UCL open environment最新文献

{"title":"Synergies and trade-offs between sanitation and the sustainable development goals","authors":"P. Parikh, L. Diep, P. Hofmann, J. Tomei, L. Campos, T. Teh, Y. Mulugetta, Ben M. Milligan, M. Lakhanpaul","doi":"10.14324/111.444/000054.v1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/000054.v1","url":null,"abstract":"To better leverage opportunities arising out of sustainable and inclusive management of sanitation services there is a need for robust and comprehensive evidence of the wide-ranging benefits that sanitation can deliver. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable development broken down into 169 interconnected Targets which are articulated under 17 Goals. Based on a methodology developed at University College London (UCL), this study identifies linkages between sanitation and the 169 Targets corroborated by published evidence. We show that there are synergies between sanitation and all 17 Goals and 130 (77%) of the Targets, and trade-offs for 28 (17%) of the Targets. We identified 83 Targets (49%) that call for action in the sanitation sector. The results demonstrate the far-reaching benefits that can be unlocked from investment in sanitation, which extend beyond health and spread across sectors. The evidence base for the 17 Goals establishes links that can inform cross-sectoral action, collaborations and investment across governance levels for integrated sanitation solutions. The research provides different stakeholders with a framework that can be applied to context-specific cases and projects. We propose a range of recommendations to policy makers, practitioners and researchers who seek to take this study further to help achieve the SDGs.","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46830465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into the Cenozoic geology of North Beirut (harbour area): biostratigraphy, sedimentology and structural history.","authors":"Germaine Noujaim Clark,&nbsp;Marcelle BouDagher-Fadel","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The biostratigraphy and sedimentology of the outcrops and bedrock recently exposed in archaeological excavations around the harbour area of Beirut (~5 km²) unlock the geological and structural history of that area, which in turn are key to understanding the hydrocarbon and hydrogeological potential of the region. A key location (Site 2) of a studied outcrop section and newly uncovered bedrock is on the northern foothill cliff of East Beirut (Achrafieh). The outcrop section of carbonates is of Eocene beds overlain by conformable Miocene beds. The excavation of the slope bordering the outcrop uncovered a bedrock section of an early Pliocene shoreline of carbonate/siliciclastic sands at its base and topped by a beach-rock structure. The early Pliocene age of the shoreline section is dated by an assemblage of planktonic foraminifera that includes <i>Sphaeroidinellopsis subdehiscens</i>, <i>Sphaeroidinella dehiscens</i> and <i>Orbulina universa</i>. The Eocene carbonates of Site 2 extend the coverage of the previously reported Eocene outcrops in the harbour area. They form a parasequence of thin-bedded, chalky white limestones that includes the youngest fossil fish deposits in Lebanon (<i>Bregmaceros filamentosus</i>). The deposits are dated as early Priabonian by their association with the planktonic foraminiferal assemblage of <i>Porticulasphaera tropicalis</i>, <i>Globigerinatheka barri</i>, <i>Dentoglobigerina venezuelana</i>, <i>Globigerina praebulloides</i>, <i>Turborotalia centralis</i> and <i>Borelis</i> sp. The Middle Miocene carbonates that conformably overlie the early Priabonian, parasequence include a planktonic foraminiferal assemblage of <i>Globigerinoides trilobus</i>, <i>Orbulina universa</i> and <i>Borelis melo</i>. Elsewhere, in the harbour area, the preserved Eocene limestones are also overlain by conformable Miocene carbonate parasequences of Langhian-Serravallian age. Younger argillaceous limestone beds of the Mio/Pliocene age occur in the eastern central part of the harbour area and enclose an assemblage of <i>Truncorotalia crassaformis</i>, <i>Globorotalia inflata</i> and <i>Orbulina universa</i>. The three markers of old and recently raised structural blocks in the harbour area are a Lutetian/Bartonian marine terrace in the south west corner, a lower Pliocene shoreline carbonate section in the north east side and a Holocene raised beach of marine conglomerates in the north east corner of the area. The locations of these paleo-shorelines, less than 2 km apart, indicate a progressive platform narrowing of North Beirut since the Paleogene. This study underpins the geological complexity of the region and contributes to understanding the underlying geology, which will be needed for future regional archaeological, hydrocarbon and hydrogeological exploration.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e004"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10171424/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9525610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tectono-stratigraphic correlations between Northern Evvoia, Skopelos and Alonnisos, and the postulated collision of the Pelagonian carbonate platform with the Paikon forearc basin (Pelagonian-Vardar zones, Internal Hellenides, Greece).","authors":"Rudolph Scherreiks,&nbsp;Marcelle Boudagher-Fadel","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Pelagonian stratigraphy of the Internal Hellenides consists of a Permo-Triassic basement and an Upper Triassic and Jurassic carbonate platform formation that has been overthrust by the Eohellenic ophiolite sheet during the Early Cretaceous. Intensive erosion, during the Cretaceous, removed most of the ophiolite and parts of the Jurassic formation. It is hypothesised that uplift and erosion of eastern Pelagonia was triggered by the break-off of the subducted oceanic leading edge of the Pelagonian plate. An investigation of the rocks that succeed the erosional unconformity shows that they constitute a shear-zone that is tectonically overlain by Cretaceous platform carbonates. Geochemical analyses of the shear-zone rocks substantiate that they are of mid-oceanic ridge and island arc provenience. Eastern Pelagonia collided with a Cretaceous carbonate platform, probably the Paikon forearc basin, as the Almopias ocean crust subducted beneath that island-arc complex. The Cretaceous platform, together with a substrate of sheared-off ocean floor mélange, overthrust eastern Pelagonia as subduction continued, and the substrate was dynamically metamorphosed into cataclastic rocks, mylonite, phyllonite and interpreted pseudotachylite. This complex of Cretaceous platform rocks and a brittle-ductile shear-zone-substrate constitute the here named Paikon-Palouki nappe, which was emplaced during Early Palaeocene. The Paikon-Palouki nappe did not reach Evvoia. Seismic tomographic models of the Aegean region apparently depict images of two broken-off ocean-plate-slabs, interpreted as Almopias-lithosphere-slabs. It is concluded that the western Almopias slab began to sink during the Early Cretaceous, while the eastern Almopias slab broke off and sank after the Paikon-Palouki nappe was emplaced in the Early Palaeocene.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e006"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10171422/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9530817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reflections on trust and COVID-19: do politics, medicine and the environment need each other?","authors":"Alistair Cole,&nbsp;Frederic Dutheil,&nbsp;Julien S Baker","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This short article is centred on how trust can be a valuable resource for developing cognate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the medical and social sciences. Politics and medicine can learn from each other. Governments need to persuade individuals to adapt their behaviours, and such persuasion will be all the more convincing in that it is nested in social networks. Trust in government requires consistent (benevolent, performative and joined-up) explanations. The distinction between hard medical and soft social science blurs when patients/citizens are required to be active participants in combatting a pandemic virus.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e010"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10208311/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9530816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Normal background levels of air and surface mould reserve in English residential building stock: a preliminary study towards benchmarks based on NAHA measurements.","authors":"Yasemin Didem Aktas,&nbsp;Morten Reeslev,&nbsp;Hector Altamirano,&nbsp;Neil May,&nbsp;Dina D'Ayala","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper reports results obtained from a surface (both visually clean and dirty/dusty surfaces) and active (aggressive or activated) air testing scheme on 140 residential rooms in England, without visible water damage or mould growth, along with a few rooms with visible mould growth/water damage tested for comparison purposes. The aim was to establish normal background levels of mould in non-water-damaged interiors to benchmark a 'normal' indoor environment, and in turn when there is a need for further investigation, and, possibly, remediation. Air and surface mould was quantified based on the activity of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52; NAHA). The obtained readings showed a log-normal distribution. Ninety-eight percent of the samples obtained from visually clean surfaces were equal to or less than 25 relative fluorescence units (RFU), which is suggested to be the higher bound for the range which can be used as a success criterion for surface cleaning/remediation. Of samples obtained from visually dirty/dusty surfaces, around 98% were below 450 RFU, which is suggested to define the lower-bound for abnormally high levels of mould, rare even on dirty/dusty surfaces. Similarly, around 98% of the air samples were found to have 1700 RFU or below. Values above 1700 RFU are therefore deemed unlikely in a non-problem indoor environment and can be indicative of a possible problem inducing mould growth. The samples with values below 1700 were further divided into three proposed sub-categories. Finally, the obtained RFU values and the suggested benchmarks were compared to those obtained from 17 non-residential indoor environments tested previously in Copenhagen, and the benchmarks that are currently used in Danish national standards, and they were both found to be highly congruent, suggesting that local climate regimes and room functions might not be as influential on indoor mould levels as commonly thought, or that the nuances between England and Denmark in terms of these factors are not strong enough to lead to sizable changes in the typical indoor mould levels in these countries' building stocks.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e005"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10171414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9525613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic impact of Ebola virus disease outbreak on an extractive firm: a case study.","authors":"Hisham Tariq,&nbsp;David Tresco Emes,&nbsp;Yebeen Ysabelle Boo,&nbsp;Alexander Light,&nbsp;Zia Sadique,&nbsp;Mishal Khan,&nbsp;Alan Knight,&nbsp;Osman Dar,&nbsp;Logan Manikam","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic was one of the most severe public health emergencies in modern times. The economic impact of epidemics has mostly been analysed at the macroeconomic level. Conversely, we aimed to estimate the economic costs of preventive measures of the epidemic to an extractive firm, ArcelorMittal (AM), using data in the epidemic region from March 2014 to December 2015. AM is the world's largest steel producer and is particularly important in West Africa, where the extractive industry is economically crucial.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Qualitative methods, in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), were used to investigate the events and channels of impact of the epidemic on the firm, as perceived by employees and contractors. Quantitative data regarding these costs were also collected. Retrospective cost analysis estimated the actual cost of preventive methods adopted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most respondents indicated the largest cost impact was suspension of the Phase II expansion, a series of projects designed to increase iron ore production in Liberia. The next largest cost was the preventive measures adopted to counter disease spread. Total costs incurred for adopting preventive measures were USD 10.58-11.11 million. The overall direct costs of preventive measures adopted within the fence, meaning within the physical boundary of the firm's sites, shared 30-31% of the total costs incurred. The share of external donations supporting humanitarian response was 11-12% of the total costs, followed by 7-12% of relational costs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The firm's response during the EVD epidemic focussed on its employees and operations, which was later expanded to the wider community and then in supporting the international humanitarian response.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e007"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10208325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9525609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Some considerations on the use of space sound absorbers with next-generation materials reflecting COVID situations in Japan: additional sound absorption for post-pandemic challenges in indoor acoustic environments.","authors":"Kimihiro Sakagami,&nbsp;Takeshi Okuzono","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we first point out the possible acoustic problems associated with the post-pandemic operation of built environments. In particular, we focus on the problem of acoustic deficiency due to the lack of absorption. This deficiency, which is likely to be encountered in most enclosed spaces in a range of establishments, is due to the reduced number of audience members or users of the space as a result of social distancing. As one of the promising solutions to this problem, we introduce a sound absorption technique using three-dimensional (3D) space sound absorbers developed through our recent research projects. Significantly, the type of sound absorber proposed herein is made of materials that are especially suited to hygiene considerations. The materials are microperforated panels (MPPs) and permeable membranes (PMs), both of which are easily washable and sanitised. Furthermore, we point out that 3D-MPP or PM space absorbers possess the additional value of aesthetic designability.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e012"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10208322/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9525611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The COVID-19 global challenge and its implications for the environment - what we are learning.","authors":"Francesco Aletta,&nbsp;Dan Osborn","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000008","url":null,"abstract":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000008 During the last months, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the lives of many and had a more or less direct effect on virtually everyone on the planet. This international public health emergency has endless socio-economic ramifications and will have long-lasting consequences [1]. It triggered unprecedented responses from governments around the world, which included implementing strict social distancing and stopping every non-essential productive activity and the related movements of people and goods.","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e008"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10208340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9530818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 and informal settlements - implications for water, sanitation and health in India and Indonesia.","authors":"Priti Parikh,&nbsp;Yasmin Bou Karim,&nbsp;Jacob Paulose,&nbsp;Pam Factor-Litvak,&nbsp;Emily Nix,&nbsp;Dewi Nur Aisyah,&nbsp;Hemant Chaturvedi,&nbsp;Logan Manikam,&nbsp;Monica Lakhanpaul","doi":"10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Informal settlements are home to over 1 billion people worldwide and are characterised by high population densities and poor environmental conditions. The authors identify the impact of COVID-19 on existing water and sanitation practices and potential pathways for the transmission of COVID-19 in informal settlements in India and Indonesia. In the short term, there is an urgent need for mobile and contactless hand washing, washing/bathing facilities and toilets. In the long term, COVID-19 provides an opportunity to invest in centralised water and sanitation networked solutions appropriate for high-density settings to integrate those settlements into cities and improve environmental conditions and health in these cities.</p>","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"2 ","pages":"e011"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10208312/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9525612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research priorities for maintaining biodiversity’s contributions to people in Latin America","authors":"R. Pearson, E. Martínez‐Meyer, M. Velázquez, M. Caron, R. Corona-Núñez, K. Davis, A. P. Durán, Rodrigo García-Morales, Talya D Hackett, Daniel J. Ingram, Rafael Loyola Díaz, J. Lescano, A. Lira‐Noriega, Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado, D. Manuschevich, A. Mendoza, Ben M. Milligan, Simon Mills, D. Moreira‐Arce, L. F. Nava, Vicencio Oostra, Nathan Owen, David A. Prieto‐Torres, Clarita Rodríguez Soto, Thomas Smith, Andrew J. Suggitt, Camila Tejo Haristoy, J. Velásquez-Tibatá, S. Díaz, P. Marquet","doi":"10.14324/111.444/000014.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/000014.V1","url":null,"abstract":"Maintaining biodiversity is crucial for ensuring human well-being. The authors participated in a workshop held in Palenque, Mexico, in August 2018, that brought together 30 mostly early-career scientists working in different disciplines (natural, social and economic sciences) with the aim of identifying research priorities for studying the contributions of biodiversity to people and how these contributions might be impacted by environmental change. Five main groups of questions emerged: (1) Enhancing the quantity, quality, and availability of biodiversity data; (2) Integrating different knowledge systems; (3) Improved methods for integrating diverse data; (4) Fundamental questions in ecology and evolution; and (5) Multi-level governance across boundaries. We discuss the need for increased capacity building and investment in research programmes to address these challenges.","PeriodicalId":75271,"journal":{"name":"UCL open environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49361992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}