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Abstract : Fire Protection Services in Karachi
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Abstract: Public services are the active organs of governments facilitating people to a level of comfort. The provision of these services is an essential part for exercising power by a government. Fire protection is also one of the basic public services which plays a significant role in emergencies. Generally, their service brings a relief helping people to come out of a situation of panic and terror. Karachi is a mega city with a population of more than twenty million and about three million households have only twenty two firefighting station set ups, roughly one station to cater to the needs of one million people. This study is a critical evaluation of effectiveness of these services across the city. Slums and high rise structures in the city pose serious problems in the functioning of these services, besides which encroachments along roads, road conditions, lack of protection from law enforcing agencies, low level of awareness of people regarding fire incidence and finally lack of firefighting attributes and government support are the major problems. Keywords: Firefighting services, city structure, buildings, road network, and people’s response. |
Abstract : Climate Change Impact on Flow Discharge of Kunhar River Catchment using Snowmelt Runoff Model
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Abstract: Most of the runoff in Kunhar Catchment is generated from the snowmelt which makes it more sensitive to climate change. The Snowmelt-Runoff Model (SRM), a simple degree-day model, has been applied around the world under different climatic regions to evaluate the hydrological effects of climate change. The current study encompasses the use of Snowmelt-Runoff Model (SRM) to forecast stream flows in Kunhar river catchment depicting three varying climate change scenarios i.e. a) an increase in +2°C temperature b) an increase in +2°C temperature along with 20% increase in precipitation, and c) a 20% increase in precipitation. The study area was distributed with respect to varying altitude with 500 m elevation interval. Moderate resolution Imaging Satellite (MODIS) daily snow product MOD10A1 is used to map snow cover. SRM model was simulated and later climate change run was evaluated. SRM Model was calibrated for 2003 – 2004 and validated for 2005 – 2006 with an average coefficient of 0.93 R2 and average seasonal volume difference Dv of 1.46%. The stimulated results for scenario “b” show an increase of flow discharge by 27%. Whereas, there was 21% and 6% increment in discharge simulated for scenarios “a” and “c” respectively. Keywords: SRM, Climate Change, Remote Sensing, Hydrology. |
Abstract : Soil Moisture Retrieval from MODIS and AMSRE Satellite Data A Case Study of Sindh Province, Pakistan
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Abstract: Sindh province has diverse agro-climatological regions ranging from irrigated agricultural belt in the middle and desert to the east and bare hilly ranges on the west. Climate of the province is semi-arid with low annual precipitation of around 200mm. Agriculture and agribusiness is the main source of livelihood for majority in the province. Soil moisture study is an important parameter in agriculture, hydrology and hydrometeorology for studies related to sustainable development of agriculture and agribusiness in the province. In agriculture, soil moisture is used to study evapotranspiration, droughts, irrigation scheduling, and crop yield forecasting. It is also important for the environmental studies like subsequent precipitation patterns, temperature change and water quality. Soil moisture plays an important role in hydrology e.g., flood control, soil erosion and slope failure, reservoir management, geotechnical engineering and runoff generation. Due to synoptic coverage and high temporal resolution satellite remote sensing is ideal for instantaneous measurement of soil moisture content and its spatial and temporal behavior. In this study soil moisture at province level has been mapped through Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spector Radiometer (MODIS) for the years 2007 and 2010. As 2007 was as normal year while 2010 was a wet year due to heavy rainfall and flood in the province, both the years have been selected to study soil moisture anomalies in normal and wet seasons. The results of MODIS derived soil moisture is in moderate agreement with AMSR-E soil moisture product proving the effectiveness of high resolution products in optical range. Keywords: Soil Moisture, MODIS, AMSR-E, Agriculture, Remote Sensing, Hydrology. |
Abstract : Manufacturing in Sindh: Growth and Spatial Distribution
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Abstract: Manufacturing is significantly important in Sindh. It is a major contributor of the GDP along with the agriculture sector. Industrial development of Sindh occurred after the emergence of Pakistan and manufacturing gained considerable size in the recent years as a major economic activity in the province. The paper focuses on chief aspects i.e. growth and concentration pattern. The trends and rate of growth have been analyzed over a period of thirty years beginning 1975-76. The spatial pattern is shown by the technique of location quotient which measures the extent of concentration of manufacturing in the districts of Sindh. Three districts i.e. Karachi, Dadu and Hyderabad emerge as major industrial concentrations. Keywords: Spatial Pattern, Location Quotient, Concentration Index, Value Addition. |
