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Leal Filho W, Abeldaño Zuñiga RA, Sierra J, Dinis MAP, Corazza L, Nagy GJ, Aina YA. An assessment of priorities in handling climate change impacts on infrastructures. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14147. [PMID: 38898125 PMCID: PMC11187127 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64606-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change (CC) will likely significantly impact the world's infrastructure significantly. Rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and rising sea levels are all likely to stress critical infrastructures (CI). Rising temperatures can lead to infrastructure damage from extreme heat events. This can cause roads and bridges to buckle or crack, leading to costly repairs and potential traffic disruptions. In addition, heat waves can damage vital electrical infrastructure, leading to widespread power outages. In light of this context, this article reports on a study which examined the connections and impacts of CC on infrastructure. The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining bibliometric analysis for the period 1997-2022 with a series of relevant case studies from the five continents to offer insight into the impact of CC on infrastructure. The article fills a research gap in respect of assessments of the extent to which climate change (CC) negative influences the infrastructure, with a special focus on developing countries. It also showcases CI projects and adaptation measures being currently deployed, to address CC. The results show that the current infrastructure is vulnerable to CC. The selected case studies on CI adaptation show that in developing and industrialised countries, there is a perceived need to understand better the connections and potential impacts of CC on critical areas such as transport, settlements, and coastal infrastructure. In order to protect infrastructure from CC impacts, governments need to invest in measures such as flood control, early warning systems, and improved building codes. Additionally, they need to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more actively, which are the primary cause of CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Leal Filho
- Research and Transfer Centre "Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management", Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Ulmenliet 20, 21033, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK
| | - Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuñiga
- Centre for Social Data Science. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- PostGraduate Department, University of Sierra Sur., Oaxaca, Mexico.
| | - Javier Sierra
- Department of Applied Economics, Research Center on Global Governance (CIGG), Faculty of Law, Educational University Research Institute (IUCE), University of Salamanca, Paseo Tomáds y Valiente, Salamanca, Spain
- European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis
- Fernando Pessoa Research, Innovation and Development Institute (FP-I3ID), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), Praça 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004, Porto, Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), University of Coimbra, Edifício do Patronato, Rua da Matemática, 49, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Laura Corazza
- Department of Management, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Gustavo J Nagy
- Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales (IECA), Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Yusuf A Aina
- Department of Geomatics Engineering Technology, Yanbu Industrial College, 41912, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
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Rahimi M, Kumar P, Moazzamigodarzi M, Mishra AR. Digital transformation challenges in sustainable financial service systems using novel interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy double normalization-based multiple aggregation approach. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2022:1-33. [PMID: 36373028 PMCID: PMC9638324 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02719-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recently, financial service systems have had essential impacts on public policies, the economic performance of firms, and all forms of industry and commerce. These systems play an important role in determining whether a society (which includes a wide range of members, from governmental institutions to individual consumers) has been successfully considered an environmentally sustainable path. The literature shows that the people who work in the financial sector are mostly unaware of the pressure and rationale behind sustainable development and its bearing on their work; however, those who work in the relevant research and policy areas generally ignore the vitality of the role of the financial sector in such a development. The study of interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy sets (IVPFSs) indicates an urge for a decision approach to implementing the available information for rational decisions properly. Inspired by the advantage of IVPFSs, an extended decision methodology called the IVPF rank-sum weighting method (RSWM)-double normalization-based multi-aggregation (DNMA) is discussed. In this line, the IVPF-RSWM is applied to find the subjective weights of digital transformation challenges of sustainable financial service systems (SFSS), and the DNMA framework is developed to obtain the preferences of SFSSs in the banking sector. A case study to assess the main digital transformation challenges in SFSSs of the banking sector is undertaken. Further, comparison and sensitivity investigations are taken to illustrate the advantage of the presented approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamadtaghi Rahimi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pranesh Kumar
- Department of Mathematics, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC Canada
| | - Mahdieh Moazzamigodarzi
- Department of Mathematics, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC Canada
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A Framework for Scaling Urban Transformative Resilience Through Utilizing Volunteered Geographic Information. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi11020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Resilience in the urban context can be described as a continuum of absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities. The need to move toward a sustainable future and bounce forward after any disruption has led recent urban resilience initiatives to engage with the concept of transformative resilience when and where conventional and top-down resilience initiatives are less likely to deliver effective strategies, plans, and implementable actions. Transformative resilience pathways emphasize the importance of reflexive governance, inclusive co-creation of knowledge, innovative and collaborative learning, and self-organizing processes. To support these transformative pathways, considering techno-social co-evolution and digital transformation, using new data sources such as Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and crowdsourcing are being promoted. However, a literature review on VGI and transformative resilience reveals that a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and capacities of utilizing VGI for transformative resilience is lacking. Therefore, based on a qualitative content analysis of available resources, this paper explores the key aspects of using VGI for transformative resilience and proposes a comprehensive framework structured around the identified legal, institutional, social, economic, and technical aspects to formalize the process of adopting VGI in transformative resilience initiatives.
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The Degree of Contribution of Digital Transformation Technology on Company Sustainability Areas. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14010462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The impact of new digital technologies creates challenges for the digital transformation process in company sustainability areas. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of contribution of digital-transformation-enabling technologies to company sustainability areas of three pulp and paper manufacturing companies in Brazil and relate it to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method, we sought to assess the key concepts of sustainability and the implementation of digital transformation (DT) through its enabling digital technologies. A field study was conducted in three Brazilian pulp and paper companies to assess the degree of contribution. They are leading companies in the paper and cellulose industry in Brazil. The results obtained indicate that the companies in this sample are still in a growth process regarding the use of digital technologies in their sustainability areas. Only one digital technology, cloud computing, appears relevant in one of the companies studied, which differs from the theoretical framework presented by the literature. To achieve the SDGs goals, countries, especially emerging ones, need to develop their technologies and their business and improve the results that relate to sustainability. The research method applied in this study can be replicated to other companies where the impact of digital transformation technologies on company sustainability is critical.
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COVID-19 and Beyond: Employee Perceptions of the Efficiency of Teleworking and Its Cybersecurity Implications. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13126750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The main idea of this research is to examine how teleworking has affected employee perceptions of organizational efficiency and cybersecurity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research is based on an analytical and empirical approach. The starting point of the research is a critical and comprehensive analysis of the relevant literature regarding the efficiency of organizations due to teleworking, digital information security, and cyber risk management. The quantitative approach is based on designing a structural equation model (SEM) on a sample of 1101 respondents from the category of employees in Montenegro. Within the model, we examine simultaneously the impact of their perceptions on the risks of teleworking, changes in cyber-attacks during teleworking, organizations’ capacity to respond to cyber-attacks, key challenges in achieving an adequate response to cyber-attacks, as well as perceptions of key challenges related to cybersecurity. The empirical aspects of our study involve constructing latent variables that correspond to different elements of employee perception; namely, their perception of organizational efficiency and the extent to which the digital information security of their organizations has been threatened during teleworking during the pandemic.
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Digital Transformation in Banking: A Managerial Perspective on Barriers to Change. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13042032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The digitalisation of banks is seen as the omnipresent challenge which the banking industry is currently facing. In this digital change process, banks are facing disruptive innovation that requires adaptation of almost all cooperative processes. Digital transformation in the financial industry is associated with obstacles that seem to hinder smooth implementation of digital approaches. This issue has not been adequately addressed in the current academic literature. The main purpose of this qualitative exploratory study is to identify the main perceived obstacles to digital transformation in both the private and commercial banking sectors from a managerial point of view and to analyse them accordingly. The methodology is based on a methodological approach using a combination of contextual interviews with German board members of banks, inductive content analysis, and the exploration of best-practice approaches. The findings revealed that elements of strategy and management, technology and regulation, customers, and employees receive a high level of attention within the digital transformation. The other main barriers can be found in the areas of market knowledge and products, employee and customer participation, and public benefit. Each main barrier is characterised by several sub-barriers of varying importance for the digital transformation of banks and is described in detail.
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