The Experts below are selected from a list of 16284 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Wafik Boulos Lotfallah - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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benchmarking project performance a guideline for Assessing Vulnerability of mechanical and electrical projects to productivity loss
Construction Management and Economics, 2019Co-Authors: Awad S Hanna, Karim A Iskandar, Wafik Boulos LotfallahAbstract:Loss of productivity is a contentious issue that has a profound impact on modern construction, yet existing literature provides no quantitative, data-driven method to compare the productivity of different construction projects or to assess their Vulnerability to productivity loss. A new mathematically derived metric, called the “Risk of Productivity Loss (RPL)” score, provides such a method. RPL is a function of multiple distinct productivity factors. The RPL score is developed from a dataset of 166 electrical and mechanical projects, which collectively amount to 7.2 million labour hours. This large sample size makes the RPL score a reliable productivity benchmark for the electrical and mechanical construction industries due to their labour-intensive nature. The higher the RPL score, the higher the risk that a given project will suffer from productivity losses. To supplement the mathematical formula presented, objective data-based weights for multiple key productivity factors have been identified, reducing the subjectivity that affects many of the existing weighting assessment methods. RPL provides the industry with a single metric that allows tracking and assessment of productivity for multiple projects at a time so that a contractor may assess the successful reduction of productivity risk factors within the projects in their company.
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benchmarking project performance a guideline for Assessing Vulnerability of mechanical and electrical projects to productivity loss
Construction Management and Economics, 2019Co-Authors: Awad S Hanna, Karim A Iskandar, Wafik Boulos LotfallahAbstract:AbstractLoss of productivity is a contentious issue that has a profound impact on modern construction, yet existing literature provides no quantitative, data-driven method to compare the productivi...
W. Neil Adger - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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theory and practice in Assessing Vulnerability to climate change andfacilitating adaptation
Climatic Change, 2000Co-Authors: Philip M. Kelly, W. Neil AdgerAbstract:We discuss approaches to the assessment of Vulnerability to climatevariability and change andattempt to clarify the relationship between the concepts of Vulnerability andadaptation. In searchof a robust, policy-relevant framework, we define Vulnerability in terms ofthe capacity ofindividuals and social groups to respond to, that is, to cope with, recoverfrom or adapt to, anyexternal stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being. The approach thatwe develop placesthe social and economic well-being of society at the centre of the analysis,focussing on thesocio-economic and institutional constraints that limit the capacity torespond. From thisperspective, the Vulnerability or security of any group is determined byresource availability andby the entitlement of individuals and groups to call on these resources. Weillustrate theapplication of this approach through the results of field research in coastalVietnam, highlightingshifting patterns of Vulnerability to tropical storm impacts at the household-and community-levelin response to the current process of economic renovation and drawingconclusions concerningmeans of supporting the adaptive response to climate stress. Four prioritiesfor action areidentified that would improve the situation of the most exposed members ofmany communities:poverty reduction; risk-spreading through income diversification; respectingcommon propertymanagement rights; and promoting collective security. A sustainable response,we argue, mustalso address the underlying causes of social Vulnerability, including theinequitable distributionof resources.
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Theory and practice in Assessing Vulnerability to climate change and facilitating adaptation
Climatic Change, 2000Co-Authors: Philip M. Kelly, W. Neil AdgerAbstract:We discuss approaches to the assessment of Vulnerability to climate variability and change and attempt to clarify the relationship between the concepts of Vulnerability and adaptation. In search of a robust, policy-relevant framework, we define Vulnerability in terms of the capacity of individuals and social groups to respond to, that is, to cope with, recover from or adapt to, any external stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being. The approach that we develop places the social and economic well-being of society at the centre of the analysis, focussing on the socio-economic and institutional constraints that limit the capacity to respond. From this perspective, the Vulnerability or security of any group is determined by resource availability and by the entitlement of individuals and groups to call on these resources. We illustrate the application of this approach through the results of field research in coastal Vietnam, highlighting shifting patterns of Vulnerability to tropical storm impacts at the household-and community-level in response to the current process of economic renovation and drawing conclusions concerning means of supporting the adaptive response to climate stress. Four priorities for action are identified that would improve the situation of the most exposed members of many communities: poverty reduction; risk-spreading through income diversification; respecting common property management rights; and promoting collective security. A sustainable response, we argue, must also address the underlying causes of social Vulnerability, including the inequitable distribution of resources.
Lilibeth Acostamichlik - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Assessing Vulnerability of selected farming communities in the philippines based on a behavioural model of agent s adaptation to global environmental change
Global Environmental Change-human and Policy Dimensions, 2008Co-Authors: Lilibeth Acostamichlik, Victoria O EspaldonAbstract:Behavioural models that allow simple representation of the complexity of human-environment links are important in Vulnerability assessment because they allow the analysis of human adaptive processes in a changing environment. This paper applies an agent-based framework that considers the behavioural model of farmers in three villages in a municipality in the Philippines. Agent-based modelling is a useful policy tool for simulating the effects of different adaptation options on reducing Vulnerability because it allows representation of not only the dynamic changes in climate and market but also the dynamic adaptive process of different groups of communities to the impacts of these changes. Model simulations of adaptation options under various global change scenarios showed that production support would significantly reduce future Vulnerability only if complemented with appropriate market support. It is thus important for policy to provide a complementary bundle of adaptation measures. Lack of money and information are the most important reasons for not applying available technical adaptation measures, which currently hinder reduction of Vulnerability in selected villages in the municipality. Social networks, which play an important role in adapting to environmental changes, are limited to relatives and neighbours, who are important sources of informal credit. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Awad S Hanna - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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benchmarking project performance a guideline for Assessing Vulnerability of mechanical and electrical projects to productivity loss
Construction Management and Economics, 2019Co-Authors: Awad S Hanna, Karim A Iskandar, Wafik Boulos LotfallahAbstract:Loss of productivity is a contentious issue that has a profound impact on modern construction, yet existing literature provides no quantitative, data-driven method to compare the productivity of different construction projects or to assess their Vulnerability to productivity loss. A new mathematically derived metric, called the “Risk of Productivity Loss (RPL)” score, provides such a method. RPL is a function of multiple distinct productivity factors. The RPL score is developed from a dataset of 166 electrical and mechanical projects, which collectively amount to 7.2 million labour hours. This large sample size makes the RPL score a reliable productivity benchmark for the electrical and mechanical construction industries due to their labour-intensive nature. The higher the RPL score, the higher the risk that a given project will suffer from productivity losses. To supplement the mathematical formula presented, objective data-based weights for multiple key productivity factors have been identified, reducing the subjectivity that affects many of the existing weighting assessment methods. RPL provides the industry with a single metric that allows tracking and assessment of productivity for multiple projects at a time so that a contractor may assess the successful reduction of productivity risk factors within the projects in their company.
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benchmarking project performance a guideline for Assessing Vulnerability of mechanical and electrical projects to productivity loss
Construction Management and Economics, 2019Co-Authors: Awad S Hanna, Karim A Iskandar, Wafik Boulos LotfallahAbstract:AbstractLoss of productivity is a contentious issue that has a profound impact on modern construction, yet existing literature provides no quantitative, data-driven method to compare the productivi...
Mary C Sheehan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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integrating public health into climate change policy and planning state of practice update
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019Co-Authors: Mary A Fox, Christopher Zuidema, Bridget Bauman, Thomas A Burke, Mary C SheehanAbstract:Policy action in the coming decade will be crucial to achieving globally agreed upon goals to decarbonize the economy and build resilience to a warmer, more extreme climate. Public health has an essential role in climate planning and action: "Co-benefits" to health help underpin greenhouse gas reduction strategies, while safeguarding health-particularly of the most vulnerable-is a frontline local adaptation goal. Using the structure of the core functions and essential services (CFES), we reviewed the literature documenting the evolution of public health's role in climate change action since the 2009 launch of the US CDC Climate and Health Program. We found that the public health response to climate change has been promising in the area of assessment (monitoring climate hazards, diagnosing health status, Assessing Vulnerability); mixed in the area of policy development (mobilizing partnerships, mitigation and adaptation activities); and relatively weak in assurance (communication, workforce development and evaluation). We suggest that the CFES model remains important, but is not aligned with three concepts-governance, implementation and adjustment-that have taken on increasing importance. Adding these concepts to the model can help ensure that public health fulfills its potential as a proactive partner fully integrated into climate policy planning and action in the coming decade.
