Methods and Tools for Drought Analysis and Management
Implementation of effective drought management policies requires both advanced technologies and appropriate methods. Monitoring and forecasting systems, practical tools for risk assessment, as well as simple and objective criteria to select and implement appropriate drought mitigation measures are key elements for a successful drought management strategy.These key issues have been tackled by universities and public agencies involved in the EU projects Sedemed and Sedemed II (Programme Interreg IIIB MEDOCC), aimed at the definition of an integrated network for real time monitoring of drought, the development of common methodologies for drought analysis and forecasting, as well as the definition of proper mitigation strategies for the Mediterranean countries.The book presents the main outcomes of such projects with a special focus on: drought monitoring and forecasting echniques at different spatial scales; new or modified agrometeorological indices and remote sensing technique for drought identification and characterization; tools to improve surface water resources management under drought conditions; methods and tools for groundwater resources monitoring and management, based on hydrogeological and hydrodynamics characteristics of aquifers; general criteria to select and implement mitigation strategies to prevent or minimize drought impacts.
International Perspectives on Natural Disasters : Occurrence, Mitigation, and Consequences
Reports of natural disasters fill the media with regularity. Places in the world are affected by natural disaster events every day. Such events include earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, wildfires – the list could go on for considerable length. In the 1990s there was a concentrated focus on natural disaster information and mitigation during the International Decade for Natural Disasters Reduction (IDNDR). The information was technical and provided the basis for major initiatives in building structures designed for seismic safety, slope stability, severe storm warning systems, and global monitoring and reporting. Mitigation, or planning in the event that natural hazards prevalent in a region would suddenly become natural disasters, was a major goal of the decade-long program. During the IDNDR, this book was conceptualized, and planning for its completion began.
Financing clean energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa : Risk mitigation strategies and innovative financing structures
This book analyses barriers and challenges associated with the financing of clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. By considering various economic, financial, political, environmental and social factors, it explores the consequences of energy poverty across the region and maps the real and perceived investment risks for potential capital providers, both domestic and international. Furthermore, it analyses risk mitigation strategies and innovative financing structures available to the public and private sectors, which are aimed at leveraging capital in the clean energy sector at scale and fostering the creation of an enabling business and investment environment.


