Snjezana Knezic

GIS - based DSS for priority setting in humanitarian mine - action

Mine contamination is one of the main obstacles to economic recovery and other types of progress in mine‐affected countries. Therefore, the primary goal of humanitarian demining operations is to clear all suspected minefields and restore them so as to make them available for their previous use. The customary financial shortfall results in the need for priority setting in the mine removal process. This paper describes and investigates a new approach to priority setting within mine action, with the introduction of a hierarchic GIS‐based decision support system (DSS). The proposed DSS is aimed at determining the objective priorities required to reduce the risks stemming from mine contamination. DSS is based on a combination of GIS analysis and a multicriteria method in order to enable efficacious mine action management, namely setting humanitarian demining priorities in order to optimally reduce the risk caused by mines. GIS is outlined as a powerful tool for the generation of aggregated information used in multicriteria analysis, as is the link between hierarchic decision levels in the proposed DSS. The results of a demonstration of the proposed GIS‐based DSS on mine‐affected water resources in Croatia are supplied.

Decision Support System for emergency management on motorway networks

This article presents an approach to problems of emergency management on motorways using a Decision Support System (DSS). The advantages of this approach in comparison with conventional operational methods are acceptable data management costs provided by spatial data already stored in a Geographical Information System (GIS), generation of new data using various spatial functions as well as transparency for all emergency services. DSS deploys GIS in conjunction with other decision models thus becoming a powerful tool for the coordination of all participants in a decision-making process during emergency situations giving them a more cooperative surrounding. For the purpose of more efficient emergency management on motorways, the main idea is to provide an organisational support by combining GIS with decision models in order to provide an effective spatial DSS concept.

The ANDROID Case Study; Venice and its Territory: Identification of Hazards and Impact of Multi-hazard Scenarios

Abstract The objective of the paper is to review already published scientific papers and other relevant documents to identify hazards, their intensities and probability of occurrence in the Venice territory. In order to achieve the objective, the authors have selected relevant research papers and state of the art documents. Since the Venice and its territory are prone to various hazards, multi-hazard scenarios have been taken into consideration. Hazard impacts are the following: earthquake, tsunami and meteotsunami, flooding/“acqua alta”, subsidence, coastal erosion, salt wedge intrusion, pollution. The paper classifies potential impacts and recognises possible combinations of hazards that may occur in case study territory. A multi-hazard scenarios analysis considers impacts which, either occurring at the same time or shortly following each other, are dependent from one another or because they are caused by the same triggering event or hazard, or merely threatening the same elements at risk (vulnerable or exposed elements) without chronological coincidence (EU, 2010). The research presented in the paper serves as a support for cross-border multi-hazard assessment in other North-Eastern Adriatic Sea areas.

The ANDROID case study; Venice and its territory: a general overview

The Work Package 7 (Research Futures & Special Interest Groups) of the ANDROID project, selected Venice and its territory as an emblematic case study of a region that could be affected by cross-border disastrous events. The paper provides a general overview on the topic, trying to organise the large amount of available scientific literature in some strategic cores, identifying undoubted milestones, open questions and future research needs, following a holistic approach to risk assessment. This case study is carried out not only as an engaging exercise, but with the purpose to provide a reference point for scientists and teachers interested to translate multifaceted knowledge into specific solutions. In fact, the paper is strongly linked as a whole to other three ones (presented at the 4th International Conference on Building resilience), which deepen respectively hazard, vulnerability/resilience, and mitigation about the site taken into consideration. Furthermore, the City of Venice takes part to the UNISDR Program “Making Cities Resilient”, and planned a robust intervention, consisting in the realisation of mobile dikes located at the openings of the lagoon (MOSE project, almost terminated), which has been strongly debated since the beginning, due to possible negative consequences on the environment. At last, the paper analyses drawbacks and benefits of the above said intervention, and suggests further proposals for the global safeguard of Venice and its lagoon.

Systemic Approach to the Integration of Motorway Networks into European Emergency Number 112

In recent years, the world has focused on the protection of critical infrastructures, especially in the field of transportation, which is particularly critical considering traffic accidents. This paper presents the procedure for categorisation of the efficiency level of an existing motorway emergency system, as well as presenting the most important basis for the design of a new emergency management system based on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, geographic information systems and systems for operative procedures. The whole motorway emergency management system should be improved with eCall technology. Using the systemic approach and taking into account the available emergency services, such as police, medical emergency services and fire brigades, a procedure for making the optimal schedule is proposed. For each emergency service, the fastest-route principle is defined, taking into account available road networks, traffic intensity, road closures caused by accident, etc.

Selection of the flood management solution of karstic field: Vrgorsko polje case study

Abstract Water resources management in karst areas is a very complex task, especially with regard to solving the problem of floods and protection against pollution. This is also true for flood protection of Vrgorsko polje, which is the subject of this paper. Complexity of water system and socio-economic characteristics in the broader area requires integral problem solving through analyses of several alternatives with different technical and technological features as well as different socio-economic and ecological impacts. In this paper, an elaborated integral approach to problem solving is presented as well as system analyses and the procedure of multicriteria selection of an optimum solution for karstic polje flood protection. The problem was successfully solved using the procedure with two basic steps. The first step analyzed possible basic solution concepts while the second analyzed engineering solutions in compliance with the adopted concepts. The results confirm the validity of this approach, which resulted in the elaboration of a flood protection project that was acceptable for all participants in the system.

Decision Support System: A Concept For SuccessIn Coastal Sea Quality Management?

Coastal sea management along with the most adequate coastal sea protection strategy, especially pollution control and sewerage system management, is very complex problem. Application of information technology as well as operational research and decision support methodologies play a crucial role in managing sea pollution and its consequences on the surrounding systems. Paper describes an attempt to give an answer to the question: Does the decision support system (DSS) concept solve coastal sea quality management problems? Traditionally, solutions of the coastal sea quality management problems have been considering only the parts of the system related to the operational level. Therefore, there has often been lack in communication between management (decision) levels providing only a partial effect. DSS gives an opportunity to support all system functions, from operational to strategic level, at the same time, preserving system integrity. Paper gives a general outlook of DSS for the sea quality management as well as presents developed methodology of the coastal sea quality management. Methodology relies on system analysis and DSS paradigm trying to improve management system. Disadvantages of proposed DSS architecture are related to its implementation, due to its complex structure that can be override by its modular concept.