Risk Based Design for Safe Development of Reliable and Environmentally Friendly Inland Water Transportation System

Book excerpt: Water supports our planet and its vast resources need to be fully utilized to benefit human activities and his environment in a sustainable manner, most of inland water resources has been under utilised and under maintained. Maritime industry has made use of the ocean in a more much responsible manner for cross continental transportation of good. There are currently dire needs to find sensitive ways to mitigate challenge of global warming, climate changes and its associated impact, especially within the coastline. Various research works has proven that Inland Water Transportation represents the cleanest mode of transportation. Its use could reduce and mitigate carbon footage and other Green House Gases. Past system design and operation has followed conventional method. System has been addressed through reactive behaviour that has put system on probable risk and consequence in oblivion. Likewise, complexity of sustainable water transportation development demand design and operation that require careful evaluation which can be achieved by employing proactive method. That considers holistic system analysis approach. It has become important to address system associated risk, reliability and their life cycle through assessment of accident and pollution prevention, protection, control principle. Ageing, uncertainty and operational factors are also important system variables that need to be incorporated in risk close loop system. This book account for modelling of proactive technik and application of a top down risk and reliability based design that identifies assess, analyses and employ sustainability equity comparison leading to generic safety and environmental risk reliability model (SERM). SERM is a decision support system tool developed at University Technology Malaysia for the development of efficient and sustainable Inland Water Transportation System (IWT).