Improving social media use for disaster resilience: challenges and strategies

This paper develops a social media-disaster resilience analysis framework by categorizing types of social media use and their challenges to better understand and assess its role in disaster resilience research and management.The framework is derived primarily from several case studies of Twitter use in three hurricane events in the United States-Hurricanes Isaac,Sandy,and Harvey.The paper first outlines four major contributions of social media data for disaster resilience research and management,which include serving as an effective communication platform,providing ground truth information for emergency response and rescue operations,providing information on people's sentiments,and allowing predictive modeling.However,there are four_key challenges to its uses,which include,easy spreading of false information,social and geographical disparities of Twitter use,technical issues on processing and analyzing big and noisy data,especially on improving the locational accuracy of the tweets,and algorithm bias in Al and other types of modeling.Then,the paper proposes twenty strategies that the four sectors of the social media community-organizations,individuals,social media companies,and researchers-could take to improve social media use to increase disaster resilience.

Establishment of the Psychometric Properties of a Disaster Resilience Measuring Tool for Healthcare Rescuers in China:A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of a tool for measuring the disaster resilience of healthcare disaster rescuers.A cross-sectional study involving 936 healthcare disaster rescuers of the Sichuan Disaster Response Team was conducted to establish the psychometric properties of the disaster resilience measuring tool(DRMT).Item analysis,exploratory factor analysis,confirmatory factor analysis,and correlation analysis were adopted to analyze the data.Item analysis showed that all but three items had the critical ratio over 3,which indicates adequate discriminability for inclusion in the measuring tool.The exploratory factor analysis showed that 65.93%of the total variance was explained by four factors—self-efficacy,social support,positive growth,and altruism.The confirmatory factor analysis showed goodness of fit for the four-factor model:CMIN/DF(2.846),GFI(0.916≥0.90),CFI(0.949≥0.90),AGFI(0.891≥0.80),and RMSEA(0.063≤0.08).Criterion validity demonstrated significant associations of the DRMT and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(P<0.01,r=0.566).Convergent validity was established by correlation with stress(P<0.05,r=-0.095),depression(P<0.01,r=-0.127),posttraumatic stress disorder-PCL-C(P<0.05,r=-0.100),compassion satisfaction(P<0.01,r=0.536),and burnout(P<0.01,r=-0.330).The DRMT demonstrated adequate internal consistency(Cronbach’s alpha>0.84)and stability over the two-week study period(intraclass correlation coefficient>0.85),and a cut-off point of 61 was suggested.The disaster resilience measuring tool has satisfactory psychometric properties and is a valid,reliable,and valuable instrument for assessing disaster resilience in healthcare rescue workers.The scale needs to be tested further among other populations and those from other cultures.

Assessing Capacity and Implementation Status of the Disaster Risk Management Strategy for Health and Community Disaster Resilience in Malawi

Floods are among the most frequently occurring natural hazards in Malawi,often with public health implications.This mixed methods study assessed the capacity for and implementation status of the disaster risk management(DRM)strategy for the health sector in Malawi,using flooding in the Nsanje District as a case.Data were collected using desk review and a workshop methodology involving key officials from government ministries,national and international development partners,and the academia.The results show that Malawi had recently strengthened its DRM institutional frameworks,with a pronounced policy shift from reactive to proactive management of disasters.Health sector personnel and structures were key contributors in the design and implementation of DRM activities at all levels.Development partners played a significant role in strengthening DRM coordination and implementation capacity.Lack of funding and the limited availability,and often fragmented nature,of vulnerability and risk assessment data were identified as key challenges.Limited human resource capacity and inadequate planning processes at district level impeded full implementation of DRM policies.These findings call for community-level interventions for improved coordination,planning,and human resource capacity to strengthen community disaster resilience and improve public health.The approach used in this study can serve as a model framework for other districts in Malawi,as well as in other low-and middle-income countries in the context of Sendai Framework implementation.

“How Do We Actually Do Convergence”for Disaster Resilience?Cases from Australia and the United States

In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on achieving convergence in disaster research,policy,and programs to reduce disaster losses and enhance social well-being.However,there remain considerable gaps in understanding"how do we actually do convergence?"In this article,we present three case studies from across geographies—New South Wales in Australia,and North Carolina and Oregon in the United States;and sectors of work—community,environmental,and urban resilience,to critically examine what convergence entails and how it can enable diverse disciplines,people,and institutions to reduce vulnerability to systemic risks in the twenty-first century.We identify key successes,challenges,and barriers to convergence.We build on current discussions around the need for convergence research to be problem-focused and solutions-based,by also considering the need to approach convergence as ethic,method,and outcome.We reflect on how convergence can be approached as an ethic that motivates a higher order alignment on"why"we come together;as a method that foregrounds"how"we come together in inclusive ways;and as an outcome that highlights"what"must be done to successfully translate research findings into the policy and public domains.

Resilience of Wengding,the Phoenix Wa traditional village

The village of Wengding,ancestral home of the Wa ethnic group,considered as China’s last primitive tribe,suf-fered near-complete extinction due to a fire incident in 2021.Historical records indicate that stilt-style buildings,also in Wengding,are highly susceptible to fire.Nevertheless,this has not hindered the long-term existence of these distinctive architectural forms.This study analyses the reasons for the sustained existence of the traditional building forms in Wengding,from the perspective of resilience.The findings indicate that the requirements of the traditional nomadic civilization for rapid construction of dwellings,the communal consciousness toward dis-aster resistance,and the implementation of spatially oriented fire protection measures collectively account for the swift recovery and reconstruction observed in Wengding village after the disaster.These aspects are tangible manifestations of the capacity of the village for resilience.Overall,resilience is essential for the sustainability of such traditional villages in the long term.

Disaster Awareness and Preparedness Among Older Adults in Canada Regarding Floods, Wildfires, and Earthquakes

Older adults are significantly impacted by natural hazards and disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. Understanding their awareness and preparedness is essential for enhancing disaster resilience. This study investigated the attitudes, actions, and recommendations of older adults regarding natural hazards that pose risks in their geographic area—specifically floods, wildfires, and/or earthquakes in Canada. Methods for this study included survey and focus groups with older adults(n = 161 and n = 10, respectively) and other high-risk groups from across Canada, that are vulnerable to these natural hazards. The main findings from this study are that current awareness and preparedness among older adults is low, though stronger perceptions of risks are associated with risks specific to geographic locations where respondents live. Several barriers, such as hazard vulnerability misperceptions, cost-related reasons, and lack of hazard awareness have resulted in low awareness and preparedness among these populations. The two main recommendations arising from this research are:(1) improve awareness and preparedness with tailor-made emergency preparedness materials for older adults;and(2) adopt community-based approaches to disaster preparedness through existing community groups to strengthen social connections with a focus on locally specific hazards. The findings from this research can be applied to other hazards, including heatwaves and pandemics.

A Critical Review of Social Resilience Properties and Pathways in Disaster Management

Resilience as a concept is multi-faceted with complex dimensions.In a disaster context,there is lack of consistency in conceptualizing social resilience.This results in ambiguity of its definition,properties,and pathways for assessment.A number of key research gaps exist for critically reviewing social resilience conceptualization,projecting resilience properties in a disaster-development continuum,and delineating a resilience trajectory in a multiple disaster timeline.This review addressed these research gaps by critically reviewing social resilience definitions,properties,and pathways.The review found four variations in social resilience definitions,which recognize the importance of abilities of social systems and processes in disaster phases at different levels.A review of resilience properties and pathways in the disaster resilience literature suggested new resilience properties—“risk-sensitivity”and“regenerative”in the timeline of two consecutive disasters.This review highlights a causal pathway for social resilience to better understand the resilience status in a multi-shock scenario by depicting inherent and adaptive resilience for consecutive disaster scenarios and a historical case study for a resilience trajectory in a multiple disaster timeline.The review findings will assist disaster management policymakers and practitioners to formulate appropriate resilience enhancement strategies within a holistic framework in a multi-disaster timeline.

Analysis of Hay Demand from Pastoralism Systems on Viability of Hay Production as a Climate Adaptation Strategy in Kajiado County, Kenya

Hay production is a flagship project under drought risk reduction and climate change adaptation programs in pastoralism livestock systems in Kenya. For decision-makers to plan and evaluate their projects, they need localized data on hay production and supply and to understand what attitudes influence demand for hay by pastoralists. A cost-benefit analysis on 23 hay farms and a questionnaire knowledge, attitude and practice survey on 340 pastoralists in Kajiado Central were undertaken. This study provides the hay production versus hay deficit figures in Kajiado Central County. The study also measures the financial losses livestock keepers incur during drought migration and correlates these losses against livestock keeper’s decision to buy hay for their animals. The study established that the drought in 2017, Kajiado Central County had a 48% hay deficit (2,580,000 hay bales) worth about KES 902 million needed to cover three months of the severest period of the drought. At the same time, hay production and supply were 49,138 grown hay and 3292 purchased hay bales and 6177 bags of commercial feeds and forage. The study also found that 86% of livestock keepers buy hay only when their animals started dying at the severest period of the drought. Hay buying mainly occurs in drought years, and averagely for three months only. From 2005 to 2020, there have been five years of severe drought. Because hay production is a critical climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy for droughts, Kajiado needs to reduce the hay deficit by 67% (average of 2015 & 2017), disaster management planners need to align the hay supply to hay purchasing practices. In addition, decision-makers need to address the low hay supply by tackling the challenges of hay production. Furthermore, disaster management planners could use the study to determine the trigger points to start disaster response for livestock feed.

Big Earth data for disaster risk reduction

In an ever-changing world,where the frequency and intensity of natural and humanmade disasters are on the rise,disaster risk reduction has emerged as a crucial focal point of interdisciplinary research,governance,and public discourse.Disaster risk reduction,which aims to safeguard humans and protect environments from hazards and threats,is of high societal relevance and closely related to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).The findings from research into disaster risk reduction contribute significantly to making cities and other settlements more inclusive,safe,resilient,and sustainable.

Mountain highway stability threading on the fragile terrain of upper Ganga catchment(Uttarakhand Himalaya),India

Roads are the most critical means of connectivity in Himalayan villages.However,the terrain is inherently fragile with varied geological,geomorphological,ecological,and climate regimes,that result in frequent slope failure and disruption in connectivity.The risk is further to be increased by extreme events-generated hazards,which are expected to rise in frequency and magnitude with ongoing intervention,however,can improve the sustainability of road networks.The present study attempts to analyse and quantify the impacts of a major road widening project initiated in 2018 in the upper Ganga catchment,Uttarakhand Himalaya which has destabilised valley slopes along the widened segments.Also,a large quantity of excavated sediments is dumped down slopes,which is posing a threat to aquatic biodiversity.The estimates are based on Google Earth imagery of a few representative road segments recently widened in the upper Ganga catchment,which indicate a substantial increase in the landslide and unstable slope area following the road widening.The increase in unstable slope area is attributed to improper road widening approaches and poor slope management in seismically active Himalayan terrain.Further,the mean velocity plots of Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(PSInSAR)indicate that the segments undergoing road widening are coherent with areas of significant earth surface change.A broad correlation between the road width and sediment yield indicates that even a slight increase in road width can result in a large-scale mass removal from the toe of the hillslope,inflicting cascading impact on hillslopes.The study recommends a more flexible road construction approach based on the environmental and geological aspects of the terrain for sustainable road networks.Further,the impact of climate change is looming over the Himalayas,and the relation between climate change and its potential effects on the stability of slopes remains an open issue.

Flood Resilience Building in Thailand: Assessing Progress and the Effect of Leadership

Disaster risk reduction has become a global strategy for making cities more resilient since the establishment of the Hyogo Framework for Action in 2005. The question that still challenges emergency management scholars and professionals, however, is what contributes to the progress of resilience building. Previous literature suggests that disaster resilience can be attributable to multiple factors, including leadership. But the specific abilities that help leaders promote resilience have not yet been examined empirically. To address this problem, using the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction 10 Essentials for Making Cities Resilient as guidelines, we assessed the progress of flood resilience building in Thailand and its relationship to local government leaders' abilities. Our research showed that, since the flood disaster in 2011, municipalities in Thailand have made moderate progress in flood resilience building. The results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that disaster resilience leadership abilities have had a statistically significant, positive effect on the progress of flood resilience building. Our findings underscore the role of leadership in making cities more resilient and shed light on how local government leaders can contribute to the progress ofdisaster risk reduction. We also outline the academic implications and practical contributions of our research.

Tourism Developments Increase Tsunami Disaster Risk in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia

On 17 July 2006,the tourist resort of Pangandaran on Java’s south coast was hit by a tsunami,resulting in 413 fatalities and severe damage to buildings.The tsunami resulted in major rebuilds with a focus on mass tourism.Assessments of the impact of a future tsunami focussed on building development and suggest limited change since 2006.This article presents a case study on the development of(largely domestic)tourism in Pangandaran and how this has increased the tsunami disaster risk.Tourist numbers were stable at about 900,000 visitors a year prior to the tsunami,down to slightly over 250,000 visitors a year in its aftermath,and from 2007 onwards numbers are doubling every three years to about 4 million visitors in 2019.The increase has been most pronounced during weekends.Prior to 2006,Pangandaran was characterized by wooden structures and one-and two-story buildings of clay-brick masonry;by 2019,14 three to sixstory hotels have been erected along the waterfront.With many more visitors,most of whom are unfamiliar with tsunami risks,and shelter facilities for less than a quarter of visitors during peak times,future impacts and the potential cost to life are considerably higher now than in 2006,especially if a tsunami were to hit over a weekend.All tourists upon arrival and throughout their stay should be better informed about the risks of tsunamis,and of the location of tsunami shelters and evacuation routes.

Informal Caregiving and Disaster Risk Reduction:A Scoping Review

Informal caregivers are a population currently in the shadows of disaster risk reduction(DRR),and yet essential to the provision of healthcare services.This scoping review explored the literature to understand issues related to informal caregiving and promising practices to support resilience for disasters.Following guidelines for scoping review as outlined by Tricco et al.(2016),relevant publications were identified from five major databases—Medline,Embase,PubMed,Web of Science,and Scopus.Relevant studies referenced informal caregiving and disasters for a variety of population groups including children,people with disabilities or chronic illnesses,and older adults.Studies were excluded if they discussed formal caregiving services(for example,nursing),lacked relevance to disasters,or had insufficient discussion of informal caregiving.Overall,21 articles met the inclusion criteria and were fully analyzed.Five themes were identified:(1)the need for education and training in DRR;(2)stressors around medication and supply issues;(3)factors affecting the decision-making process in a disaster;(4)barriers leading to disaster-related problems;and(5)factors promoting resilience.Recommended areas of strategic action and knowledge gaps are discussed.Many informal caregivers do not feel adequately prepared for disasters.Given the important role of informal caregivers in healthcare provision,preparedness strategies are essential to support community resilience for those requiring personal care support.By understanding and mobilizing assets to support the resilience of informal caregivers,we also support the resilience of the greater healthcare system and the community,in disaster contexts.

Health and Risks:Integrating Health into Disaster Risk Reduction,Risk Communication,and Building Resilient Communities

In recent years,‘‘health’’has been recognized explicitly as both a determinant and an outcome of the human dimension of disaster risk reduction(DRR).Every disaster creates significant public health needs that can exceed local capacity to respond,resulting in excess mortality and morbidity.The European Union report on Science

Power outage and environmental justice in Winter Storm Uri: an analytical workflow based on nighttime light remote sensing

The intensity of extreme weather events has been increasing,posing a unique threat to society and highlighting the importance of our electrical power system,a key component in our infrastructure.In severe weather events,quickly identifying power outage impact zones and affected communities is crucial for informed disaster response.However,a lack of household-level power outage data impedes timely and precise assessments.To address these challenges,we introduced an analytical workflow using NASA’s Black Marble daily nighttime light(NTL)images to detect power outages from the 2021 Winter Storm Uri.This workflow includes adjustments to mitigate viewing angle and snow reflection effects.Power outage is detected by comparing storm-time and baseline(normal condition)NTL images using an empirical adjusted equation.The outcomes of the workflow are 500-meter resolution power outage maps,which have the optimal correlation with real outage tracking data when NTL intensity is reduced by 26%.With the resultant power outage maps,we analyzed the relations between power outages and disadvantaged populations in 126 Texas counties and 4182 census tracts to evaluate environmental justice in the storm.The results show that Latino/Hispanic communities tend to suffer more from power outages at both the county and census tract levels.

Five Years Later: Assessing the Implementation of the Four Priorities of the Sendai Framework for Inclusion of People with Disabilities

Efforts to reduce disaster risk around the world should purposefully consider the needs of potentially vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) is one of the few global disaster-related frameworks with a focus on people with disabilities. The objective of this article is to assess the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction strategies worldwide since the establishment of SFDRR as gleaned from research. Several studies were reviewed to observe how the four priorities were implemented and operationalized in various countries to reduce the risk for people with disabilities. Findings indicate that initial applications of the SFDRR have compelled purposeful actions, but there is still room for improvement regarding people with disabilities. The results conclude that slight variations on the definitions of disaster or disability may increase marginalization. Three key themes emerged:(1) the intersectionality of disability with other dimensions of vulnerability warrants focused consideration;(2) enhanced disaster preparedness requires more attention in order to empower people with disabilities;and(3) negative cultural attitudes need to shift to enable purposeful inclusion of people with disabilities. Additional studies on the global investments made are encouraged to share lessons learned regarding the integration of people with disabilities.

Optimizing Locations and Scales of Emergency Warehouses Based on Damage Scenarios

Choosing the locations and the capacities of emergency warehouses for the storage of relief materials is critical to the quality of services provided in the wake of a largescale emergency such as an earthquake.This paper proposes a stochastic programming model to determine disaster sites’locations as well as their scales by considering damaged scenarios of the facility and by introducing seismic resilience to describe the ability of disaster sites to resist earthquakes.The objective of the model is to minimize fixed costs of building emergency warehouses,expected total transportation costs under uncertain demands of disaster sites and penalty costs for lack of relief materials.A local branching(LB)based solution method and a particle swarm optimization(PSO)based solution method are proposed for the problem.Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to assess the efficiency of the heuristic according to the real data of Yunnan province in China.

Progress Toward Implementing the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy from Aotearoa New Zealand

In 2015, Aotearoa New Zealand became a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(Sendai Framework), the Paris Climate Change Agreement(Paris Agreement), and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). Since 2017 Aotearoa New Zealand has been undergoing governance reform to realign priorities and to improve the management of natural hazards and climate change. The aim of this article is to provide a review of how Aotearoa New Zealand is taking steps to improve consistency of planning across the legislative environment, thereby implementing its commitments to the Sendai Framework, the SDGs, and the Paris Agreement. It provides an overview of the national governance arrangements, with a focus on the key legislative tools;identifies how key terms are defined nationally;and provides an overview of the governance arrangements that contribute to the country’s international obligations. The discussion describes how obligations are applied, and considers two"disruptive and proactive" action examples. Four recommended actions are provided to further implement these international aspirations:(1) take into account these international agreements during the development and implementation of all legislation;(2) build awareness, capability,and capacity within central, regional, and local governments to support implementation;(3) actively evaluate the progress of implementing initiatives designed to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience;and(4) ensure that more weight and value are given to indigenous planning documents.