Research Papers
Identifying public preferences using multi-criteria decision making for assessing the shift of urban commuters from private to public transport: A case study of Delhi
Jain Suresh, Aggarwal Preeti , Kumar Prashant , Singhal Shaleen, Sharma Prateek
| 2014
Shifting urban commuters to public transport can be an effective strategy to deal with the energy and environmental problems associated with the transport sector. In order to enhance public transport the mode of choice for urban commuters, public expectations and requirements should be at the centre of the policy-making process. This study uses pair-wise weighing method (i.e. Analytical Hierarchy Process) to derive priorities for different criteria for shifting urban commuters to the public transport system based on their opinion.
Hyperspectral imagery for disaggregation of land surface temperature with selected regression algorithms over different land use land cover scenes
Ghosh Aniruddha, Joshi P K
| 2014
Land surface temperature (LST), a key parameter in understanding thermal behavior of various terrestrial processes, changes rapidly and hence mapping and modeling its spatio-temporal evolution requires measurements at frequent intervals and finer resolutions.
How sustainable are forestry clean development mechanism projects? - A review of the selected projects from India
Aggarwal Ashish
| 2014
This paper analyses social, economic and ecological issues affecting sustainability of the four selected forestry clean development mechanism (CDM) projects from India. Data from the group discussions and stakeholder interviews suggest that three out of the four projects are economically unsustainable for local people because of high opportunity cost of land and labour, and delayed and low benefits.
High density polyethylene and silane treated silicon nitride nanocomposites using high-density polyethylene functionalized with maleate ester: Mechanical, tribological and thermal properties
Deepthi M V, Sailaja R R N, Sampathkumaran P, Seetharamu S, Vynatheya S
| 2014
In this study, attempt has been made to improve the overall performance of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites by blending with silane treated silicon nitride (SN) using HDPE grafted dibutyl maleate as compatibilizer. A small quantity of surface modified nanoclay has also been added in order to improve the mechanical properties. The mechanical properties show that both silane modification of silicon nitride accompanied by nanoclay addition has led to the substantial enhancement in mechanical properties.
Green Economy in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities.
Mishra Arabinda, Shailly Kedia, Madhumita Mishra
| 2014
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines a “green economy” as one “that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while signifi cantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities”. It makes a tantalizing claim that “a green economy grows faster than a brown economy over time, while maintaining and restoring natural capital”. Rising oil prices, the financial crisis of 2008, and the ever growing debate around global ecological crises, including climate change, can be seen as key triggers for the pursuit of green growth worldwide.
Going beyond incomes: Dimensions of cooking energy transitions in rural India
Sehjpal Ritika , Ramji Aditya , Soni Anmol , Kumar Atul
| 2014
Most studies on household energy choices have considered income and education as suitable proxies for socio-cultural contexts, primarily because the available data on household energy is from census surveys which are mainly household consumption surveys, not focused energy surveys. Acknowledging the existing data constraints, a more focussed household energy survey was designed for rural India with the aim of better understanding determinants of current energy use patterns, energy choices, to measure the impacts of these factors, and importantly, arrive at key policy insights.
Geochemical characterization and heavy metal contamination of groundwater in Satluj River Basin
Singh Chander Kumar, Kumari Rina, Singh Ravi Prakash, Mukherjee Saumitra
| 2014
Groundwater, a renewable and finite natural resource, vital for man's life, social and economic development and a valuable component of the ecosystem, is vulnerable to natural and human impacts. The aim of present study is to evaluate hydrogeochemical parameters and heavy metals in groundwater and to study their spatial distribution in the Rupnagar District of Punjab. The spatial distribution of physico-chemical parameters were studied using Arc GIS 9.2.
Genesis of World Digital Libraries: An International Journal
Alam Nihal, Bhattacharya P K
| 2014
During the International Conferences on Digital Libraries, several experts felt the need for a primary research journal in the field of digital libraries which will not only cover the knowledge network of global digital library experts, but also project Indian research on digital libraries, technologies and case studies. Thus, the journal World Digital Libraries (WDL) started in 2008. This paper describes the genesis of the WDL, coverage in terms of themes, contribution of authors, subscription and future projections of WDL.
Forest cover change prediction using hybrid methodology of geoinformatics and Markov chain model: A case study on sub-Himalayan town Gangtok, India
Mukhopadhyay Anirban, Mondal Arun, Mukherjee Sandip , Khatua Dipam, Ghosh Subhajit , Mitra Debasish , Ghosh Tuhin
| 2014
In the Himalayan states of India, with increasing population and activities, large areas of forested land are being converted into other land-use features. There is a definite cause and effect relationship between changing practice for development and changes in land use. So, an estimation of land use dynamics and a futuristic trend pattern is essential. A combination of geospatial and statistical techniques were applied to assess the present and future land use/land cover scenario of Gangtok, the subHimalayan capital of Sikkim.