The objective of this paper is to exploit the potential application of an evidential belief function model to landslide susceptibility mapping at Kuala Lumpur city and surrounding areas using ...geographic information system (GIS). At first, a landslide inventory map was prepared using aerial photographs, high resolution satellite images and field survey. A total 220 landslides were mapped and an inventory map was prepared. Then the landslide inventory was randomly split into a testing dataset 70% (153 landslides) and remaining 30% (67 landslides) data was used for validation purpose. Fourteen landslide conditioning factors such as slope, aspect, curvature, altitude, surface roughness, lithology, distance from faults, ndvi (normalized difference vegetation index), land cover, distance from drainage, distance from road, spi (stream power index), soil type, precipitation, were used as thematic layers in the analysis. The Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence model was applied to prepare the landslide susceptibility maps. The validation of the resultant susceptibility maps were performed using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC). The validation results show that the area under the curve for the evidential belief function (the belief map) model is 0.82 (82%) with prediction accuracy 0.75 (75%). The results of this study indicated that the EBF model can be effectively used in preparation of landslide susceptibility maps.
► Evidential belief function (EBF) model to the analysis of landslide susceptibility mapping was applied. ► Total five susceptibility maps were produced and their performances were assessed. ► Among all susceptibility maps, Bel map (Belief map) showed higher prediction accuracy. ► Results showed that EBF is an efficient method and provides four maps demonstrating the degree of confidence spatially.
Rapid population growth in South-East Asia has placed immense pressure upon lowland regions both to supply food and employment and space for residential, commercial and infrastructure development. ...This pressure has led to sites on tropical peatland previously considered unsuitable for development to be revisited. One such site, the KLIA2 terminal and runway, Kuala Lumpur International Airport which opened in May 2014 at a cost of 3.6 billion MYR has been beset by well documented subsidence problems. Coverage of the tropics by the Sentinel-1 satellite constellation presents an opportunity to monitor the ongoing subsidence at KLIA 2, identify potential knowledge gaps and help inform more sustainable infrastructure development in tropical peatland regions. Our results show that the ISBAS InSAR method produces reproducible ground deformation maps which can clearly identify the patterns of deformation across both urban infrastructure and adjacent rural plantations and tropical peat swamp. This is particularly well defined around the terminal building at KLIA-2 where different ground preparation and foundation design have resulted in stable terminal buildings and subsidence of surrounding pavement. Deformation is greatest in the runway area where alternate bands of uplift and subsidence presumably accompany the greatest loads associated with landing aircraft. In contrast, areas where peat replacement was the primary form of ground preparation, ground motion is stable, however this comes at high economic and environmental cost.
•ISBAS InSAR algorithm allows deformation of tropical peat to be detected.•Peat related subsidence has caused problems at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.•Subsidence extends outside the airport into adjacent rural plantations and peatland.•Some peat mitigation strategies are shown to be inappropriate in a tropical setting.•Complexity of tropical peatland means new peat mitigation strategies are required for future developments.
In this study we describe the mobility and fractionation of REEs in two deep (up to 30m) tropical weathering profiles developed on two granites from the Kuala Lumpur pluton, Malaysia, sampled at ...Cheras and Rawang. On the basis of Na2O and K2O both are S-type granites, but Rawang has higher CaO, MgO and FeO than Cheras and lower SiO2. With respect to Al-saturation Rawang is I-type and Cheras is S-type. We compared the two profiles in terms of total REEs, magnitude and changes in Ce and Eu anomalies, REE mobility and LREE/HREE fractionation. Rawang profiles have higher REE contents, display lower mobility for most except the heaviest REEs and show higher LREE/HREE fractionation than those from Cheras. These differences can be linked to differences in primary mineralogy and degree of weathering, the latter controlling the type and volume of secondary minerals. Specifically, bowl-shaped parent-rock-normalised patterns in the Cheras saprolites appear to be a result of apatite dissolution. Moreover, moderate weathering evident in lower Mineralogical Indices of Alteration (MIA) at Cheras has conserved parent rock REE patterns and fractionation factors in the saprolites. By contrast, more intense weathering observed in Rawang profiles has produced abundant kaolinite group minerals that have preferentially retained LREE, which consequently display high LREE/HREE fractionation. This study provides important insights into the factors controlling REE mobility during tropical weathering, and its potential as an indicator of weathering intensity.
•We study the mobility and fractionation of lanthanides in weathered profiles.•Lanthanides (including Y) behave as a coherent group in nature.•We use lanthanides to (a) compare the mobility of the elements.•We use lanthanides to (b) assess fractionation during weathering.•REE fractionation is potentially a good indicator of the degree of weathering.
This study aims to study carbon monoxide (CO) concentration in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL), which involves primary data through field studies with a quantitative approach. The CO ...sampling method involves 12 observation stations covering six main zones for eight days. Data are collected twice a day at night and day between 01:00 - 04:00 AM and 1:00 - 4:00 PM. The duration of the sampling is 30 minutes for one sample. Sampling time may vary for stations but still within the stipulated time. The instrument to measure CO is the Model Carbon Monoxide meter AS700A. The Analysis is descriptive. The findings show that the lowest value at night is stations 3 and 10, with an average concentration value of 5 parts per million (ppm). Simultaneously, the highest CO value in the afternoon is at station 1 and station 4, with a concentration of 12 ppm. The overall average at each station is high, between 7 to 12 ppm. Most stations show readings exceeding the WHO's standard (5 ppm/hour). However, CO's concentration is considerably under control because it does not exceed the standard limits of NAAQS and DOE. Overall, CO concentrations are higher in the day than in the morning and on weekdays than on weekends. In conclusion, vehicle increase significantly contributes to increased CO concentrations in Kuala Lumpur. The proactive and effective measures to reduce the well-being of life to maintain human health and the environment.
This study aimed to assess the concentrations and health effect of trace metals cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) on the road dust of selected locations ...in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Sampling was conducted thrice at four locations, namely, Tun Razak Road, Raja Abdullah Road, Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Road, and Ayer Molek Road. The concentrations of trace metals in road dust were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. TAR Road presented the highest Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb contents compared with the other roads. The pollution level of trace metals in road dust was assessed by pollution index and pollution load index (PLI), showing that all studied locations were highly contaminated except Ayer Molek Road. Based on the PLI value, the sequence of pollution in descending order is as follows: TAR Road > Raja Abdullah Road > Tun Razak Road > Ayer Molek Road. Health risk assessment was performed to assess the health effects of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic pollutants caused by the exposure to trace metals in road dust on adults and children. Based on the integrated hazard index values for children at all locations, >1 indicates a possible noncarcinogenic effect. All incremental lifetime cancer risk values for adult and children at all locations are within acceptable limits and are considered safe.
Display omitted
•Zn and Cu were predominant in the road dust.•Children were at greater risk having HI >1.•Road dust near commercial areas is the most polluted street.•ILTCR is within the range allowed by USEPA.
In this article, we explore comparatively how migrant minorities draw from their religious resources to carve out spaces of livelihood in three global cities – Kuala Lumpur, which includes Kajang, ...Johannesburg and London. We also examine the spatial regimes through which the state and its apparatuses seek to manage the migrants' presence and visibility or invisibility within these urban spaces. In particular, we focus on three of the most salient dimensions of migrants' religious place making – embodied performance, the spatial management of difference and belonging, and multiple embedding across networked spaces. Although these three dimensions intersect in dynamic, often tensile ways to constitute the fabric of the life world of migrant minorities, we separate them for heuristic purposes to highlight the richness and texture of religious place making.
In the late 1970s, a new awareness of wearing hijab emerged in Indonesia, especially among Muslim students in public schools. Even though it was banned by the New Order government throughout the ...1980s, hijab was finally permitted to be worn in public schools and its use continued to spread in Indonesia since then. One of the activists who was involved in the emergence of hijab awareness suggested that it arose after The Asian Muslim Youth Seminar on Da'wah that was held in Kuala Lumpur in February 1977. This seminar was attended by representatives of Muslim youth organisations from several Asian countries. Using thematic analysis approach via library research and interviews, this study explores the extent to which the seminar relates to the rise of hijab awareness in Indonesia in that period. Although the seminar was not the only factor driving the emergence of hijab awareness in Indonesia, this research found that there was a close and dynamic relationship between the two.
► House price inflation appears to be a significant barrier to increasing the homeownership rate. ► Governments need to provide adequate quality housing for first-time buyers in Greater Kuala Lumpur. ...► First-time buyers’ housing needs and preferences are determined.
High housing prices in Greater Kuala Lumpur have made it difficult for potential first-time homebuyers to own a house. As a result, affordable housing schemes were introduced recently to assist potential homeowners. The Malaysian government has launched many kinds of public low-cost housing schemes; however, many housing projects resulting from these schemes have turned into slums that do not provide a wholesome environment for families. To avoid building more slums and to provide more benefits for young buyers, the goal of this paper is to determine the correct housing attributes required for first-time homebuyers in the urban area. Three hundred questionnaires were distributed to young Malaysians in Greater Kuala Lumpur (KL), and 265 questionnaires were returned. The responses to the questionnaire revealed that accessibility and neighborhood environment play a role in the decision to own. It can also be observed that ecologically friendly homes that embrace sustainability are important considerations for prospective homebuyers.
Summary Background National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective ...medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality amenable to health care only focused on high-income countries and faced several methodological challenges. In the present analysis, we use the highly standardised cause of death and risk factor estimates generated through the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to improve and expand the quantification of personal health-care access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. Methods We mapped the most widely used list of causes amenable to personal health care developed by Nolte and McKee to 32 GBD causes. We accounted for variations in cause of death certification and misclassifications through the extensive data standardisation processes and redistribution algorithms developed for GBD. To isolate the effects of personal health-care access and quality, we risk-standardised cause-specific mortality rates for each geography-year by removing the joint effects of local environmental and behavioural risks, and adding back the global levels of risk exposure as estimated for GBD 2015. We employed principal component analysis to create a single, interpretable summary measure–the Healthcare Quality and Access (HAQ) Index–on a scale of 0 to 100. The HAQ Index showed strong convergence validity as compared with other health-system indicators, including health expenditure per capita (r=0·88), an index of 11 universal health coverage interventions ( r =0·83), and human resources for health per 1000 ( r =0·77). We used free disposal hull analysis with bootstrapping to produce a frontier based on the relationship between the HAQ Index and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a measure of overall development consisting of income per capita, average years of education, and total fertility rates. This frontier allowed us to better quantify the maximum levels of personal health-care access and quality achieved across the development spectrum, and pinpoint geographies where gaps between observed and potential levels have narrowed or widened over time. Findings Between 1990 and 2015, nearly all countries and territories saw their HAQ Index values improve; nonetheless, the difference between the highest and lowest observed HAQ Index was larger in 2015 than in 1990, ranging from 28·6 to 94·6. Of 195 geographies, 167 had statistically significant increases in HAQ Index levels since 1990, with South Korea, Turkey, Peru, China, and the Maldives recording among the largest gains by 2015. Performance on the HAQ Index and individual causes showed distinct patterns by region and level of development, yet substantial heterogeneities emerged for several causes, including cancers in highest-SDI countries; chronic kidney disease, diabetes, diarrhoeal diseases, and lower respiratory infections among middle-SDI countries; and measles and tetanus among lowest-SDI countries. While the global HAQ Index average rose from 40·7 (95% uncertainty interval, 39·0–42·8) in 1990 to 53·7 (52·2–55·4) in 2015, far less progress occurred in narrowing the gap between observed HAQ Index values and maximum levels achieved; at the global level, the difference between the observed and frontier HAQ Index only decreased from 21·2 in 1990 to 20·1 in 2015. If every country and territory had achieved the highest observed HAQ Index by their corresponding level of SDI, the global average would have been 73·8 in 2015. Several countries, particularly in eastern and western sub-Saharan Africa, reached HAQ Index values similar to or beyond their development levels, whereas others, namely in southern sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia, lagged behind what geographies of similar development attained between 1990 and 2015. Interpretation This novel extension of the GBD Study shows the untapped potential for personal health-care access and quality improvement across the development spectrum. Amid substantive advances in personal health care at the national level, heterogeneous patterns for individual causes in given countries or territories suggest that few places have consistently achieved optimal health-care access and quality across health-system functions and therapeutic areas. This is especially evident in middle-SDI countries, many of which have recently undergone or are currently experiencing epidemiological transitions. The HAQ Index, if paired with other measures of health-system characteristics such as intervention coverage, could provide a robust avenue for tracking progress on universal health coverage and identifying local priorities for strengthening personal health-care quality and access throughout the world. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
PDF
