Published papers

Urbanization has caused countless changes in the lives, behaviors, and community structures of wild animals. Habitat loss in urban areas has led to the proliferation of certain species over others; in the case of birds, frugivores and certain predators can be found in abundance in cities. These birds, however, occasionally show novel behaviors that can cause stress within human-wildlife interactions. The black kite, Milvus migrans, for example, has displayed a tendency to attack humans for their food in certain urban areas in Japan. In order to determine how habitat availability and land-use types affected these aggressive tendencies, field observations were combined with GIS analysis of five locations along Sagami Bay in Japan. The following locations were assessed according to the amount of each land-use type present and the aggressive tendencies of each location's black kite population: Enoshima, Fujisawa; Kamakura Beach, Kamakura; Zushi Beach, Zushi; Oiso Beach, Oiso; and Iwa Beach, Manazuru. The aggression of each population, designated by the log of the aggression index, was found to be significantly affected by the amount of forest area per black kite, the amount of non-rice-paddy agricultural area per black kite, and the season. Thus, aggression was higher amongst populations with less forested or agricultural area within their foraging zones, and aggression increased during spring, which is the breeding season.

Despite its potential use for earth observation and GIS-based analysis, Public Administrative Data (PAD) has been neglected in the spatial big data discussions. For instance, linking unaggregated public databases to the smallest administrative units for mining spatial data currently absents from literature. In this study, a neighborhood association base map was developed and the usability as a platform for linking PAD in Indonesia was investigated. The base map is proposed as a new feature in Indonesia-s SDI. A data model was developed, and data accuracy and reliability were assessed by a case study. Four unaggregated databases obtained from public institutions were examined using common structured query language. The results show that from 1.3 million records, more than 95% can be directly linked to the base map. Finally, it is concluded that despite the existence of challenges, linking PAD with the base map is feasible and beneficial for GIS-based analysis.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a phenomenon that the air temperature in urban area is higher than suburbs. The difference of air temperature between downtown area and suburb is called UHI intensity (UHII). Satellite remote sensing is an effective way to capture thermal information spatially over a wide area with high resolution. However, the possibility and the method of measuring UHII with thermal images remain unclear so far. This paper examined the impacts of urban forms on the satellite-observed brightness temperature and the ground-observed air temperature, and discussed the quantitative method of measuring UHII with brightness temperature under certain conditions. Low-pass filter was applied to brightness temperature, and the UHII was evaluated by landscape categorizes and distance zones from the center business district to suburbs. It turns out that the brightness temperature data could give a comparable UHII with that of air temperature observed on the ground when spatial and landscape conditions are consistent with each other.

The emigration of residents following the Fukushima nuclear accident has resulted in aging and depopulation problems in radiation-contaminated areas. The recovery of affected areas, and even those areas with low radioactive pollution levels, is still heavily affected by this problem. This slow recovery consequently affects immigration patterns. This review aims to present possible factors that have contributed to this dilemma. We first present an overview of the evacuation protocol that was administered in the study area following the Fukushima accident. We then analyze characteristics of the subsequent exodus by comparing population data for both before and after the accident.

© 2018, Chulalongkorn University. All rights reserved. Fog computing is gaining attention due to the potential of aggregating and processing time-sensitive data at the nearby intelligent gateways. It reduces the latency of sensors data aggregation and response time therefore, improve real-time action which is beneficial in environmental monitoring and early warning systems. However, deploying edge computing in Internet-less environment seems unpractical and the mobility of gateways is less focused in current literature. In this paper, we present a practical design of a portable gateways scheme for sensors data aggregation and processing in Internet-less environment. The proposed gateways can locate their geographical locations which can be automatically converted into location names at the central gateway. The proposed portable Fog Gateways are developed by using open-source hardware and integrated with Cloud database for data storage. Data processing techniques such as data parsing and Reverse Geocoding are conducted for reliable data transmission by using GSM/GPRS technology and geographical location name detection respectively. Finally, a case study has been conducted to evalua

© Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. Urban form transformation can be seen as the results of urbanization spatially, where the land changed into an urbanized one. Monitoring its changes, however, require many human and financial resources. Accordingly, this research aims to identify urban form transformation using GIS/remote sensing and its spatial implications to the peri-urban area. In order to analyze the land cover changes, this research uses multispectral images from 1990-2016 for built-up extraction using New Built Up Index (NBUI) analysis and population data 1996-2015 combined with primary data from the respondents and key informants. Based on the analysis, it is seen that the compacted Yogyakarta Urban Area scattered predominantly to the Northern part of its periphery with the increase of urban area from 21.19% in 1990 to 50.91% in 2017. While this urbanization is an on-going process, the population of urban core showed a de-concentration phenomenon in 2015, spreading to its periphery causing some negative implications to the peri-urban area.

Developing countries have generally been overlooked in downstream carbon trading-based policy research. This can be attributed to the greater responsibility of developed economies for climate change, and the greater socio-demographic, political and technological challenges faced by their less-developed counterparts. This paper attempts to address this gap by examining the practicality of implementing Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) for personal road transport in Kenya. PCT is investigated with a focus on political considerations, potential system operation and the distributional impact of quota allocation to motorists. Three quota allocation methods are modelled using data from a survey of 500 motor vehicle owners in Nairobi and Mombasa counties. Equal per-capita, equal per-vehicle and needs-based allocation methods are modelled and assessed to determine the distributional impact on various groups of interest. Emissions were found to be highly correlated to vehicle engine size and the number of dependents per vehicle, but not to area of residence or income levels. None of the three allocation methods disproportionately imposed burdens on vulnerable groups, and all exhibited progressive tendencies. The proposed system is intended to add new insight into the possibility of PCT becoming a globally inclusive policy option. Key Policy Insights Despite PCT being a bold policy proposal even for developed countries, less developed counterparts can meet the political, institutional and technological requirements to implement it. The wealth of functionality available through SIM card features on cheap and abundant mobile phones may unlock a simple and cost-effective, globally-applicable PCT system. Public resistance to fuel price increases stems from the lower income demographic which is, conversely, rewarded with surpluses under PCT. Equal-per capita allocation remains the most progressive method. Needs-based allocation is highly progressive and may be worth considering when more stringent targets are deemed necessary.

The energy performance of residential and commercial buildings is a vital topic because of the rapid urbanization occurring throughout the world. Accommodation buildings are considered energy intensive compared to other commercial facilities. In addition, they are the main component of the tourism industry. Therefore, various actions and policies have been introduced to improve the energy performance of accommodation buildings. This research depends on a national scale database of energy consumption of commercial buildings in Japan. It is the main source of data to conduct this study. The Database for Energy Consumption of Commercial buildings (DECC) is a national survey that is provided by the Japan Sustainable Building Consortium (JSBC). Based on the DECC, the study presents a general benchmark which is developed by applying regression and artificial neural network (ANN) methods to assess the energy performance of accommodation buildings in the Kanto region, Japan. The study presents a broad benchmark to evaluate basic energy consumption of accommodation building with three variables. In addition, the study highlights the necessity of designing the ANN model through the choosing of hidden layers and training method. The outcomes of each learning method and hidden layer was examined using main indicators to verify its accuracy.

In the absence of a generic approach to study shoreline changes, this research focus on the development of a generic methodology to detect, measure, analyze, and predict shoreline changes to manage coastal environment. The unique strength of this approach is that it incorporates image processing techniques, remotely sensed derived data into a GIS to analyze measure, and predict and visualize shoreline changes. It is independent from the study region or the remote sensing data. This methodology uses Speeded Up Robust Feature to detect the study regions from satellite images automatically. Also, it proposes a model of shoreline using the Canny edge detector on Normalized Difference Water Index image. To measure the changes, Digital Shoreline Analysis System extension of ArcGIS was used and the End Point Rate (EPR) and Linear Regression Rate (LRR) approaches were used on the modeled shoreline. The EPR is calculated by dividing the distance of shoreline movement by the time elapsed between the oldest and the most recent shoreline. A LRR statistic can be determined by fitting a least-squares regression line to all shoreline points for a particular transect. Three regions of the island of Djerba in Tunisia were selected for this study; Rass Errmall, El Kastil, and Aghir. Accretions as well as erosion processes were observed in the study areas between 1984 and 2009. The average of the erosion was around -6.95 m/year in Aghir. The average of erosion is around -4.09 m/year and accretion trend is around +11.7 m/year in Rass Errmall. El Kastil was under a remarkable accretion with 21.14 m/year during the same period.

In this article a planning approach is proposed to accommodate different paces of urbanisation. Instead of responding to a single problem with a Pavlov-type of response, analysis shows that the transformational tempi of different urban landscapes require multiple deployment strategies to develop urban environments that are sustainable and resilient. The application of nature-based solutions, enhancing both human and natural health in cities, is used as the foundation for the design of deployment strategies that respond to different paces of urban change. The results show that urban characteristics, such as population density and built space is, partly, dependent on the underlying landscape characteristics, therefore show specific development pathways. To create liveable and sustainable urban areas that can deal holistically with a range of intertwined problems, specific deployment strategies should be used in each specific urban context. This benefits the city-precinct as a whole and at the local scale. Even small nature-based solutions, applied as the right deployment strategy in the right context, have profound impact as the starting point of a far-reaching urban transformation. The case-study for Oimachi in Japan illustrates how this planning approach can be applied, how the different urban rhythms are identified, and to which results this leads.

This article considers the development of a traditional Japanese tag game, Onigokko in terms of critical spatial thinking. Cameraembedded GPS mobile phones are used as a tool for positioning, touching, and communicating. A web server is used for planning games, monitoring the movements of teams and sharing information among players. Using city streets or country villages as playgrounds, team members collect points by visiting checkpoints and touching (i.e. taking photographs) enemy teams. Real-time communications by mobile phones enable players to think spatially and move strategically. The experiment demonstrates that the system functions well. The game is perceived as thrilling and is therefore able to foster a remarkable improvement in critical spatial thinking.

With developing concerns of climate change, population growth and rapid urbanization, there is growing need to optimize Food-Energy-Water (FEW) sectors. Subsequently, FEW nexus thinking has become a prerequisite for development planning today, as the three sectors are intricately linked to each other. This study identifies the key barriers to operationalizing FEW nexus at ground level and underlines the need for urban-rural shared perspectives in resource management. Since, urban and rural systems depend on shared stock of natural resources, the study theorizes that building integrated decision making platforms at regional level will significantly enhance their collective resilience to emerging socio-environmental challenges.

The evolving concept of ‘Smart Cities’ (SC) is today gaining global momentum in scientific and policy arenas. With the rising potential for jobs and improved lifestyle, these fast-growing cities are witnessing an ever-increasing concentration of populations and economic activities. However, the core aspect of sustainability is often overshadowed in SC by the components of economic growth. In view of the rising water, energy, and food (collectively referred to as WEF) demands in cities and the interlinkages between WEF systems, this study aims to highlight the role of SC in enhancing WEF resource efficiency from a nexus perspective. To study the current trends of SC developments first, a specific case of proposed Nagpur smart city (India) is reviewed based on document analysis and preliminary discussions with local government officials. Thereafter, bibliometric analysis (based on Scopus data) is conducted to establish a comprehensive understanding of existing SC research in varying domains of interlinked WEF systems. While the proposed Nagpur smart city is observably focused on city-centric goals with a high emphasis on infrastructure development, this study underlines the need for environmental resource conservation at a transboundary level. The key opportunities for optimizing the WEF nexus in Nagpur are then highlighted in reference to the bibliometric analysis.