Flood Risk Mapping of the Benin Municipalities at the Intersection of the Coastal Sedimentary Zone and the Crystalline Surface

Climate change and population growth have led to the increase and/or intensification of flooding becoming a major issue. The objective of this study is to visualize flooding risk of municipalities at the intersection of the coastal sedimentary zone and the crystalline surface. The methodology adopted is based on geomatic approach, which involves documentary research, processing and assisted classification using remote sensing images and multi-criteria analysis of the Geographic Information System (GIS). Flooding risk is very high at 8.85% in Djidja, Toffo, Zè and Bonou municipalities. In other municipalities such as Agbangnizoun, Abomey, Bohicon, Za-Kpota and Cove, it is high of 46.85%. To the Southeast of the study area, it is located on the eastern and western banks of Oueme Valley. The medium risk represents 26.35% and is located in the municipalities of Ouinhi and Adjohoun. The other municipalities have a low rate of 17.95%. Risk modeling has made it possible to access the various levels of rising water that can cause flooding. Land-use planning decisions can be influenced by the results of this study.

Low-carbon city communication:Integrated strategies for urban and rural municipalities in Thailand

As an important sustainable development goal,the creation of low-carbon cities(LCCs)has become crucial to creating livable cities and environmental sustainability.Thus,we aimed to understand the factors that support the transition of traditional cities to LCCs,by analyzing and synthesizing how to promote practical LCC across 15 pilot municipalities in four regions of Thailand,covering four strategies:City of Trees,City of Waste Minimization,City of Energy Efficiency,and City of Sustainable Consumption.Literature research,in-depth interviews,and observations were employed for data collection,while the 5​W(who,says what,in which channel,to whom,and with what effect)and SMCR(sender,message,channel,and receiver)models were used to create a communication analysis framework.Results revealed that the effective activities of municipalities should increase tree planting and implement more serious regulations for the conservation of existing trees.Making compost and establishing waste recycling banks are recommended for rural municipalities,while optimization of garbage and wastewater management systems and facilities should be highlighted in urban municipalities.Moreover,recycling,low-carbon agriculture,second-hand shops/markets,green markets,and homegrown vegetables should be encouraged for sustainable consumption.Working with local municipalities,credible leaders and representatives were the key senders.Additionally,message design should compare the pros and cons of behaviors,connect with local health and tourism,and promote dialogue in easy-to-understand and thought-provoking language.Receivers that drive LCC should have an excellent understanding of LCC practice and its benefits,be public-minded,and have a desire to live in a good environment.

Measuring Financial Strength in the Public Sector:The Case of Greek Municipalities

An important research field in public and private sectors,accounting is the identification of the factors of financial strength that affect the control and decision-making process.The paper examines the financial strength of the municipalities in Greece and their possible bankruptcy.In literature,important examples of forecasting and estimating financial strength for public sector have been presented,such as the Brown’s 10-point test which measures the financial condition in the case of municipalities.The present survey focuses on the liquidity of the Greek municipalities using data for the financial year 2014 from all over the Greek territory.By implementing Brown’s 10-point test for Greek municipalities and using quantitative methods,each point is becoming a separate independent variable which affects,with different estimator,the total score of financial condition.The model that has been developed appears to be effective in the case of Greek municipalities by providing a rating for their financial strength.The use of the proposed methodology can be used by both funding institutions(banks,grant providers,relevant ministry)on a programmatic basis to address liquidity problems.

Financial Effectiveness and Areas of Improvement in Greek Municipalities

The aim of this research is to separate the entire sample of Municipalities in Greece into categories, based on the effectiveness of financial management and financial performance into effective and ineffective ones. In this study, it investigated the existence of differences between the characteristics of these two categories. The main objective is to investigate the influence of financial effectiveness regarding those areas falling under state jurisdiction with the greatest room for improvement. Specifically, in Municipalities with ineffective financial management, local employment was notably considered to be the area with the greatest margin for improvement. Additionally, 21% of mayors of Municipalities with effective fmancial management consider that the state area of responsibility with the greatest capacity for improvement is that of attracting private investment. Moreover, the influence of financial effectiveness regarding the areas of competence of Greek Municipalities with the greatest room for improvement has a similar pattern. According to responses from mayors in Municipalities with ineffective fmancial administration, the areas of competence with the greatest room for improvement are provision and maintenance of infrastructure （23% of responses） and attraction of private investment （19% of responses）. Accordingly, responses from mayors in Municipalities with the highest financial performance indicate that the areas of competence with the greatest room for improvement are provision and maintenance of infrastructure （21% of responses） and attraction of private investment （20% of responses）.

Financial Effectiveness of Greek Municipalities： An Empirical Investigation

Municipalities are autonomous economic and administrative entities, with common actions and responsibilities. Moreover, all Municipalities are quite different considering specific characteristics, such as geographic, demographic, and economic. The aim of this research is to separate the entire sample of Municipalities in Greece into categories, based on the effectiveness of financial management and financial performance into effective and ineffective ones. For the separation of the sample into groups, cluster analysis was preferred. For this reason, three variables were used： the lending capacity of the Municipality, flexibility in making non-investment costs, and flexibility in investment spending. These three variables were considered to be the key dimensions of effectiveness in financial management and therefore their use, representatively describes the effectiveness of Greek Municipalities. Thus, this paper presents the literature review of the financial effectiveness of Municipalities and the methodology of an empirical research through structured questionnaire that was sent to the entire population of Greek Municipalities, characterized in this way with considerable heterogeneity. In this way, it investigates the views of Mayors in the two categories of Municipalities （effective and non effective financial management and financial performance） as regards： （a） the biggest problems faced by the citizens in their Municipality, and （b） the biggest personnel problems faced by their Municipality. Concluding, the prioritization of both problems seems to be the same for both groups of Municipalities. The frequency of responses differs slightly and differences are not so large that financial performance can be considered to affect respondents＇ opinions.

Separating Municipalities Regarding Their Financial Performance Evidence From Greece

Municipalities are autonomous economic and administrative entities, with common actions and responsibilities. Additionally, all Municipalities are quite different considering specific characteristics, such as geographic, demographic, and economic. The aim of this research is to separate the entire sample of Municipalities in Greece into categories, based on the effectiveness of financial management and financial performance into effective and ineffective ones. This investigation is substantial because it is very interesting in-depth observation of current situation of the financial management capabilities of Municipalities, and additionally because it is crucial to extract the differences in specific characteristics between economical efficient and inefficient Municipalities. For the separation of the sample into groups, cluster analysis was preferred. For this reason, three variables were used： the lending capacity of the municipality, flexibility in making non-investment costs, and flexibility in investment spending. These three variables were considered to be the key dimensions of effectiveness in financial management and therefore their use, representatively describes the effectiveness or not of Greek Municipalities. In this study, it investigated the existence of differences between the characteristics of these two categories. The features are ＂how Municipalities are working with specialist consultants＂ and ＂how Municipalities are using modem technologies＂. The main objective is to investigate the influence of these two characteristics in the efficiency of managing financial resources.

Sociodemographic and Economic Factors Associated with Urinary Bilharzia in the Municipalities of Sô-Ava, Aguegues and N’Dali in Benin

Introduction: This research, conducted in the municipalities of Aguégués, Sô-Ava, and N’dali in Benin, focused on identifying socio-demographic and economic factors associated with urinary bilharzia in 415 school-aged children from 8 to 14 years. Using urine test strips and filtration techniques, the study found prevalences ranging from 11.88% to 34.53% across the municipalities. Method: Epidemiological data (urine) were collected and examined with test strips to assess the presence of terminal haematuria: the prevalence of infestation and parasite density was quantified using the filtration technique. Socio-demographic and economic factors were recorded using a questionnaire to assess the correlation with disease. Results: Prevalences of 34.53% (N = 48 out of 139), 13.53% (N = 18 out of 133) and 11.88% (N = 17 out of 143) respectively for the municipalities of Aguégués, N’dali and Sô Ava were calculated. The study showed that the variables “age”, “sex”, “religion” and “socio-professional” activity were not significantly correlated with bilharziasis (p > 0.05) and it appears that these factors are not related to bilharziasis in the surveyed households. While age, sex, religion, and socio-professional activity showed no significant correlation with bilharziasis, factors like agriculture, fishing, and place of residence were statistically significant in relation to the disease. Conclusion: The findings suggest that these socio-demographic and economic factors impede the elimination of schistosomiasis in the examined areas.

Water Resource Utilization in Taiwan’s Municipalities: A Comparative Perspective

Taiwan’s administrative divisions have been changed several times throughout history.At the end of 2010,Taiwan Region(including Taiwan Island and its off-shore islands)is divided administratively into five municipalities(直轄市),three cities(市),and 14 counties(縣).And in 2014,Taoyuan County was designated a municipality because its population is over 200 million persons.With this administration division,this paper is attempted to discuss the issue of water resource utilization with a comparative perspective in the six municipalities from north to south:Taipei City(台北市),New Taipei City(新北市),Taoyuan City(桃園市),Taichung City(台中市),Tainan City(台南市),and Kaohsiung City(高雄市).Statistics of population and fresh water provision will be utilized to analyze the related issues.It is hoped that through this comparative study,the strength and limitation of each municipality in terms of water resource utilization can be illustrated and evaluated.

Social and Environmental Management in the Municipalities of Minas Gerais,Brazil

The objective of this study is to analyze the ability of the public management of environmental problems faced by the municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The theoretical elements that underlie this article are related to environmental management and municipal public administration. We used the results of the natural vulnerability and the social potential of the indicator of municipal environmental management, as well as data on sanitation and waste disposal. The weaknesses of public administration are located in the counties of low population group. These municipalities do not have suitable structure, formal organization and power of decisiveness in dealing with environmental problems.

Landscape Evaluation of Municipalities in Ciezkowice-Roznow Regional Park in Poland

The aim of the study was landscape evaluation of municipalities located in Ciezkowice-Roznow regional park in the southern part of Poland. The methodology includes field and indoor studies. Plant communities, natural 2,000 habitats, protected areas, and cultural elements have been identified. The study area has been divided into study units/plots. The next stage of research was the evaluation of landscape elements on every study unit. It distinguished areas with very high, high and moderate landscape values： Directions for shaping the landscape were formulated in the final part of the study.

Mining Contribution to Municipalities Development

Mining activity in Brazil has significantly contributed to the country development.However,this contribution is not always fully noticed by society.This study aims to bring more evidence to this mining activity contribution,based on highly regarded development indicators,such as the HDI(Human Development Index),created by the UNDP(United Nations Development Programme).The HD1 was traditionally designed as an instrument to evaluate the degree of countries development and was subsequently deployed to states and municipalities(IDHM(Municipal Human Development Index)for Brazilian municipalities).In addition to lDHM released by the UNDP,FIRJAN(Federation of the Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro)developed its own IFDM(FIR JAN Municipal Development Index).The statistical analysis shows that the average of the municipalities with mining activities has superior development indices than those with non-mining activities,especially in the two major mining states:Minas Gerais and Parfi.

Promoting Energy Efficiency in the Palestinian Municipalities: A Case Study of Al-Dahriya Municipality

Energy demand overall the world increases rapidly in various sectors, one of the highest energy consumption sector is the building sector. Installation of PV systems is one of the solutions to cover this demand and will serve in promoting energy efficiency in the Palestinian municipalities in decreasing the electricity bill, and using the saved money in constructing new projects and improving the level of services provided to citizens. In this work, Al-Dahriya municipality has been taken as a case study. The municipality installed 20 KW of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the main building in 2015. The cumulative values for one year after installation the PV system represent a total consumed electricity by the main building was 71,506 kw, while the total generated power by the PV system that transferred to building was 32,664 kw, and 5323 kw exported to the grid with total generated power by PV system was 37,987 kw. The participation of energy that produced by the photovoltaic system is 53.12% of the total power demand of the building. The value of generated power varies between the summer months and winter months through the difference of the solar radiation intensity and the number of shinning hours, the largest reading of solar radiation intensity is in the summer months. The study ensures the importance of applying selected thermal insulation materials in order to decrease the heat transfer through the boundary wall of the building. Furthermore, this study covers the other buildings and utilities of municipality and recommended with certain issues in order to promote energy efficiency.

Concentrations of Potentially Toxic Elements in Groundwater and Surface Water in Ruashi and Annexe Municipalities of Lubumbashi City, Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Groundwater and surface water contamination by PTE(Potentially Toxic Elements)was assessed in Ruashi and Annexe municipalities of Lubumbashi city.Analyses of seventy water samples collected from six drilled wells,eight spade-sunk wells,one river and one spring in both municipalities in 2017 and 2018 were carried out by ICP-SF-MS(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Sector Field Mass Spectrometry).Twenty PTEs including aluminum,arsenic,barium,bismuth,cadmium,cesium,chromium,cobalt,copper,iron,lead,manganese,molybdenum,nickel,strontium,thallium,tungsten,uranium,vanadium and zinc were detected at various concentrations in each one of the samples.Many samples had concentrations and mean concentrations of PTEs,such as aluminum,cadmium,copper,iron,lead,manganese,nickel and zinc,higher than the respective acceptable limits set for drinking water by the EU(European Union),the USEPA(United States Environmental Protection Agency),and the WHO(World Health Organization)standards.Most PTEs being deleterious to human health even at very low concentrations,people who use the groundwater and surface water to meet their water needs in both Ruashi and Annexe municipalities are at risk.

Capacitating local governments for the digital earth vision:lessons learnt from the role of municipalities in the South African spatial data infrastructure

The Digital Earth vision foresees the availability and accessibility of geospatial information to achieve the goals of sustainable development,economic growth and social well-being.In the case of urban areas,upto-date geospatial information is essential for managing a city towards achieving these goals.The rapid shift from rural to urban areas globally puts pressure on local governments and they often struggle to find and organise the resources required to collect and maintain geospatial information that can help to address urban growth challenges.A spatial data infrastructure(SDI)can facilitate the availability and accessibility of geospatial information towards addressing national objectives,however,the involvement of local governments in an SDI can be a challenge.In this paper,we critique the role of municipalities against the backdrop of the developments of the South African SDI(SASDI)to date.The critique identifies five high-level shortcomings of the SASDI that have led to the limited participation of municipalities.Based on the shortcomings,we provide recommendations for capacitating municipalities through SASDI so that the Digital Earth vision can also be achieved for municipalities.These recommendations are aimed at involving the local sphere of government in a national SDI and are equally applicable to other countries.

Upcycling municipal solid waste to sustainable hydrogen via two-stage gasification-reforming

As global municipal solid waste(MSW)quantities continue to escalate,serious socio-environmental challenges arise,necessitating innovative solutions.Waste-to-hydrogen(WTH)via two-stage gasification-reforming(TSGR)presents an emergent technology for MSW upcycling,offering to ease waste management burdens and bolster the burgeoning hydrogen economy.Despite early initiatives to advance TSGR technology,a cohesive and critical analysis of cutting-edge knowledge and strategies to enhance hydrogen production remains lacking.This review aggregates literature on MSW upcycling to hydrogen via TSGR,with a focus on optimizing process control and catalytic efficiency.It underscores technological avenues to augment hydrogen output,curtail catalyst costs,and refine system performance.Particularly,the review illuminates the potential for integrating chemical and calcium looping into TSGR processes,identifying opportunities,and pinpointing challenges.The review concludes with a summary of the current state of techno-economic analysis for this technology,presenting outstanding challenges and future research directions,with the ultimate goal of transitioning WTH from theoretical to practical application.

Microstructural analysis of marl stabilized with municipal solid waste and nano-MgO

Municipal solid waste(MSW)is accumulating over elapsed time across the world,and it is observed in many projects associated with weak soils,such as marl.Therefore,effective solutions to the environmental problem are essential.Conventional techniques for stabilizing marl generally use substances such as lime and cement,which could exacerbate pollution.For this,some new stabilizers,e.g.nano-MgO,are used.There are large quantities of marls and MSW in Shiraz City,Iran.The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using nano-MgO as a green low-carbon binder to remove MSW from the environment and make construction projects more cost-effective.Consolidated drained shear tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of the nano-MgO treated marl specimens at high normal stresses.The marl specimens containing MSW percentages of 15%,25%,35%,and 45%and nano-MgO percentages of 0.25%,0.5%,0.75%,and 1%,were used.It is found that the marl containing 15%and 25%MSW and 0.5%nano-MgO at 28-d curing can perform cation exchange and form new cementitious products.The soils with merely MSW show good performance due to the removal of the kaolinite and the formation of brucite.However,the soil with 25%MSW and 0.5%nano-MgO shows the same strength enhancement as the specimen with the optimal nano-MgO(0.75%)through the formation of dolomite,with a 20.59%increase in strain energy(SE).

Effects of Using Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Tailings as Lightweight Aggregate on the Mechanical Properties of Specified Density Concrete

Municipal solid waste incineration tailings were used as lightweight aggregate(MSWIT-LA)in the preparation of specified density concrete to study the effects on compressive strength,axial compressive strength,flexural strength,microhardness,total number of pores,pore area,and pore spacing.The results showed that the internal curing and morphological effects induced by an appropriate quantity of MSWIT-LA improved the compressive response of specified density concrete specimens,whereas an excessive quantity of MSWIT-LA significantly reduced their mechanical properties.An analysis of pore structure indicated that the addition of MSWIT-LA increased the total quantity of pores and promoted cement hydration,resulting in a denser microstructure than that of ordinary concrete.The results of a principal component analysis showed that the mechanical response of specified density concrete prepared with 25%MSWIT-LA was superior to that of an equivalent ordinary concrete.It was therefore concluded that MSWIT-LA can be feasibly applied to achieve excellent specified density concrete properties while utilising municipal solid waste incineration tailings to protect the environment and alleviate shortages of sand and gravel resources.

Utilization of Solid Waste Materials as Roadbed Fillers in Road Construction:a Review

China has a large solid waste stockpile and a low resource utilisation rate,and the utilisation of solid waste resources is of great significance in promoting sustainable social development.In order to further promote the green and efficient development of China's road field,an overview of the current status of the application,research progress,hot frontiers,problems and their countermeasures based on the three aspects of industrial solid wastes,engineering solid wastes and municipal solid wastes in highway engineering was conducted,and the development prospect of the resourceful utilisation of solid waste in highway engineering was outlooked,with a view to promoting the development of China's green roads.Statistics on the stockpile,utilisation and comprehensive utilisation rate of industrial solid wastes in China are presented,and the optimal mixing amount,production process and application technology of industrial solid wastes for road base materials are systematically summarised.Based on the concept of high-value utilisation of solid waste,the mechanical properties,durability,construction technology and quality control standards of engineering solid waste applied in roadbed engineering are summarised,and the difficulties in the application of engineering solid waste in road engineering are summarised.Finally,the feasibility,mechanical properties and environmental characteristics of municipal solid waste domestic waste incinerator slag,waste tyres and plastics applied in road engineering are summarised.This review can provide references and lessons for the design and development of green roads,and promote the innovation and development of greening road engineering.

Global Research Progress on Municipal Waste and Future Prospect Based on the Cross-national Comparisons

Due to the acceleration of urbanization,the municipal waste(MW)problem has transformed into a global challenge for urb-an sustainability.To elucidate historical trends,current focal points,and future directions in MW research,we conducted a bibliometric analysis and employed knowledge graph visualization to scrutinize a total of 34212 articles,which were published between 1991 and 2021 in the Web of Science(WoS)core database.The results indicated that current major research themes encompass waste classifica-tion and recycling,waste management and public behavior,waste disposal methods and technologies,as well as environmental impact and evaluation.There has been a shift in the research focus from the environmental impacts of waste incineration to sustainable manage-ment related issues.A comparison of research from six typical countries revealed the differences in research priorities and techniques advantages.Scholars from the USA and Britain initiated MW research earlier than other countries and investigated management issues in depth,such as public behavior and willingness to pay.Meanwhile,Japanese,German,and Swedish scholars conducted extensive studies on advanced waste treatment technologies,such as disposal and recycling,risk assessment,and waste-to-energy techniques.Chinese scholars placed particular emphasis on end-of-pipe treatments and their associated environmental impacts.Hotspots and poten-tial future frontiers were identified by burst detection analysis.Keywords with high value of burst index(BI)worldwide are food waste and circular economy.Chinese scholars have put great efforts on waste environmental impact and its recycling technologies,while we’re expecting to further investigating vulnerable population.Furthermore,this study contributes to bridging the regional gap of scientific research among different countries and fostering international collaboration.