Purpose
Climate vulnerability assessments are often operationalized by the analysis of indicators defined by the spatial boundaries of the community under study. These, however, sometimes fail to capture interdependency among communities for basic resources. This paper aims to propose a framework for characterizing vulnerability caused by interdependency by adapting a supply chain lens.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes a definition for “indirect vulnerability” that recognizes the transboundary and teleconnected nature of vulnerability arising from resource networks among cities and communities. A conceptual framework using a supply chain approach is presented for climate hazards in particular. This approach is then demonstrated through a rapid appraisal of the rice, energy and water supply chains and the waste management chains of Metro Manila.
Findings
The application of the supply chain lens to assessing the indirect vulnerability of Metro Manila brings to fore issues extending beyond the decision-making boundaries of local government units. Addressing these will require vertical government coordination and horizontal inter-sectoral collaboration. Thus, this supply chain-based indirect vulnerability assessment can be complementary to traditional vulnerability assessments in providing a larger systems perspective.
Originality/value
Innovative tools are needed to make community vulnerability assessments both holistic and tractable. Existing methods in the private sector can be adapted rather than reinventing the wheel. This supply chain framework can be a useful decision support and planning tool across governance levels to comprehensively address vulnerability.
Sludge generated from wastewater treatment facilities has been applied in agriculture as soil conditioners. However, the incomplete and/or inappropriate treatment of wastewater may result in sludge that may still contain heavy metals, helminth ova, and coliforms posing a risk to both humans and the environment. This study assessed various pretreatment techniques such as co-composting, vermicomposting, and a combination of these on sludge samples to remove heavy metals (cadmium and mercury), helminth ova, and coliforms. Physico-chemical and biological analyses were used to compare untreated (i.e. raw) and treated sludge samples. The results showed that for the raw sludge, mercury (4.02 +/– 0.17 mg/kg) and cadmium (6.30 +/– 0.48 mg/kg) exceeded the limits specified under the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for Organic Soil Amendments of 2 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively. Laboratory examinations also revealed the presence of helminth ova (5 ova/g) and coliforms (10 CFU/g) in the samples. Sludge samples subjected to a combination of co-composting and vermicomposting resulted in the elimination of mercury and a significant reduction in cadmium concentration from 6.30 mg/kg to 1.12 mg/kg. No helminth ova were observed in the samples after further drying. However, both treated and untreated sludge samples had low nutrient content. The study highlights the need for raising public awareness and educating farmers on the potential risks associated with the use of raw sludge for agriculture.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.