Progress in Disaster Science最新文献

Floods are the natural hazard that causes the largest annual losses in the world Urban expansion and population growth have made cities the most hazardous areas, mainly due to poor planning, occupation of the drainage network and soil sealing. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the many cities worldwide threatened by this phenomenon. Its typically Mediterranean rainfall pattern, characterized by extreme precipitation events in short periods of time, together with its orography of steep ravines, short length and width, as well as its disorderly growth, make it a space prone to the occurrence of flash floods. In addition, the increase in torrential rainfall as a consequence of climate change and the tendency towards greater irregularity in precipitation is considerably intensifying the problem. This paper studies the characteristics of these episodes and the black spots inventoried in its General Management Plan (PGO for its initials in Spanish). On the other hand, flood modeling is carried out based on the rainfall characterization, whose maximum flows, in total, range between 500 and 1600 m³/s. Finally, a methodology that allows integrating both analyses to obtain a detailed hazard map is proposed as an alternative to the more traditional flood hazard analyses. A design storm of 288 mm is applied and the data is validated against the largest rainfall event on record, March 31, 2002. It has been shown that in an urban drainage network, the main watercourses and those that have disappeared due to urbanization represent areas susceptible to flooding and are the sectors that should be emphasized during the implementation of risk reduction measures. Finally, emphasis is placed on the need to integrate future climate projections of precipitation to better define the maximum flood flows.

This research explores the implementation of Disaster Preparedness Areas in Indonesia, with a focus on formulating the role of critical communication elements in strengthening disaster response. The Disaster Preparedness Area involves community participation in disaster management efforts, and this research identified twelve critical communication elements. The qualitative approach was expressed with qualitative software by describing secondary data located in the Pangandaran Regency. This study bridged data limitations, important analyses, and the context of regional differences in Indonesia. The results emphasize the need for development, implementation, and education in a comprehensive communication strategy and active participation of the community. The findings are presented in the form of a radar curve with critical communication element scores on five scales. Some limitations emerged in this study, but it was able to provide valuable insights into the implementation of Disaster Preparedness Areas by prioritizing the importance of critical communication in disaster management. Recommendations can help stakeholders develop more effective communication strategies in dealing with disasters in Indonesia.

This research investigates the implementation of Disaster Preparedness Areas in Indonesia, focusing on the role of critical communication elements in enhancing disaster response. Community participation is integral to the Disaster Preparedness Area, and this study identifies twelve crucial communication elements. Employing a qualitative approach, qualitative software is utilized to analyze secondary data from Pangandaran Regency, addressing data limitations and considering regional differences in Indonesia. The results underscore the necessity for the development, implementation, and education of a comprehensive communication strategy, along with the active involvement of the community. Findings are visually represented through a radar curve, presenting scores for critical communication elements across five scales. While certain limitations are acknowledged, the study provides valuable insights into Disaster Preparedness Area implementation, emphasizing the significance of critical communication in effective disaster management. Recommendations are outlined to assist stakeholders in devising more impactful communication strategies for disaster management in Indonesia.

Introduction

We investigated Quality of Life (QOL) in a sample of individuals (n = 341) who experienced different consequences in terms of displacement from their house after earthquake.

Methods

Three groups were studied: those who had been displaced but are no longer so, those still displaced, and those who were never displaced. QOL for four time points was assessed: pre-earthquake, during displacement, at the time of the survey, and in ten years.

Results

Different trajectories of QOL were observed in the three groups: not displaced individuals showed no significant variation, those who were displaced had a significant decline in QOL after the earthquake but a significant recovery after the displacement experience, and those who were still displaced at the time of the survey reported lowest QOL both after the earthquake and in the future, with no recovery. Predictors of perceived QOL decline were quality and type of temporary accommodation, place attachment, and perceived health impairment. Subsequent QOL perceived improvement was predicted by quality and type of temporary accommodation, risk awareness, and emotional well-being.

Discussion

Our findings highlight the importance of minimizing the duration of temporary displacement and providing high-quality temporary accommodations, considering individual needs in the local contexts and communities.

Impacts induced by natural hazards are increasing globally. Some of these hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, cannot be prevented. Thereby, mitigating impacts is crucial, especially in densely populated areas, like in Goma city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is exposed to volcanic threats from Nyiragongo. Mitigation requires the population to be prepared to face volcanic eruptions, by having a high state of awareness, anticipation, and readiness to take appropriate decisions during eruption crisis. Therefore, this study used a mixed-method approach (questionnaire survey, focus group, and written composition) to assess the impact of two educational tools: the Hazagora serious game and a museum of Virunga volcanoes. 402 students from 12 different schools participated in the evaluation, two third as participants in the educational activities and others as control group. Results indicated thatboth educational tools have, in a complementary way, a positive impact on student's volcanic disaster understanding, and their implication in DRR initiatives. The museum improves more the knowledge of the volcanic processes while the Hazagora game increases more the perceived self-capacity and mitigation skills. A key finding is that both educational tools significantly increase the willingness of implementing protective measures, but not the risk perception.

Objective

This study examined the extent of disaster preparedness in Australian hospitals, seeking to identify opportunities for improvement. Insufficient preparation can lead to mortality/morbidity in post-disaster scenarios. Early identification of resolvable shortcomings in preparing for events is an important goal.

Materials and methods

A purpose-designed anonymous survey was distributed to all Local-Hospital-Networks, organizations responsible for managing public hospitals and their disaster preparedness, across Australia's six states and two territories. Participant recruitment targeted disaster-managers, emergency-preparedness-managers, and business-continuity-managers.

Results

Survey responses were received from 53/130 (40.8 %) of Australia's Local-Hospital-Networks with representation from six states and one territory. Most risk reduction measures were widely adopted. However, for 17/39 (43.6 %) measures, one-fifth of the respondents had either never heard of the measure or were not implementing it. Underutilized measures related to post-disaster-triage, emergency-evacuation, water-backup, secondary-electricity-feed, point-of-care-testing, alternative-decontamination-sites, and waste-management-systems. Local-Hospital-Networks' region-type, catchment-population and number-of-healthcare-facilities were associated with adoption of underutilized measures.

Conclusion

Although 22/39 (56.4 %) of carefully chosen measures were widely implemented, the state of Australia's disaster preparedness is variable. There remains room for improvement, particularly against an “all-hazards” standard. Limited implementation of disaster-triage, evacuation-measures, and procedural issues, suggests that Australian Local-Hospital-Networks, particularly those managing fewer facilities are not sufficiently prepared for catastrophes.

India is highly vulnerable to the escalating adversities of global climate-induced disasters, with flooding among the most significant consequences incurring severe detrimental effects on traditional land-based agriculture practices due to prolonged waterlogging. In this context, floating-bed agriculture shows promise for flood-prone and wetland areas, particularly in India, where resilient farming practices are essential. This method offers a viable solution to mitigate climate-induced flooding and promote sustainable agriculture. However, challenges persist, including concerns about instability of floating beds and the risk of crop destruction. This literature review aims to comprehensively document the current global scenario of floating-bed agriculture to promote it in India. Employing the PRISMA framework, a meticulous analysis of published literature on floating agriculture was conducted using reputable search engines (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 48 research articles (published between 1997 and 2023) to include in this review paper. The analysis of 48 articles reveals significant research gaps in floating-bed agriculture, emphasizing the need for exploration by agricultural researchers and engineers. The findings underscore key benefits such as increased crop yields, while also highlighting challenges including optimal crop selection and sustainability aspects. Detailed field research and scientific investigations are essential to ascertain the viability of floating-bed agriculture as a climate-induced disasters adaptation method, fortifying the resilience of farming communities in low-lying, flood-prone, and marshy areas.

Disastrous livestock losses have been documented over long periods in pastoral Ethiopia, and this challenge has remained unresolved. Nevertheless, this issue has received less attention than it deserves. This study estimated resilience of households to drought and climate change using survey data collected from 2756 households in the four pastoral regions of Ethiopia. A two-step approach, along with factor analysis, was followed to estimate resilience by household categories, intervention groups, and regions. Following this, tobit model was estimated to identify factors influencing resilience. The results indicated, (1) the average resilience estimated for treated and untreated groups range from 0.32 to 0.90 and from 0.32 to 0.55, respectively. (2) The components of income and food-access, public services, social safety net, and liquid and non-liquid assets boosted the estimated resilience. To those components, daily per-capita income and expenditure, food-insecurity, health-post, mobility, time-efficient food-aid, livestock-size and diversity, and irrigated land contributed most. (3) The estimated tobit model indicated months of drought, whether households produce or purchase grain for consumption, among others, significantly influenced resilience. To improve resilience, the study advises diversified income, school-feeding, market access, water points, and timely food-aid. Over time, transformative investments in road and irrigation, augmented by technology and training for forage and crop production require attention.

Disasters, disaster risks, and disaster risk management (DRM) present complex temporalities that must be taken into consideration when conducting evaluations that assist the choice of new strategies. Given the non-linearity of change, including long-term perspectives can modify the evaluation results and recommendations, but little is known about how time horizons are selected in DRM evaluation. This exploratory study investigates the determinants that affect what time horizon is considered in DRM evaluation. 12 semi-structured interviews with professional evaluators from different parts of the world were conducted in spring 2022. Their experiences indicate that the interpretation of what is long term in DRM evaluation is context-dependent. The factors determining if time horizons are expanded or narrowed relate to four categories: the actors involved in the evaluation, the purpose of the evaluation, the resources available to conduct the evaluation, and the specific DRM context. It is concluded that DRM evaluation seems to be quite similar to other public policy evaluations, except the DRM context that plays an important role by determining the timing of the evaluation, which itself affects what time horizon should be and/or is considered.

Since the first School Safety Program launched by the Ministry of Education and Training in 2007, Vietnam has promoted various multi-sectoral activities to advance school safety nationwide. This study aims to identify the opportunities to advance school disaster safety by assessing policies and practices in Vietnam. A framework adapted from the ASEAN Comprehensive School Safety Framework and School Disaster Resilience Assessment is utilized to evaluate policy coverage and implementation level of school safety in Vietnam. The study systematically reviewed legal documents at national level, followed by questionnaire surveys conducted for primary schools in Da Nang City, which was selected as a pilot evaluation site owing to its vulnerability to natural disasters and extensive records of school safety practices. Results show that the most critical elements of school safety have been reflected in existing policy documents and regulations. However, the gap between policies and implementation remains due to the inadequacy of school safety viewpoint, designated roles and responsibilities, resources, and guidelines for supporting the school safety practices at the local level. The findings emphasize the importance of a national school safety framework that enables institutional and resource arrangements for better practices at the local level.