A Methodology to Develop the Integration of the Environmental Management System with Other Standardized Management Systems

Traditionally the global management system of an organization is frequently split into a number of individual management systems that are defined and implemented according to specific management systems standards (MSSs) as well as managed independently. The individual implementation of MSSs is an option that leads to several inefficiencies and sub-optimization of the global management system of an organization. As referred by ISO [1] the interested parties’ requirements increase. A more effective and efficient option for an organization is to integrate, into an integrated management system (IMS), the implementation and management of requirements of multiple MSSs. Certain difficulties are associated to the structuring process, implementation, verification, evaluation, improvement and progressive development of an IMS in the organizations. Several scholars have proposed various theoretical approaches regarding the integration of individual management systems (MSs) leading to the conclusion that there is not a common practice for all organizations as they encompass different characteristics. This paper aims to present and justify a designed methodology to be used by organizations to support the integration of various MSs. Among them are highlighted: the Environmental Management System (EMS) according ISO 14001 [2], the Quality Management System (QMS) according ISO 9001 [3], and the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OH & SMS) according OHSAS 18001 [4]. The methodology was designed in the context of a Portuguese company, on sequence of an organizational diagnosis and a research that was performed through a questionnaire. The strategy and the research methods took into consideration the case study.

LCA in Environmental Management Systems—Results of Individual Interviews with Selected Enterprises from Poland and Sweden

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an analytical tool used for the environmental optimization of products and services within the entirety of its life cycle. ISO 14040 recommends use of the technique in numerous areas of environmental management such as in designing for the environment, eco-labelling, environmental communications and the assessment of the effects of environmental activities. Despite being theoretically feasible, certain applications of the ecological assessment of a life cycle such as the possibility of identification and evaluation of environmental aspects with the use of LCA are, in practice, still new to many environmental managers. With its strong points, the technique seems to be a valuable tool, especially in the context of apparent concepts of Product-Oriented Environmental Management Systems (POEMS). In order to verify the hypothesis, the author decided to verify the level of use of LCA in the area of identification and assessment of environmental aspects in selected organizations. Therefore, questionnaire interviews were conducted with representatives of selected Polish and Swedish enterprises who, at the time of the interview, had certified environmental management systems. The organizations were analyzed with respect to applied methods and techniques used for identification and assessment of environmental aspects as well as the degree of use of LCA both in this respect and in other areas of environmental management. This paper will present the results of this research and conclusions.

Problems on the application of geographic information systems to urban environmental management

Geographic information systems (GIS) are a widely used tool in urban planning and management. More and more cities and decision-makers require its attributes of promptness, precision and visualization. But the application of GIS in urban environmental management is still a new field and relevant researches are getting on tardily. As a subsystem of GIS, an urban environmental management geographic information system (UEMGIS) should be a complex multi-discipline and multi-objective tool to perform quantitative multi-dimension analysis and to transfer the results into an expression legible to an ordinary user. It should be a dynamic system of prompt functions based on upgradable databases, and be composed of many subsystems respectively specialized in items about water, air, waste and noise as well as relative standards and regulations. However, existing UEMGISs mostly rely on the basic GIS too much to design the actual requirements of applications and managements in themselves, and the unavailability of sufficient fundamental data has retarded their improvement. In the design of a UEMGIS, the standardization of data classification should be taken into consideration to make the data exchangeable and shareable among its subsystems and within every subsystem, and the applicable error limits for input data should be defined in accordance with the user抯 required precision of data out. Data acquisition can be easy and quick if remote sensing, global positioning system (GPS) and other technologies are combined with GIS. Rapidly progressing information technologies have been giving a bright prospect for the melioration of UEMGIS that will have great potential and wide application in environmental conservation.

AI-Driven Learning Management Systems:Modern Developments, Challenges and Future Trends during theAge of ChatGPT

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions limited all social activities to curtail the spread of the virus.The foremost and most prime sector among those affected were schools,colleges,and universities.The education system of entire nations had shifted to online education during this time.Many shortcomings of Learning Management Systems(LMSs)were detected to support education in an online mode that spawned the research in Artificial Intelligence(AI)based tools that are being developed by the research community to improve the effectiveness of LMSs.This paper presents a detailed survey of the different enhancements to LMSs,which are led by key advances in the area of AI to enhance the real-time and non-real-time user experience.The AI-based enhancements proposed to the LMSs start from the Application layer and Presentation layer in the form of flipped classroom models for the efficient learning environment and appropriately designed UI/UX for efficient utilization of LMS utilities and resources,including AI-based chatbots.Session layer enhancements are also required,such as AI-based online proctoring and user authentication using Biometrics.These extend to the Transport layer to support real-time and rate adaptive encrypted video transmission for user security/privacy and satisfactory working of AI-algorithms.It also needs the support of the Networking layer for IP-based geolocation features,the Virtual Private Network(VPN)feature,and the support of Software-Defined Networks(SDN)for optimum Quality of Service(QoS).Finally,in addition to these,non-real-time user experience is enhanced by other AI-based enhancements such as Plagiarism detection algorithms and Data Analytics.

Opportunities to Improve the Quality of Environmental Reports and the Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case of Electric Power Transmission Systems in Brazil

A good quality Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is key for the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and consequently to the acceptability of projects subject to EIA. The international literature has contributed to the understanding of the essential aspects to be verified regarding the quality of EIS, offering a wide spectrum of good practice examples related to the content of the studies. Even so, there is a need for empirical studies that allow the identification of specific aspects related to the context of application of the EIS, which could lead to the identification of opportunities to improve both the quality of the reports and also the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the quality review of a number of EIS submitted to the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (Ibama) to instruct the assessment of electric power transmission systems. Based on the application of the EIS quality review package as proposed by Lee and Colley (1992), the outcomes reveal opportunities for improving the scope of EIA, analysis of alternatives, prediction of magnitude and the assessment of impact significance. Finally, the development and/or adaptation of a similar tool for the systematic review of the quality of EIA reports is recommended.

Comparison of German and American Higher Education Accreditation Systems and Implications for Quality Management of Higher Education in China

At the present stage,China’s higher education has experienced continuous reform and enhancement,the scale of education has jumped to the forefront,and the quality of education has been continuously improved,which has made gratifying achievements.The development of China’s higher education has entered the critical node of improving quality and efficiency,and the importance of quality management as the central link in improving the quality of higher education is self-evident.Accreditation as an effective means of quality assurance,in Germany and the United States has formed a mature and perfect system and procedures.Therefore,analysing and learning from the quality management system of higher education in Germany and the United States has an important reference value for promoting the further development of quality management of higher education in China.

Towards Automated Assessment of Learning Management Systems in Higher Education Institutions in Zambia

Zambia like any other country in most African regions is still grappling with the dynamics of harnessing technology for the betterment of Higher Education. The onset of the Covid 19 pandemic brought a test for the preparedness of the Zambian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in harnessing technology for pedagogical activities. As countries worldwide switched to electronic learning during the pandemic, the same could not be said for Zambian HEIs. Zambian HEIs struggled to conduct pedagogical activities on learning management platforms. This study investigated the factors affecting the implementation and assessment of learning Management systems in Zambia’s HEIs. With its focus on assessing: 1) system features, 2) compliance with regulatory standards, 3) quality of service and 4) technology acceptance as the four key assessment areas of an LMS, this article proposed a model for assessing learning management systems in Zambian HEIs. To test the proposed model, a software tool was also developed.

Land Use and Forest Dynamics in the Context of Redd+: Pathway to Sustainable Environmental Management*

Reverting to nature as a major arsenals in a universal fight against Climate Change impact and loss of biodiversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), views sustainable Land use and Forest (the main crux of the Glasgow declaration 2021) as the way to go. Forest conservation, protection and management in the context of REDD+ would guarantee sustainable ecosystem and mitigate climate change impacts. At National and subnational levels, the Nigerian REDD+ readiness scheme holds out hope for environmental sustainability. This study throws light into the historical background of trends in land use forest change in Nigeria, and places Nigeria on a “red” stage 3 (Low Forest Cover, High Deforestation Rate-LFHD) status while maintaining optimism that with REDD+ properly implemented in Nigeria, Stage 4: Low forest cover, Low Deforestation Rates (LFLD) and Stage 5: Low forest cover, Negative Deforestation Rates (LFND) can be achieved by 2030 and 2050 respectively, if the trio of reforestation, afforestation and natural restoration is practiced as a matter of national policy and subnational implementation within the context of REDD+. Four (4) broad drivers of deforestation and forest degradation were identified as direct, indirect, pre-disposing and planned /unplanned. The paper concludes that a viable pathway to sustainable environmental management is appropriate monitoring and evaluation of land use and forest dynamics in the context of REDD+.

An Efficient Memory Management for Mobile Operating Systems Based on Prediction of Relaunch Distance

Recently,various mobile apps have included more features to improve user convenience.Mobile operating systems load as many apps into memory for faster app launching and execution.The least recently used(LRU)-based termination of cached apps is a widely adopted approach when free space of the main memory is running low.However,the LRUbased cached app termination does not distinguish between frequently or infrequently used apps.The app launch performance degrades if LRU terminates frequently used apps.Recent studies have suggested the potential of using users’app usage patterns to predict the next app launch and address the limitations of the current least recently used(LRU)approach.However,existing methods only focus on predicting the probability of the next launch and do not consider how soon the app will launch again.In this paper,we present a new approach for predicting future app launches by utilizing the relaunch distance.We define the relaunch distance as the interval between two consecutive launches of an app and propose a memory management based on app relaunch prediction(M2ARP).M2ARP utilizes past app usage patterns to predict the relaunch distance.It uses the predicted relaunch distance to determine which apps are least likely to be launched soon and terminate them to improve the efficiency of the main memory.

The 3D simulation and optimized management model of groundwater systems based on eco-environmental water demand

Through the study of mutual process between groundwater systems and eco-environmental water demand, the eco-environmental water demand is brought into groundwater systems model as the important water consumption item and unification of groundwater抯 economic, environmental and ecological functions were taken into account. Based on eco-environmental water demand at Da抋n in Jilin province, a three-dimensional simulation and optimized management model of groundwater systems was established. All water balance components of groundwater systems in 1998 and 1999 were simulated with this model and the best optimal exploitation scheme of groundwater systems in 2000 was determined, so that groundwater resource was efficiently utilized and good economic, ecologic and social benefits were obtained.

Participatory Environmental Management and its Framework of Group Decision Support System

Considering some drawbacks of the mainstream approach to environmental management (EM),the conception and basic idea of Participatory EM(PEM) are put forward.PEM possesses some main features and benefits that are superior to the mainstream approach,but also faces the crucial constraint in decision-making.The dilemma can be effectively settled by applying an advanced decision-making support tool-group decision support system(GDSS).On the basis of recognizing the complex decision-making environment of PEM,this paper describes the components of GDSS for PEM(PEM-GDSS) and further discusses the basic requirement of PEM-GDSS.

Autonomous Multi-Factor Energy Flows Controller (AmEFC): Enhancing Renewable Energy Management with Intelligent Control Systems Integration

The transition to sustainable energy systems is one of the defining challenges of our time, necessitating innovations in how we generate, distribute, and manage electrical power. Micro-grids, as localized energy hubs, have emerged as a promising solution to integrate renewable energy sources, ensure energy security, and improve system resilience. The Autonomous multi-factor Energy Flow Controller (AmEFC) introduced in this paper addresses this need by offering a scalable, adaptable, and resilient framework for energy management within an on-grid micro-grid context. The urgency for such a system is predicated on the increasing volatility and unpredictability in energy landscapes, including fluctuating renewable outputs and changing load demands. To tackle these challenges, the AmEFC prototype incorporates a novel hierarchical control structure that leverages Renewable Energy Sources (RES), such as photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, and hydro pumps, alongside a sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS). Its prime objective is to maintain an uninterrupted power supply to critical loads, efficiently balance energy surplus through hydraulic storage, and ensure robust interaction with the main grid. A comprehensive Simulink model is developed to validate the functionality of the AmEFC, simulating real-world conditions and dynamic interactions among the components. The model assesses the system’s reliability in consistently powering critical loads and its efficacy in managing surplus energy. The inclusion of advanced predictive algorithms enables the AmEFC to anticipate energy production and consumption trends, integrating weather forecasting and inter-controller communication to optimize energy flow within and across micro-grids. This study’s significance lies in its potential to facilitate the seamless incorporation of RES into existing power systems, thus propelling the energy sector towards a more sustainable, autonomous, and resilient future. The results underscore the potential of such a system to revolutionize energy management practices and highlight the importance of smart controller systems in the era of smart grids.

Engineering complex systems applied to risk management in the mining industry

Related to complexity, there is a wide diversity of concepts, ranging from ‘‘systemic" to ‘‘complex", implying a need for a unified terminology. Per different authors, the main drivers of complexity can be found in human behaviour and uncertainty. This complexity, structural or dynamic can be organizational, technological, or nested in their relationship. ISO international standard 31000:2009 definition of risk management ‘‘coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to risk", when applied to economic sectors, industry, services, project, or activity, it requires the use of models or theories as guidelines. Therefore, as its basic elements comprehend human behaviour and/or uncertainty, risk management to be effective and adapted as much as possible to reality, must be operational within complex systems, as already demonstrated in different R&D environments. Risk management faces demanding challenges when approaching specific and endogenous needs, such as the mining sector. This paper presents a multivariable function analysis methodology approach based on complex system modelling and through real data corresponding to a risk management tool in the mining sector.

A Secure Key Management Scheme for Heterogeneous Secure Vehicular Communication Systems

Intelligent transportation system （ITS） is proposed as the most effective way to improve road safety and traffic efficiency. However, the future of ITS for large scale transportation infrastructures deployment highly depends on the security level of vehicular communication systems （VCS）. Security applications in VCS are fulfilled through secured group broadcast. Therefore, secure key management schemes are considered as a critical research topic for network security. In this paper, we propose a framework for providing secure key management within heterogeneous network. The seeurity managers （SMs） play a key role in the framework by retrieving the vehicle departnre infi^rmation, encapsulating block to transport keys and then executing rekeying to vehicles within the same security domain. The first part of this framework is a novel Group Key Management （GKM） scheme basing on leaving probability （LP） of vehicles to depart current VCS region. Vehicle＇s LP factor is introduced into GKM scheme to achieve a more effieient rekeying scheme and less rekeying costs. The second component of the framework using the blockchain concept to simplify the distributed key management in heterogeneous VCS domains. Extensive simulations and analysis are provided to show the effectiveness and effieiency of the proposed framework： Our GKM results demonstrate that probability-based BR reduees rekeying eost compared to the benchmark scheme, while the blockchain deereases the time eost of key transmission over heterogeneous net-works.

Modeling Indicator Systems for Evaluating Environmental Sustainable Development Based on Factor Analysis

Indicator systems of environmental sustainable development in the Poyang Lake Basin are established from 51 elementary indexes by factor analysis, which is composed of four steps such as the factor model, the parameter estimation, the factor rotation and the factor score. Under the condition that the cumulative proportion is greater than 85%, 5 explicit factors of environmental sustainable development as well as its factor score by region are carried out. The result indicates some impact factors to the basin environmental in descending sort order are volume of water, volume of waste gas discharge,volume of solid wasters.the degree to comprehensive utilization of waste gas, waste water and solid wastes, the emission volume of waste gas, waste water and solid wastes. It is helpful and important to provide decision support for constituting sustainable development strategies and evaluate the sustainable development status of each city.

A regional environmental management information system for Chinese EPA—the system analysis and design

REMIS is one of key research projects sponsored by the central government. It is recommended to regional EPAs as a main tool of the environmental management. REMIS simulates the functions of the regional EPAs and aimed to improve their management level. The national environmental management information system will base on REMIS.Functional analysis is the kernel of the REMIS system analysis. Data and data flow analysis are used to support the functional analysis.Investigations on the functions of the local EPAs of eight provinces and 12 cities have been taken. The functions were carefully sorted. Modular design method was used in system analysis and system design.The system analysis included functional analysis, data analysis and data flow analysis. The system design is based on the system analysis. HIPO diagram of each modular, data base structure, menu design, selection of hardware and software environment were the main items of the system design.

Disaster Management Systems——A Placeholder for Decision Support Sub-Systems

Aspects of techniques for understanding and developing a system which is useful in the context of Disaster Management are outlined in the paper. The emphasis is on techniques for the development of requirements and software - specifically here for the basic, underlying computing system whose application packages (amongst others: Decision Support Sub-Systems) shall support Disaster Prediction, Relief (Damage Assessment & Mitigation) and Recovery. Throughout the body of the paper we shall be making frequent references to Decision Support Sub-Systems. As acronym for the subject domain the author has chosen: DiMaCS: Disaster Management Computing Systems.

Integration of Management Systems: A Process Based Model

The paper discusses the barriers of integration of management systems （IMS）. A model based on process is explored, It is indicated that integrating management systems should not ignore the characteristics of the management systems, especially scope issues. IMS needs to take into the continuous improvement.

Impacts of Environmental Management on the Quality of Traditional Well Water in the Soubre Region(South-West of Cote d’Ivoire)

Water supply is a global problem. A study was conducted on twelve (12) traditional wells water in Daba Dagnogo and Gnipi 2 to determine their physico-chemical quality. Two sampling campaigns (dry season and rainy season), were performed on 16 physical and chemical parameters. The results show that the water is acidic with an average pH of 6.41 ± 0.4;moderately mineralized with an average conductivity of 731.14 ± 611.98 μS·cm-1;moderately saline with an average rate of 1.56 ± 1.22. The average temperature of 28.07 ± 0.86°C is above the norm for all wells. All major ions are consistent with WHO standards except calcium and potassium. 41.67% of wells exceed the standard ammonium ion whose average was 1.43 ± 2.79 mg·L-1 nitrate and 100% with an average of 492.42 ± 434.02 mg·L-1. The ion concentrations are highest in the urban area and are higher in the dry season. The quality of the water sampled wells deteriorated. Several factors affect the degradation, namely the shallow wells, their proximity to toilet, the lack of sanitation and poor management of household waste. It will carry out a campaign to educate people to protect the immediate environment of the water points, avoiding the deposit of garbage and to provide the appropriate wells lids.

Towards Sustainable Urban Environmental Management in Jiangyin city, East China

Dramatic economic and social changes have taken place in Jiangyin city due to rapid and uneven urbanization and industrialization. The environmental degradation has followed driven by these changes since the 1980's. With the pressures and effects of environmental deterioration, the city has implemented environmental management to hold back the trends of negative environmental changes. From the viewpoint of systems, DPSER is a good model for urban environmental changes to understand the causes, pressure, state, effect, existing responses and future action strategies. We took Jiangyin city, a developed city in South Jiangsu province, East China, as an example, and analyzed the characteristics of environmental changes and urban responses using DPSER model. Some operational strategies have been put forward to direct the city environmental management towards a sustainable road step by step.