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  admin 4:07 am on August 21, 2011 Permalink
  Tags: expansion of Grand Mosque in Mecca   

  Saudi king launches $21.3bn Grand Mosque project 

  Saudi Arabia has begun the biggest expansion yet of Islam’s holiest site, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, to raise its capacity to 2 million pilgrims, the state news agency SPA said.

  “King Abdullah inaugurated in Mecca the start of the expansion… which is the largest of all previous expansions combined,” SPA said.

  It did not say how much it will cost to add 400,000 square metres to the mosque’s area or how long the project will take.

  The Grand Mosque is the main attraction for over 6 million pilgrims who enter Mecca each year and is the focal point for a transformation is modernising one of the oldest cities in the region with high-rise skyscrapers and residential blocks.

  The mosque is built around the Kaaba shrine, which existed centuries before Islam emerged over 1,400 years ago. Muslims around the world turn towards it for daily prayers.

  The expansion project will include pedestrian bridges as well as more shaded space to protect worshippers from the sun.

  Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in recent years in safety and comfort for the millions of pilgrims who flock to Mecca to fulfil their religious duties of Haj and Umra.

  A new railway, costing $1.8bn, was launched last year to link the holy sites around Mecca to ease pilgrim transport.

  Another project, the high-speed Haramain Railway, will link the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to the Red Sea port of Jeddah, an entry point for millions of pilgrims, to relieve road congestion.

  The Saudi Railway Organization is studying bids for the second and final phase of the Haramain Railway project, which includes the construction of tracks and installation of signal systems, as well as the procurement of rolling stock.

  The announcement of the winning bidder is expected by October and negotiations are under way with a consortium that includes Spanish firms, pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Saturday, quoting unnamed sources.

  The paper also said one consortium, which it did not identify, had bid SR46.8bn ($12.5bn).

   

  Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com August 20, 2011
   
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  admin 2:01 pm on December 21, 2010 Permalink
  Tags: concrete technology   

  Self Compacting Concrete 

  Applications of Self-Compacting Concrete in Japan, Europe and the United States
  The application of concrete without vibration in highway bridge construction is not new. For examples, placement of seal concrete underwater is done by the use of a tremie without vibration, mass concrete has been placed without vibration, and shaft concrete can be successfully placed without vibration. These seal, mass and shaft concretes are generally of lower strength, less than 34.5 MPa and difficult to attain consistent quality. Modern application of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is focused on high performance – better and more reliable quality, dense and uniform surface texture, improved durability, high strength, and faster construction.

  Recognizing the lack of uniformity and complete compaction of concrete by vibration, researchers at the University of Tokyo, Japan, started out in late 1980’s to develop SCC. By the early 1990’s, Japan has developed and used SCC that does not require vibration to achieve full compaction. More and more applications of SCC in construction have been reported in Japan as shown in Fig. 1. As of the year 2000, the amount of SCC used for prefabricated products (precast members) and ready-mixed concrete (cast-in-place) in Japan was about 400,000 m3.
  SCC offers many advantages for the precast, prestressed concrete industry and for cast-in-place construction:
  Low noise-level in the plants and construction sites.
  Eliminated problems associated with vibration.
  Less labor involved.
  Faster construction.
  Improved quality and durability.
  Higher strength.

  Several European countries were interested in exploring the significance and potentials of SCC developed in Japan. These European countries formed a large consortium in 1996 to embark on a project aimed at developing SCC for practical applications in Europe. The title of the project is “Rational Production and Improved Working Environment through using Self-compacting Concrete.” In the last six years, a number of SCC bridges, walls and tunnel linings have been constructed in Europe.

  In the United States, SCC is beginning to gain interest, especially by the precast concrete industry and admixture manufacturers. The precast concrete industry is beginning to apply the technology to commercial projects when specifications permit. The applications range from architectural concrete to complex private bridges.

  Developing SCC Mixes

  SCC mixes must meet three key properties:
  Ability to flow into and completely fill intricate and complex forms under its own weight.
  Ability to pass through and bond to congested reinforcement under its own weight.
  High resistance to aggregate segregation.

  The SCC mixes are designed and tested to meet the demands of the projects. For example, the mix for mass concrete is designed for pumping and depositing at a fairly high rate. SCC was used in the construction of the anchorages of the Akashi-Kaikyo Suspension Bridge. The SCC was mixed at a batch plant at the job site and pumped through a piping system to the location of the anchorages 200 m away. The SCC was dropped from a height of as much as 5 m without aggregate segregation. For mass concrete, the maximum size of coarse aggregates may be as large as 50 mm. The SCC construction reduced the construction time for the anchorages from 2.5 years to 2 years. Similarly, SCC mixes can be designed and placed successfully for concrete members with normal and congested reinforcement. The coarse aggregate size for reinforced concrete generally varies from 10 mm to 20 mm.

  Properties of Fresh SCC

  The main characteristics of SCC are the properties in the fresh state. SCC mix design is focused on the ability to flow under its own weight without vibration, the ability to flow through heavily congested reinforcement under its own weight, and the ability to obtain homogeneity without segregation of aggregates.

  Several test methods are available to evaluate these main characteristics of SCC. The tests have not been standardized by national or international organizations. The more common tests used for evaluating the compacting characteristics of fresh SCC in accordance with the draft standards of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers are described below.

  Test Methods for Fresh SCC

  The Slump Flow Test

  This is a test method for evaluating the flowability of SCC, where the slump flow of SCC with coarse aggregates having the maximum size of less than 40 mm is measured (See Fig. 2). The basic equipment is the same as for the conventional slump test. However, the concrete placed into the mold is not rodded. When the slump cone has been lifted and the sample has collapsed, the diameter of the spread is measured rather than the vertical distance of the collapse.
  Funnel Test

  A test method for evaluating the material segregation resistance of SCC, using a funnel as shown in Fig. 3, where the efflux time of SCC with coarse aggregates having the maximum size of less than 25 mm is measured.
  T50 Test

  A test method for evaluating the material segregation resistance of SCC, where the 500-mm flow reach time is measured in the slump flow test above, that is, the time for the flow to reach 500 mm is measured in the slump flow test. SCC should give T50 = 2 – 5 seconds.

  U-Type and Box-Type Tests

  These are methods for testing flowability of SCC through an obstacle with coarse aggregates having the maximum size of less than 25 mm (Fig. 4 and Photo 1). Time and height to be filled in the chamber B and amount of aggregate passed through the obstacle are measured for self-compactability.
  Properties of Hardened SCC

  Structural Properties

  The basic ingredients used in SCC mixes are practically the same as those used in the conventional HPC vibrated concrete, except they are mixed in different proportions and the addition of special admixtures to meet the project specifications for SCC. The hardened properties are expected to be similar to those obtainable with HPC concrete. Laboratory and field tests have demonstrated that the SCC hardened properties are indeed similar to those of HPC. Table 3 shows some of the structural properties of SCC.

  Compressive Strength

  SCC compressive strengths are comparable to those of conventional vibrated concrete made with similar mix proportions and water/cement ratio. There is no difficulty in producing SCC with compressive strengths up to 60MPa.

  Tensile Strength

  Tensile strengths are based on the indirect splitting test on cylinders. For SCC, the tensile strengths and the ratios of tensile and compressive strengths are in the same order of magnitude as the conventional vibrated concrete.

  Bond Strength

  Pull-out tests have been performed to determine the strength of the bond between concrete and reinforcement of different diameters. In general, the SCC bond strengths expressed in terms of the compressive strengths are higher than those of conventional concrete.

  Modulus of Elasticity

  SCC and conventional concrete bear a similar relationship between modulus of elasticity and compressive strength expressed in the form E/(fc)0.5, where E = modulus of elasticity, fc = compressive strength. This is similar to the one recommended by ACI for conventional normal weight concrete.

  Source: http://www.precastedconcrete.com/technology/self-compacting-concrete
   
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  admin 2:10 am on January 10, 2010 Permalink
  Tags: Indian policy for climate change   

  Why India cannot deliver on climate change 

  Last month, the world failed to agree on a process that would slow down the rate of climate change. Scientists believe that the world is heating up because of an increase in three gases in our atmosphere: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing due to human activity. It is already at its highest in 650,000 years; we know this from analysing ice that has remained frozen during this period with bubbles of air trapped inside.

  There is 35 per cent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than before the industrial revolution 200 years ago. This is because our recent burning of carbon-based coal, petrol and diesel releases the gas into the air. Because it is a good insulator, the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide does not let the sun’s heat escape the earth as fast as it comes in, leading to a rise in the temperature.

  This warming of the atmosphere causes climate change, since weather is quite volatile and a small change in conditions can result in a storm or a drought.

  Recent weather phenomena, like hurricane Katrina or last week’s unusually heavy snow in Europe and America, are thought to be the result of our actions. The second effect of the air’s warming is the melting of ice in the north and south poles, raising the level of the ocean waters. Low-lying nations like Bangladesh and the Maldives, which have little land and almost all of it by the sea, are vulnerable to this rise of the waters because they are in danger of being submerged.

  If the release of carbon dioxide is so serious, why did the nations fail to agree on some solution?

  Primarily because America believes it still has time before the problem becomes a crisis. Scientists think that big trouble is a century or more away. America wants to pass on the climate change problem to its next generation, or the one after that, because they will be better equipped with technology; certainly they will have more at stake. But also because those generations cannot vote in current elections.

  There was another reason for the failure at Denmark, and it was that China, India and Brazil do not want to slow the pace of their industrial growth. The economy of China, the world’s biggest polluter, has been growing rapidly, helping pull its people out of poverty. China does not want to stop doing that soon. India says it will slow the rate at which its polluting is increasing, but adds, for the same reason as China, that it cannot commit to a reduction of overall pollution.

  Whether human activity is responsible or not for climate change, and there is debate over this, the fact that the world is warming is not in dispute.

  This means that at some point, not far off, the world’s nations will have to agree to do things to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide. There are two ways in which emissions can be restricted by a nation. The first is through government and legislation. This means the passing of laws that limit, say, the carbon dioxide emitted per ton manufactured of steel, or the banning of certain industrial processes, like electricity generation by burning coal.

  The second way is through civil society and personal sacrifice. This can happen if a society acknowledges the danger to the world and a majority of individuals in that society voluntarily change their behaviour; by switching off lights, not heating their homes too much in winter or driving smaller cars. These two ways can also coincide, for instance if the government legislates to ban the manufacture of large cars.

  There is a problem in India with both these ways, and if it commits to a reduction in emission, the Indian government will not be able to effectively deliver.

  The problem with the first way, legislation, is implementation. We have many laws in India, but they are difficult to enforce. When they are violated, it is difficult to have the violators prosecuted. This is a problem with most poor nations, but it is remarkable in India because we are also a democracy and have been making laws under one constitution for six decades.

  Unlike Europe, which can legislate a law and make it effective, in India legislation does not necessarily mean a change in the way things happen.

  Returning from some future climate summit with an agreement, India’s government might have to legislate some change in the way that, say, steel is made. But because of corruption and inefficiency it is certain that any manufacturer, who wants to violate this new law, will be able to do so by paying people off locally. Since restrictions on manufacturing processes usually mean an increase in cost, it is also likely that most factories would have an incentive to violate the law.

  Let’s look at an example. The industrial city of Surat has 300 dyeing and printing factories. These are serious polluters and often the ground around them is stained a brilliant purple or pink because the manner of disposal of the waste water is simply to release it in the land around. The effluent looks pretty but it is pure poison.

  There are laws which make this release illegal and there are processes that the plants must follow to keep the environment safe, but because treating the water is expensive, it isn’t done. And though the legislation might be quite good, it is also quite useless.

  Twenty years ago, I worked in a factory in the industrial area of Ankleshwar, which is next to the port city of Bharuch. Every evening, at 6 pm, the chemical factory next door would release fumes of acid so powerful that the roads would empty at that time. The gas corroded thick metal pipes all around and will have affected the health of many people working in and around it. Why did the factory release the gas at six? Because the pollution control board’s office shut at 5:30.

  Now let us look at the second way in which a nation can reduce its carbon emissions, through a change in the behaviour of civil society. Many Indians are now middle-class and consume energy and resources at levels similar to those in the west.

  If these Indians are observed in traffic, we can understand that sacrifice will not be easily forthcoming in our nation. This is because we are a low-trust society and have little faith in collective well-being. Simply put, we do not trust the other person on the road to behave and so we have no incentive to change our own behaviour. Culturally, the Indian is inclined to think of himself and ignore the world around him. It is safe to say that there will be little voluntary change in our behaviour because it affects the rest of the world.

  A rich Indian, if asked to sacrifice his large garden which consumed much water, would not understand why he had to do that. And a lecture on conservation would do little good.

  The other problem is that the world cannot tell its poorest, of whom many are Indian, that they must sacrifice something now for tomorrow because they have so little for today.

  This is not to say that no conservation happens in India. We have raddiwalas, people who deal in scrap; and glass and plastic in India is always recycled. However, this is because scrap has value here, unlike in the west, where recycling is expensive and so is disposal. The test will come when this no longer has value in India.

  All of this becomes academic if the levels of the second dangerous gas, methane, increase. And some believe that this is already happening. Global warming is slowly melting long-frozen lakes in Russia. Below these ice sheets is thought to be trapped billions of tons of methane, formed by the rotting of aquatic vegetation. If this is really methane, and it is released, the carbon dioxide debate might become meaningless because the methane will accelerate global warming to a point where we cannot really change it.

  So perhaps already some disaster has been set in motion. In the Book of Genesis, Noah records a rise in the water by 20 feet and that is enough to wipe out all life.

  Source:www.thenews.com.pk , written by Aakar Patel, Sunday, January 10, 2010
  The writer is director with Hill Road Media in Bombay. Email: aakar @hillroadmedia.com
   
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  admin 1:06 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: collapse in india, health and safety in India   

  Indian chimney collapse: up to 100 feared dead 

  The chimney was being built by Balco, a subsidiary of London-listed mining company Vedanta.

  Builders had completed 100m of the planned 300m tall chimney when it collapsed in poor weather. Twenty five people are already know to have died and it is feared that dozens more are buried under the rubble.

  Union spokesman Vinod Kumar Sharma, speaking at the site in Korba, 124 miles from Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh, said workers were sheltering from heavy rain in and around the structure when it collapsed.

  Officials have reported difficulty in establishing exactly how many people are buried because the company has been unable to say how many workers were on the site.

  But Mr Sharma said: “I expect the number of dead will exceed 100.” Nine people are believed to be recovering in hospital.

  Source:  http://www.nce.co.uk/5208601.article

   
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  admin 6:04 am on August 18, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: construction work in dubai, dubai workers, safety measures in dubai   

  Dubai workers escape construction collapse 

  Following the glass and metal structure crumpling around them, a police official reported that all of the workers had been accounted for at the site in the city’s built up Deira section.Brigadier Anas al-Matroushi from the local police said that sabotage had been ruled out as a cause for the crumbling construct, which ended up covering several parked cars with rubble.

  Despite the amount of construction projects completed in Dubai being hit significantly by the economic downturn, building work is still constantly being completed in the area.Accidents like this are not commonplace but in March this year three workers were killed when high winds caused part of a warehouse under construction to collapse.

  In November 2008, there was also an incident of a crane falling on to Dubai’s main highway, but it caused no injuries.

  All this show that safety measures taken by the contractors or developers are not upto the standard.

   
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  admin 1:53 pm on August 14, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: global warming and Pakistan   

  Global warming and its impact on Public health 

  It is good news,at last someone have realized in Pakistan to have a research on global warming with following criteria, may be helpful for policy makers and funding organizations.

  The research utilize meta analysis of existing literature on global warming and public health, the central question of what global warming is all about and how does the latter impact Pakistan’s health in accordance to literature discussion, assessment and analysis. Research objective adheres to the following salient points:  impact of environmental change on health, Pakistan context, several causes which bring the changes, how can authorities or general public tackle health related problems caused by global warming. There can be scientific consensus that greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity will change Earth’s climate. The recent warming by 0·5°C is partly attributable to such anthropogenic emissions. Climate change will affect human health in many ways mostly adversely. The need to summarize epidemiological evidence of how climate variations and trends affect various health outcomes.

  Assess evidence there is that global warming affected Pakistan health, reviewing published estimates of impeding health effects of climate change at present times. Researches have focus on thermal stress, extreme weather events, and infectious diseases, with some attention to estimates of regional food yields and hunger prevalence. An emerging broader approach address wide spectrum of health risks due to social, demographic and economic disruptions of climate change. Evidence and anticipation of adverse health effects will strengthen Pakistan based case for pre-emptive policies, will guide priorities for planned adaptive strategies. Indeed, environmental change and pollutants stress individuals and populations, and may be reflected in the global resurgence of infectious disease as these stresses cascade through the community assemblages of species.

  Research will suggest framework for integrating surveillance of Pakistan health outcomes with climatic monitoring. Thus, initial concern about the possible effects of global warming have declined with realization that the spread of tropical diseases is likely to be limited and controllable. However, direct effects of heat causes substantial numbers of deaths among vulnerable people such as during summer. Action to prevent deaths from rising is obvious medical challenge presented by global rise in temperature. For example, air conditioning has reduced them in the United States and technologies such as fans, shade and buildings designed to keep cool on hot days have generally done so in Europe as the energy requirements of air conditioning accelerate global warming, combination of the older methods, backed up by use of air conditioning when necessary, can provide the ideal solution.

  Despite availability of technologies, occasional record high temperatures still cause sharp rises in heat related deaths as the climate warms such action at home can be effective than transporting the patient to hospital, even in tropical regions. The aggregate human impact on the environment now exceeds the limits of absorption or regeneration of biophysical systems. The resultant global environmental changes include altered atmospheric composition, widespread land degradation, depletion of fisheries, freshwater shortages and biodiversity losses. The drive for further social and economic development, plus an unavoidable substantial increase in population size will tend to augment these large-scale environmental problems. Overall, large scale environmental changes are likely to increase the range and seasonality of various infectious diseases, food inscurity, water stress, population displacement with adverse health consequences (2000).

  Most directly, it can generate more, stronger and hotter heat waves, which will become especially treacherous if the evenings fail to bring cooling relief, lack of nighttime cooling seems to be in the cards; the atmosphere is heating unevenly and is showing the biggest rises at night, in winter and at latitudes higher than about 50 degrees. Prolonged heat can enhance production of smog and the dispersal of allergens and linked to respiratory symptoms. Human infections are intricately linked to the global environment by altering this environment, global warming has significant potential to intensify selected infectious diseases ( 2000). Thus, climatic effects are predicted to include crowding, famine, water contamination, human migration, and alterations in vector ecology, all of which increase infectious diseases. Global warming will cause economic strain that may divert public health resources from existing infections. Through planning and research, there can mitigate health effects of global warming by means of policy, politics, and global cooperation, Pakistan may reduce the environmental problems that cause global warming.

  Global warming has serious implications for human life, effect of global warming depends on the complex interaction between the human host population and the causative infectious agent, changes in the environment may trigger human migration, causing disease patterns to shift ( 2005 ). Disease transmission may be enhanced through the scarcity and contamination of potable water sources. Importantly, significant economic and political stresses may damage the existing public health infrastructure, leaving mankind poorly prepared for unexpected epidemics.

  Global warming will certainly affect the abundance and distribution of disease vectors, altitudes that are cool to sustain vectors will become more conducive to them for instance, Malaria, dengue, plague, and viruses causing encephalitic syndromes are likely to be affected. Some models suggest that vector-borne diseases will become more common as the earth warms, although caution is needed in interpreting these predictions (2005). Clearly, global warming will cause changes in the epidemiology of infectious diseases as the ability of mankind to react or adapt is dependent upon the magnitude and speed of the change. Research will depend on ability to recognize epidemics early, to contain them effectively, to provide appropriate treatment, to commit resources to prevention and further investigation.

  http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/global-warming-and-its-impact-on-public-health.html

   
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  admin 7:34 am on July 13, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: deli bridge accident   

  Delhi Metro bridge collapse 

  The accident happened early Sunday July 12, 2009 as workers lifted heavy concrete slabs for the bridge, killing 5 persons on spot, those injured are in serious condition.

  Television footage and photographs showed one long concrete section, which would have carried the tracks, lying at an angle with one end on the ground and the other on top of a supporting pillar. The massive section had crushed metal beams beneath it. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

  In October last year, two people were killed and at least 11 injured in a similar accident. Then, mechanical failure in a launching gantry was blamed for the collapse. The gantry was in use lifting segments for the 11th precast segmental span on a new line being built to connect the city to sports grounds being prepared for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

  What are the causes of collapse will be determined later on but the worries we feel are that lack of safety standards have snatched five precious lives.

  It is common in Asian Countries that health and safety standards are not followed. This may be due to lack of education or resources in these countries but to thinking for engineers how they keep their projects safe and sound and can ask the concerned authorities for precautionary measures before taking the project in hand.

   
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  admin 5:06 am on July 7, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: climate change in asian countries ( 2 )   

  South Asia and Climate Change 

  Climate change is no longer an issue for the distant future. Climate change is already taking place, and the South Asian countries, particularly the poorest people, are most at risk.

  The impacts of higher temperatures, more variable precipitation, more extreme weather events, and sea level rise are felt in South Asia and will continue to intensify.

  These changes are already having major impacts on the economic performance of South Asian countries and on the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor people.

  The impacts result not only from gradual changes in temperature and sea level but also, in particular, from increased climate variability and extremes, including more intense floods, droughts, and storms.
  (Source: Managing Climate Risk: Integrating Adaptation into World Bank Group Operations)

  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth Assessment report provided specific information for South Asia region concerning the nature of future impacts.

  Some of the future impacts include,

  • Glacier melting in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding and will affect water resources within the next two to three decades.
  • Climate change will compound the pressures on natural resources and the environment due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, and economic development.
  • Crop yields could decrease up to 30% in South Asia by the mid-21st century.
  • Mortality due to diarrhea primarily associated with floods and droughts will rise in South Asia.
  • Sea-level rise will exacerbate inundation, storm surge, erosion and other coastal hazards.

  Impact on South Asia’s poor

  The consequences of such environmental changes include:

  • decreased water availability and water quality in many arid and semiarid regions
  • an increased risk of floods and droughts in many regions
  • reduction in water regulation in mountain habitats
  • decreases in reliability of hydropower and biomass production
  • increased incidence of waterborne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and cholera
  • increased damages and deaths caused by extreme weather events
  • decreased agricultural productivity
  • adverse impacts on fisheries
  • adverse effects on many ecological systems

  As a result of these changes, climate change could hamper the achievement of many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including those on poverty eradication, child mortality, malaria, and other diseases, and environmental sustainability.

  Much of this damage would come in the form of severe economic shocks. In addition, the impacts of climate change will exacerbate existing social and environmental problems and lead to migration within and across national borders.

  In sum, climate change is clearly not just an environmental issue but one with severe socioeconomic implications in South Asia.

  (Source: Managing Climate Risk: Integrating Adaptation into World Bank Group Operations)

  Climate Change in South Asia – A Conversation with Sir Nicholas Stern

  From the Himalayas, which feed water to a billion people, to the coastal areas of Bangladesh, South Asian countries must prepare for the effects of global warming, even as they work to combat the human causes of climate change.

  “You have to give examples from around the world for people to really understand what’s going on. In India and China, I think people understand the rising water stress, and how vulnerable they are to melting glaciers and snows from the Himalayas,” Stern said. He used the analogy of the Himalayas as a sponge, moderating the impact of precipitation as seasons change.

  ”Precipitation comes, and it’s held there. That’s how you get water in the rivers. That effect will not be there if the glaciers and snow are not there. Which means you’ll get torrents during the wet season and dry rivers in the dry season. So you’ll get a combination of flood and drought,” Stern said.

  “We also don’t know what effect that will have on the monsoon, and it could have quite a strong effect. That kind of thing is being studied now,” he added. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology supplies climate change data to SAARC nations, and is engaged in its largest recruitment drive in a decade.

  Agriculture represents a fourth of India’s national income, and that sector could be seriously disrupted by changes to the monsoon. Mitigation strategies are needed to deal with the risks.

  “We have to adapt how we handle water extraction, and irrigation. Water management is involved in all of this. Work has to be done on what crops would be resilient,” Stern said.

  Urban areas throughout the region are also at risk, as water supplies could be disrupted over time. Infrastructure must be upgraded for sanitation and drinking water, as well as for adequate storm drainage in areas prone to flooding.

  Climate Change and the World Bank

  Climate change thus directly affects the World Bank Group’s mission of eradicating poverty. The World Bank has already started to address these concerns by integrating comprehensive climate risk management into development planning, programs, and projects.

  The World Bank has identified the following key development areas directly affected by climate change:

  Human health, Water supply and sanitation, Energy, Transport, Industry, mining and construction, Trade and tourism, Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, Environmental protection, and Disaster management

  (Source: Managing Climate Risk: Integrating Adaptation into World Bank Group Operations)

  Bangladesh

  Health impact of air and water pollution in Bangladesh
  This report analyzes the health impact of air and water pollution in Bangladesh using the most recently available data. (Read More »)

  Management of Water Quality in Dhaka
  Economic cost due to poor management of water resources in Dhaka is estimated at US$ 500 million annually. (Read More »)

  Expanding Renewable Energy in Bangladesh
  The Government of Bangladesh has established a goal of providing electrical power to all its citizens. Renewable energy is a key component of the initiative. (Read More »)

  India

  Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy
  This report examines the evolution of the management of India’s waters, it describes the achievements of the past, and the looming set of challenges.
  (Read More »)

  Unlocking Opportunities for Forest-Dependent People in India
  A new World Bank report, “Unlocking Opportunities for Forest-Dependent People in India” by Grant Milne, suggests that if national and state level reforms are introduced and forest productivity improved, rural poverty can be reduced significantly and government revenues increased. (Read More »)

  For a Breath of Fresh Air: Ten Years of Progress and Challenges in urban air quality management in India
  The report presents a retrospective analysis of urban air pollution data with a focus on particulate air pollution from 1993 to 2002 in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. (Read More »)

  Better Crops, Higher Incomes for Farmers in Karnataka Watershed
  Average annual household income for the one million people who lived in the area was approximately US$222. (Read More on IDA at Work »)

  Pakistan

  Pakistan: Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy
  An important element of Bank support will be training a new generation of multi-disciplinary water resources specialists and support for multi-disciplinary centers of excellence for water resources natural and social sciences. (Read More »)

  Pakistan Water Economy
  Pakistan is one of the world’s most arid countries. The Indus River is the country’s only major river system. (Read More »)

  Household use of commercial energy in Pakistan
  Between 1994 and 2001, prices of electricity, natural gas, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rose more rapidly than the consumer price index (CPI), potentially offering insights into how households might react to, and manage, sharply rising energy prices. (Read More »)

  Other Reports of Interest

  An Investment Framework for Clean Energy and Development
  Powering economic growth using clean and renewable forms of energy is one of the most challenging topics in development today. How will we meet the burgeoning energy needs of the developing world without causing irreversible damage to the earth’s climate or exposing economies to energy shortages? (Read More »)

  Clean Energy for Development Investment Framework: The World Bank Group Action Plan
  This Action Plan provides an update of work undertaken to date as well as actions planned by the World Bank Group in support of the Clean Energy for Development Investment Framework. (Read More »)

  Building Country Capacity to Combat Climate Change
  Providing people, institutions, and developing countries with the tools and training to make choices about the environment is a critical element of Global Environment Facility (GEF) climate change projects. (Read More »)

  Manage Climate Risk: Integrating adaptation into World Bank Group Operations
  Climate change is already taking place, and further changes are inevitable. The way to address these concerns is not to separate climate change adaptation from other priorities but to integrate comprehensive climate risk management into development planning, programs, and projects. (Read More »)

  Will Markets direct investments under Kyoto Protocol?
  Under the Kyoto Protocol, countries can meet treaty obligations by investing in projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gases elsewhere. (Read More »)

  Source: http://www.worldbank.org

   
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  admin 5:01 am on July 7, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: climate change in asian countries ( 2 )   

  The Evolving Role of Asia in Global Climate Change 

  I have received an article from  Toufiq A. Siddiqi HONOLULU which I am reproducing it as it is with his introduction at the end.

  Global climate change has moved firmly during the past six months to the forefront of the international agenda. Last September, Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, convened a meeting of heads of state and other world leaders at the United Nations headquarters for a forum entitled “The Future in Our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change.” “Today I heard a clear call from world leaders for a breakthrough on climate change in (the December 2007 climate change conference in) Bali. And I believe we have a major political commitment to achieving that… Action is possible now and it makes economic sense. The cost of inaction will far outweigh the cost of early action,” the Secretary-General said. That event was followed by a two-day meeting convened in Washington by President Bush with the participation of the 17 largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The president stressed the development of new technologies and voluntary measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions. In direct contrast, most of the other countries said mandatory controls were necessary to address the challenge posed by global climate change. In October, the Nobel Committee announced that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was to be awarded jointly to former U.S. Vice President Albert Gore, for focusing the attention of the world on the need to address climate change, and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has been working for more than 15 years on identifying the scientific consensus on the human contribution to global climate change and its likely impacts. The year 2007 concluded on a high note with the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, where, after lengthy and difficult negotiations, a “Bali Roadmap” was finally worked out. The roadmap lays out a course for a new negotiating process leading to a post-2012 international agreement on climate change. Important decisions were taken for the launching of an Adaptation Fund on reducing emissions from deforestation and on technology transfer. No decisions were taken regarding the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions from the industrialized or the developing countries, and these will be the focus of detailed negotiations during the next two years. No global agreement can be successful if some of the large emitting countries impose limits on their emissions while others continue to have voluntary emission limits. The role of the Asian countries in global climate change has changed enormously since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, and they can be expected to play a much more active role in any new agreement to address this important global issue. As recently as the early 1990s the perception in Asia was that the region was an “impactee” rather than an “impactor.” That is, the region was likely to be affected by global climate change, but the duty to reduce future greenhouse impacts rested with the industrialized countries. This was reflected in the Kyoto Protocol, which did not place any limits on emissions from the developing countries, while requiring the industrialized countries to reduce them by an average of five percent from the levels of 1990 by 2012. All of the industrialized countries agreed to limit their emissions, with the notable exception of the United States and Australia. (The new government in Australia has just signed the Kyoto Protocol.) U.S. delegates argued such limits would have an adverse impact on the American economy. At the same time, they said, there would be no significant global climate change benefits so long as large developing countries such as China, India and Brazil continued to increase their emissions of greenhouse gases. For a better perspective, let us look at the current status of emissions from the larger Asian countries and compare them with emissions from the leading industrialized countries. Many gases contribute to global climate change, but the largest contributor is carbon dioxide (CO2). The use of fossil fuels is by far the largest source of man-made CO2 emissions, and shall be the focus of our discussion here. Asia’s current contribution to greenhouse gas emissions During the past two decades, greenhouse gas emissions from Asian countries, particularly carbon dioxide, have been increasing rapidly, due mainly to industrialization and population growth. Four of the ten countries in the world with the highest CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel use today are located in Asia. China ranks second today, but may overtake the United States as the largest emitter by next year. India (fourth), Japan (fifth), and South Korea (seventh) also rank among the top eight emitters. These rankings do not include the carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of firewood and other biomass that are large sources of energy in many Asian countries. Further, ongoing changes in land use, particularly as forests give way to agriculture and urban development, also represent significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions in many of the larger Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. On average, each American emits more than four times as much carbon dioxide from energy use as a Chinese, and as much as 20 Indians. This difference in per-capita CO2 emissions has important implications for reaching a binding international agreement on global climate change. Issues of equity in addressing global climate change Each country takes an approach to limiting greenhouse gases that is beneficial to its own immediate interests. At climate change meetings, the U.S. delegate might say to his Chinese counterpart: “By next year, your emissions of carbon dioxide will be greater than ours. If we put a cap on greenhouse gases in our country, even more of our manufacturing industries will move to your country or to other developing countries. This will mean more jobs lost within the United States and more hardship for our people. Further, if the industry is simply relocated to a developing country, the global emissions stay the same. Our economic loss will be your economic gain. “Thus we won’t put any limitations on greenhouse gas emissions unless you do the same,” he concludes. The delegate from China might reply: “Oh, come on. Each American emits about four times as much carbon dioxide as a Chinese. We want to offer a good life to our citizens, too, and close the gap in the living standards of the people in our respective countries, and we have to use the energy resources that we have, mostly coal. Further, most of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today were emitted by the industrialized nations, with the largest contribution coming from the USA. “It’s your responsibility to reduce emissions first, before asking us to do the same,” he responds. There are thus important equity issues to be resolved, if all countries of the world are to reach an agreement to limit future emissions of greenhouse gases. The three types of equity issues that are implied in the fictitious discussion between an American and a Chinese are: EQUITY BETWEEN COUNTRIES Countries come in different shapes and sizes, and have vastly different populations. One indicator that is frequently used in comparing countries is the average income of people in countries, i.e. the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or gross national income (GNI). It is an internationally accepted goal to bridge the gap between the incomes in the industrialized and the developing countries. There is a fairly good correlation between the average Gross Domestic Product of a country and its per capita energy use and the resulting impact on the environment. The developing countries around the world, including China and India, point to the per capita GDP of their countries, and the need to catch up with the industrialized countries such as the United States, Japan and Germany. They maintain that this cannot be achieved without increased use of energy and other resources. Thus, they say, their emissions of greenhouse gases will have to increase for many years. EQUITY WITHIN COUNTRIES In most of the industrialized countries of the world, there is relatively little disparity in energy use between the urban or rural areas or between different parts of the country. This is generally not the case in much of Asia. There, the urban upper middle class has its automobile or two, and its use of electricity for lighting and running a TV set, refrigerator, computer and other appliances is comparable to its counterparts in Europe or Japan. By contrast, the rural population may use bicycles or animals for transportation, and consume only a small amount of electricity due to its high cost. In fact, there are still over 100 million people in Asia with no access to electricity. Reducing inequities within countries can be achieved either by impoverishing the rich, or improving the lot of the poor. Most people would agree that the latter option is preferable, and this is the approach that Asian developing countries are pursuing. Such policies require more development and energy use in the rural areas, and thus higher emissions of greenhouse gases for many years. Despite the relative affluence of Shanghai, New Delhi and Jakarta, there is still quite a way to go before the growing affluence of the middle classes extends to the poorer sectors of society in most of the Asian countries. EQUITY BETWEEN GENERATIONS The earth has been getting warmer during recent decades primarily because human beings put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere faster than the ocean and the forests can absorb them. The levels of carbon dioxide, for example, are about 30 percent higher today than they were in pre-industrial times. Most of this increase has come from the emissions from Europe, the United States and, to a smaller extent, Japan. These countries developed their economies and reached a good level of affluence before the implications for the global environment in general, and climate change in particular, became known. Past generations of Europeans and Americans did not set out to damage the global environment, but the results of their actions impact all countries of the world. Future generations — particularly in the developing world — are being asked to sacrifice to make up for the profligacy of our ancestors. Ironically, the small islands of Asia and the Pacific, which have made essentially no contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, are likely to be the first ones to be hit hard by global climate change. Reaching equity between generations has been a difficult issue in many fields, be it the national debt of the United States, the depletion of mineral and other natural resources, or the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A major problem here is that future generations do not vote in current elections. It is a rare politician in any country who will sacrifice his or her re-election for the sake of future generations. The changing role of Asia’s developing countries The atmosphere does not care whether the greenhouse gases entering it come from the industrialized countries or the developing ones, nor that the changes to the global climate will affect all countries, rich and poor. A rise in sea level would result not only in the gradual submergence of the small island states such as the Maldives, but also create major problems for many of Asia’s largest coastal cities, such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Shanghai. Tens of millions of people in Asia may have to be resettled, and massive expenditures incurred to protect the coastal cities from sea level rise, which under various scenarios developed for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, may range from about 20 centimeters to about 70 centimeters (about 8 inches to 2 feet) by the end of this century. Further, the expected greater intensity (but not necessarily the frequency) of hurricanes could have a larger impact than before on countries in Asia that are frequently affected by hurricanes (cyclones), such as Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines and Japan. Also, parts of many countries in Asia, including Northwestern India and almost all of Pakistan, are already suffering from shortages of water. A rise in global temperature would, for example, accelerate the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas that feed the rivers in Northern India and throughout Pakistan, leading subsequently to even greater water shortages. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that the world has until about 2020 to reverse the trend of rising greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the worst effects of climate change. A joint statement issued recently by the national science academies of all G8 nations and Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa drew attention to the IPCC findings and urged a goal of confining global warming to two degrees above pre-industrial levels. The academies said: “Our present energy course is not sustainable … The problem is not yet insoluble, but becomes more difficult with each passing day.” While it may be unrealistic to expect countries such as China and India to reduce emissions from their present levels, it is clear that the rapid growth of these and other developing countries of Asia require that they play an active part in addressing global climate change concerns. One possible approach may be, for example, for the developing countries to agree not to exceed two tons of carbon emissions per capita by 2025. On the other side of the coin, developed countries could make a commitment to reduce their emissions to two tons per capita by 2025. By that time, it’s likely that newer technology such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cells will have come down in price substantially, enabling their wider use. All countries could then reduce their per capita emission targets together to reach the levels required to stabilize the world’s climate. In view of their current high levels of per capita emissions, the United States, Canada and Australia may require a few more years to achieve this level, and a special provision could be made in a new treaty or protocol to permit this, as was the case in the Kyoto Protocol. The main objective should be on starting action now, and refining targets later, rather than finding reasons for delay. There was an industrialist who used to say, “Why should we do anything for the future? What has the future ever done for us?” He changed his mind when it was pointed out to him that the “future” is not an abstraction, but the time during which his grandchildren and their children would be living, and how they will live is what we are determining today. The EWC and global climate change In 1979, in an era when energy professionals talked mainly to other energy professionals, and those working on environmental issues met primarily with others having a similar interest, the Environment and Policy Institute (EAPI) of the East-West Center initiated a cooperative program on “The Environmental Dimensions of Energy Policies.” Probably the first such effort in the Asia Pacific region, the program brought together senior policymakers and professionals from a number of major countries in the region, including Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and the United States. Participants were asked about the energy-environment issues of greatest concern to them and where the East-West Center could make an important contribution through cooperative work. During the same planning meeting, senior officials and professionals were asked whether it would be useful to initiate a project dealing with global climate change. Most of them felt that it was way too early and not on the priority list of environmental concerns in the Asia Pacific region. A full decade was to pass before the East-West Center, in cooperation with the Argonne National Laboratory, hosted a conference on global climate change in Honolulu in 1989. Many of the participants have subsequently played important roles in their countries, and at the international level, in formulating policies to address the challenges of global climate change. To mention just two, Qu Geping was China’s first Administrator of their Environment Protection Agency and is a senior member of the leading group that oversees environment issues in that country. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri is Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Toufiq Siddiqi is an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Research Program of the East-West Center and president of Global Environment and Energy in the 21st Century, a non-profit organization based in Hawai‘i. Dr. Siddiqi was a Fellow and Senior Fellow at the East-West Center for 18 years, where he initiated in 1980 the Center’s projects on “The Environmental Dimensions of Energy Policies” and on mitigation strategies to address global climate change. Dr. Siddiqi has a doctorate in nuclear physics from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany), and a B.A. (Honours) from Cambridge University. He has served as the Regional Advisor on Energy at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific from 1995-97, and as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Click here for a PDF version of this INSIGHTS commentary. The EAST-WEST CENTER is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations and the governments of the region. The East-West Wire is a news, commentary, and analysis service provided by the East-West Center in Honolulu. Any part or all of the Wire content may be used by media with attribution to the East-West Center or the person quoted. To receive the East-West Center Wire, please contact Derek Ferrar, Media Relations Specialist at (808) 944-7204 or send an email to EastWestWire@EastWestCenter.org.

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  admin 12:05 pm on May 31, 2009 Permalink
  Tags: road safety in asian countries, road safety research in asian countries   

  Road Safety Research in the Asian Pacific Region 

  The following sections summarize some of the findings of a project a adapted from Asian Development Bank: Regional Technical Assistance in Road Safety,Technical Note No.1 Review of Recent Projects and Research. March 1996,in terms of road safety research. It is hoped, in future, such research projects will help the Asian Governments to make better their ROADS SAFE and ACCIDENT FREE.

  ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH

  Effective research on road safety issues is an essential pre-requisite to better understanding of the problem and provides the framework against which effective policies and counter-measures should be developed.

  Research is usually undertaken in Universities and Research Institutes and is normally financed by the country in which the Research Institute or University is located.

  Twenty eight research institutes and universities were identified as being most likely to have carried out road safety research in the Asia/Pacific region. A few of these research institutes and universities have become more seriously involved in road safety research in recent years and they, along with TRL, have provided the majority of background road safety research which has been undertaken in the region in recent years. The most important of these institutions are outlined below.

  From the replies received (15 out of 28 at date of writing), the six most active organisations undertaking road safety research in the area appear to be:

  1 Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), UK.

  2 Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), India.

  3 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), India.

  4 Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh.

  5 Traffic Sciences Institute (TSI), (Korean Road Traffic Association), Korea.

  6 The Korean Transport Institute (KOTI), Korea.

  RESEARCH ACTIVITY BY THE ROAD SAFETY SECTORS

  General Studies

  Initial inputs to carry out assessments or appraisal where all road safety sectors are briefly evaluated have become common in the countries where further investment is expected. (i.e. long term adviser positions.) They offer an overview and can compare the various sectors efforts and the level of interaction and cooperation between sectors.

  The road safety situation in Nepal, for example, was summarised in an initial two month road safety input which also outlined the subsequent work of the road safety component project. In Bangladesh, a similar process has been followed with a four to six month preliminary phase before the long term adviser and safety specialists are provided. A 1995 three month input in Vietnam was able to review the road safety sectors and provide an overview of the road safety situation. All of these foregoing projects have been financed through DFID funding.

  Traffic Enforcement and Legislation

  While most if not all countries in Asia and Pacific have revised their road regulations in the past 15 years, little bilateral technical assistance seems to have been provided in this sector nor does there seem to have been local research effort in such countries despite many countries sharing the same base for road regulations (The British Motor Vehicle Code 1939). Little exchange of information and experience has occurred and traffic regulations have generally been revised individually by each country. No regional manual has been produced similar to such manuals that exist in Africa and other regions of the world.Traffic Police training programmes have been developed by the CRRI with sponsorship from the Ministry of Surface Transport.

  Highway patrolling was quite effective when it was introduced in Pakistan in the early 1980s as it discouraged overtaking and targeted road safety parking, both of which were known to contribute to road accidents in Pakistan.

  Driver Training and Testing

  Whilst commercial vehicles have frequently been found to have high accident involvement rates, only one commercial driver training programme has been identified so far in the region. As part of the two year input in Pakistan funded by DFID in the early 1980s, a two week bus driver re-training programme was provided. Bus driving standards are observed before and after the course and while bus driving standards showed improvement when drivers knew they were being observed, this improvement did not carry over to other times.Work in this area has continued over the past decade with a few DRTS systems in use in India.

  Road Safety Education

  IIT has been involved with the development of a road safety education primer for children. It began in 1991 at the International Conference of Road Safety in Delhi, the project is partly funded from the sale of paintings at the Conference. A literature research on children’s psychology in education programmes was undertaken and school teachers interviewed to identify the gaps in children’s traffic safety knowledge.

  Motor Vehicle Insurance and Accident Costing

  Accident costing research has been conducted in Vietnam and was attempted in Bangladesh where the set of under-reporting, lack of vehicle damage cost and inadequate time prevented any practical accident cost calculation from being developed. Accident costing is currently underway in Nepal and is facing similar problems of accident under-reporting and lack of vehicle damage cost data. The situation helped by the lack of any legal requirements of motor vehicle insurance in many countries.

  INTERIM CONCLUSIONS

  It is clear that a large amount of research appears to have been undertaken in India and some research has also been undertaken in Korea. The work of the TRL in the UK spans the whole of the region although much of the work has been concentrated in Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.