• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.39 no.5 s.180
• /
• pp.615-626
• /
• 2006

The natural resources and material life-cycle include all human activities related to resources and material extraction, transportation, processing, use, recovery and disposal. Sustainable material management (SMM) is an integrated set of policy approaches targeted on economic agents throughout the material life-cycles and designed to result in economically efficient and environmentally effective material use. The material flows of industrial mineral, ores and fossil fuels have also long been a focal area for environmental policies because of the high environmental pressures associated with extraction, processing, consumption, and final disposal of these materials. OECD work on material flow is to improve the quantitative and analytical knowledge bases about natural resource and material flows within and among countries, so as to better understand the importance of material resources in member countries' economies. In several EU Member States, material flow accounts are part of official statistics. Material flow analysis (MFA) is a valuation method which assesses the efficiency of use of materials using information from material flow accounting. Material flow analysis helps to identify waste of natural resources and other materials in the economy which would otherwise go unnoticed in conventional economic monitoring systems. Resource use and resource efficiency has emerged as a major issue for long-term sustainability and environmental policy.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.25-37
• /
• 2010

This study is aimed at enhancing mobility rights for the transportation underprivileged that has been made light of relatively compared to normal people. In order to do this, we've suggested having ITS (Intelligent Traffic System) built and improving satisfaction through the test operation of its main system. The existing sound signal device for the visually handicapped has one problem with managing it. Because, the people in charge of it had to visit each problematic site directly to maintain and fix some problems every time it was out of order. Moreover, it couldn't provide sustainable services about voice guidance and the visually handicapped had to control it by either confirming the location of buttons that were installed on the pillar of traffic light and then pressing one of them or using a remote controller on their own. In order to improve such inconveniences, we have created a new typed sound signal device for the visually handicapped by applying the cutting-edge wireless technology based on ergonomics considering actual road situations. Such technology enables it report the status of signal device and light to them by using its voice guidance system automatically every time they have access to it. Additionally, we've already introduced it to a couple of test areas and then known the fact that they recognized traffic situation more conveniently and safely compared to the existing sound signal device. That is above average in terms of satisfaction. In addition to that, we've provided LTS (Location Tracking System - Location-based service intended for elementary students) by utilizing the existing wireless infrastructure and founded the fact that about 87% of their parents were satisfied with the service based on LTS.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.228-249
• /
• 2018

In 2015, the population of elderly people in Thailand was 16% of the total population and is predicted to be over 20% by 2021 and nearly 28% by 2031. The increase of the elderly population in Thailand has also increased the proportion of dependent elderly people, and caring for them poses many challenges for both families and the government. This descriptive method research aimed to survey the health status of dependent older people in the rural community of Lampang province in northern Thailand. The participants consisted of 62 older people and 62 primary family caregivers from Hong Ha Health Promoting Hospital, Lampang, Thailand (totaling 124 people). The researchers assessed the health status of older people and their activities of daily living (ADL). In addition, researchers assessed the health status and stress of caregivers. All the participants were interviewed about their experiences with caregiving. The results showed that most of the older respondents were female with an average age of 78.15 years. Based on the ADL assessment, 50 of the 62 older persons were homebound while the rest were bedridden. The majority of older people had chronic or long-term conditions that required hospitalization from time to time. Their frequent health problems included oral disorders such as tooth decay or caries/gum disease/no teeth, reduced sight, psychological disorders, knee pain and risk of falling, low BMI, risk of malnutrition, and urinary leakage and incontinence (58.06%, 66.13%, 62.90%, 70.97%, 38.71%, 66.13%, and 37.10%, respectively). Usual care provided by the family members included personal hygiene care, food preparation and feeding, medication management, housekeeping and organizing necessary equipment, supply of needed equipment, prevention of falls, helping with travel for medical checkups and treatment, and providing companionship. Families experienced shortages of medical supplies, daily use equipment, lack of employment, inadequate income, and difficulty accessing health care services due to lack of transportation. Some caregivers experienced caregiving stress related to a lack of social interactions as well as routine caregiving activities. Families need different types of support in order to promote the well-being of older people and caregivers. This highlights the need for a community participation model for the care of older people in order to reflect sustainable long-term outcomes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1295-1301
• /
• 2015

Background: Cancer imposes a significant economic burden on individuals, families and society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of cancer using the healthcare claims and cancer registry data in Korea in 2009. Materials and Methods: The economic burden of cancer was estimated using the prevalence data where patients were identified in the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We estimated the medical, non-medical, morbidity and mortality cost due to lost productivity. Medical costs were calculated using the healthcare claims data obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI) Corporation. Non-medical costs included the cost of transportation to visit health providers, costs associated with caregiving for cancer patients, and costs for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data acquired from the Korean National Statistics Office and Ministry of Labor were used to calculate the life expectancy at the time of death, age- and gender-specific wages on average, adjusted for unemployment and labor force participation rate. Sensitivity analysis was performed to derive the current value of foregone future earnings due to premature death, discounted at 3% and 5%. Results: In 2009, estimated total economic cost of cancer amounted to $17.3 billion at a 3% discount rate. Medical care accounted for 28.3% of total costs, followed by non-medical (17.2%), morbidity (24.2%) and mortality (30.3%) costs. Conclusions: Given that the direct medical cost sharply increased over the last decade, we must strive to construct a sustainable health care system that provides better care while lowering the cost. In addition, a comprehensive cancer survivorship policy aimed at lower caregiving cost and higher rate of return to work has become more important than previously considered.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 1999

This study aims to find basic data for using the quantitative assessment of the sustainability and establishing the systematic index of the planning for local cities to consider the environmentally sound and sustainable development. The research designs to review professional responding to surveys preceded by separate questionnaires and interviews from book reviews, and suggests to make an assessment model of the sustainability for local cities. The research found consequently as follows. Firstly, the research survey items were decides totally 52, grouped 9 assessmental issues and distributed under 4 assessmental domains for the sustainability from the references of book reviews. Secondly, the research result concentrated on the followings from the professional responding to surveys. 1. A most influent factor is the distribution of animals and plants in a nature domain. The next influent factors are the ratio of mass-transportation systems, the numbers of the species of animals and plants, the acreage of conservative forestry, the numbers of reused water resources, and the usage number of water supply, orderly in the nature domain. 2. A most influent factor is the usage number of synthetic detergents in a pollution domain. The next influent factors are the volume of waste water, the number of registered vehicles, the degree of soil pollution, and the charge of development imposition, orderly in the pollution domain. 3. A most influent factor is the acreage of athletic facilities, in an urban domain. the next influent factors are the acreage of recreational facilities, the number and acreage of cultural assets, the number of cultural facilities, the acreage of landscape conservation area, the charge of cultural asset management, orderly in the urban domain. 4. A most influent factor is the number of waste disposal facilities in a participation domain. The next influent factors are the capacity of reused waste, the usage of synthetic detergents, the ratio of waste water disposal, orderly in the participation domain. 5. A most contributed influent domain to the assessment of the sustainability for local cities is the urban domain. The next influent domains are nature domain, participation domain, and pollution domain, orderly in the contribution of the assessment of the sustainability. But, the pollution domain is little relationship with the sustainability. Therefore, it is clear that the abundant greens and the improved level of culture are dominant influences on the sustainabiligy, as like improving the ratio of roadside trees, the acreage of parks, and enlarging the number of cultural facilities.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.757-774
• /
• 2004

This paper is to reclassify systematically the functions of urban river: that is, water supply, land management, transportation and energy source as social and economic function; formation of geomorphic surface, water-side landscape, community constitution and boundary and separation between regions as spatial function; and drainage of waste water, purification, habitation, and weather regulation as ecological function. On the basis of this reclassification, it can be argued that the socio-economic functions (eg. water supply) of the river among the functions of the river have been strongly mobilized in the process of modernization, while the spatial function and ecological function of urban river have been ignored. The Kumho river which flows through Daegu and the adjacent area has made a great contribution to the modem development process of the river basin area, but as a result of a selective development of a specific function of the river, that is the social and economic function, it now suffers from the lack of instream flow and is deprived of its original functions with the water pollution and degradation. Moreover the Daegu region seems no longer possible to develop on the dependence of the river. In order to overcome this kind of social and environmental crisis, this paper is to suggest both some principles and main evaluating indicators to restore the original and comprehensive functions of the river, and important measures to make the co-evolution of the city and the river possible.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.443-470
• /
• 2003

This study is to consider economic, political, socio-cultural and environmental characteristics of the new urbanization process and its spatial structures and urban policy of Seoul in the 1990s. Some experimental findings which have been identified throughout this study can be summarized as follows. First of all, Seoul, the largest city in S.Korea has experienced a restructuring process of economy, which has been promoted by the development of producer services as well as knowledge- based or high tech industries. Secondly, the autonomy of Seoul has increased after the introduction of local self-government, with relatively higher self-management of local finance than other cities, strengthening the tendency of enterpreneurialism, empowering civil movements, and increasing the political participation of women. Thirdly, in the socio-cultural aspect, the material wants to gain a certain identity through consumption, using urban environments culturally, varying consuming attitudes and ways of leisure times in relation with the rapid development of transportation and information communication. Fourthly, in the environmental aspect, Seoul has tried to introduce the concept of sustainable development in terms of increasing wants on the quality of life, and to develop a pro-environmental eco-city with environmental rehabilitation, constructing green space and eco-park. Finally, in the spatial dimension, Seoul has shown a structuration of multi-centers, with highly spectacular urban landscapes and seemingly authentic urban planning. These results make us confirm that Seoul has been in the process of new urbanization which can be distinguished from the previous one.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.463-471
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study is to analyze the features of groundwater use to utilize as basic information for water-cycle analysis system development and effective groundwater management in the Kap-cheon basin. The cumulative relationship between groundwater use and the number of wells was analyzed to estimate the representative total groundwater use and the number of wells for the Kap-cheon basin. Then, the spatial distribution of groundwater use in the basin were figured out using the detailed information on groundwater use in each well. Finally, the reasonability of groundwater resources management in Kap-cheon basin was evaluated by comparing groundwater recharge and groundwater use in sub-basins and major stream basins. The results of the analysis showed about 25% of the total wells could represent 90% of groundwater use ($37,923,516\;m^3$/year) in the Kap-cheon basin. A detailed analysis on the groundwater uses in the vicinity of down-town areas of Daejeon metropolitan city showed high groundwater uses ($1.4{\sim}11.1$ times) compared to the groundwater recharge previously estimated using the rainfall-runoff model. The ratio of groundwater use and groundwater recharge for the major river basins in Kap-cheon basin ranged from 1.9 to 2.3 indicating that more sustainable groundwater management should be exercised. The results of this study can be used as basic information in evaluating the change of groundwater flow, stream flow and water-cycle for various groundwater uses in the Kap-cheon basin.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 1993

The integrated solid waste management for Seoul Metropolitan city can be established on the basis of the following hierarchy of priorities: 1. Efforts for source reduction should be propelled by both government and citizens to achieve the effects of resource conservation. The adequate production and consumption which are environmentally amenable and sustainable can be induced by the reasonable imposition of deposit money for waste treatment to one-time use products. To accomplish source reduction effectively, the induction of legal and institutional regulation of producer and consumer participation is requisite. 2. For resource recovery, wastes generated should be recycled as far as practicable. Community residents are responsible to separate discharge, the authorities concerned have responsibility of separate collection, and recycling industry should be assissted through tax reduction and financing. Resource separation facilities can be constructed at Kimpo Metropolitan landfill site for wastes not separately collected due to some unavoidable circumstances. 3. Garbage should be composted. Garbage is uneconomical for incineration, because it has high moisture content and low calorie, thus there is no reason for the incineration of garbage even though garbage is classified into combustibles. Composting facilities can be located at sites which are not densely populated and easily accessible to transportation, for example, Kimpo Metropolitan landfill site. Compost produced can be managed by the authorities for the use of fertilizer to a green tract of suburban land and farms. 4. Nonhazardous combustible wastes not recyclable can be utilized for thermal recovery at the incinerators which are completely equipped with pollution control devices. According to the trend of local autonomy and the equity principle of local autonomous entities, incineration facilities of minimal capacity required can be constructed at each districts of Seoul Metropolitan city which have organized local assembly. In case of Yangcheon district, the economically combustible waste quantity is about 260 tons/day which exceeds 150 tons/day, the incineration capacity of existing facility. But, from now on, waste quantity can be reduced substantially by the intensive efforts of citizens for source reduction and recycling and the institutional support of administrative organizations. Especially, it is indispensable for the government to constitute institutional and technological bases that can recycle paper and plastics form 43% of waste generated. A good time for constructing of incineration facilities for municipal solid waste can be postponed to the time that pollution control technologies of domestic enterprises are fully developed to satisfy the standards of air pollution prevention, because the life expectancy of Kimpo Metropolitan landfill site is about 25 years. Within this period, institutional improvements and technological advancements can be attained, while the air qual. ity of Seoul Metropolitan city can be ameliorated to the level to afford incineration facilities. 5. For final disposal, incombustibles and ash are landfilled sanitarily at Kimpo Metropolitan landfill site.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.227-234
• /
• 2020

Under consideration of construction waste recycling, candidate secondary products applicable for the civil and construction areas can be reliably employed based on the recycling cost analysis. For the validation purpose, probability-based cost analyses were performed to estimate recycling cost profit considering uncertainties. When recycling construction wastes, the costs at each stage are fully dependent on target products to be adopted. To achieve commercialization of each product, its quality has to be improved with economic efficiency through accurate evaluation of input costs. Based on the probabilistic recycling cost analysis, the cost benefit for target products was estimated with waste classification cost, transportation cost to recycling treatment facilities and production cost. All necessary information on the cost analysis were collected from literature, disclosure, and existing recycling companies. In addition, a cost difference between recycled and non-recycled events was made. As a result, a probability-based recycling cost estimate for candidate secondary products was herein presented.