Davide Astiaso Garcia

An estimation of urban fragmentation of natural habitats: Case studies of the 24 italian national parks

Italy is a densely populated country, where most of the land is actively used by its human population. As a result, many of the remaining natural areas are subject to different typologies of human pressures that generally cause habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation, unanimously considered as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity conservation, is due to a variety of factors related to land use changes, such as urban sprawl, increasing of transport infrastructures, and the intensification of agriculture and forestry practices. The main purpose of this paper was to investigate levels of natural habitat fragmentation due to the presence of human settlements in the Italian National Parks through the use of the Urban Fragmentation Index (UFI). All the results were recorded in a GIS database (Geographic Information System), elaborating a new method for a comparative spatial analysis of these records in order to achieve a critical scale of the habitat fragmentation levels in each of the 24 Italian National Parks. The results represent an important indicator for the prioritization of biodiversity conservation interventions in the Italian National Parks.

Air quality in Italian small harbours: a proposed assessment methodology

The main objective of this paper is to present an analytical and easy-to-use method for evaluating the presence of air pollutants in small harbour areas along the Italian shores, and the potential exposure of workers to that risk. The research aims to highlight the possible differences in air quality characterization among different areas and periods of any analysed harbour. Therefore, the proposed method foresees a seasonal monitoring of some atmospheric pollutants within examined ports, identifying wherever possible the main source of air pollution for each zone. In particular, to pinpoint the most critical areas, the methodology foresees the monitoring of concentrations for some selected pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, particular matter and benzene. The methodology, developed within the framework of a research project supported by the Regional Authority of Lazio, has been tested in four pilot port areas. The acquired results point out that air pollutant concentrations could significantly diverge among different areas and periods of a single harbour and, consequentially, the evaluation of the results allows a spatial and temporal comparison of pollutants concentrations in each portal zone. Thus, the described method represents a useful tool for local administrations to plan best practices and the use of the best available technologies for impact mitigation, with the final goal of reducing air pollution in the most critical portal zones.

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (hns) Risk Assessment Along the Italian Coastline

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Risk Assessment along the Italian Coastline Davide Astiaso Garcia*, Fabrizio Cumo, Franco Gugliermetti, Flavio Rosa DIAEE (Dept. of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering) Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana, 18 00184 Rome, Italy CITERA (Interdisciplinary Centre for Housing, Heritage and Environment), Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Gramsci 53, 00197 Rome, Italy davide.astiasogarcia@uniroma1.it

Identification and prioritization of areas with high environmental risk in Mediterranean coastal areas: A flexible approach

Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the cornerstone for the future management of coastal ecosystems with many vulnerability and hazard indexes developed for this purpose, especially in the engineering literature, but with limited studies that considered ecological implications within a risk assessment. Similarly, the concept of prioritization of sites has been widely examined in biodiversity conservation studies, but only recently as an instrument for territory management. Considering coastal plant diversity at the species and community levels, and their vulnerability to three main potential hazards threatening coastal areas (oil spills, Hazardous and Noxious Substances pollution, fragmentation of natural habitats), the objective of this paper is to define an easy-to-use approach to locate and prioritize the areas more susceptible to those stressors, in order to have a practical instrument for risk management in the ordinary and extra-ordinary management of the coastline. The procedure has been applied at pilot areas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, France, Lebanon and Tunisia). This approach can provide policy planners, decision makers and local communities an easy-to-use instrument able to facilitate the implementation of the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) process in their territory.

Skill development in the wind energy sector: A serious game development approach

Nowadays, it is necessary to train professionals to address todays changing in the labor market and promote the competitive economy. As a result of using an interactive training tool, the sector s competitiveness as well as the staff s qualification would be improved through the promoting learning with Open Educational Resources (OER) and their access to the professional. Training the professionals will promote the competitive economy and will facilitate the mobility and professionalization of the personnel particularly in increasing sectors such as wind energy. The ICT tools are a valuable solution for the wind energy sector considering that wind farms are often located in remote areas and an ICT training tool would facilitate the staff s qualification from every place. Providing information and advices about the operational (installation and maintenance) skills will improve notably the qualification of the staff involved in the wind sector, promoting an innovative training to consolidate the sustainability of this sector specially now when in addition of new installed power a revamping of the existing wind farms is needed in many European countries. In parallel the tool being developed within this work would learn from the experience and from the best practices. Enhancing digital integration in training will improve the demands of the current market.

Air Quality in Portal Areas: An Index for VOCs Pollution Assessment

Are classified as VOCs, in fact, both hydrocarbons containing carbon and hydrogen as the only elements (alkenes and aromatic compounds) and compounds containing also oxygen, chlorine or other elements, such as aldehydes, ethers, alcohols, esters, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). According with the Italian regulation (article 268 of the 152/2006 Legislative Decree) VOCs are those organic substances which have at 293.15 K (20°C) a vapour pressure greater then or equal to 0.01 kPa.