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Insurance denial amid climate change

We explore today how insurance denial amid climate change will impact assets and other aspects of business. In particular, we think at fires like the Australian bushfires and Fort McMurray (Canada) fire in addition to increasing rains leading to flooding. These will undeniably be a ‘big drag’ on growth and have already generated invaluable losses to biodiversity. Furthermore, insurance denial will become a  problem as we discussed back in 2016 and even as far as 2009. Insurance denial amid climate change…

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Performance objectives and indicators of Tailings dams with Space observation

Some of our readers are all about Performance objectives and indicators of Tailings dams with Space observation. They work in the imagery and space observation industry. As a result they asked some questions about our book Tailings Dams Management for the Twenty-First Century. Google Earth, image date 10/4/2018 We thought it would be interesting to publish the Q/A session. Q/A session on Performance objectives and indicators of Tailings dams with Space observation Q1: With reference to your book can you…

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Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century

Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century discusses a comprehensive approach to address the need to improve the: design of tailings dams, management and finally regulation of tailings management facilities. The aim is to explore what What Mining Companies Need to Know and Do to Thrive in Our Complex World. The book summary, ToC are available at https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030194468. Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century discusses what the public seeks in terms of:…

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Data in probabilities assessment

Data in probabilities assessment constitute an everyday conundrum. The key question is what constitutes essential (understood as basic, indispensable) and ideal (understood as “perfect”) data set. There is no “simple” answer to that question. Consider that we often deal with prototypes or new facilities before commissioning. Past performances may not reflect future behavior because of system or climatic changes. Indeed, any internal or external change to the system has the potential to prove assumptions wrong. In particular, that past experiences…

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Cynefin framework and Johari window synergy with Risk Management

We recently attended a talk at CIM-MES Vancouver which brought us to think about Cynefin framework and Johari window synergy with Risk Management. What we will do in this blogpost is show that despite an apparent significant different language there are ideas and concepts that correspond between the approaches. Furthermore this leads to Cynefin framework and Johari window synergy with Risk Management. As you will read it will become immediately apparent that “Known-knowns” of the Johari window correspond to the “Obvious”…

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Oroville Dam Spillway Incident Report

The Oroville Dam Spillway Incident Report became public in January 2018. The story it tells is remarkably similar to the one we assumed, based on publicly available information in the aftermath of the accident. As risk advisers and managers we discuss below the various statements in the Oroville Dam Spillway Incident Report. We aim at highlighting risk biases and potential management changes to avoid similar developments. Oroville Dam Spillway Incident Report Conclusions Commented The Independent Forensic Team Report made a number…

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Failures do not happen overnight

Jim Rohn’s quote “Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day”. That quote struck a chord with the recent failure at Oroville dam, as indeed failures do not happen overnight. In Oroville dam “sudden” crisis we can quote various historic deviances Here is a tenative list of historic deviances: Oroville Dam annual inspections carried by State of California Division of Safety of Dam found water “seepage”…

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Resilience and reliability concepts applied to Oroville Dam

So, we are in a conceptual exercise today. We discuss how to apply Resilience and reliability concepts to Oroville Dam. We will stay away from numbers, as we do not know them. Oroville Dam system A catchment area of 3,607 sq mi (9,340 km2) brings water to the Feather River Valley upstream of the dam location. The Oroville dam bars the Feather River Valley  mainly for water supply, hydroelectricity generation and flood control. The Dam’s design and building procedure complied…

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