Environmental Impact Assessment of Onshore Wind Farms in the Region of Central Greece Using a Modified RIAM Method

Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.

Prioritization of Water Resources Management Problems in North Central Nigeria Using Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM)

This study employed the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) to prioritize the water resources management problems in the North Central Nigeria. This was done through the assessment of the status of water resources management in the region, evaluation of existing policy and strategy of water management, identification of the management problems and the prioritization with RIAM. The stakeholders identified water resources management problems, ranked them in other of severity in different categories and also evaluated them using the RIAM techniques in the administered questionnaire. Eleven problems were analyzed based on the physical/chemical, biological/ecological, social/cultural and economic/operational factors using several impact indicators. Scores were assigned, the RIAM models applied and the averages taken to arrive at the final assessment scores. The two major water resources management problems identified are: 1) inadequate funds for further agricultural, hydroelectric, navigation and industrial development;2) poor data collection and banking. These problems were prioritized by RIAM in order of severity for urgent intervention. The RIAM technique has made a key contribution to the prioritization of water resources management by providing insights into urgent problems according to stakeholders and thus guides the policy maker in appropriate decision making.

Application of Feature, Event, and Process Methods to Leakage Scenario Development for Offshore CO_(2) Geological Storage

Offshore carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) geological storage(OCGS) represents a significant strategy for addressing climate change by curtailing greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, the risk of CO_(2) leakage poses a substantial concern associated with this technology. This study introduces an innovative approach for establishing OCGS leakage scenarios, involving four pivotal stages, namely, interactive matrix establishment, risk matrix evaluation, cause–effect analysis, and scenario development, which has been implemented in the Pearl River Estuary Basin in China. The initial phase encompassed the establishment of an interaction matrix for OCGS systems based on features, events, and processes. Subsequent risk matrix evaluation and cause–effect analysis identified key system components, specifically CO_(2) injection and faults/features. Building upon this analysis, two leakage risk scenarios were successfully developed, accompanied by the corresponding mitigation measures. In addition, this study introduces the application of scenario development to risk assessment, including scenario numerical simulation and quantitative assessment. Overall, this research positively contributes to the sustainable development and safe operation of OCGS projects and holds potential for further refinement and broader application to diverse geographical environments and project requirements. This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the establishment of OCGS leakage scenarios and demonstrates their practical application to risk assessment, laying the foundation for promoting the sustainable development and safe operation of ocean CO_(2) geological storage projects while proposing possibilities for future improvements and broader applications to different contexts.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE SURROUNDINGS OF COAL MINING ROADWAYS

This paper introduces the calculation of the deformation of the surroundings of roadways and the division of surroundings into 5 levels by means of fuzzy integral assess matrix, which serves as the scientific basis for selecting supporting pattern of roadways and determining the parameters of support.