the thematic book, Sustainable and Resilient Building Design: Approaches, Methods, and Tools. The purpose of this book is to present ongoing research from the universities involved in the project Creating the Network of Knowledge Labs for Sustainable and Resilient Environments (KLABS). The book starts with the exploration of the origin, development, and the state-of-the-art notions of environmental design and resource efficiency. Subsequently, climate change complexity and dynamics are studied, and the design strategy for climate-proof buildings is articulated. The investigation into the resilience of buildings is further deepened by examining a case study of fire protection. The book then investigates interrelations between sustainable and resilient building design, compares their key postulates and objectives, and searches for the possibilities of their integration into an outreaching approach. The fifth article in the book deals with potentials and constraints in relation to the assessment of the sustainability (and resilience) of buildings. It critically analyses different existing building certification models, their development paths, systems, and processes, and compares them with the general objectives of building ratings. The subsequent paper outlines the basis and the meaning of the risk and its management system, and provides an overview of different visual, auxiliary, and statistical risk assessment methods and tools. Following the studies of the meanings of sustainable and resilient buildings, the book focuses on the aspects of building components and materials. Here, the life cycle assessment (LCA) method for quantifying the environmental impact of building products is introduced and analysed in detail, followed by a comprehensive comparative overview of the LCA-based software and databases that enable both individual assessment and the comparison of different design alternatives. The impact of climate and pollution on the resilience of building materials is analysed using the examples of stone, wood, concrete, and ceramic materials. Accordingly, the contribution of traditional and alternative building materials to the reduction of negative environmental impact is discussed and depicted through different examples. The book subsequently addresses existing building stock, in which environmental, social, and economic benefits of building refurbishment are outlined by different case studies. Further on, a method for the upgrade of existing buildings, described as ‘integrated rehabilitation’, is deliberated and supported by best practice examples of exoskeleton architectural prosthesis. The final paper reflects on the principles of regenerative design, reveals the significance of biological entities, and recognises the need to assign to buildings and their elements a more advanced role towards natural systems in human environments.
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Hasníková, Hana. Proceedings of the SHATIS 2022 – 6th International conference on structural health assessment of timber structures. Edited by Jiří Kunecký. Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.21495/54-3.
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Structural health assessment of timber structures associates various procedures in order to evaluate the safety and serviceability of structures. Also, it helps to assure or extend the predicted service life of structures. Service life sustainability can be promoted by the incorporation of monitoring systems or by providing tools and methods that deliver accurate reports about the structural condition. Conservation and assessment of timber structures is based on a multidisciplinary approach. The conference topics cover the wide spectrum, from wood properties, through performance of joints and timber design, to modern monitoring and digital technologies. As the topics include both existing and historical timber structures, the need for reliable non destructive testing methods is part of the approach as well.
Book chapters on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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De Toro, Pasquale, and Silvia Iodice. "Urban Metabolism Evaluation Methods: Life Cycle Assessment and Territorial Regeneration." In Regenerative Territories, 213–30. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78536-9_13.
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AbstractUrban Metabolism (UM) is a scientific phenomenon that comprises individual processes taking place in all cities at different spatial and temporal scales and that is based on the principle of conserving mass and energy. Analysing the metabolism of a city allows one to evaluate the impacts of urban functioning, taking into account the flows of energy, water, nutrients and waste and the materials in general that circulate within a city, and contributing to a multidimensional assessment of sustainability. Many authors have explored the phenomenon of UM and experimented with indices and evaluation methods, but there is still no consensus on the best assessment methods to use.The present paper presents an overview of UM assessment methods, particularly Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and its possible uses for supporting territorial regeneration. A literature analysis is conducted of the evolution of this method in relation to scales that are different from the single product scale. LCA aims to assess the environmental impacts of the life cycles of single industrial products and services, but over the years it has gained increased attention in the urban planning field. Life cycle, in general, refers to all the phases that characterise the life of elements, comprising not only a single product, but extending this concept also to the wider territorial system. The concept of the life cycle of territorial systems is related to the evolution of the territory as a heritage and as a system of environmental, social and economic resources and services, whose transformation is linked to the different forms of governance. The territorial life cycle is formed by interconnected phases, referred to as the sub-systems of the resources and performance of a territory, that follow a predefined plan scenario. Consequently, the life cycle concept can be compared to that of change and it is closely linked to the analogy of ecosystems and the urban environment, which views the city as an entity in constant transformation.In the last few years, there has been an increase in activity in the LCA application field, with the introduction of scale variations and of the distinction between applications at the level of the single product and applications at the meso and macro levels. In other words, this approach is evolving and applications and hypotheses involving scales different from the micro scale are becoming popular.In this regard, extending the LCA tool to a meso perspective on a municipal scale or an individual urban district scale could prove to be a valid tool for assessing the sustainability of a territory with regard to the metabolic flows and the evolution of its life cycle.
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Timan, Tjerk, Anne Fleur van Veenstra, and Kristina Karanikolova. "Measuring the Impact of the Once Only Principle for Businesses Across Borders." In The Once-Only Principle, 208–24. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79851-2_11.
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AbstractThe Once-Only Principle (OOP) holds that public administrations ideally collect data from citizens and businesses only once to share this information, within regulatory limits, with other administrative bodies and across Member States. The aim of the OOP is to simplify interaction with public services and contribute to administrative burden reduction. To demonstrate the cross-border application of the OOP for businesses, the Large Scale Pilot European project ‘The Once Only Principle Project (TOOP)’ develops pilots and identifies benefits and challenges as well as (potential) impacts of the adoption of this principle. In this chapter, we explore an Impact Assessment framework for measuring the impact of the OOP on cross-border services for businesses and subsequently validate this framework with members from the TOOP project. During stakeholder sessions organized for this purpose, we find that the OOP potentially has a high impact on government, e.g. by enabling fraud reduction, yet little is known about the impact of the OOP on businesses, and in particular on its cross-border impact. The expected benefits of the OOP likely emerge on the longer term, making identification of short-term impacts challenging. Nonetheless, based on our findings, we recommend to develop and implement methods and tools to measure the impact on the long-term to increase sustainability of the OOP.
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De Meester, Steven, Geert Van der Vorst, Herman Van Langenhove, and Jo Dewulf. "Sustainability Assessment Methods and Tools." In Management Principles of Sustainable Industrial Chemistry, 55–88. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9783527649488.ch6.
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Sisto, Raffaele, Javier García López, Julio Lumbreras Martín, Carlos Mataix Aldeanueva, and Linos Ramos Ferreiro. "City Assessment Tool to Measure the Impact of Public Policies on Smart and Sustainable Cities. The Case Study of the Municipality of Alcobendas (Spain) Compared with Similar European Cities." In Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions, 81–101. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57764-3_6.
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AbstractData analytics is a key resource to analyze cities and to find their strengths and weaknesses to define long-term sustainable strategies. On the one hand, urban planning is geared to adapting cities’ strategies towards a qualitative, intelligent, and sustainable growth. On the other hand, institutions are geared towards open governance and collaborative administration models. In this context, sustainability has become a global concern for urban development, and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), defined by United Nations, are the framework to be followed to define the new city goals and to measure the advances of the policies implemented over recent years. The main objective of this research is to explain the methods and results of the application of a city assessment tool for measuring the impact of public policies on the socioeconomic and environmental structure of a city. It addresses the case study of the evaluation of the strategic plan “Diseña 2020” of the municipality of Alcobendas (Madrid, Spain, with 116.037 inhabitants), the document used to communicate the actions needed to achieve the city goals during the planning exercise. A selection of urban indicators has been aligned with the SDGs defined in the Agenda 2030 to develop a tool for the measurement of the impacts of policies in economic, social, and ecological terms. Through this set of indicators, the tool is able to quantify the impact of the policies on the city and the SDGs and to support the decision-making processes of the administration. The set of urban indicators is divided into five areas: economic development and employment, sustainable development, open government, social responsibility, and quality of life. The data evolution, across the recent years 2012–2018, is used to monitor and benchmark the effects of the applied policies. In addition, Alcobendas can be compared with other Spanish and European cities with similar characteristics; it makes possible assessing the achievement of the city’s strategic areas, incorporating the current trends and fostering the SDGs. Thanks to the quantitative comparable results and the objective approach, this research shows a methodology based on indicators that could be applied and scaled to other cities to generate a common framework for measuring the impact of public policies on cities.
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Reite, Karl-Johan, J. Haugen, F. A. Michelsen, and K. G. Aarsæther. "Sustainable and Added Value Small Pelagics Fisheries Pilots." In Big Data in Bioeconomy, 389–409. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71069-9_30.
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AbstractThis chapter describes four pilot cases covering the Norwegian pelagic fisheries for small fish species in the North Atlantic Ocean, such as mackerel, herring and blue whiting. The pilot cases aim to improve sustainability and value creation. Big data methods and tools have been used to demonstrate the potential impact on fuel consumption, fisheries planning and fish stock assessments. Specifically, the pilots have targeted immediate operational choices, short-term fisheries planning, fish stock assessments and longer-term market predictions.
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Reite, Karl-Johan, Jose A. Fernandes, Zigor Uriondo, and Iñaki Quincoces. "The Potential of Big Data for Improving Pelagic Fisheries Sustainability." In Big Data in Bioeconomy, 371–76. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71069-9_28.
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AbstractThe use of big data methods and tools are expected to have a profound effect on the pelagic fisheries sustainability and value creation. The potential impact on fuel consumption, planning and fish stock assessments is demonstrated in six different pilot cases. These cases cover the Spanish tropical tuna fisheries in Indian Ocean and the Norwegian small pelagic fisheries in the North Atlantic Ocean. The areas encompassed by these pilots have an annual capture production above 13 million tonnes.
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Getz, Donald. "Ecological Impacts." In Event Impact Assessment. Goodfellow Publishers, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.23912/978-1-911635-03-1-4037.
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In this chapter we examine nature, ecology and ecological impacts, as distinct from the impacts of events and tourism on the built or human environment. This brings sustainability to the fore, and that is a term that has to be examined carefully with reference to the ‘greening’ of events, different interpretations of the meaning of sustainability, and how this influences evaluation and impact assessment. It is also very useful to examine environmental impacts ON events, as opposed to the impacts OF events. This involves an illustration of the event settings spectrum that identifies important variables related to the differences between indoor events and those situated in natural environments. The subjects and objects of ecological impact assessment for events and tourism are examined in detail, presenting goals, methods and indicators that can be applied to the full range of ‘subjects’ – individuals and families or the entire nation. The process of EIA follows the generic IA process model, with a number of special considerations. Methods include the Leopold Matrix, Forces-Pressures-State-Impact-Response model, and carbon and ecological footprint analysis.
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Getz, Donald. "Impact Assessment Process, Measures and Methods." In Event Impact Assessment. Goodfellow Publishers, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.23912/978-1-911635-03-1-4030.
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We start with four planning or process models: one for forecasting impacts (the kind usually required by legislation for major projects); one for post-event or post-development IA; one of retrospective assessments of the impacts of events and tourism on a given state of the economy, environment or society; and another for strategic impact assessment (for policies, programmes and strategies). Figure 3.1 compares these models, with the ten steps in the forecasting model being the benchmark. Then a range of generic methods or tools are presented, all of which can be adapted for many possible applications. Most basic is the IA Matrix, generally used to break down a project into its components and identify possible impacts of each. Other generic methods include flowcharts, checklists, mapping, decision trees, scenarios, consultations, forecasting with simulations, and trend analysis. Logic and TOC models have been explained in the previous chapter. Additional methods are discussed in the ensuing chapters, more pertinent to social, cultural, ecological, built-environment or economic impacts.
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Mehrabani, Behzad Bamdad, Luca Sgambi, Elsa Garavaglia, and Negarsadat Madani. "Modeling methods for the assessment of the ecological impacts of road maintenance sites." In Environmental Sustainability and Economy, 171–93. Elsevier, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-822188-4.00009-9.
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Nabavi-Pelesaraei, Ashkan, Zahra Saber, Fatemeh Mostashari-Rad, Hassan Ghasemi-Mobtaker, and Kwok-wing Chau. "Coupled life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis to optimize energy consumption and mitigate environmental impacts in agricultural production." In Methods in Sustainability Science, 227–64. Elsevier, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-823987-2.00012-x.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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Carter, Michael, Hossein Basereh Taramsari, and Steven Hoffenson. "Exploring the Integration of DSM and LCA Tools to Improve Design for Sustainability." In ASME 2022 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2022-90492.
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Abstract One of the many challenges that engineering designers face today is a deficiency in practical and value-adding design methodologies that consider sustainability. Typically, design for sustainability (DfS) principles that address environmental and social impacts are not prioritized at the same level as economic, physical, and functional needs. Additionally, many newly-introduced DfS methodologies are fragmented and underdeveloped. Furthermore, many methods are catered towards specific niche product domains or corporate workflows, making the application of these methods across a wide range of problems and products a challenge. By investigating the tools and methods available for DfS and identifying their application and limitations, this study explores the integration of design structure matrices (DSMs) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools to improve DfS. The expectation is that an integrated DSM and LCA will allow designers to explore how a single design change may propagate through to specific changes in environmental and social impacts. The initial development of a full DSM and LCA is demonstrated through two case studies of a reusable water bottle and a micro-pump, showing which components, materials, and processes have the most significant environmental impacts. The results illustrate the value in applying this approach, which may be suitable across a wide range of existing products in an effort to improve DfS.
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Garretson, Ian C., Christopher J. Eastwood, Michael D. Eastwood, and Karl R. Haapala. "A Software Tool for Unit Process-Based Sustainable Manufacturing Assessment of Metal Components and Assemblies." In ASME 2014 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2014-34557.
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While environmental impact analysis is standard in accordance with ISO 14040:2006 using life cycle assessment software, such as GaBi and SimaPro, software tools supporting broader sustainability assessment are limited. Recent research has developed methods for sustainable manufacturing assessment and has led to unit manufacturing process models that can be used to quantify sustainability metrics. In spite of these advances, engineering designers must apply such methods in an ad hoc manner, which increases engineering analysis time and limits the utility of sustainability assessment in early design. Thus, manufacturing process models and supporting software tool are developed to assist design for manufacturing efforts pursuing sustainability performance improvement. The software is constructed using Visual Basic to create a graphical user interface for an MS Excel calculation engine. Using unit manufacturing process models, a product sustainability assessment can be generated by chaining together a sequential manufacturing process flow. In this way, cradle-to-gate assessments can support decisions made during product, process, and supply chain design. The method combines upstream inventory analysis and in-house unit process modeling to perform cradle-to-gate sustainability assessment. The utility of the approach is demonstrated for the assessment of an aircraft-like metal product assembly.
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Turaga, Ananth K., and Utpal Roy. "Manufacturing Footprint Computation From Detailed Machining Plans for Sustainability Assessment in Manufacturing Enterprises." In ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. ASMEDC, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2011-47984.
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Several of the currently available engineering design and software analysis packages are being utilized by designers in the early stages of the product life cycle for product modeling and evaluation. However, while the growing need for designing ‘sustainable’ products is increasingly being recognized, an overall lack of measurement tools and formal methods for sustainability assessment remains a void to be addressed. In order to provide a reliable and design-based evaluation approach, “product footprint” is proposed as a viable sustainability assessment metric for gauging the environmental impacts of products. Such an assessment system would give direct feedback to designers of the overall manufacturing impact, so that design modifications can be effected to minimize environmental costs while maintaining product quality and design intent. Further, since all the product structure information is needed throughout the entire product life cycle, the system must be capable of making such evaluations in a PLM environment. A methodology for computing an energy metric and thereby overall manufacturing footprint for sustainability assessment is developed using the Pro/ENGINEER CAD system for design and Pro/NC-MILL for detailed NC path planning for machining operations.
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Smullin, Matteo M., Karl R. Haapala, Mahesh Mani, and K. C. Morris. "Using Industry Focus Groups and Literature Review to Identify Challenges in Sustainable Assessment Theory and Practice." In ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2016-60216.
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The bottom up demand from consumers for more sustainable products, and the top down need to comply with government regulations motivates manufacturers to adopt tools and methods to evaluate their operations for opportunities to reduce environmental impact and improve competitiveness. Manufacturers have actively improved the sustainability of their products through the use of such tools and methods. However recently, manufacturers are struggling to maintain the necessary gains in energy and material efficiency due to the assessment inaccuracies of current ad hoc methods and their inability to identify large sustainability improvement opportunities. Overcoming this barrier requires standardized methods and tools that are implementable and which contain accurate manufacturing process-level information. To aid in developing such methods and tools, this study contrasts the perspective of industry and academic research on the topics of sustainable manufacturing metrics and measurements, and process modeling to determine the deficits that exist in enacting academic theory to practice. Furthermore, this study highlights some of the industry responses to the development of related standards for sustainability assessment.
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Moslehi, Salim, and T. Agami Reddy. "Sustainability Index of Community Energy Systems for Benchmarking and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis." In ASME 2016 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/imece2016-66887.
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Sustainable development of energy infrastructure systems is critical for a sustainable future. Planners are adopting a variety of tools from diverse domains to design, assess, operate and plan for sustainable energy systems. The purpose of this study is to propose a quantitative sustainability assessment framework, adopting a bottom-up approach suitable to energy infrastructure systems. We have extended many of the well-accepted processes and analysis methods applicable to individual buildings to a community involving numerous buildings and centralized energy systems. We propose a simple framework which allows determining a measure called SICES, Sustainability Index of Community Energy Systems, that recognizes the three important pillars of sustainability. Willingness to pay, captured by environmental externalities, is considered to be the social value which enables quantifying the impacts of energy systems on the environment, economy, and society. Well-developed tools and methods, such as building stock modeling, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), are used in conjunction with additional indices, i.e. Reliability, Robustness, and Resilience (RRR) to evaluate the sustainable performance of community energy systems. SICES explicitly considers environmental, health, and energy cost impacts of on-site energy systems (solar photovoltaics, combined heat and power systems, boilers, chillers, etc.) as well as those of the upstream systems, i.e. natural gas production and utility power generation facilities, accounting for location-specific and temporal variation in fuel mix. We present the results of a case study analysis of applying this framework to an actual campus with more than 280 buildings and numerous solar PV systems using year-long monitored data of hourly cooling, heating and electricity demands to compute the SICES index. How different energy mixes and application of energy conservation measures would alter the current SICES index of the campus is also illustrated and discussed. A new type of diagram called the “Sustainability Compass” is proposed which allows one to track the directional change and magnitude in SICES of different energy scenarios compared to a baseline scenario.
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Liang, Mincui. "A Holistic Method to Enhance the Sustainable Design, Manufacture, Operation, and End-of-Life of Offshore Supply Vessels." In ASME 2020 39th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2020-18475.
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Abstract Nowadays, sustainable development is becoming a worldwide growing concern for the shipping industry. The overall aim of this paper is to develop a holistic method to enhance sustainable design at the design stage of Offshore Supply Vessels. The process and practice of deciding on the alternative hull & structure materials are presented in the case study to verify and validate the method. The technique includes four main parts. Firstly, Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, which was developed from Life Cycle Assessment, and which has been carried out to analyze the environmental, economic, and social impacts. Secondly, Monetary Valuation is used to convert the results of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment. Moreover, Life Cycle Sustainability Costing is used as an accounting tool to aggregate the results from the Monetary Valuation, including environmental cost, economic cost, and social cost. Finally, the results of Life Cycle Sustainability Costing have been analyzed through Sensitivity Analysis to interpret and make sound recommendations. The novelty of this research is the combination of the different methods, as well as its application to Offshore Supply Vessels.
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Raman, Arvind Shankar, Dustin Harper, Karl R. Haapala, Barbara S. Linke, William Z. Bernstein, and KC Morris. "Challenges in Representing Manufacturing Processes for Systematic Sustainability Assessments: Workshop on June 21, 2018." In ASME 2019 14th International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/msec2019-3032.
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Abstract A workshop on Challenges in Representing Manufacturing Processes for Systematic Sustainability Assessments, jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, ASTM International, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, was held in College Station, Texas on June 21, 2018. The goals of the workshop were to identify research needs supporting manufacturing process characterization, define limitations in associated education practices, and emphasize on challenges to be pursued by the advanced manufacturing research community. An important aspect surrounded the introduction and development of reusable abstractions of manufacturing processes (RAMP), which are standard representations of unit manufacturing processes to support the development of metrics, methods, and tools for the analysis of manufacturing processes and systems. This paper reports on the workshop activities and findings, which span the improvement of engineering education, the understanding of process physics and the influence of novel materials and manufacturing processes on energy and environmental impacts, and approaches for optimization and decision-making in the design of manufacturing systems. A nominal group technique was used to identify metrics, methods, and tools critical to advanced manufacturing industry as well as highlight the associated research challenges and barriers. Workshop outcomes provide a number of research directions that can be pursued to address the identified challenges and barriers.
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Ferrero, Vincenzo, Chris Hoyle, and Bryony DuPont. "A Probabilistic Approach for Estimating the Environmental Impact of Novel Product Concepts." In ASME 2021 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2021-70990.
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Abstract Global concerns about climate change and resource management have escalated the need for sustainable consumer products. In light of this, sustainable design methodologies that supplement the product design process are needed. Current research focuses on developing sustainable design curricula, adapting classical design methods to accommodate environmental sustainability, and sustainability tools that are applicable during the early design phase. However, concurrent work suggests that sustainability-marketed and innovative products still lack a reduction of environmental impact compared to conventional products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has proven to be an exceptional tool used to assess the environmental impact of a realized product. However, LCA is a reactive tool that does not proactively reduce the environmental impact of novel product concepts. Here we develop a novel methodology, the PeeP method, using historical product LCA data with kernel density estimation to provide an estimated environmental impact range for a given product design. The PeeP method is tested using a series of case studies exploring four different products. Results suggest that probability density estimations developed through this method reflect the environmental impact of the product at both the product and component level. In the context of sustainable design research, the PeeP method is a viable methodology for assessing product design environmental impact prior to product realization. Our methodology can allow designers to identify high-impact components and reduce the cost of product redesign in practice.
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Zhao, Fu, Gautam Naik, and Li Zhang. "Environmental Sustainability of Laser-Based Manufacturing: Case Studies on Laser Shock Peening and Laser Assisted Turning." In ASME 2009 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference. ASMEDC, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/msec2009-84206.
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Laser assisted manufacturing (LAM) processes, when compared with traditional manufacturing processes, have the potential to reduce cost, increase surface finish, extend part/tool life, and expand the range of manufacturable materials. However, very limited research has been done to evaluate the environmental performance of laser assisted processes and it is generally not clear how LAM processes compare with traditional methods. This paper conducts case studies on two representative laser based processes, i.e. laser shock peening of 7065 T7351 Aluminum and laser assisted turning of compacted graphite iron. Life cycle assessment is used to benchmark the environmental performance of these two processes to conventional processes, i.e. shot peening and dry turning, respectively. The life cycle inventory of both the laser based processes and conventional processes are developed using SimaPro v7.1 and Ecoinvent 2.0 and life cycle impact assessment is performed using US EPA TRACI. It is found that environmental performance of laser based processes varies significantly from process to process due to materials and energy consumption. Laser shock peening of aluminum has much better performance when over all environmental impact categories considered. Contribution analysis indicates that this is mainly due to the fact that laser shock peening does not need shot medium and at the same time significantly extends fatigue life of the workpiece. However, due to high electricity consumption and use of absorptive paint, laser assisted turning of compacted graphite iron has much higher environmental impacts than traditional dry turning, even after extending the tool life significantly.
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Eastlick, Dane D., Misha V. Sahakian, and Karl R. Haapala. "Sustainable Manufacturing Analysis for Titanium Components." In ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. ASMEDC, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2011-48854.
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Product designers are seeking effective ways to meet customer requirements, government policies, and internal business drivers for sustainability. Sustainable products encompass attributes including recyclable and renewable materials use, low energy consumption, cost competitiveness, and consideration of safety and health concerns. Beyond product attributes, however, sustainable products are cognizant of a broader life cycle perspective, which necessitates consideration of manufacturing and supply chain issues during design. Current life cycle assessment tools are often deficient in assisting design for manufacturing efforts due to coarseness of available process data or even a lack of representative process models. In addition, such tools consider only the environmental impacts and do not account for broader sustainability measures. Research with a titanium component manufacturer is addressing these deficiencies. A unit process modeling-based method is described to assist in strategic decision making to balance cradle-to-gate economic, environmental, and social attributes. A set of metrics is defined and used as a basis for comparison of design alternatives. The method is demonstrated for analysis of titanium component alternatives resulting from design for manufacturing activities. It is shown that this method can assist engineers in developing more sustainable products.
Reports on the topic "Sustainability Impacts Assessment Methods and Tools"
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David, Gabrielle, D. Somerville, Julia McCarthy, Spencer MacNeil, Faith Fitzpatrick, Ryan Evans, and David Wilson. Technical guide for the development, evaluation, and modification of stream assessment methods for the Corps Regulatory Program. Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.), October 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/42182.
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The U.S. Army Corps Regulatory Program considers the loss (impacts) and gain (compensatory mitigation) of aquatic resource functions as part of Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting and compensatory mitigation decisions. To better inform this regulatory decision-making, the Regulatory Program needs transparent and objective approaches to assess the function and condition of aquatic resources, including streams. Therefore, the Regulatory Program needs function-based stream assessments (1) to characterize a stream’s condition or function, (2) to improve understanding of the impact of a proposed action on an aquatic resource, and/or (3) to inform the development of stream compensatory mitigation tools rooted in stream condition and/or function. A function-based stream assessment can provide regulatory decision makers with the resources to objectively consider alternatives, minimize impacts, assess unavoidable impacts, determine mitigation requirements, and monitor the success of mitigation projects. A multiagency National Committee on Stream Assessment (NCSA) convened to create these guidelines to inform the development of new methods and evaluation of both national-level and regional methods currently in use. The resulting guidelines present nine phases, including rationale and recommendations to facilitate work efforts. The NCSA hopes that this technical guide promotes transparency, technical defensibility, and consistent application of stream assessments in the Regulatory Program.
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Barajas, Jesus, Lindsay Braun, Amanda Merck, Bob Dean, Paul Esling, and Heidy Persaud. The State of Practice in Community Impact Assessment. Illinois Center for Transportation, August 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/22-011.
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The objective of this research was to provide recommendations to the Illinois Department of Transportation for updating and revising the “Community Impact Assessment Manual” in accordance with the latest research and practice. The guide incorporated findings from a literature review, a scan of state department of transportation (DOT) community impact assessment (CIA) guidance and manuals, a survey of practitioners from state DOTs involved in CIA, and a series of interviews with those same practitioners to recommend process updates. According to the Federal Highway Administration, community impact assessment can be defined as “an iterative process to evaluate the effects of a transportation action on a community and its quality of life,” which includes elements of health, safety, air quality, connectivity and access, and equity. Six states had publicly available CIA guidance. While all manuals provided basic guidance, some were more detailed in prescribing analytical methods for different types of impacts or provided more structure for conducting the analysis, such as report templates, technical memos, interactive screening tools, field visit checklists, and community context audit forms. According to surveys and interviews with state DOT practitioners, DOTs varied in how or whether they conducted CIA, whether they screened for the need for CIA in advance of conducting it, and what factors they consider when conducting them. A few DOTs had innovative practices with respect to CIA, such as mapping tools, an equity and health assessment, and robust community engagement. The CIA guidance produced as a component to this project constitutes the state of the art in practice, including quantitative and qualitative analytical methods for screening and methods for conducting and documenting CIA. The guidance also emphasizes equity in the assessment process.
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Sett, Dominic, Florian Waldschmidt, Alvaro Rojas-Ferreira, Saut Sagala, Teresa Arce Mojica, Preeti Koirala, Patrick Sanady, et al. Climate and disaster risk analytics tool for adaptive social protection. United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security, March 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.53324/wnsg2302.
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Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) as discussed in this report is an approach to enhance the well-being of communities at risk. As an integrated approach, ASP builds on the interface of Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Social Protection (SP) to address interconnected risks by building resilience, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of traditionally sectoral approaches. The design of meaningful ASP measures needs to be informed by specific information on risk, risk drivers and impacts on communities at risk. In contrast, a limited understanding of risk and its drivers can potentially lead to maladaptation practices. Therefore, multidimensional risk assessments are vital for the successful implementation of ASP. Although many sectoral tools to assess risks exist, available integrated risk assessment methods across sectors are still inadequate in the context of ASP, presenting an important research and implementation gap. ASP is now gaining international momentum, making the timely development of a comprehensive risk analytics tool even more important, including in Indonesia, where nationwide implementation of ASP is currently under way. OBJECTIVE: To address this gap, this study explores the feasibility of a climate and disaster risk analytics tool for ASP (CADRAT-ASP), combining sectoral risk assessment in the context of ASP with a more comprehensive risk analytics approach. Risk analytics improve the understanding of risks by locating and quantifying the potential impacts of disasters. For example, the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) framework quantifies probable current and expected future impacts of extreme events and determines the monetary cost and benefits of specific risk management and adaptation measures. Using the ECA framework, this report examines the viability and practicality of applying a quantitative risk analytics approach for non-financial and non-tangible assets that were identified as central to ASP. This quantitative approach helps to identify cost-effective interventions to support risk-informed decision making for ASP. Therefore, we used Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, as a case study, to identify potential entry points and examples for the further development and application of such an approach. METHODS & RESULTS: The report presents an analysis of central risks and related impacts on communities in the context of ASP. In addition, central social protection dimensions (SPD) necessary for the successful implementation of ASP and respective data needs from a theoretical perspective are identified. The application of the quantitative ECA framework is tested for tropical storms in the context of ASP, providing an operational perspective on technical feasibility. Finally, recommendations on further research for the potential application of a suitable ASP risk analytics tool in Indonesia are proposed. Results show that the ECA framework and its quantitative modelling platform CLIMADA successfully quantified the impact of tropical storms on four SPDs. These SPDs (income, access to health, access to education and mobility) were selected based on the results from the Hazard, Exposure and Vulnerability Assessment (HEVA) conducted to support the development of an ASP roadmap for the Republic of Indonesia (UNU-EHS 2022, forthcoming). The SPDs were modelled using remote sensing, gridded data and available global indices. The results illustrate the value of the outcome to inform decision making and a better allocation of resources to deliver ASP to the case study area. RECOMMENDATIONS: This report highlights strong potential for the application of the ECA framework in the ASP context. The impact of extreme weather events on four social protection dimensions, ranging from access to health care and income to education and mobility, were successfully quantified. In addition, further developments of CADRAT-ASP can be envisaged to improve modelling results and uptake of this tool in ASP implementation. Recommendations are provided for four central themes: mainstreaming the CADRAT approach into ASP, data and information needs for the application of CADRAT-ASP, methodological advancements of the ECA framework to support ASP and use of CADRAT-ASP for improved resilience-building. Specific recommendations are given, including the integration of additional hazards, such as flood, drought or heatwaves, for a more comprehensive outlook on potential risks. This would provide a broader overview and allow for multi-hazard risk planning. In addition, high-resolution local data and stakeholder involvement can increase both ownership and the relevance of SPDs. Further recommendations include the development of a database and the inclusion of climate and socioeconomic scenarios in analyses.
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Treadwell, Jonathan R., James T. Reston, Benjamin Rouse, Joann Fontanarosa, Neha Patel, and Nikhil K. Mull. Automated-Entry Patient-Generated Health Data for Chronic Conditions: The Evidence on Health Outcomes. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), March 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.23970/ahrqepctb38.
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Background. Automated-entry consumer devices that collect and transmit patient-generated health data (PGHD) are being evaluated as potential tools to aid in the management of chronic diseases. The need exists to evaluate the evidence regarding consumer PGHD technologies, particularly for devices that have not gone through Food and Drug Administration evaluation. Purpose. To summarize the research related to automated-entry consumer health technologies that provide PGHD for the prevention or management of 11 chronic diseases. Methods. The project scope was determined through discussions with Key Informants. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (via EMBASE.com), In-Process MEDLINE and PubMed unique content (via PubMed.gov), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews or controlled trials. We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing studies. We assessed risk of bias and extracted data on health outcomes, surrogate outcomes, usability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness outcomes (quantifying the tradeoffs between health effects and cost), process outcomes, and other characteristics related to PGHD technologies. For isolated effects on health outcomes, we classified the results in one of four categories: (1) likely no effect, (2) unclear, (3) possible positive effect, or (4) likely positive effect. When we categorized the data as “unclear” based solely on health outcomes, we then examined and classified surrogate outcomes for that particular clinical condition. Findings. We identified 114 unique studies that met inclusion criteria. The largest number of studies addressed patients with hypertension (51 studies) and obesity (43 studies). Eighty-four trials used a single PGHD device, 23 used 2 PGHD devices, and the other 7 used 3 or more PGHD devices. Pedometers, blood pressure (BP) monitors, and scales were commonly used in the same studies. Overall, we found a “possible positive effect” of PGHD interventions on health outcomes for coronary artery disease, heart failure, and asthma. For obesity, we rated the health outcomes as unclear, and the surrogate outcomes (body mass index/weight) as likely no effect. For hypertension, we rated the health outcomes as unclear, and the surrogate outcomes (systolic BP/diastolic BP) as possible positive effect. For cardiac arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities we rated the health outcomes as unclear and the surrogate outcome (time to arrhythmia detection) as likely positive effect. The findings were “unclear” regarding PGHD interventions for diabetes prevention, sleep apnea, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most studies did not report harms related to PGHD interventions; the relatively few harms reported were minor and transient, with event rates usually comparable to harms in the control groups. Few studies reported cost-effectiveness analyses, and only for PGHD interventions for hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; the findings were variable across different chronic conditions and devices. Patient adherence to PGHD interventions was highly variable across studies, but patient acceptance/satisfaction and usability was generally fair to good. However, device engineers independently evaluated consumer wearable and handheld BP monitors and considered the user experience to be poor, while their assessment of smartphone-based electrocardiogram monitors found the user experience to be good. Student volunteers involved in device usability testing of the Weight Watchers Online app found it well-designed and relatively easy to use. Implications. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated some PGHD technologies (e.g., pedometers, scales, BP monitors), particularly for obesity and hypertension, but health outcomes were generally underreported. We found evidence suggesting a possible positive effect of PGHD interventions on health outcomes for four chronic conditions. Lack of reporting of health outcomes and insufficient statistical power to assess these outcomes were the main reasons for “unclear” ratings. The majority of studies on PGHD technologies still focus on non-health-related outcomes. Future RCTs should focus on measurement of health outcomes. Furthermore, future RCTs should be designed to isolate the effect of the PGHD intervention from other components in a multicomponent intervention.