Author: Latest Results

World Pandemic Control in International Law: Through a Transboundary Harm Perspective

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Abstract

The current pandemic response system under the International Health Regulations has been considered unsatisfactory in controlling world pandemic outbreaks. Opinions are voiced that a legal evolution incorporating other sources of international law is imperative to meet the system’s primary deficiency: the uneven degree of State compliance with the ‘core capacity’ requirements. Against this background, this paper aims to examine the potential application of transboundary harm rules in world pandemic prevention, where existing treaty obligations are insufficient or ineffective in addressing future obstacles. By comparing their conceptual characters and legal elements, this paper seeks to reveal the inherent link between the two domains, which may further demonstrate an existing manifestation of transboundary harm rules as emerging customary international law in current pandemic prevention practice. Based on the structure of transboundary harm rules, this paper aims to provide an innovative legal framework that justifies the differentiated standards among States with uneven capacity and underlines the obligation of cooperation. Such a framework is designed to improve the level of States’ prevention and response towards future global health emergencies raised by world pandemics. Moreover, it hopes to provide practical ideas for formulating the new international instrument on pandemic prevention, which is currently being drafted by the Member States of the World Health Organization.

Assessment of factors leading to the failure of slopes in North Dakota

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Abstract

A total of 66,894 landslides were observed in North Dakota. The characteristics of these landslide locations were compared with the properties of areas without landslides to assess the factors that may be contributing to the landslides. Specifically, 68,395 control point locations randomly distributed across the state were selected for these comparisons. All the landslides for this study were found in areas with slopes less than 64°, with the majority of the failures occurring on slopes with inclinations between 9° and 14°. The largest fraction of the landslides occurred in the Sentinel Butte Formation (34,063 or 51% of the total), followed by Bullion Creek (8695 or 13% of the total) and river sediment of the Oahe Formation (6421 or 9.6% of the total). In the t tests, all of the surficial geologic formations had statistically significant differences between the landslides and control points. The t test for the slope inclination indicated statistically significant differences with a p-value less than 0.001 and a huge effect size between the landslide and control points. The sodium adsorption ratio and total dissolved solids were also found to be statistically significant from the t test results. Pearson’s correlation matrix showed a negative correlation between the amount of rainfall and various measures of the salt concentrations at the landslide locations, pointing to the reductions in shear strength and slope stability that might result as pore fluid salinity is leached.

Emergency response, and community impact after February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık and Elbistan Earthquakes: reconnaissance findings and observations on affected region in Türkiye

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Abstract

Türkiye has a long history of devastating earthquakes, and on February 6, 2023, the region experienced two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, striking Pazarcık and Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş, respectively, on the East Anatolian Fault Zone. These earthquakes resulted in significant loss of life and property, impacting multiple cities across 11 cities, and leaving a lasting impact on the country. The 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes rank among the deadliest and most damaging earthquakes in Türkiye, alongside the historical significance of the 1939 Erzincan Earthquake and the 1999 Marmara Earthquake. Despite reforms following the 1999 Marmara Earthquake in disaster policy and preparedness, the scale of damage from the February 6 earthquakes has been shocking, necessitating further insights and lessons for future earthquake management. This paper presents the outcomes of immediate response efforts organized after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes to elucidate emergency response activities and their impacts on communities, considering the substantial size and severity of the damages. The study focuses on evaluating the emergency response provided within the first 24 h, 3 days, and 2 weeks after the earthquakes, aiming to promptly identify the nature and effectiveness of these responses, as well as the conditions that hindered their efficacy. By shedding light on the specific experiences and challenges faced during these crucial timeframes, the research aims to offer valuable insights and lessons learned. These findings contribute to improved preparedness strategies and more efficient emergency response measures needed in responding to future disaster scenarios. Ultimately, this study provides a useful resource for all stakeholders involved in emergency response and disaster management, offering valuable guidance to enhance resilience and preparedness in the face of seismic hazards.

The framings of the coexistence of agrifood models: a computational analysis of French media

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Abstract

The confrontations of stakeholder visions about agriculture and food production has become a focal point in the public sphere, coinciding with a diversification of agrifood models. This study analyzes the debates stemming from the coexistence of these models, particularly during the initial term of neoliberal-centrist Emmanuel Macron’s presidency in France. Employing collective monitoring from 2017 to 2021, a corpus of 958 online news and blog articles was compiled. Using a computational analysis, we reveal the framings and controversies emerging from this media discourse. The macro-structuring of discourse on model coexistence revolves around scientific, economic and political framings. Coexistence is a complex of debates based on specific frames associated with specific arenas and actor configurations: growth of organic agriculture, transformations of agrifood systems, sciences of production and impacts, livestock and meat diet controversies, agroecological innovations, CAP reform criticism, discourse of peasant agriculture and State-Profession co-gestion. Employing global sentiment analysis and focusing on salient controversies, namely EGAlim law, pesticide regulations, and agribashing, we show the shift from conciliation to a hardening of debates. Finally, we discuss the causes and consequences of this trend. The political will to support the transition of agriculture remains influenced by the co-gestion system, an inherited configuration of decision-makers instrumental in the agricultural modernization. As a consequence, significant agricultural challenges, particularly highlighted in the scientific macro-frame, persist unresolved. This lock-in of the agrifood system is based on defensive strategies that challenge the democratic debate about food and agricultural practices.

Challenges in remote sensing based climate and crop monitoring: navigating the complexities using AI

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Abstract

The fast human climate change we are witnessing in the early twenty-first century is inextricably linked to the health and function of the biosphere. Climate change is affecting ecosystems through changes in mean conditions and variability, as well as other related changes such as increased ocean acidification and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. It also interacts with other ecological stresses like as degradation, defaunation, and fragmentation.Ecology and climate monitoring are critical to understanding the complicated interactions between ecosystems and changing climate trends. This review paper dives into the issues of ecological and climate monitoring, emphasizing the complications caused by technical limits, data integration, scale differences, and the critical requirement for accurate and timely information. Understanding the ecological dynamics of these climatic impacts, identifying hotspots of susceptibility and resistance, and identifying management measures that may aid biosphere resilience to climate change are all necessary. At the same time, ecosystems can help with climate change mitigation and adaptation. The processes, possibilities, and constraints of such nature-based climate change solutions must be investigated and assessed. Addressing these issues is critical for developing successful policies and strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable ecosystem management. Human actions inscribe their stamp in the big narrative of our planet’s story, affecting the very substance of the global atmosphere. This transformation goes beyond chemistry, casting a spell on the physical characteristics that choreograph Earth’s brilliant dance. These qualities, like heavenly notes, create a song that echoes deep into the biosphere. We go on a journey via recorded tales of ecological transformation as they respond to the ever-shifting environment in this text. We peek into the rich fabric of change, drawing insight from interconnected observatories. Nonetheless, this growing symphony is set to unleash additional transformational stories - narratives of natural riches and rhythms that are both economically and environmentally essential. Understanding these stories is essential for navigating this developing epic. A roadmap for sustainable development necessitates the ability to comprehend these stories, a problem that resonates across the breadth of monitoring programs, particularly in the infancy of integrated sites.

Challenges in remote sensing based climate and crop monitoring: navigating the complexities using AI

Latest Results

Abstract

The fast human climate change we are witnessing in the early twenty-first century is inextricably linked to the health and function of the biosphere. Climate change is affecting ecosystems through changes in mean conditions and variability, as well as other related changes such as increased ocean acidification and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. It also interacts with other ecological stresses like as degradation, defaunation, and fragmentation.Ecology and climate monitoring are critical to understanding the complicated interactions between ecosystems and changing climate trends. This review paper dives into the issues of ecological and climate monitoring, emphasizing the complications caused by technical limits, data integration, scale differences, and the critical requirement for accurate and timely information. Understanding the ecological dynamics of these climatic impacts, identifying hotspots of susceptibility and resistance, and identifying management measures that may aid biosphere resilience to climate change are all necessary. At the same time, ecosystems can help with climate change mitigation and adaptation. The processes, possibilities, and constraints of such nature-based climate change solutions must be investigated and assessed. Addressing these issues is critical for developing successful policies and strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable ecosystem management. Human actions inscribe their stamp in the big narrative of our planet’s story, affecting the very substance of the global atmosphere. This transformation goes beyond chemistry, casting a spell on the physical characteristics that choreograph Earth’s brilliant dance. These qualities, like heavenly notes, create a song that echoes deep into the biosphere. We go on a journey via recorded tales of ecological transformation as they respond to the ever-shifting environment in this text. We peek into the rich fabric of change, drawing insight from interconnected observatories. Nonetheless, this growing symphony is set to unleash additional transformational stories - narratives of natural riches and rhythms that are both economically and environmentally essential. Understanding these stories is essential for navigating this developing epic. A roadmap for sustainable development necessitates the ability to comprehend these stories, a problem that resonates across the breadth of monitoring programs, particularly in the infancy of integrated sites.

Identifying and ranking of CMIP6-global climate models for projected changes in temperature over Indian subcontinent

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Abstract

Selecting the best region-specific climate models is a precursor information for quantifying the climate change impact studies on hydraulic/hydrological projects and extreme heat events. A crucial step in lowering GCMs simulation-related uncertainty is identifying skilled GCMs based on their ranking. This research performed a critical assessment of 30 general circulation models (GCMs) from CMIP6 (IPCC’s sixth assessment report) for maximum and minimum temperature over Indian subcontinent. The daily temperature data from 1965 to 2014 were considered to quantify maximum and minimum temperatures using a gridded spatial resolution of 1°. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), correlation coefficient (CC), Perkins skill score (PSS), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and absolute normalized mean bias error (ANMBE) were employed as performance indicators for two different scenarios, S1 and S2. The entropy approach was used to allocate weights to each performance indicator for relative ranking. Individual ranking at each grid was achieved using a multicriteria decision-making technique, VIKOR. The combined ranking was accomplished by integrating group decision-making, average ranking perspective, and cumulative percentage coverage of India. The outcome reveals that for S1 and S2, NRMSE and NSE are the most significant indicators, respectively whereas CC is the least significant indicator in both cases. This study identifies ensemble of KIOST-ESM, MRI-ESM2-0, MIROC6, NESM3, and CanESM5 for maximum temperature and E3SM-1-0, NESM3, CanESM5, GFDL-CM4, INM-CM5-0, and CMCC-ESM2 for minimum temperature.

Identifying and ranking of CMIP6-global climate models for projected changes in temperature over Indian subcontinent

Latest Results

Abstract

Selecting the best region-specific climate models is a precursor information for quantifying the climate change impact studies on hydraulic/hydrological projects and extreme heat events. A crucial step in lowering GCMs simulation-related uncertainty is identifying skilled GCMs based on their ranking. This research performed a critical assessment of 30 general circulation models (GCMs) from CMIP6 (IPCC’s sixth assessment report) for maximum and minimum temperature over Indian subcontinent. The daily temperature data from 1965 to 2014 were considered to quantify maximum and minimum temperatures using a gridded spatial resolution of 1°. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), correlation coefficient (CC), Perkins skill score (PSS), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and absolute normalized mean bias error (ANMBE) were employed as performance indicators for two different scenarios, S1 and S2. The entropy approach was used to allocate weights to each performance indicator for relative ranking. Individual ranking at each grid was achieved using a multicriteria decision-making technique, VIKOR. The combined ranking was accomplished by integrating group decision-making, average ranking perspective, and cumulative percentage coverage of India. The outcome reveals that for S1 and S2, NRMSE and NSE are the most significant indicators, respectively whereas CC is the least significant indicator in both cases. This study identifies ensemble of KIOST-ESM, MRI-ESM2-0, MIROC6, NESM3, and CanESM5 for maximum temperature and E3SM-1-0, NESM3, CanESM5, GFDL-CM4, INM-CM5-0, and CMCC-ESM2 for minimum temperature.

Variation in fire danger in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region over the past 30 years and its linkage with atmospheric circulation

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Abstract

It is crucial to investigate the characteristics of fire danger in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region to improve the accuracy of local fire danger monitoring, forecasting, and management. With the use of instrumental observation data from 173 national meteorological stations in the BTH region from 1991 to 2020, the fire weather index (FWI) is first calculated in this study, and its spatiotemporal characteristics are analyzed. The high- and low-fire danger periods based on the FWI occur in April and August, respectively, with significant decreasing and increasing trends throughout the BTH region over the past 30 years. Next, the contributions of different meteorological factors to the FWI are quantified via a detrending technique. Most regions are affected by precipitation during the high-fire danger period. Both the maximum surface air temperature (Tmax) and precipitation, however, notably contribute to the FWI trend changes during the low-fire danger period. Then, we assess the linkage with atmospheric circulation. Abundant water vapor from the Northwest Pacific and local upward motion jointly lead to increased precipitation and, as a consequence, a decreased FWI during the high-fire danger period. A lack of water vapor from the boreal zone and local downward movement could cause adiabatic subsidence and hence, amplify the temperature and FWI during the low-fire danger period. In contrast to shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 585, in which the FWI in the BTH region exhibits a north–south dipole during the low-fire danger period, SSP245 yields an east–west dipole during the low-fire danger period. This study reveals that there is a higher-than-expected probability of fire danger during the low-fire danger period. Therefore, it is essential to intensify research on the fire danger during the low-fire danger period to improve our ability to predict summer fire danger.

Variation in fire danger in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region over the past 30 years and its linkage with atmospheric circulation

Latest Results

Abstract

It is crucial to investigate the characteristics of fire danger in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region to improve the accuracy of local fire danger monitoring, forecasting, and management. With the use of instrumental observation data from 173 national meteorological stations in the BTH region from 1991 to 2020, the fire weather index (FWI) is first calculated in this study, and its spatiotemporal characteristics are analyzed. The high- and low-fire danger periods based on the FWI occur in April and August, respectively, with significant decreasing and increasing trends throughout the BTH region over the past 30 years. Next, the contributions of different meteorological factors to the FWI are quantified via a detrending technique. Most regions are affected by precipitation during the high-fire danger period. Both the maximum surface air temperature (Tmax) and precipitation, however, notably contribute to the FWI trend changes during the low-fire danger period. Then, we assess the linkage with atmospheric circulation. Abundant water vapor from the Northwest Pacific and local upward motion jointly lead to increased precipitation and, as a consequence, a decreased FWI during the high-fire danger period. A lack of water vapor from the boreal zone and local downward movement could cause adiabatic subsidence and hence, amplify the temperature and FWI during the low-fire danger period. In contrast to shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 585, in which the FWI in the BTH region exhibits a north–south dipole during the low-fire danger period, SSP245 yields an east–west dipole during the low-fire danger period. This study reveals that there is a higher-than-expected probability of fire danger during the low-fire danger period. Therefore, it is essential to intensify research on the fire danger during the low-fire danger period to improve our ability to predict summer fire danger.