Floods are some of the most serious and devastating natural hazards on earth, bringing huge threats to lives, properties, and living environments. Rapid delineation of the spatial extent of flooding is of great importance for the dynamic monitoring of flood evolution and corresponding emergency strategies. Some of the current flood mapping methods mainly process single date images characterized by simple flood situations and homogenous backgrounds. Although other methods show good performance for images with harsh conditions for floods, they must be trained—many times based on pre-classified samples—or undergo complicated parameter tuning processes, which require computation efforts. The widely used change detection methods utilize multi-temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images for the detection of flood area, but the results are largely influenced by the quality of defined reference images. Furthermore, these methods were mostly applied for some river basin floods, which are not effective for the large scale, semi-arid regions with complex flood conditions, and various land cover types. All of these extremely limited the use of these methods for the timely and accurate extraction of the spatial distribution pattern of floods in other typical and broad areas. Based on the above considerations, this paper presents a new method for rapidly determining the extent of flooding in large, semi-arid areas with challenging environmental conditions, based on multi-temporal Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. First, a preprocessing scheme is applied to perform geometric correction and to estimate the intensity of the imagery. Second, an automatic thresholding procedure is used to generate an initial land and water classification through the integration of the probability density distribution. A fuzzy logic-based approach, combining SAR backscattering information and other auxiliary data, is then used to refine the initial classified image. The fuzzy logic-based refinement removes areas that look similar to water in the SAR images, significantly enhancing the flood mapping accuracy. Finally, a post-processing step consisting of morphological operations and extraction improves the homogeneity of the extracted flood segments, discards isolated pixels, and gives the final flood map. This method can automatically detect the extent of floods at little computational cost. As Sentinel-1 data are publicly available and have a fast repeat cycle, the procedure can provide near real time results for rapid emergency response following flash floods. The accuracy of the proposed method is assessed at three test sites in Pakistan, which covered diverse landscapes and suffered large scale serious flooding after a long and severe drought in 2015. In comparison with the more recent studies from Ohki et al., 2020, and Shahabi et al., 2020, our results indicate the best spatial agreement with GF-2 panchromatic multi-spectral (PMS) water classification, with an encouraging overall accuracy ranging from 91.1% to 96.6%, and Kappa coefficients ranging from 0.893 to 0.954. Especially for the areas with fragmented floods, heterogeneous backgrounds, and the areas where samples are highly unbalanced in the SAR images, our method combines the global statistics and local relationships of backscattering properties, terrain, and other auxiliary information, enabling to effectively preserve the detailed structures and also remove the noise. Full article

Granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) and coal fly ash (CFA) are two well-known constituents in Portland cements. Ternary Portland cements (GBFS-CFA-K) provide environmental advantages by reducing Portland cement clinker (K) production and, therefore, promote lower CO₂ emissions. Nevertheless, both of them cause a delay in the compressive strength gain. Given that, the early compressive strength for both constituents is low, but they improve the compressive strength at medium and later ages as consequence of the pozzolanic reaction. In this paper, a full factorial design with two levels was developed for the mortar compressive strength estimation at 2, 7 and 28 days. Mortar prisms made with 25% and 40% of granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) and/or coal fly ash (CFA) were tested. The effects of the interaction between GBFS and CFA on the compressive strength development of ternary Portland cement mortars were reported. Results show that the contribution of both cement constituents to the ternary mortar mix reduces the compressive strength for all the tested ages. Nevertheless, the finer the GBFS, the better ternary cement performance was achieved, showing that the synergistic effect is more effective when the finer GBFS is used, probably due to a more adequate particle size distribution. Finally, a relationship between compressive strength, fineness, GBFS content and CFA content was found for each age. Full article

Non-perennial rivers, watercourses that cease to flow at some point in time and space, are widespread globally but often lack effective protections. Although it is thought that these ecosystems are undervalued by society, empirical studies exploring people’s perceptions of non-perennial rivers are uncommon. We carried out an image-based survey at three U.S. universities to measure students’ perception of riverscapes according to seven characteristics: aesthetics, naturalness, habitat for biodiversity, habitat for fish, need of human intervention, importance for human well-being, and conservation value. Our results showed that non-perennial rivers are generally considered less valuable and worthy of conservation than their perennial counterparts. Furthermore, several factors influenced peoples’ perception of non-perennial rivers, including where they live, their educational history, how often they visit rivers, their leisure activities, and whether they live close to a river. Our findings suggested the need to improve people’s perceptions of non-perennial rivers as a step toward increased protection for these ecosystems. This current challenge demands combined actions by researchers from diverse disciplines and professionals working from different perspectives, including policymakers and educators. Full article

The traffic on the roads in many countries has been increasing in recent decades, and the increases in congestion and carbon emission are contributing significantly to climate change. To minimize these adverse effects, the use of more sustainable travel modes, such as public transit, walking, bicycling, carpool and ridesharing, has been widely promoted. Apart from these travel modes, alternatives, such as teleworking, which reduces commute trips, should also be promoted. The objective of this study is to identify different neighborhood design and social characteristics that are associated with teleworking. In this case study, a multiple regression model is applied to 2011 census data and road infrastructure data of 185 communities from the city of Calgary in Canada. In addition, a random intercept model is estimated to account for unobserved heterogeneity. We find that different street patterns, geographical size, land use, mass rapid transit, and road types have a significant effect on teleworking or working-at-home and should be considered when designing new communities. We also find several significant sociodemographic characteristics, including family size, marital status, children, housing type and language. Policy implications based on this research are then provided. Full article

A mobile monitoring station was developed to measure nitrate and physicochemical water quality parameters remotely, in real-time, and at very high frequencies (thirty minutes). Several calibration experiments were performed to validate the outputs of a real-time nutrient sensor, which can be affected by optical interferences such as turbidity, pH, temperature and salinity. Whilst most of these proved to play a minor role, a data-driven compensation model was developed to account for turbidity interferences. The reliability of real-time optical sensors has been questioned previously; however, this study has shown that following compensation, the readings can be more accurate than traditional laboratory-based equipment. In addition, significant benefits are offered by monitoring waterways at high frequencies, due to rapid changes in analyte concentrations over short time periods. This, combined with the versatility of the mobile station, provides opportunities for several beneficial monitoring applications, such as of fertiliser runoff in agricultural areas in rural regions, aquaculture runoff, and waterways in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef. Full article

Facing the need to address environmental issues of our society and individual customer needs and wants along with the trend of offering hybrids of services and products, the ability to efficiently design hybrid offerings is imperative to provide high levels of added value. This ability is much needed throughout the industry, while this type of design is highly challenging due to its high complexity. To date, however, there have been only a few proposals for methods that tackle this challenge at the conceptual design stage. This article proposes a model, a method, and a computerized tool that together support the conceptual design of families of product/service systems (PSSs). First, a PSS family model is presented and then implemented as an add-on to an existing computer-aided design (CAD) tool. Next, a method building upon the model and lean principles is developed as a design procedure. The software and the method are verified through an industrial example of designing a family of logistic services. The proposed model, method, and tool were found effective for describing different key elements of PSS family design. The power of the CAD tool was also demonstrated by taking advantage of a database of model building blocks and semi-automatic calculations. Full article

Research on green identity work has so far concentrated on sustainability managers and/or top-management actors. How lower-level green employees cope with identity tensions at work is, as yet, under-researched. The paper uses an identity work perspective and a qualitative empirical study to identify four strategies that lower-level employees use in negotiating and enacting their green identities at work. Contrary to expectations, lower-level green employees engage substantially in job crafting as a form of identity work despite their limited discretion. In addition, the study demonstrates that lower-level green employees make use of identity work strategies that uphold rather than diminish perceived misalignment between their green identities and their job context. Full article

Successful mitigation of air pollution in large cities requires information about the structure of emission sources and their contribution to total atmospheric load. The presented research demonstrates a possibility of application of isotope tracers for the estimation of contribution of different sources to the carbonaceous fraction of PM_2.5 (Particulate Matter containing fraction below 2.5 μm) collected in the urban atmosphere of Krakow, Poland during the summer and winter seasons. Isotope mass balance approach was used to perform source apportionment analysis for those two seasons. The analysis showed that the dominant source of the carbonaceous fraction of PM_2.5 in Krakow is coal burning during the winter season and biogenic emissions during the summer season. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the uncertainty of the percentage contribution of different sources to the overall carbon load of the analyzed PM_2.5 fraction is in order of a few percent. Full article

The primary aim of this paper was to present and analyze practical solutions of Industry 4.0 as applied in the Re Alloys company. The research question was whether the implementation of the digitization process based on Industry 4.0 resulted in changes to the organizational structure of the company and whether this brought about an improvement in the energy and material efficiency of the company. The research method used in the paper was the case study method. In view of the project’s results, we concluded that implementation of the new solution based on digitalization caused increased energy and material efficiency, often forced by external factors stemming from the operation of competitive markets. Technological changes also require the application of IT technologies and communication systems in managing production. Access to this information is also a chance to gain a competitive advantage. Full article

This article demonstrates the possibility of producing alkali-activated materials (AAM) from a mixture of mechanically processed concrete, ceramic, masonry, and mortar wastes, as a sustainable alternative for recycling construction and demolition wastes (CDWs) under real conditions. The addition of 10% Portland cement allowed the materials to cure at room temperature (25 °C). CDW binder achieved a compressive strength of up to 43.9 MPa and it was classified as a general use and low heat of hydration cement according to ASTM C1157. The concrete produced with this cement and the crushed aggregates also from CDW reported a compressive strength of 33.9 MPa at 28 days of curing and it was possible to produce a high-class structural block with 26.1 MPa according to ASTM C90. These results are considered one option in making full use of CDWs as binder and aggregates, using alkaline activation technology thereby meeting the zero-waste objective within the concept of the circular economy. Full article

Propelled by rapid urbanization, city administrations in low- and middle-income countries face a raft of challenges to secure food and nutrition for its poor urban dwellers. Urban agriculture (UA) seems a viable intervention to address urban food insecurity, however, experience has shown that urban gardens do not expand at the expected rate. Tackling this issue requires a deeper understanding of the main constraints that block UA expansion. Benin is not an exception; the country witnesses a breathtaking growth of its main cities that is in synchronization with a mounting food insecurity. Our research aims, therefore, to identify the main constraints for the expansion of UA in Benin, and adopt a three-pronged approach combined with a systematic literature review, a survey held among experienced urban gardeners, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders. Altogether, the synthesis shows a predominance of five main constraints: lack of land and tenure insecurity, insufficient government support, restricted market access, limited access to productive factors, and inequality issues. Specifically, while the review showed that most barriers are linked and could be tackled together, the survey indicated a political unwillingness which in our in-depth interviews is explained by the unperceived benefits of investing in UA and the lack of enforcement of urban development plans. We suggest that Beninese authorities and academics move in synchronization where the former coordinates the planning of urban gardens and the latter provides evidence to trigger public and private investments in UA. The findings could be the basis for further research on UA in West Africa and the wider continent. Full article

This paper examines the association between the built environment (BE) and travel behavior in Hanoi, Vietnam. A multinomial logit model is used to analyze individuals’ choice of travel mode from a dataset collected via a questionnaire-based household travel survey in 2016 and the geospatial data of BE variables; the dataset contains 762 responses from local residents in ten districts of the Hanoi Metropolitan Area about their daily travel episodes. It also examines a spatial aggregation effect by comparing model performances among four buffering distances and ward-zones. The results showed that (1) a higher population density around an individual’s home is associated with more bus use and less motorbike and car use; (2) mixed land use around the home, average tax revenue near the home, and bus frequency at the workplace have positive relationships with bus ridership; (3) senior people, students, or unskilled laborers tend to use the bus; (4) the spatial aggregation bias significantly affects the estimation results; and (5) new immigrants tend to choose to reside in areas designed for automobile users. Finally, there are several policy implications for transit-oriented development (TOD) in Hanoi, including: (1) parking regulations and/or control strategies should be jointly incorporated into the Hanoi’s TOD policy; (2) Hanoi’s TOD policy should be carefully designed in terms of its scope of development site and type; and (3) a polycentric structure strategy only may not be sufficient for increasing public transit ridership. Full article

Climate change is raising the length and intensity of the warm season in the academic year, with a very significant impact on indoor classroom conditions. Increasingly frequent episodes of extreme heat are having an adverse effect on school activities, whose duration may have to be shortened or pace slackened. Fitting facilities with air conditioning does not always solve the problem and may even contribute to discomfort or worsen health conditions, often as a result of insufficient ventilation. Users have traditionally adopted measures to adapt to these situations, particularly in warm climates where mechanical refrigeration is absent or unavailable. Implementation of such measures or of natural ventilation is not always possible or their efficacy is limited in school environments, however. Such constraints, especially in a context where reasonable energy use and operating costs are a primary concern, inform the need to identify the factors that contribute to users’ perceptions of comfort. This study deploys a post-occupancy strategy combined with participatory action to empower occupants as agents actively engaging in their own comfort. It addresses user-identified classroom comfort parameters potentially applicable in the design and layout of thermally suitable spaces meriting occupant acceptance. Full article

Chief executive officer (CEO) messages are important in communicating with employees. In terms of sustainability management, it is important to study these messages for their finance and safety content; however, previous studies have focused mostly on the financial aspects. Therefore, our approach is to: (1) focus on safety management, (2) use text mining and network analysis to extract the keywords emphasized by the CEOs, (3) analyze safety management characteristics through factor mapping and network analysis, (4) make recommendations. When the results from the CEO communications of 100 global construction companies were reviewed, keywords including “management”, “value”, “employee”, “system”, “project”, “culture”, “new”, “occupational”, “practice”, and “basis” were deduced. The words “management”, “employee”, and “culture” were the common keywords considered important by CEOs and were highlighted in literature reviews as significant words. Both the deduced keywords and the words deemed important by the CEOs have similar connotations. Motivation, Rules and Regulations, and Resources and Equipment were the factors that exhibited the highest centrality, while Culture and Climate had a structurally high connection. Based on our results, we suggest selecting appropriate words to form consensus with the workers, supplementing the factors related to safety investment with low centrality, and using direct “safety” words, and other relevant words. Full article

Design, implementation, and operation of any project are affected by the environment where it is developed; at the same time, the project will influence the environment, since during its life cycle it can cause an impact on it. This impact can lead to social, economic, and environmental results. Directive 2014/52/EU, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, reflects the obligation for the project promoter to consider, in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the project, their vulnerability (exposure and resilience) to major accidents and/or disasters, evaluating both the risk and their effects on the environment, in case these major accidents and/or disasters appear. The IEC 31.010:2019 Risk management—Risk assessment techniques standard defines 45 risk appreciation techniques that are useful when analysing the risks, in general. The objective of this paper is to review these 45 techniques, and establish which ones can be used for the assessment of accidents or disasters required in the specific environmental impact assessment process to accomplish with the regulation. After the revision, the authors propose five risks appreciation techniques that could be used for the assessment of major accidents and or disasters in projects for which EIA has to be carried out. Full article