Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tianjie Zhang, Donglei Wang, Yang Lu
Summary: The regional multi-hazards risk assessment is challenging due to difficulties in accessing data and understanding the interactions between different hazards and social vulnerability. To improve risk perception and preparedness, it is important to study the distribution of natural hazards risk in different areas, especially in regions with high hazards and social vulnerability. This study proposes a multi-hazards risk assessment method that includes social vulnerability and uses machine learning models. The results show that the Random Forest model performs the best, and a significant proportion of cities are at risk from multiple hazards and social vulnerability. The study provides a risk map that highlights the spatial patterns and identifies areas of high hazards potential and vulnerability, emphasizing the need for information-based prioritization and effective policies to reduce natural hazards risks in the future.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Nohrstedt, Charles F. Parker, Nina von Uexkull, Johanna Mard, Frederike Albrecht, Kristina Petrova, Lars Nyberg, Malin Goteman, Jacob Hileman, Gabriele Messori, Giuliano Di Baldassarre
Summary: Action toward strengthened disaster risk reduction involves evidence-based policymaking, but practical guidelines may contain oversimplified or unsubstantiated claims that could jeopardize long-term goals. Current DRR research focuses on bridging the gap between science and practice, with less attention to the premises shaping the understanding of disaster risk issues.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Adam M. Straub
Summary: This article examines how media framing shapes the discourse and actions of key social agents and institutions in response to disaster risk, using Hurricane Maria's impact on Puerto Rico as a case study. The study suggests that media framing can lead to a lack of accountability for key institutions and can protect the legitimacy of powerful actors like the Trump administration. Additionally, the research argues that economic factors play a significant role in these processes, contributing to the development of a risk society.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Philip R. Berke, Steven M. Quiring, Francisco Olivera, Jennifer A. Horney
Summary: Resilient communities are those less impacted by natural disasters and possess the ability to recover quickly. Building resilience involves accurately assessing hazards, understanding vulnerabilities, and engaging the community in proactive planning, while also collaborating across disciplines and incorporating data from different fields.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Asim B. Khajwal, Arash Noshadravan
Summary: Accurate and timely estimation of disaster damages is crucial in disaster management, and crowdsourcing has emerged as a possible solution to address the challenge of limited resources and workforce. This research enhances the reliability of crowdsourcing in post disaster damage assessment by improving the content and reliability of information gathered through public participation. A novel framework is proposed to quantify and reduce uncertainty in the outcome of participatory damage assessment by decomposing the classification of overall damage state and implementing a decision rule to infer the damage state of buildings. An information-theoretic model is presented to obtain an accurate probabilistic description of the inferred damage states while accounting for the reliability of citizen participants and the ambiguity of images.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Bosco Bwambale, Martine Nyeko, John Sekajugo, Matthieu Kervyn
Summary: This study proposed a framework structuring the processes that shape indigenous knowledge on disaster risk. The findings indicated that indigenous knowledge framed along lived experiences fosters the understanding of context-specific processes through which flooding turns into disaster, highlighting the indispensable role of indigenous perspectives in understanding context-specific disaster risk.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Owen, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, Jamon Van Den Hoek
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach to measure climatic and environmental exposure in refugee camps using remote sensing and geospatial data. By developing a climatic and environmental exposure index, the researchers quantify the exposure of seventeen refugee camps in East Africa relative to a simulated population. The results show that seven of the camps have high exposure, indicating elevated risks for over six-hundred thousand refugees compared to other potential camp locations. This method has the potential to improve data gathering and analysis in geographically remote humanitarian spaces in a reliable and cost-effective manner, enabling real-time updates for decision-making in refugee camp management related to disaster risk reduction.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Francesca Giuliani, Anna De Falco, Valerio Cutini
Summary: This paper critically reviews the challenges that Italy faces in reducing seismic risk and protecting historic centers, emphasizing the importance of historic monuments in earthquake risk management. It suggests further research on developing a comprehensive disaster risk reduction framework for resilience-enhancing challenges in historic centers in Italy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Judit Lienert, Jafet C. M. Andersson, Daniel Hofmann, Francisco Silva Pinto, Martijn Kuller
Summary: Climate change is projected to increase flood risks in western Africa. In this study, a pre-operational flood early warning system (FEWS) was co-designed with stakeholders from 17 countries using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The study successfully achieved the design of the FEWS using MCDA and evaluated participatory MCDA as a transdisciplinary process. The results showed that the FEWS performed well despite uncertainty and met stakeholders' preference for accurate, clear, timely, and accessible flood risk information. The study also proposed a collaborative governance framework that emphasizes issues crucial to the earth systems sciences. MCDA was found to be effective in addressing these issues and providing a consistent methodology and shared results. However, the study highlighted the limitations of problem structuring in achieving later phases of transdisciplinary processes. The study encourages the use of MCDA and the proposed framework for evaluating transdisciplinary hydrology research that engages with stakeholders and society.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Darien Alexander Williams, Amy K. Glasmeier
Summary: This paper demonstrates the use of qualitative analysis in investigating theories of error and causation in natural gas pipeline incidents. The findings from coding text from incident reports reveal a proportion of active and latent errors consistent with other hazardous infrastructure contexts. The study underscores the robustness of existing error theory and highlights the utility of in-depth case analyses to understand complex causation in aggregate form.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan D. Paul, Emma Bee, Mirianna Budimir
Summary: The explosion of advanced mobile phone technologies can enhance inclusivity and local relevance in disaster risk reduction efforts. It is crucial to carefully examine local context, dynamics, and needs prior to development, and ideally involve local stakeholders in a user-centered design approach for maximum societal impact.
CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Anders Solheim, Kjetil Sverdrup-Thygeson, Bjorn Kalsnes
Summary: Road construction in challenging terrains and climates requires proper assessment of natural hazards to save cost and ensure safety. In a study in Norway, a GIS-based tool was developed to assess natural hazards along planned roads using publicly available data and dynamic runout models. The tool helps identify critical areas and limit the need for field work.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sebastian Rogga, Jana Zscheischler
Summary: Doing a PhD in a transdisciplinary research project presents both benefits and challenges for early-career scientists. It is crucial for experienced supervisors to support these researchers, and for scientific networks to help transform the academic system and enhance their careers in sustainability science.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Architecture
A. Nuno Martins, A. A. Pereira, C. Forbes, Joao L. M. P. de Lima, D. Matos
Summary: This paper examines the relationship between risk and cultural heritage, focusing on Lisbon Downtown's built heritage and the concept of place identity. By analyzing changes in urban fabric and socio-dynamics, as well as conducting fieldwork and risk mapping, the study highlights the importance of identifying vulnerability drivers to reduce risk and mitigate impacts on the city's cultural heritage.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Irasema Alcantara-Ayala, Cui Peng, Alessandro Pasuto
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the various dimensions of research on disaster risk reduction in mountain regions, based on an open call by the Journal of Mountain Science. The paper consists of three sections, discussing the significance of disaster risk reduction in mountain areas, research insights from the contributions in the special issue, and areas for further research.
JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Laura Petrescu, Felix Borleanu, Mircea Radulian, Alik Ismail-Zadeh, Liviu Matenco
Summary: The study of earthquake nests in the Vrancea Seismic Zone reveals different stress states in the crust and within the seismic source body, highlighting the vertical coherence of tectonic stress and the mechanisms of brittle failure and stress transmission. Dehydration embrittlement is suggested to contribute to generating earthquakes, while ambient mantle flow may also promote stress buildup within the crust.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tahir Ali, Petra Topaz Buergelt, Douglas Paton, James Arnold Smith, Elaine Lawurrpa Maypilama, Dorothy Yungirrna, Stephen Dhamarrandji, Rosemary Gundjarranbuy
Summary: The study reveals that local Indigenous knowledge and practices in Indigenous communities can strengthen the community and reduce risks from natural hazards, while colonizing practices weaken Indigenous people and increase risks from natural hazards. Collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners is necessary for sustainable Indigenous DRR.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Jingyu Liu, Walter W. Piegorsch, A. Grant Schissler, Rachel R. McCaster, Susan L. Cutter
Summary: This study developed a quantitative, interdisciplinary strategy for conducting statistical risk analyses in the presence of potential autocorrelation among sample units. By applying a resilience index to a knowledgebase of hazardous incidents and related casualties, information on vulnerability to natural hazards across 3108 counties in the US was explored. An extended autologistic regression model was used to relate county-level vulnerability to hazardous outcomes, with adjustments for autocorrelation made through a novel, non-spatial neighborhood structure. Statistical risk-benchmarking techniques were then incorporated to identify levels of high and low vulnerability to hazards.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED STATISTICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Clare Hawkes, Kimberley Norris, Janine Joyce, Douglas Paton
Summary: This study focuses on the resettlement experience of Women of Refugee Background (WoRB) in Tasmania, Australia, a rural and regional state. The research identified communication barriers, challenges accessing basic needs, loss of connection to culture, and difficulty accessing mainstream mental health services as major issues faced by these women. Gender-related vulnerabilities were also found to be exacerbated in regional locations where health services are overstretched and under-resourced, emphasizing the need for policy and practical considerations for this vulnerable population.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tahir Ali, Douglas Paton, Petra T. Buergelt, James A. Smith, Noor Jehan, Abubaker Siddique
Summary: This research explores the complexities of including a remote Indigenous community in disaster risk reduction planning in Pakistan, using a combination of philosophical lenses and research methodologies to identify facilitators and barriers to community DRR. The findings underscore the need for development agencies to work with Indigenous communities in interdependent and complementary partnerships for sustainable development in Pakistan.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Letter
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alik Ismail-Zadeh
Summary: This article highlights the challenges of assessing the time-dependent nature of disaster risk, emphasizes the interconnectedness between natural hazards, climate change, vulnerability, and exposure, and underscores the importance of preventive measures and public awareness.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Takahiro Yabe, P. Suresh C. Rao, Satish Ukkusuri, Susan L. Cutter
Summary: With rapid urbanization and increasing climate risks, it is crucial to enhance the resilience of urban systems. However, current studies on disaster resilience often rely on static measures and fail to incorporate the dynamic nature of resilience. This article argues for the use of big data and data-driven complex systems models to quantitatively simulate the recovery trajectories and intrinsic resilience characteristics of communities, paving the way for better policy applications.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alik Ismail-Zadeh, Alexander Soloviev
Summary: This article provides an overview of the changing understanding of the occurrence and recurrence time of large earthquakes through the use of numerical modelling and earthquake simulations. It also reviews the advancements in the modelling of lithospheric block-and-fault dynamics over the past thirty years, and identifies key factors that influence earthquake sequences, clustering, and magnitude.
SURVEYS IN GEOPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Stephen A. Sutton, Douglas Paton, Petra Buergelt, Saut Sagala, Ella Meilianda
Summary: The international community is increasingly recognizing the growing risks posed by natural hazard events due to climate change and vulnerable populations, prompting a need for effective processes to build resilience in individuals and communities. Despite efforts to promote disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs, many communities remain poorly prepared. By studying examples like Simeulue Island in Indonesia, where recognizable DRR strategies helped minimize casualties during a disaster, valuable insights can be gained on optimizing local community resilience. The success of Simeulue's DRR efforts was attributed to the incorporation of music and song as a means to convey risk information and enhance the community's Sense of Coherence (SOC).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Amandine Dhellemmes, Graham S. Leonard, David M. Johnston, Lauren J. Vinnell, Julia S. Becker, Stuart A. Fraser, Douglas Paton
Summary: The study reveals that despite residents on the East Coast of the North Island in New Zealand being aware of the tsunami risk in their area, their level of preparedness is relatively low, with a high dependence on formal warnings and unrealistic expectations regarding evacuation procedures and actions. This could lead to significant delays in actual evacuation processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Negar Elhami-Khorasani, Hamed Ebrahimian, Lawrence Buja, Susan L. Cutter, Branko Kosovic, Neil Lareau, Brian J. Meacham, Eric Rowell, Ertugrul Taciroglu, Matthew P. Thompson, Adam C. Watts
Summary: Wildfires are crucial for a healthy ecosystem, but their hazards have increased due to urban expansion and climate change. Managing future wildfires requires proactive policies and strategies. The existing risk assessment frameworks lack a unified analytical method for effective decision-making.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sahar Derakhshan, Leah Blackwood, Margot Habets, Julia F. Effgen, Susan L. Cutter
Summary: This study aims to quantify community resilience in the U.S. Gulf Coast region through the construction of resilience indices based on empirical and qualitative indicators. The research highlights the importance of comprehensive study of existing databases, evaluation of conceptual relevance, and statistical analysis for sub-county level replication. The new resilience index, TBRIC, categorizes 65 variables into six resilience capitals and provides more reliable results at a fine-scale level.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sahar Derakhshan, Christopher T. Emrich, Susan L. Cutter
Summary: This study aims to explore the measurement similarities and differences between social vulnerability and community resilience. By using two indices for correlation testing and measuring overlap, the study finds that there is little overlap and divergence between the two measurements, with some spatial variability. The Gulf Region shows a higher degree of overlap, while the Southeast Atlantic region shows a lower degree. These findings suggest the need to consider both social vulnerability and resilience metrics in natural hazards risk planning.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susan L. Cutter, Qian Huang
Article
Education & Educational Research
Maureen Mooney, Ruth Tarrant, Douglas Paton, David Johnston, Sarb Johal
Summary: The Canterbury earthquake disaster in 2010-2011 had a significant impact on children, with schools proving to be a stable and supportive environment for them. Teachers were a trusted source of support, helping children cope with the disaster, and maintained open communication with families to ensure children's safety during aftershocks.
PASTORAL CARE IN EDUCATION
(2021)
