Disaster Risk Reduction

The geographic region where the City of Rio de Janeiro is located presents high spatial and temporal variability of meteorological events. The city has a history of recurrent disasters caused by natural hazards, which are in part a result of the urban sprawl, which densely concentrates people and buildings between hills and sea, lagoons and bays. Part of this urban sprawl is in areas at risk of flooding and landslide. The present work aims to create an impact scale that allows the measurement of impacts caused by meteorological events in the city.

The alarming increase in the scale and incidence of disasters around the world has been largely attributed to global climate change. Africa like other continents has also experienced its share of disaster, though not on the same scale as countries in Asia, while the scale of disasters in Africa is smaller, the effects on the population is devastating due in large part to the high level of vulnerability in African countries. The Gambia is no exception and is also prone to numerous hazardous events that are exacerbated by lack of capacity in implementing disaster risk reduction measures.

Over the past decade, post-disaster recovery efforts have increasingly aimed to relocate communities, with the idea that well-designed plans and implementation will lead to increased resilience. While the rationale has been that relocating away from hazards will reduce the risk of future devastation, in practice relocation has long been the least favored policy option. Communities targeted for relocation are often disadvantaged to begin with, and relocation disturbs their social networks and economic well-being, pushing them further into destitution.

The city of Caracas has been struck by earthquakes several times in its history, and the most recent one, the M6.6 1967 event, evidenced strong site effects within the sedimentary valley. Therefore, Caracas has been the object of research related to earthquake hazard and damage since then, and a seismic microzoning project has been formally developed in the years 2005 to 2009. The principal results constitute response spectra at different subsoil conditions within the sedimentary valley and estimation of landslide hazard for hillside areas.

Multi-modal transportation may be a solution in the immediate aftermath of a disaster when transportation resources are scarce. This study presents a multi-modal relief distribution model using a three-level chain composed of (1) supply nodes, (2) logistics operational areas, and (3) affected areas, while considering multiple trips for disaster response operations. The model determines the location of logistics operational areas, modes of transport utilized, and amount of relief goods allocated for each mode of transport.

Engaging the community in Early Warning Systems (EWSs) plays an essential role in saving lives, reducing injuries, and limiting environmental damage associated with disaster events. However, EWSs have traditionally focused on technology and infrastructure with the absence of comprehensive engagement with the community across the four EWS elements of risk knowledge, monitoring, dissemination and communication and response capability. Subsequently, past experience shows inappropriate responses by communities during disasters.

Individual emergency preparedness is critical to mitigate and minimize the negative impacts from disasters. Preparing for future disasters could enhance capacity to better cope with the external shocks and achieve a faster return to normalcy after the disaster event. This study investigates how individuals living in the Rio Grande Valley prepare themselves for the future hurricane disasters. The study investigates the state of objective and subjective preparedness and any discrepancy between the two types of disaster preparedness.

This paper examines the development over historical time of the meaning and uses of the term resilience. The objective is to deepen our understanding of how the term came to be adopted in disaster risk reduction and resolve some of the conflicts and controversies that have arisen when it has been used. The paper traces the development of resilience through the sciences, humanities, and legal and political spheres. It considers how mechanics passed the word to ecology and psychology, and how from there it was adopted by social research and sustainability science.

Kashmir valley lies in the Northwest part of the seismically active Himalayan arc, is vulnerable to earthquakes both from near and far seismogenic sources owing to its unique geological, geographical and seismotectonic setting. The area has witnessed numerous colossal earthquakes throughout its prolific geological past causing severe damage to natural and built environment with intensity levels ranges between VIII–X.