critical infrastructure Articles
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Critical infrastructures: the need for international risk governance
Infrastructures (e.g., electric power system, transportation system, information and communication systems) were not designed as integrated systems, as they are operating today. Some infrastructures, e.g., energy, water supply and telecommunications, are so vital and ubiquitous that their incapacity or destruction would affect security and the social welfare of any nation and cascade across ...
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From complexity science to reliability efficiency: a new way of looking at complex network systems and critical infrastructures
Modern societies are increasingly dependent on the availability, reliability, safety and security of critical infrastructures such as energy, water supply, transportation, information and telecommunication networks. The analysis of such systems seems to require a change towards a holistic framework capturing the properties which emerge from the complexity of the relationships among the system ...
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Vulnerability of complex critical systems: case water supply and distribution networks
Management of complex, interdependent critical infrastructures demands systematic continuity evaluations and capability building for abnormal as well as normal conditions. The changing risk and threat environment creates new vulnerabilities that require an extensive approach to control weak points and support the undisturbed and reliable functions of critical infrastructures. The water ...
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Resilience in the context of a stormwater infrastructure report card
This article is a product of an independent study effort accomplished over the span of two semesters at the US Air Force Academy. The authors set out with the intent of investigating the state of current thought regarding resiliency as it applies to domestic public infrastructure systems. In order to bridge the gap between theory and practice, an American Society of Civil Engineers local ...
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Modelling the interdependencies of critical infrastructures during natural disasters: a case of supply, communication and transportation infrastructures
This paper introduces the methodological challenge of identifying and quantifying the interdependencies among several critical infrastructures. First, interdependency structures during a natural disaster are modelled-based on past events, considering supply (electricity, water and gas), communication (internet and telephone) and transportation infrastructures (road networks). Interdependencies ...
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What lessons can be learnt from studying a Roman hydraulic structure in a little village in Southern Italy?
The aim of this paper is to study a Roman hydraulic structure in a little village in Southern Italy in order to learn some lessons from the past and identify potential ideas for implementation. Despite increasing global urbanization a significant percentage of people inhabiting inland areas need critical infrastructure service including water supply systems. The fountain system under ...
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Resilience of civil infrastructure systems: literature review for improved asset management
Infrastructure resilience has drawn significant attention in recent years, partly because the occurrence of low-probability and high-consequence disruptive events like Hurricane Katrina, the Indonesian tsunami, terrorism attack in New York, and others. Since civil infrastructure systems support society welfare and viability, continuous infrastructural operation is critical. Along protection ...
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Cascade vulnerability for risk analysis of water infrastructure
One of the major tasks in urban water management is failure-free operation for at least most of the time. Accordingly, the reliability of the network systems in urban water management has a crucial role. The failure of a component in these systems impacts potable water distribution and urban drainage. Therefore, water distribution and urban drainage systems are categorized as critical ...
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Funding Time Is Running Out. We Can Help Make The Most Of Your Spending.
The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) is a federal program designed to support the rehabilitation and modernization of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Through the CWWF, $569.5 million is being provided through federal infrastructure funding. The Province of Ontario is cost-matching contributions up to a maximum of 25% of total eligible costs. For 20 years, Pure ...
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On the development of agent-based models for infrastructure evolution
Infrastructure systems for energy, water, transport, information, etc., are large-scale sociotechnical systems that are critical for achieving a sustainable world. They were not created at the current global scale at once but have slowly evolved from simple local systems through many social and technical decisions. If we are to understand them and manage them sustainably, we need to capture their ...
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The Importance of Cybersecurity for Water Treatment Plants
In May of 2021, cybercriminals launched a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline. This conduit brings fuel to the East Coast, and its shutdown affected travel, logistics, and businesses along the supply chain. Although the disruption was temporary, it highlights the need for digital cybersecurity for critical infrastructure systems. Operators of water systems and treatment plants need to pay ...
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Identifying drinking water and water treatment systems vulnerabilities using the CARVER matrix method
Originally designed for target analysis, CARVER is an acronym for the vulnerability assessment elements of criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect and recognisability. Every category is assessed for each component or subcomponent of a designated target. Scoring can be based on any scale but typically ranges from the lowest significance of 1, to the highest significance ...
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Future-proofing Against Operational and Labor Challenges While Maintaining Critical Infrastructure
Before COVID-19’s arrival, critical infrastructure operators and their supporting contractors were well aware of the need to effectively recruit new employees as more and more skilled field employees approached retirement, while concurrently working to upskill the existing workforce and begin leveraging new technologies to fill the resulting gap. Now, the need (and desire) to work remotely, ...
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Comprehensive Infrastructure Renewal Program Addresses Aging Water and Sewer Infrastructure in Miami-Dade County
As industry studies continue to highlight the issues surrounding aging water and sewer infrastructure, policy-makers at the local, state and national level of government are beginning to recognize the problem and make infrastructure renewal programs a priority. One approach that combats the issues surrounding aging water infrastructure is asset management. This approach to infrastructure renewal ...
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A dynamic urban development model designed for purposes in the field of urban water management
Urban drainage systems are a critical part of city infrastructure. Population growth and urban development can put severe pressure on these systems, especially due to sealing of surfaces and land use change. For a comprehensive adaptation of urban water infrastructure to constantly changing and evolving systems, a detailed simulation of the dynamics in city development is crucial. This can be ...
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The importance of security in water infrastructures and the water sector
A thwarted attack against a water treatment plant in Florida in 2021, a failed attempt against pumping facilities in Israel in 2020, or a massive attack against the water supply of the Swiss city of Ebikon in 2018 through thousands of malware requests increased concerns within the water sector. While water infrastructures are not attacked as much as other utilities, they are vulnerable due to ...
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Flood Protection for Utility Sites and Substations - Case Study
Utility Sites Flood Protection In recent years, floods have highlighted the vulnerability of the UK’s critical infrastructure, when the Mythe Water treatment works was cut off by rising floodwaters and water supply to 350,000 people was cut off for up to 11 days, and the Walham electricity substation was effected with 42,000 people losing power for up to 24 hours. Following on from ...
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Create 400,000 jobs in 2010 – invest in water infrastructure
Investment in Water Infrastructure The Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) a coalition of the nation’s leading construction, engineering, conservation, labor, municipal and manufacturing organizations, firmly believes that a federal investment of $20 B in our nation’s critical water infrastructure is the single most effective means for creating quality jobs with federal funding. Leading ...
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Continuous Real Time Water Monitoring for Radiation Safety Terrorist Attack, Improper Disposal of Industrial Waste, Accidental Discharge
Safe drinking water is essential to life on earth. Unfortunately, this vast infrastructure suffers from critical vulnerability. Keeping America safe with continuous real time water monitoring is a vital goal and is currently being addressed for biological and chemical risks. For monitoring of radionuclides in drinking water as recommended in the Safe Drinking Water Act 8, the Clean Water Act 9, ...
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Growing Syrian water shortage affects 4 million in war-torn Damascus
Although civil war has affected millions across Syria, the latest crisis facing the nation’s capital is a lack of water. As late 2016 turned into a new year, it seemed unlikely the situation could be resolved. As of January 3, approximately 4 million residents of Damascus had had their water supplies cut for more than a week. Two springs — at Wadi Barada and Ain al-Fija — serve ...
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