Urban ponds play a critical role in sustaining ecological balance, enhancing urban resilience, and promoting community well-being. However, the rapid expansion of urban settlements has resulted in the gradual degradation and conversion of these water bodies, leading to significant environmental impacts, including biodiversity loss. This study investigates the transformation of urban pondscapes within Serampore Municipality, located in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). A total of 191 ponds were identified and classified using Google Earth satellite imagery, field surveys, and statistical analysis. The ponds were categorized based on their size, condition, and usage, with field observations used to assess their health. Descriptive statistical methods were employed to analyze the distribution and size variations of these ponds. Additionally, secondary data on water quality parameters, such as turbidity and chlorophyll levels, were analyzed to evaluate the overall ecological health of the ponds. The results indicate a marked decline in the number of ponds, with nine ponds having been converted into built-up areas between 2011 and 2024. These findings underscore the adverse effects of urbanization on blue infrastructure and highlight the inadequacies of current policies in safeguarding urban water bodies. The evidence calls for stronger policy interventions and the adoption of sustainable urban planning practices to protect and conserve these vital aquatic resources. Without the proper management of urban ponds, the environmental and social functions they provide will continue to deteriorate, posing further risks to urban ecosystems and human health. Enhanced governance, alongside the integration of blue infrastructure into urban planning frameworks, is crucial for mitigating these challenges and ensuring the resilience of urban landscapes.
Water networks are critical infrastructure components, ensuring the continuous supply of high-quality drinking water to consumers. To secure such water supply, regular maintenance, including the replacement of deteriorating pipelines, is essential. In this study, a methodology has been developed for determining optimal pipeline replacement solutions in water supply systems at water utilities with limited data availability. Hydraulic analysis has been conducted on the segment of 25 km of the water supply network using the free software EPANET (Environmental Protection Agency, NETwork) Applying water network optimization, eight pipeline replacement projects according to 13 pre-defined criteria have been identified and evaluated. The paper outlines the methods for evaluating the criteria, including defining specific quantitative limits. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method was used in the paper to determine the weights of the criteria. The reason for applying this method refers to problems that involve a set of criteria with a mixed structure, including both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Also, the paper describes the steps of the multi-criteria optimization method VIKOR (Serbian language – VIšekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje), used to select the optimal project. The obtained results were also confirmed by the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) multi-criteria optimization method. This paper, considered as a case study, describes a method, i.e., application of a new principle and an innovative way to solve a problem for developing countries.
Campus safety is a universal concern for both students and their parents, particularly for students from vulnerable populations. This case study examines publicly available crime data collected by University Police for its two campuses in a metropolitan area in the U.S. The use of descriptive statistics, two-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and p-values are employed to compare crime statistics between the two campuses. The results for select offenses are compared to national averages for postsecondary institutions to determine whether the university is more/less safe than the national averages of other postsecondary institutions in the U.S. Despite some crime occurring during the period under evaluation, 2021-2023, results indicate that this is a safe university in comparison with national averages. This approach offers a robust tool for comparing crime data for universities with multiple campuses.
Ilorin, a rapidly urbanising city in Nigeria, faces multifaceted socio-economic and environmental challenges that exacerbate residents’ vulnerability to both natural and anthropogenic hazards. These hazards, including heatwaves, droughts, flooding, poverty, and housing insecurity, significantly impact the city’s sustainable development trajectory. This study examines the intricate interplay between vulnerability and everyday hazards, as well as the underlying socio-economic factors that exacerbate these challenges. A deductive research approach was adopted to assess the prevalence and drivers of vulnerability in Ilorin. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a random sample of 273 residents across 20 wards. Findings reveal that economic vulnerability is particularly pronounced, with lack of access to stable income exhibiting the highest mean index (4.42), while inadequate access to safe, convenient, and affordable transportation represents the lowest vulnerability index (3.93). Social and environmental vulnerabilities were also prevalent, with mean values of 4.23 and 4.16, respectively. Among everyday hazards, food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition were identified as the most critical issues (mean value: 4.32), followed by income and financial disparities (4.25) and crime and violence (4.18). Housing-related hazards were found to be comparatively less significant. The primary drivers of these hazards include poverty (4.40), unemployment and underemployment (4.30), income inequality (4.21), lack of awareness (4.17), and weak institutional governance (4.16). The study underscores the interdependence between vulnerability, everyday hazards, and sustainable urban development in Ilorin. Addressing these challenges requires the institutionalisation of comprehensive sustainable development policies at the state level. The establishment of an Ilorin Sustainable Development Strategy (ISDS) is recommended to mitigate urban disparities and enhance resilience.
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