Swati Kwatra - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Swati Kwatra
Air quality simulation models are important tools for setting regulatory policy. A combination of... more Air quality simulation models are important tools for setting regulatory policy. A combination of Meso-scale Model MM5 and Community Multi-scale 3-D Air Quality model system was applied to the studied domain which included Bangalore city and surrounding regions, where NO2 concentrations were predicted. Emissions estimated for different sectors and meteorological data from National Center for Environmental Prediction served as inputs to the models. Modelled results of baseline simulation for the year 2005 show good fit with the actual observed NO2 concentrations monitored at 3 locations in Bangalore. Emissions were projected for the future years and NO2 concentrations in the city were simulated under different scenarios. The paper discusses the model performance in predicting NO2 concentrations in an urban location, which could be useful in evaluating strategies for air quality improvement.
Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 2014
Purpose – Despite legislation in place, there is still a gap in knowledge and awareness of the co... more Purpose – Despite legislation in place, there is still a gap in knowledge and awareness of the communities on the issues of e-waste handling and management. It is important to understand the knowledge and awareness levels of the consumers of electronic products who ultimately become the generators of e-waste in a community. The current study is based on a survey conducted in an urban setting to understand people's perception about the genesis of issues related to e-waste and its management. The purpose of this paper is to study the findings that could help in designing customized awareness programmes for addressing this concern more effectively. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted in Delhi to understand public knowledge and awareness related to e-waste management in the city and country. A limited random survey was conducted with a sample size of 400 individuals in Delhi from middle class belonging to different educational backgrounds and professions. Personal i...
Ecological Indicators, 2020
Abstract Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and... more Abstract Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking a dynamic balance between economic, social and environmental aspects in a region, to ensure inter-generational and intra-generational equity. One of the major tools to address sustainability concerns is to have indices, which can measure the performance of a region on various dimensions of sustainable development. The review suggests there are various indices that are available at the global scale that compare different countries on different aspects of sustainability; however, a limited number of studies have been reported at regional scale. Further, the paper appraises about the various approaches and frameworks used to develop these Sustainable Development Indices (SDIs). The merits and demerits of these approaches and frameworks have been discussed. The review finds that top-down approaches have been generally employed for construction of SDIs. However, bottom-up approaches which are rarely used, also need to be developed in order to construct robust, contextual and consensus based SDIs. The review shows that composite SDIs are the most common form of framework used across the globe. Most studies have been found to use 30–60 indicators for development of SDIs. The key steps to be followed for construction of Composite Sustainable Development Indices (CSDIs) have been reviewed in detail. The review finds variable processes and steps followed by different studies for development of SDIs. Based on the review, research gaps have been identified and recommendations on steps to be followed in construction of new CSDI have been provided. The review also reveals that most studies have focused on assessment of current state of sustainable development, a limited number where the trends have been studies; no study related to the future projections/predictions of the SDI has been reported in the literature.
The paper analyses air quality trends in the city ofDelhiover the decade. Pollutant levels have g... more The paper analyses air quality trends in the city ofDelhiover the decade. Pollutant levels have gone up again after a brief period of marginal decline. A review of activity levels across different contributing sectors is carried out. Vehicles have doubled in the last decade and have contributed to increase in pollutant levels. The effectiveness of interventions taken to reduce air pollutant concentrations is evaluated. There was a marginal decline of pollutants due to introduction of cleaner fuels, vehicles and other relevant measures. The effect of air pollutant concentrations is been assessed over the respiratory health in the city which also shows increase in mortalities due to respiratory disorders during the last few years. The paper finally suggests additional measures for control of air pollution in the city.
Ecological Indicators, 2016
This paper develops an index to measure sustainability based on the broad themes of social, econo... more This paper develops an index to measure sustainability based on the broad themes of social, economy and environment. Nineteen appropriate indicators were selected based on relevance, data availability, and periodicity for each leg of sustainable development. A correlation analysis was carried out to assess relationships between the 19 indicators representing different parameters under the three themes. These parameters were then normalized using Z-score technique. The Z-scores computed for each of these parameters were then used to develop a Sustainable Development Index (SDI). The index is pilot tested on different States and Union Territories (UTs) of India. The values are compared and interpreted to adjudge the forerunners and laggards on the various dimensions of human well-being and environment. Significant relationships have been observed between income levels and area of administrative regions with sustainability indices of the regions. Smaller administrative regions with hig...
This paper analyzes the statistical behavior of the ground level ozone concentrations (GLO) obser... more This paper analyzes the statistical behavior of the ground level ozone concentrations (GLO) observed at a major traffic intersection in Delhi. Five sets of data, i.e. summer (May to July, high solar radiation data), winter (November to January, low solar radiation data), spring (March to April), autumn (September to October), and the entire year have been used to study the seasonal variation in the statistical behavior of GLO. Appropriate statistical distribution form has been identified from alternative candidate distribution models using the goodness-of-fit methods and parameters have been estimated using the method of maximum likelihood. The yearly, winters, spring, and summer datasets were found to follow the log-normal distribution model, while autumn dataset followed Weibull distribution. Analysis shows that ozone concentrations also show similar statistical behavior like other air pollutants and fit mainly to the log-normal distribution as reported for other pollutants in dif...
This study involves stakeholders in prioritizing and ranking themes and sub-themes relevant to as... more This study involves stakeholders in prioritizing and ranking themes and sub-themes relevant to assess regional scale sustainability. Three themes – social, economic and environment were identified as parent themes to assess sustainability the key stakeholders identified 18 sub-themes to assess these three themes in detail. The key stakeholder groups of elected representatives (panchayats), government, industry and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)/academia, have been involved to assign weights to the themes and the sub-themes of the SDI, keeping the regional priorities in mind. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision-making technique has been used to prioritize and rank the various themes and sub-themes. Goa, one of the states of India, which has performed well on national level SDI developed as part of the earlier study ( Kwatra et al, 2016 ), was taken as the case study to assess sustainability issues at regional level. It was found that all the stakeholder groups gave ...
International Journal of Management and Social Sciences, Aug 1, 2013
Social media is coming up as a fast growing tool to reach out to people. The Social Networking si... more Social media is coming up as a fast growing tool to reach out to people. The Social Networking sites (SNS) provide cost-effective platforms to communicate with large population. However with issues related to media literacy, institutional support and available mechanisms it becomes pertinent to review the potential uses social media can be put into especially in context of the developing countries for an effective health communication. This paper reviews the disparity that exists in accessibility and usage of social media and its interrelated applications and the multiple benefits these applications can be put to use and points out to the inherent challenges in the way of effective communication.
Ecological Indicators, 2020
Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking... more Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking a dynamic balance between economic, social and environmental aspects in a region, to ensure inter-generational and intra-generational equity. One of the major tools to address sustainability concerns is to have indices, which can measure the performance of a region on various dimensions of sustainable development. The review suggests there are various indices that are available at the global scale that compare different countries on different aspects of sustainability; however, a limited number of studies have been reported at regional scale. Further, the paper appraises about the various approaches and frameworks used to develop these Sustainable Development Indices (SDIs). The merits and demerits of these approaches and frameworks have been discussed. The review finds that top-down approaches have been generally employed for construction of SDIs. However, bottom-up approaches which ar...
The paper analyses air quality trends in the city of Delhi over the decade. Pollutant levels have... more The paper analyses air quality trends in the city of Delhi over the decade. Pollutant levels have gone up again after a brief period of marginal decline. A review of activity levels across different contributing sectors is carried out. Vehicles have doubled in the last decade and have contributed to increase in pollutant levels. The effectiveness of interventions taken to reduce air pollutant concentrations is evaluated. There was a marginal decline of pollutants due to introduction of cleaner fuels, vehicles and other relevant measures. The effect of air pollutant concentrations is been assessed over the respiratory health in the city which also shows increase in mortalities due to respiratory disorders during the last few years. The paper finally suggests additional measures for control of air pollution in the city.
Air quality simulation models are important tools for setting regulatory policy. A combination of... more Air quality simulation models are important tools for setting regulatory policy. A combination of Meso-scale Model MM5 and Community Multi-scale 3-D Air Quality model system was applied to the studied domain which included Bangalore city and surrounding regions, where NO2 concentrations were predicted. Emissions estimated for different sectors and meteorological data from National Center for Environmental Prediction served as inputs to the models. Modelled results of baseline simulation for the year 2005 show good fit with the actual observed NO2 concentrations monitored at 3 locations in Bangalore. Emissions were projected for the future years and NO2 concentrations in the city were simulated under different scenarios. The paper discusses the model performance in predicting NO2 concentrations in an urban location, which could be useful in evaluating strategies for air quality improvement.
Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 2014
Purpose – Despite legislation in place, there is still a gap in knowledge and awareness of the co... more Purpose – Despite legislation in place, there is still a gap in knowledge and awareness of the communities on the issues of e-waste handling and management. It is important to understand the knowledge and awareness levels of the consumers of electronic products who ultimately become the generators of e-waste in a community. The current study is based on a survey conducted in an urban setting to understand people's perception about the genesis of issues related to e-waste and its management. The purpose of this paper is to study the findings that could help in designing customized awareness programmes for addressing this concern more effectively. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted in Delhi to understand public knowledge and awareness related to e-waste management in the city and country. A limited random survey was conducted with a sample size of 400 individuals in Delhi from middle class belonging to different educational backgrounds and professions. Personal i...
Ecological Indicators, 2020
Abstract Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and... more Abstract Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking a dynamic balance between economic, social and environmental aspects in a region, to ensure inter-generational and intra-generational equity. One of the major tools to address sustainability concerns is to have indices, which can measure the performance of a region on various dimensions of sustainable development. The review suggests there are various indices that are available at the global scale that compare different countries on different aspects of sustainability; however, a limited number of studies have been reported at regional scale. Further, the paper appraises about the various approaches and frameworks used to develop these Sustainable Development Indices (SDIs). The merits and demerits of these approaches and frameworks have been discussed. The review finds that top-down approaches have been generally employed for construction of SDIs. However, bottom-up approaches which are rarely used, also need to be developed in order to construct robust, contextual and consensus based SDIs. The review shows that composite SDIs are the most common form of framework used across the globe. Most studies have been found to use 30–60 indicators for development of SDIs. The key steps to be followed for construction of Composite Sustainable Development Indices (CSDIs) have been reviewed in detail. The review finds variable processes and steps followed by different studies for development of SDIs. Based on the review, research gaps have been identified and recommendations on steps to be followed in construction of new CSDI have been provided. The review also reveals that most studies have focused on assessment of current state of sustainable development, a limited number where the trends have been studies; no study related to the future projections/predictions of the SDI has been reported in the literature.
The paper analyses air quality trends in the city ofDelhiover the decade. Pollutant levels have g... more The paper analyses air quality trends in the city ofDelhiover the decade. Pollutant levels have gone up again after a brief period of marginal decline. A review of activity levels across different contributing sectors is carried out. Vehicles have doubled in the last decade and have contributed to increase in pollutant levels. The effectiveness of interventions taken to reduce air pollutant concentrations is evaluated. There was a marginal decline of pollutants due to introduction of cleaner fuels, vehicles and other relevant measures. The effect of air pollutant concentrations is been assessed over the respiratory health in the city which also shows increase in mortalities due to respiratory disorders during the last few years. The paper finally suggests additional measures for control of air pollution in the city.
Ecological Indicators, 2016
This paper develops an index to measure sustainability based on the broad themes of social, econo... more This paper develops an index to measure sustainability based on the broad themes of social, economy and environment. Nineteen appropriate indicators were selected based on relevance, data availability, and periodicity for each leg of sustainable development. A correlation analysis was carried out to assess relationships between the 19 indicators representing different parameters under the three themes. These parameters were then normalized using Z-score technique. The Z-scores computed for each of these parameters were then used to develop a Sustainable Development Index (SDI). The index is pilot tested on different States and Union Territories (UTs) of India. The values are compared and interpreted to adjudge the forerunners and laggards on the various dimensions of human well-being and environment. Significant relationships have been observed between income levels and area of administrative regions with sustainability indices of the regions. Smaller administrative regions with hig...
This paper analyzes the statistical behavior of the ground level ozone concentrations (GLO) obser... more This paper analyzes the statistical behavior of the ground level ozone concentrations (GLO) observed at a major traffic intersection in Delhi. Five sets of data, i.e. summer (May to July, high solar radiation data), winter (November to January, low solar radiation data), spring (March to April), autumn (September to October), and the entire year have been used to study the seasonal variation in the statistical behavior of GLO. Appropriate statistical distribution form has been identified from alternative candidate distribution models using the goodness-of-fit methods and parameters have been estimated using the method of maximum likelihood. The yearly, winters, spring, and summer datasets were found to follow the log-normal distribution model, while autumn dataset followed Weibull distribution. Analysis shows that ozone concentrations also show similar statistical behavior like other air pollutants and fit mainly to the log-normal distribution as reported for other pollutants in dif...
This study involves stakeholders in prioritizing and ranking themes and sub-themes relevant to as... more This study involves stakeholders in prioritizing and ranking themes and sub-themes relevant to assess regional scale sustainability. Three themes – social, economic and environment were identified as parent themes to assess sustainability the key stakeholders identified 18 sub-themes to assess these three themes in detail. The key stakeholder groups of elected representatives (panchayats), government, industry and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)/academia, have been involved to assign weights to the themes and the sub-themes of the SDI, keeping the regional priorities in mind. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision-making technique has been used to prioritize and rank the various themes and sub-themes. Goa, one of the states of India, which has performed well on national level SDI developed as part of the earlier study ( Kwatra et al, 2016 ), was taken as the case study to assess sustainability issues at regional level. It was found that all the stakeholder groups gave ...
International Journal of Management and Social Sciences, Aug 1, 2013
Social media is coming up as a fast growing tool to reach out to people. The Social Networking si... more Social media is coming up as a fast growing tool to reach out to people. The Social Networking sites (SNS) provide cost-effective platforms to communicate with large population. However with issues related to media literacy, institutional support and available mechanisms it becomes pertinent to review the potential uses social media can be put into especially in context of the developing countries for an effective health communication. This paper reviews the disparity that exists in accessibility and usage of social media and its interrelated applications and the multiple benefits these applications can be put to use and points out to the inherent challenges in the way of effective communication.
Ecological Indicators, 2020
Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking... more Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept, which emphasizes integration and striking a dynamic balance between economic, social and environmental aspects in a region, to ensure inter-generational and intra-generational equity. One of the major tools to address sustainability concerns is to have indices, which can measure the performance of a region on various dimensions of sustainable development. The review suggests there are various indices that are available at the global scale that compare different countries on different aspects of sustainability; however, a limited number of studies have been reported at regional scale. Further, the paper appraises about the various approaches and frameworks used to develop these Sustainable Development Indices (SDIs). The merits and demerits of these approaches and frameworks have been discussed. The review finds that top-down approaches have been generally employed for construction of SDIs. However, bottom-up approaches which ar...
The paper analyses air quality trends in the city of Delhi over the decade. Pollutant levels have... more The paper analyses air quality trends in the city of Delhi over the decade. Pollutant levels have gone up again after a brief period of marginal decline. A review of activity levels across different contributing sectors is carried out. Vehicles have doubled in the last decade and have contributed to increase in pollutant levels. The effectiveness of interventions taken to reduce air pollutant concentrations is evaluated. There was a marginal decline of pollutants due to introduction of cleaner fuels, vehicles and other relevant measures. The effect of air pollutant concentrations is been assessed over the respiratory health in the city which also shows increase in mortalities due to respiratory disorders during the last few years. The paper finally suggests additional measures for control of air pollution in the city.