Jamba-Journal of Disaster Risk Studies最新文献

Rapid urbanisation is contributing to increasing societal vulnerability to disaster. This study aimed at exploring the perception on flood risk and ascertaining the determinants of disaster preparedness among residents in flood-prone urban communities. Descriptive statistics and discriminant regression model were employed on primary data collected from 240 urban households across five communities at risk of flooding in the study area. The results showed that most households had low awareness of flood risk and exhibit low levels of adaptive capacity, having adopted little or no measures to deal with disaster floods. Also, awareness of flood risk was observed to discriminate the most between the two groups of adopters and nonadopters of flood preventive and management measures (proxy for disaster preparedness), followed by flood risk perception, age, location and household size.

Contribution: The study suggests an integrated approach (a combination of preventive, protective and control measures) by all stakeholders, including government and other relevant bodies, increasing public awareness of flood risk and its attending effects for greater responsiveness, supporting communities in regular clearing of drainage areas and strictly regulating the construction of buildings, particularly in flood prone areas.

Hospital health care professionals (HCPs) play a vital and crucial role in saving the lives of patients afflicted with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As the incidence of the disease keeps increasing, health care workers in hospitals face difficulties in discharging their duties. This study aimed to describe the lived experiences of HCPs. Particularly, it determined their challenges, motivations and coping strategies to craft grassroots policies for the enhancement of health care delivery in the Northern Philippines. Employing a phenomenological study design, 24 study participants were purposively selected and their narratives were elicited through focus group discussion. Responses were transcribed verbatim. After data analyses, the challenges, coping strategies and motivations of HCPs were identified. Results revealed that HCPs experienced a lot of challenges. Some of these were brought by the rapid changes in their environment as HCPs. Moreover, there was lack of comprehensive strategies that made them unprepared along with a lack of human and material resources. Furthermore, they experienced physical fatigue because of overwhelming workload, anxiety, fear and discrimination that led to depression. Despite these difficulties, they remain resilient because of religious coping, being true to their duty as HCPs and the support they receive from their fellows. Thus, the study recommends that protocols to ensue should centre on adequate pandemic preparedness and capacitation of HCPs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in supporting Indonesia's economic growth and provide employment for people. Nevertheless, SMEs are most vulnerable when there is a flood. Small and medium sized enterprises are worse off especially after the flood, because they are relatively limited in resources and less resilient. The study aimed at identifying the vulnerability level to floods and analysing the economic valuation of flood mitigation. The population in this study were SMEs located in flood-prone areas in Klaten Regency, Central Java province, Indonesia. This research used a purposive sampling technique with 152 respondents. Data collection was carried out using a direct interview method to business actors with the help of a questionnaire. There were two analytical tools used in this research, including vulnerability index and economic valuation. The results showed that Klaten Regency is located in the upper area vulnerability category of moderate flood. The economic valuation of flood mitigation is IDR 100 000 (USD6.99) to IDR 149 999 (USD10.49). Most SMEs perceive that flood mitigation is the responsibility of the government.

Zimbabwe has been experiencing food insecurity for many centuries. This study sought to explore and learn from Zimbabwe's past and current food security (FS) efforts and challenges, through three historical periods, namely the precolonial, colonial and postcolonial, from about 1430 to 2020. The year 1430 marks the establishment of the Monomotapa state, one of the starting points for Zimbabwe's own national reconstruction. Adopting a qualitative paradigm, data were obtained using document review and interviewing 85 purposively selected key informants, some of whom were found using snowballing. The study found that the adopted FS strategies during the precolonial, colonial and postcolonial periods were dynamic and mainly derived by new political agendas and crises. The food production and storage aspects of the colonial period were built around agricultural extension services and Grain Marketing Board strategies. The postcolonial period FS initiatives pivoted on humanitarian and development programs. Zimbabwe's FS initiatives across the three historical periods remain susceptible to various challenges (droughts, political antagonism, bureaucracy, partisanship, corruption, incapacitation and weak support systems). As such, Zimbabwe's food insecurity levels remain far away from being a reality, unless the identified challenges are taken head-on by all stakeholders. Therefore, the study recommends that informed local wisdom be given space in finding a lasting solution to food insecurity. Meanwhile, multistakeholder inclusivity, knowledge development and management should be made the crux of FS-related initiatives. This could foster new partnerships and encourage the ethic of working together and participation towards ensuring FS.

Tropical cyclones are among the costliest disasters in the world, with reported losses amounting to billions of US dollars on an annual basis. To reduce the impact of disasters including cyclones, Zimbabwe signed the Sendai Framework whose Target C is aimed at reducing the direct economic losses of disasters. Under the direction of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), an open-ended intergovernmental expert working group (OIEWG) developed a simple methodology for estimating direct disaster-economic loss. Therefore, this study tested the applicability of the OIEWG methodology in assessing the direct economic losses induced by Tropical Cyclone Idai (TCI) in Zimbabwe. The results revealed that TCI inflicted huge losses in most sectors of the economy, notably the housing, agriculture and the critical infrastructure. The sectoral analysis approach of the OIEWG methodology worked well in distinguishing direct and indirect loses as well as in underlining the need to adopt and effectively implement adequate risk reduction strategies in the built environment. Strengthening such strategies such as the 'build back better' principle, cyclone forecasting and warning systems and constructing cyclone-resilient infrastructure is critical in order to minimise direct losses attributed to cyclones.

In Africa, agriculture, particularly crop production, is a vital livelihood practice for women, who provide a larger proportion of the labour force. However, the high reliance on rain-fed agriculture, coupled with other socio-economic constraints, exposes female farmers to climatic risks. This paper investigates the participation of women in crop production, key challenges and their coping strategies for climatic disturbances. Drawing on the experiences of female farmers of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa, the study blended qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather data on their vulnerability and adaptation strategies to climatic shocks. A questionnaire administered through face-to-face interaction and online surveys was the main instrument used to obtain data. This study revealed diverse challenges faced by female farmers in the form of high susceptibility to climatic disruptions, limited funding and gaps in accessing agricultural inputs and equipment (machinery, seeds and fertilisers) and pests. The effects of climate variability manifest in low crop outputs and inferior yields, food insecurity and loss of revenue. The most preferred coping strategies are changing planting and harvesting dates, followed by eating less food, looking for jobs and crop rotation. Although the main source of support comes from both family and government, the majority of the female farmers do not use modern scientific-based and input-intensive agricultural coping strategies such as the use of irrigation systems because of lack of livelihood assets and lower literacy levels.

This study reviewed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pre-existing vulnerabilities in rural communities using the scoping review strategy. It focused on manuscripts published on the topic in 2020. Based on 39 studies that met our inclusion criteria (out of 507 studies), we note that COVID-19 is exacerbating pre-existing rural vulnerabilities, including poverty, remoteness, socio-economic marginalisation and high unemployment. There is limited evidence that rural communities are resilient to the pandemic. Reduction in household expenditures and the community food system are the only reported forms of resilience. Although local institutions are supporting rural communities in responding to the impacts of the pandemic, several institutional dynamics undermine the effectiveness of the response. The increased risk of the pandemic is likely to reduce incomes and standards of living amongst poor communities. Thus, coping strategies were identified such as starting small gardens in communities, diet changes, targeting community markets with produce rather than retailers and food swap using social media, with food swap being the most adopted coping strategy. Although this study does not offer a comprehensive picture of the levels and nature of vulnerability, resilience and institutional dynamics of rural communities in different parts of the world reveal the limitations of existing knowledge of the vulnerability of rural communities in the context of COVID-19. This underscores the importance of further studies on rural vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 that will enable evidence-based responses to the pandemic in rural contexts.

This aricle discusses the reliability of flood inundation information that is obtained from participatory mapping. The commonly applied method to map flood inundation requires both direct and interpretive measurement data based on remote sensing images. Such assessments have limited availability of data; as a result, participatory mapping has become the solution. A number of studies have conducted participatory mapping to obtain flood hazard information in areas with limited sources of data, however, there has been little discussion about its reliability. This research conducted participatory flood inundation mapping by involving local leaders as respondents. The mental map drawn by the local leaders was digitised to obtain a shapefile format map. The information obtained from the semistructured interview was then included in the geographic information system (GIS) data as attributes. The obtained information was compared with the field data to determine its quality. A literature study was then conducted to discuss how the participatory mapping could support managing a disaster. Information obtained through participatory mapping can be effectively applied to disaster management because of its precise location information, lower cost and less time-consuming nature. The reliability of the information has weak accuracy of quantitative data; however, it has advantages in terms of qualitative data, especially in the detailed descriptions of flood information. In the future, participatory mapping should rely on integrating the perspectives of cross-disciplinary researchers, a comprehensive study of multidisciplinary knowledge and level of understanding of the stakeholders.

The elderly population is of utmost importance amongst vulnerable populations during disasters because they experience reduced functional abilities, cognitive disturbance, dementia, weak physical conditions and various degenerative diseases. This study aimed to assess the effect of disaster preparedness training on knowledge regarding flood disaster preparedness and management in families with older people. This study was conducted using a quasi-experimental pre-post design with 30 participants in natural hazard preparedness training using purposive sampling. The results of this study showed a significant change in general knowledge on disaster and flood (12.9 and 20 points, respectively). Disaster preparedness practice was good, as reflected in actions performed before, during and after disaster. Before a flood occurs, families prepare a disaster preparedness bag for important documents as well as logistics (e.g. food) for emergencies and equipment for evacuation whilst also storing valuable goods in a safe place. During floods, families prioritise older people's evacuation whilst seeking information about the flood through neighbours, walkie-talkies, handphones, television and radio as well as ensuring that the necessary logistics are taken care of. After the disaster, families clean their properties, provide clean water and toilet facilities for the family, check the health of family members that may be impacted by the flood and make sure that all electrical panels are safe. It is concluded that disaster training affects the knowledge of flood management in families with older people.

The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical disaster risk reduction model, creating a virtuous cycle of knowledge and action across the festival and events industry, based on occupational safety and health (OSH) strategic objectives, as informed by a systematic literature review. The main constructs of this conceptual article are explored through a systematic literature review. Sources include publications of key stakeholders in the festival and event industry, applicable global directives, strategic documents of relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations and academic publications. From the data gathered in the systematic literature review it can be surmised that sustainable development goals (SDGs) related research in tourism, festivals, events and OSH is lacking in quantity and there is room for these aspects to be addressed in future research to ensure that these fields of study make a more substantial contribution to disaster risk reduction in festival and event management. This article is limited to secondary data collected through a systematic literature review, supported by additional literature to inform a theoretical framework incorporating SDGs, disaster risk reduction and OSH strategic objectives for festivals and events. Sustainable development goals are aimed at achieving a sustainable future for all. The detrimental effect of OSH incidents can be counterproductive to achieving such goals and should therefore be closely monitored and managed. Festival and event managers should thus take cognisance of the importance of OSH through a plan of action, benchmarked against best practice, to allow for enhanced disaster risk management. This article investigates the concepts of sustainability, disaster risk reduction, OSH, events and festival management and combines the concepts in a unique manner.