International Journal of Disaster Risk Management
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Dima Hasao, Assam (India) landslides’ 2022: A lesson learnt
Get PDFDuring the monsoon season of 2022, the Dima Hasao district of Assam faced a series of landslides across multiple locations, resulting in significant damage to property and newly developed communication infrastructure. These landslides were caused by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. The region being host to one of the world’s wettest monsoon belts and under tremendous tectonic stress with sedimentary geological formation is highly susceptible to landslides. In addition to these natural factors, the construction of communication infrastructure and roadways may have contributed to destabilizing the slopes and increasing the risk of landslides. Excavation activities for the expansion of highways and the conversion of railway tracks to broad-gauge may have altered the natural slope dynamics, exacerbating the severity of the landslides. This paper explores the causes and consequences of the landslides from an environmental determinism and possibilism perspective. It argues for the optimization of the neo-determinism fine line by identifying remedial countermeasures to prevent or minimize the impact of future landslides in the area. Effective communication and collaboration among the government, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and the public are essential for reducing the risk of natural disasters and promoting sustainable development in landslide-prone regions. The identified countermeasures have practical implications for disaster management and planning in similar regions globally
Water Crisis in the Rangamati Hill District of Bangladesh: A Case Study on Indigenous Community
Get PDFThe ethnic communities are the most underprivileged and exposed areas in Bangladesh\u27s Chittagong hill tracts. Since the last decade, these areas have been facing severe challenges from climate change, such as drought leading to water scarcity, prolonged rainfall triggering landslides, dry-up of watersheds due to lack of rain, soil erosion, etc. This research aims to identify the key indicators of the causes and consequences of the water crisis caused by climate change and traditional water scarcity adoption practices in terms of sustainable upland water management. However, semi-structured and Key Informant Interviews were conducted following open-ended questionnaires in the Rangamati district. The study found that the locals in this region have few pure drinking water sources and often rely on nearby springs and lakes. It has also been discovered that rising deforestation is drying up the waterways. About 44% of the community states that deforestation is the main reason for the water crisis. According to the community, the situation gets worse during the dry season. The study results also show that women face difficulties because they are more likely to collect water for their family members and carry out their daily activities. Future studies should examine various mitigation strategies that are feasible for implementation locally, with a focus on expanding forest cover and afforestation, which could raise the groundwater level and improve the availability of water in the mountainous region. Finally, the findings can assist policymakers, practitioners, and the government in developing policies to benefit this community soon
Religion Influence on Disaster Risk Reduction: A case study of Serbia
Get PDFHuman perception of nature and God have always been inextricably linked. In order to understand nature and its inherent processes, including various natural hazards, the reasons for their origin were often attributed to God\u27s will, suffering for sin and the similar. Fear of material and human losses prompted a man to pray and offer sacrifices/gifts and other rituals to appease the "wrath of the gods". The progress of civilization and technology has not alleviated the destruction and trauma that natural disasters inflict on all aspects of social life. A major obstacle to this is the exponential population growth in vulnerable areas. The frequency of natural disasters and the fatalistic attitudes that limit the effective fight against them have motivated religious communities and individuals to cooperate with international and international organizations and institutions to reduce the risk of local disasters. Believers thus receive the necessary psychological and financial assistance and support from religious communities during all phases of disaster management. Therefore, the subject of this paper is a comprehensive examination relationship between the degree of religiosity of the population and how this connection impacts the policy of reducing disaster risk. The aim of the research is to scientifically describe the nature of the relationship between the degree of religiosity of citizens and different segments of disaster risk reduction
The Factors responsible for urban flooding in Karachi (A case study of DHA)
No full textFlood has become an immense phenomenon in Pakistan. On August 2020 DHA Karachi was badly affected by urban flooding. This study discusses that poorly maintained drainage networks are the factors that caused urban flooding in DHA. This study aims to discover the factor that led to the urban flooding in DHA and what damages are caused. Methodology greatly includes questionnaires. GIS has been used for carrying out mapping of DHA surface drainage networks. The data collected from the questionnaires showed that poor drainage network was the main cause of urban flooding in DHA and phase 6 was mostly damaged as a lot of land encroachment has been done in this phase. Streets were mostly damaged as stagnant water caused crackers in them thus causing power outrage and difficulty in evacuation. This study may provide a guideline to disaster planning, management, and development authorities
The Challenges of Women in Post-disaster Health Management: A Study in Khulna District
No full textHealth management in post-disaster phase needs more attention than any other phase because this includes mitigation and recovery which is challenging for people especially women. Women play an active traditional gender roles in family with a lot of responsibilities; in post-disaster period they faced more challenges in management of health. Quantitative methods were used to assess the challenges of women in post-disaster health management, this study was carried out on Dacope Upazila (North Kamarkhola village) of Khulna District. Following simple random sampling procedure by using interview schedule, 199 participants were selected from 412 population. Both descriptive as well as inferential statistics were applied in this study, statistical tests such as Pearson’s chi-square, correlation and regression had been done to test the hypotheses. Findings show that socioeconomic position like employment status of women (p<0.024), types of houses (p<0.000), monthly income (p<0.001), monthly savings (p<0.001), monthly household income (p<0.000) and household savings (p<0.019) occupation (p<0.019) and head of the household had (p<0.058) a significant relationship with the challenges of women in post-disaster health management. Monthly income and physical health problem were also correlated with the challenges. In OLS regression test it was found that health (physical and mental) and family size had great positive impact on challenges of women. The study also found that, women of North Kamarkhola village were unable to get medical facilities and maintain proper menstrual hygiene immediately after disaster. Violence against women was also a little bit increased in post-disaster period which generated challenges
Anticipated Role of Bangladesh Police in Disaster Management Based on the Contribution of Bangladesh Police during the Pandemic COVID 19
Get PDFThis article explores the contribution of Bangladesh Police as a first responder in the pandemic COVID-19 in recent years. Bangladesh police played a vital role in maintaining law and order situation during prolonged lockdown, building awareness among mass people, ensuring safe transportation and mobility, and assisting people on humanitarian grounds. The article also identifies the anticipated potential responsibility of Bangladesh police in pre-disaster planning and post-disaster response based on the experience gathered during the pandemic. Bangladesh police faces some challenges regarding participating in disaster management task actively, such as limited resources, want of communication channel among various government and non-government agencies, and limited preparedness. The article found that during any kind of disaster, Bangladesh Police can enhance their service to the citizens through effective planning, training, utilizing modern technology, and willingness. 
Hazard risk evaluation of COVID-19: A case study
Get PDFThe present research deals with an in-depth analysis of COVID-19 risk in the state of Kerala using the integrated approach of the hazard and vulnerability in a GIS platform. Considering the probable causative factors of this disease, several geo-environmental indicators are analyzed through various statistical and geospatial techniques. Lorenz curve indicates an uneven distribution of COVID-19 instances in Kerala. Hazard analysis is formulated based on the proximity to hotspots and LULC followed by vulnerability analysis using an integrated analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Risk analysis reveals that COVID-19 infection poses a very serious threat to around 2.39% of Kerala\u27s total land area, with high, medium and low risks of 38, 44 and 14% respectively. The outcomes of this research will be a first-hand tool for policymakers to safeguard the population in high-risk potential zones from the future spread of infectious disease
Risk Management of Gas Stations that Urban Expansion Crept into in the Gaza Strip.
Get PDFThe study aimed to understand and analyze the risks of indiscriminate urbanization around gas stations, the mechanisms for mitigating risks that affect buildings, and the most important risks affecting the surrounding area. The study followed a descriptive and analytical approach using chemical analysis software (ALOHA) to achieve the study objectives. The study found various risks and problems that threaten the community’s safety and security in the Gaza Strip, and the presence of multiple factors that affect the safety system, especially the isolation of tanks that are exposed to the risk of ignition or explosion. It also concluded that the radius of the leakage, ignition, or explosion risks varies depending on the tank size, weather conditions, and the surrounding building density. The study recommended to narrow the gap between science and practical application in the field of safety and security, and also to work on correcting the conditions of gas stations to cohere with the protection of the internal front from accidents and risks of hazardous, flammable, or explosive chemicals
Raised Under Bad Stars: Negotiating a culture of disaster preparedness
Get PDFIn efforts to prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters, what alternatives are available to top-down strategies for imposing expert knowledge on lay publics? How is the context of communities’ socio-ecological context understood in the development of programs and policy on their behalf? What can be learned from community narratives and cultural practices to inform disaster risk reduction? The ways communities have regarded disasters and natural hazards in the cultural sphere can provide a lens to inform the understanding of their ability to withstand shocks and the factors that led to such conditions. Only by tracing the complexities of creating, transmitting, and preserving a culture of preparedness among disaster-vulnerable communities can we claim to be working towards policy that is informed by their own experience. I collected examples of how different communities perceive, prevent, and respond to disaster through art, music, and literature and analyzed how these were embedded into local narratives and how historical context influenced such approaches. My findings show that communities use cultural practices to contextualize experiences of hazards into their collective narrative; that is, storytelling and commemoration make disasters comprehensible. By framing disasters as an anthropological inquiry, practitioners can better recognize the influence of a place’s nuance in the disaster management canon–guided by these details, not despite them. 
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Buildings by Rapid Visual Screening Method: A Study on Ward 27 in Dhaka South City Corporation
Get PDFWith the rapid growth of urbanization, the possibility of hazard has increased. Owing to high population concentrations and economic activities, the likelihood of hazards in urban areas is more nuanced than in rural areas. Vulnerability assessment of hazards has been a hot topic in the field of Engineering and Urban and Regional Planning. Due to the complicated hazard characteristics, not only engineering but planning approaches are required in order to effectively mitigate hazards.In recent years, the rapid growth of Dhaka cities has accelerated the pressure on existing buildings, and there is a need to establish adequate seismic safety screening methods for existing buildings specific to building typologies. Dhaka City is in danger of an earthquake and several incidents have occurred. In most situations, the lack of appropriate precautionary steps, administrative inefficiency, inadequate funds for equipment and lack of public knowledge make the situation worse. Ward 27, an old part of Dhaka City, was chosen for seismic vulnerability assessment in this survey. For seismic vulnerability assessment, a sample of 300 buildings was evaluated using Rapid visual screening (RVS) process by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The rapid visual screening process is the initial stage in the assessment of existing buildings. The survey focuses on earthquake issues such as building type, size and shape of the plot, specific distances from surrounding structures, road width and basic building information.The use of Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) in the field of research allows screened buildings to be divided into two categories: those that are expected to have sufficient seismic efficiency and those that could be seismically unsafe and that should be further studied.
Keywords: Earthquake; Seismic Vulnerability; Rapid Visual Screening; Dhaka City