Critical Infrastructures Risk And Vulnerability Assessment In Transportation Of Dangerous Goods

This book addresses a key issue in today’s society: the safer transport of dangerous goods, taking into account people, the environment and economics. In particular, it offers a potential approach to identifying the issues, developing the models, providing the methods and recommending the tools to address the risks and vulnerabilities involved. We believe this can only be achieved by assessing those risks in a comprehensive, quantifiable and integrated manner. Examining both rail and road transportation, the book is divided into three sections, covering: the mature and accepted (by both academia and practitioners) methodology of risk assessment; the vulnerability assessment – a novel approach proposed as a vital complement to risk; guidance and support to build the tools that make methods and equations to yield: the Decision Support Systems. Throughout the book, the authors do not endeavor to provide THE solution. Instead, the book offers insightful food for thought for students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers alike.

In the face of increasing failures, comments attributed to Albert Einstein loom large: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” There is a pervasive feeling that any attempt to make sense of the current terrain of complex systems must involve thinking outside the box and originating unconventional approaches that integrate organizational, managerial, social, political, cultural, and human aspects and their interactions. This textbook offers research-based models and tools for diagnosing and predicting the behavior of complex techno-socio-economic systems in the domain of critical infrastructures, key resources, key assets and the open bazaar of space, undersea, and below-ground systems. These models exemplify emblematic models in physics, within which the critical infrastructures, as well as society itself and its paraphernalia, share the profile of many-body systems featuring cooperative phenomena and phase transitions – the latter usually felt as disruptive occurrences. The book and its models focus on the analytics of real-life-business actors, including policy-makers, financiers and insurers, industry managers, and emergency responders.

Risk Assessment and Security for Pipelines, Tunnels, and Underground Rail and Transit Operations details a quantitative risk assessment methodology for systematically analyzing various alternatives for protecting underground rail, oil and gas pipelines, pipeline freight transportation, and other tunnel systems from terrorism threats and other disasters. It examines the engineering, environmental, and economic impacts and addresses both direct and collateral damage. The book describes how to employ the methodology of quantitative psychology for effectively assessing risk in homeland security, defense actions, and critical infrastructure protection. Using pipelines, tunnels, underground rapid rail, and transit systems as examples, it maintains an emphasis on applying quantitative psychology to risk management in the areas of homeland security and defense. Outlines the background and system operations of pipelines, tunnels, underground rail, and transit systems as well as other super-speed futuristic trains Covers materials used for fabricating weapons of mass destruction and operations for terrorism Deals with the probabilistic risk estimation process, event tree analysis, and fault tree analysis Discusses the risk and vulnerability assessment tools and methodologies used by experts and governmental agencies Approved for public release by the U.S. Federal Government, this book presents regulations, standard processes, and risk assessment models recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal and state agencies. Describing how to evaluate terrorism threats and warnings, it details protocols for preventive measures and emergency preparedness plans that are based on economic analysis. With comprehensive coverage that includes risk estimation and risk acceptability analysis, the book provides a foundational understanding of risk and the various defensive systems that can improve safety and security as well as thwart terrorists’ efforts to sabotage critical infrastructure.

This edited book captures salient global security challenges and presents ‘design’ solutions in dealing with wicked problems. Through case studies and applied research this book reveals the many perspectives, tools and approaches to support security design. Security design thereby can support risk and threat analysis, risk communication, problem framing and development of interventions strategies. From the refugee crisis to economic slowdowns in emerging markets, from ever-rising numbers of terrorist and cyberattacks to global water shortages, to the proliferation of the Internet of Things and its impact on the security of our homes, cities and critical infrastructure, the current security landscape is diverse and complex. These global risks have been in the headlines in the last year (Global Risks Report) and pose significant security challenges both nationally and globally. In fact, national security is no longer just national. Non-state actors, cyber NGO, rising powers, and hybrid wars and crimes in strategic areas pose complex challenges to global security. In the words of Horst Rittel (1968):"Design is an activity, which aims at the production of a plan, which plan -if implemented- is intended to bring about a situation with specific desired characteristics without creating unforeseen and undesired side and after effects."

This book offers a state-of-the-science approach to current environmental security threats and infrastructure vulnerabilities. It emphasizes beliefs that the convergence of seemingly disparate viewpoints and often uncertain and limited information is possible only by using one or more available risk assessment methodologies and decision-making tools such as risk assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).

This book enhances learning about complex project management principles and practices through the introduction and discussion of a portfolio of tools presented as an evolving toolbox. Throughout the book, industry practitioners examine the toolsets that are part of the toolbox to develop a broader understanding of complex project management challenges and the available tools to address them. This approach establishes a dynamic, structured platform for a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the modern, rapidly changing, multifaceted business environment to teach the next generation of project managers to successfully cope with the ever increasing complexity of the 21st century.

This book introduces readers to the topical area of CSI: critical space infrastructure, which is defined as an emerging domain of systems-of-systems encompassing hardware, workforce, environment, facilities, business and organizational entities. Further, it includes unmanned air systems, satellites, rockets, space probes, and orbital stations, and involves multi-directional interactions essential for maintenance of vital societal functions (i.e., health, safety, economic and social well-being), the loss or disruption of which would have significant impact on virtually any nation. The topics covered include the main elements of CSI, CSI taxonomy, effects of CSI on other infrastructure systems, establishing quantitative and qualitative parameters, global and national effects of CSI failure, cascading disruptive phenomena, chilling effects in various fields, CSI protection, deliberate threats to space systems (e.g., electromagnetic pulse attacks), space governance, and a path forward for CSI research. Modern society is highly dependent on the continuous operation of critical infrastructure systems for the supply of crucial goods and services including, among others, the power supply, drinking water supply, and transportation systems; yet space systems – which are critical enablers for several commercial, scientific and military applications – are rarely discussed. This book addresses this gap.

Gamification for Resilience Enable resilience informed decision-making with an insightful combination of systems engineering concepts In Gamification for Resilience: Resilient Informed Decision-Making, a team of distinguished researchers deliver an insightful and exciting integration of game theory, design, and applications that explains how to create a resilient city that promotes sustainable development, well-being, and inclusive growth. The authors combine several concepts and techniques taken from serious gaming and integrate them into decision-making theory, demonstrating how to enable Resilience Informed Decision-Making. The book addresses critical infrastructure systems and how to ensure these systems are supported against manmade, natural threats and hazards. It includes thought-provoking research questions and case applications that will engage and challenge readers and create an active and memorable learning experience. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to systems theory as the basis for bridging science and the practice of engineering systems Comprehensive explorations of gamification and its application to the resilience informed decision-making process Practical discussions of the analysis and assessment of risk and vulnerability via serious gaming Fulsome treatments of the representation of system complexity using object-oriented programming Perfect for professionals and researchers working in the areas of decision making, gamification, resilience, risk assessments, and critical infrastructures, Gamification for Resilience: Resilient Informed Decision-Making will also benefit undergraduate and graduate students studying urban planning, smart cities, and related subjects.