Spectral Analysis in the Separation of Gravity Anomalies: Implications for Disaster Risk Reduction in the West Coast of Aceh

This study evaluates the accuracy of satellite gravity methods in disaster risk mapping for the coal mining areas of West Coast Aceh, specifically between longitudes 96.00°E to 96.30°E and latitudes 4.00° to 4.30°. The satellite gravity technique was utilized to detect fault zones through the examination of rock density variations. The collected data was processed to determine the complete Bouguer anomaly, including terrain corrections based on an initial average density of 2.67 g/cm³. The complete Bouguer anomaly values span from -36.2 mGal to 42.4 mGal, with higher values concentrated in the northeastern region and lower values noted in the southwestern coastal area. Regional and residual anomalies were distinguished through first-order trend surface analysis, resulting in residual anomalies between -33.1 mGal and 32.9 mGal. Gradient analysis was utilized to define geological boundaries, which were confirmed with geological maps. The horizontal derivative results exhibited an intense connection with fault structures found on the reference geological map, whereas the vertical derivative predominantly emphasized major fault boundaries but was less effective in identifying smaller structures. The results of this study are anticipated to substantially enhance disaster risk reduction initiatives and facilitate safer, more sustainable development planning in the West Coast Aceh region. Furthermore, these findings serve as a significant reference upcoming research and decision-making concerning disaster mitigation in mining regions.

Disaster risk zonation is often proposed as a long-term disaster risk reduction strategy by international treaties and academic research. This strategy has been implemented in the city of Limbe, which is known to be a disaster-prone one. Citizens are forced to settle in unsafe terrains, ranging from wetlands to unstable hillslopes due to the city’s geographical location and economic attraction. Following the fatal landslides and floods in 2001, a local crisis committee identified affected areas and declared them ‘risk zones’ to prevent further exposure. Empirically, this study narrates the production and implementation of risk zonation policy in the city of Limbe. Theoretically, it uses an urban political ecology perspective, which incorporates science and technology studies, post-political theory and disaster research to interpret the drivers and implications of the mismatch between research, policy and action. In this case study, we investigate the implications for disaster risk reduction by describing three underlying socio-political drivers of the risk zonation policy: (i) authoritarian science regime, (ii) post-political discourse, and (iii) blame diversion. We argue that authorities from national to local level use a post-political discourse to promote and implement disaster risk reduction in the city of Limbe through the development and the application of risk zonation policy. As a consequence, risk zonation leads to poor enforcement of the law and corruption, ultimately leading to risk accumulation in this case. This analysis allows us to draw broader conclusions on drivers and implications of the implementation of disaster risk zonation policy in urban areas that are primarily governed hierarchically and prone to corruption.

With multiple risks interacting and shocks proliferating across geographies and sectors, the concept of polycrisis has come to the fore. Polycrisis describes interwoven and overlapping crises that cannot be understood or resolved in isolation. Analysts have suggested that many of the Polycrisis symptoms have been at least partially triggered by negative externalities, that is, costs arising from economic activity that are not covered by market prices and thus not internalized in national and international decision making, leading to suboptimal decisions on climate action, energy and food security, global financial stability, among others. Externalities have generally been framed as negative. Positive externalities, that is, societal benefits that indirectly arise from activities and transactions have less often been considered. International policy debate on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) over the last years, as stipulated by international compacts in 2015 (the Sendai Framework, the SDGs, and the Paris Agreement), has built on positive externality discussion, albeit not explicitly so. Disaster risk reduction and CCA analysts have emphasized the need for orienting risk management investments towards interventions that generate so-called multiple or triple resilience dividends. This means extending the focus in decision making from avoiding and reducing impacts and risks to also considering development (co-)benefits arising irrespective of disaster event occurrence. In this context, the “Triple Dividend of Resilience” (TDR) concept and framework has suggested that in addition to risk reduction benefits (dividend 1), dividends would also arise from benefits associated with unlocked development (dividend 2) as well as from co-benefits (dividend 3), for example, from investments into disaster-safe and energy efficient housing. Yet, despite the increasing burdens imposed by systemic disaster and climate risks and wide-spread recognition of this concept over a decade as well as solid evidence regarding the benefits of reducing risk, it has remained difficult to motivate sustained investment across scales into disaster and climate risk reduction. We argue that this systemic underinvestment is, at least partially, due to a lack of conceptual clarity of the TDR with regard to the framing around the dividend 2, a lack of awareness and solid evidence on the positive externalities, as well as interrelationships between resilience dividends in space and time. Based on a snowballing review of the limited literature on the TDR as well as an examination of empirical and model-based evidence, we present the state of the art on the TDR framework. We examine the various dividends in terms of epistemological and methodological contributions building on empirical and modeling methods for supporting decision making as well as evidence for decision making across scales from local to global. Overall, we suggest that there indeed can be positive externalities and solid co-benefits from disaster and climate risk reduction. Systemic risk research and practice coupled with resilience dividend reasoning may thus help to better identify those dividends for improved decision making on disaster and climate risk (reduction). We further show how analysts and decision makers may better consider those various resilience dividends beyond the reduction of losses as well as assess dependencies in risk and benefits’ creation across micro and macro scales. As we suggest, enhanced methods and better awareness for potential externalities may enable more comprehensive consideration of DRR and CCA interventions with benefits arising at various scales. This may eventually also lead to enhanced disaster risk and climate risk governance, which is key for tackling relevant risk challenges in a polycrisis context.

High quality mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) guidelines are indispensable for policy and practice to address the mental health consequences of disasters. This contribution complements a review that assessed the methodological quality of 13 MHPSS guidelines. We analyzed the content of the four highest-ranking guidelines and explored implications for disaster risk reduction (DRR). A qualitative explorative thematic analysis was conducted. The four guidelines proved largely similar, overlapping or at least complementary in their MHPSS definitions, stated purpose of the guidelines, user and target groups, terminology, and models used. Many recommended MHPSS measures and interventions were found in all of the guidelines and could be assigned to five categories: basic relief, information provision, emotional and social support, practical support, and health care. The guidelines stress the importance of monitoring needs and problems, evaluating the effect of service delivery, deliberate implementation and preparation, and investments in proper conditions and effective coordination across professions, agencies, and sectors. The MHPSS knowledge base embedded in the guidelines is comprehensive, coherent, and sufficiently universal to serve as the “overarching framework” considered missing yet vital for the integration of MHPSS approaches in DRR. Although application contexts differ geographically, this common ground should allow policymakers and practitioners globally to plan, implement, and evaluate MHPSS actions contributing to DRR, ideally together with target groups.

In the midst of increasing global uncertainties, understanding household vulnerability to disaster risks and identifying the most susceptible individuals and communities has become an urgent concern. This study assesses and compares the flood vulnerability of two communities, Quang Tho and Quang Phuoc, in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. The study utilizes primary data collected in 2022 from 280 rural households whose livelihood sources are agriculture and fishery. Flood vulnerability is determined by applying the Livelihood Vulnerability Index based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's definition (LVI-IPCC) approach. Our analysis reveals that both communities exhibit moderate vulnerability to flood hazards across various dimensions. Notably, fishing-only communities are found to be more vulnerable to flooding compared to mixed agri-fishery farmers. Additionally, we have identified several factors that exacerbate vulnerability, including poverty, low education levels, single parenthood, limited resources, narrow livelihood strategies, and inadequate social connections. Therefore, development policies and disaster risk reduction programs should prioritize disadvantaged groups, focusing on promoting social inclusion and gender equality in accessing services and public resources. It is concluded that tailored disaster risk management and rural livelihood development initiatives are crucial to addressing each community's specific vulnerabilities and challenges, fostering resilience, and thus reducing future risks. Achieving greater sustainability and equilibrium for vulnerable groups necessitates continuous action and investment.

Questioning network governance for disaster risk management: Lessons learnt from landslide risk management in Uganda

Coastal and settlement typologies-based tsunami modeling along the northern Sumatra seismic gap zone for disaster risk reduction action plans

This study reviews the evolution of the “disaster resilience” concept and attempts to draw implications for disaster risk reduction from it. First, the concept of disaster resilience was influenced by ecology and brought into disaster management research as a concept of system stability. The irreversible damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. has led to disaster resilience being considered not as the ability of a society to “bounce back,” but as the ability of a society to adapt to or transform toward a desirable future. However, the inclusion of transformative capacity in the resilience concept raises several issues in disaster risk reduction practice. Finally, it creates three conflicts: between transformative and maintaining capacity, between the subjects of resilience, and sometimes between transformative capacity and societal values such as justice and equality. This study suggests three conditions that justify transformation under the name of resilience: (1) sustainability, (2) welfare, and (3) dignity.

Risk perception and management of debris flow hazards in the upper salween valley region: Implications for disaster risk reduction in marginalized mountain communities

BC Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Hub Design Concept outlines the purpose, objectives, role, and institutional structure for the proposed secretariat to be established at provincial level to facilitate connections and collaboration between science and policy actors for the common goal of disaster and climate risk reduction. The role of DRR Hub includes 1) responding to priority demands of practitioners and policy designers for risk data management and production of relevant risk information and 2) enabling its use in design of policies and investments that build resilience of the communities in BC. The proposed design of DRR Hub is based on inputs and consultations with a wide range of provincial and local level actors in disaster and climate risk management convened through DRR Pathways project led by Natural Resources Canada. The Hub will enable collaborations and connections between science and policy researchers, designers, and decision makers to work together in enhancing the governance of disaster and climate risk information and building resilient communities in BC aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and BC Emergency Program Act Modernization.

BC Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Hub Design Concept outlines the purpose, objectives, role, and institutional structure for the proposed secretariat to be established at provincial level to facilitate connections and collaboration between science and policy actors for the common goal of disaster and climate risk reduction. The role of DRR Hub includes 1) responding to priority demands of practitioners and policy designers for risk data management and production of relevant risk information and 2) enabling its use in design of policies and investments that build resilience of the communities in BC. The proposed design of DRR Hub is based on inputs and consultations with a wide range of provincial and local level actors in disaster and climate risk management convened through DRR Pathways project led by Natural Resources Canada. The Hub will enable collaborations and connections between science and policy researchers, designers, and decision makers to work together in enhancing the governance of disaster and climate risk information and building resilient communities in BC aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and BC Emergency Program Act Modernization.

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) addresses social equity, environmental protection, and economic growth risks. It is defined as the conceptual framework that involves carefully examined elements for their potential to reduce vulnerabilities and mitigate disaster risks across a society. The primary goals are to prevent or, alternatively, to minimize the adverse impacts of hazards through mitigation and preparedness measures, all within the overarching context of promoting sustainable development. DRR should be a significant component of policies and development strategies for governments since it minimizes vulnerabilities; hence, it is important to build a culture of prevention to identify daily hazards and reduce the effects of disasters. Due to gender inequalities, women are disproportionately affected by disasters, as they are more vulnerable to losing their livelihoods and houses, gender-based violence, and loss of life pre- and post-disaster. Disaster response and risk reduction policies and practices often replicate existing social structures that sideline and de-prioritize marginalized groups. However, women are showing their capability to respond to and recover from crises by building community resilience and participating in DRR at the forefront of the recovery response. Women contribute firsthand insights and solutions, possessing a nuanced understanding of their vulnerabilities and recognizing disasters’ distinct impact on both women and girls. This is evident as women within a patriarchal system actively assumed leadership roles, challenging the established norms. Their engagement reflects a steadfast commitment to promoting a more equitable approach to disaster response. There is a lack of empirical research that indicates how gender leadership can lead to risk disaster reduction and social changes in Lebanon. In order to expand the existing literature on women’s leadership in disaster management and to ascertain the substantial contribution of women in fostering resilience for DRR, thereby instigating societal change in developing contexts, there is a need to tackle two core inquiries: What is the role of women’s leadership in disaster management in Lebanon? How does women’s leadership lead to DRR and social changes in the context of disasters in developing countries?

The recently concluded World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR) have set renewed priorities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) for the next 15 years. Due to Asia’s high exposure to natural hazards, the implications of the new SFDRR have major significance for the future development of the region. The 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), held in Bangkok in 2014, was a regional preparatory meeting for the WCDRR, and proposed various targets and indicators for DRR in Asia. The AMCDRR recommended inclusion of these goals in the SFDRR. This study focuses on the WCDRR negotiations, particularly outcomes that affect four major groups: local authorities; children and youth; science and technology; and business and industry. An analysis is undertaken of the overlaps and gaps in the outcomes of the 6th AMCDRR and other preceding conferences that fed into the WCDRR. A set of recommendations has evolved from this examination for consideration at the upcoming 7th AMCDRR in 2016. The areas that merit consideration in the upcoming AMCDRR 2016 are: (1) development of baseline data and quantitative indicators for monitoring progress in DRR; (2) creation of a common stakeholder platform; (3) construction of city typologies for consideration in all future local level planning; (4) promotion of a culture of safety by linking large enterprises with small and medium enterprises; and (5) exchange and sharing of information and databases between regions at all scales.

Aims: The study aims to evaluate the role of green infrastructure as a provider of regulating ecosystem services for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) in the Kole wetlands of Kerala, with particular emphasis on flood mitigation during extreme rainfall events. Study Design: The research adopts a mixed-methods design integrating hydrological assessment, ecological field observation, spatial analysis, and stakeholder-oriented qualitative inquiry within a socio-ecological systems framework. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Kole wetlands, a low-lying agro-wetland system spanning Thrissur and Malappuram districts of Kerala, India. Data were analysed for the period 2000–2023, with detailed assessment of major flood events, particularly the 2018 Kerala floods and post-flood years (2019–2022). Methodology: Hydrological assessment was carried out using multi-source datasets, including rainfall records, flood water-level data, canal storage capacity, regulator operation records, digital elevation models, and satellite-derived flood extent. Field-based ecological observations examined soil characteristics, vegetation cover, and wetland morphology influencing water retention. Structured interviews and focus group discussions with farmers, water managers, and irrigation officials were conducted to assess traditional water management practices and governance mechanisms supporting flood regulation. Results: Results indicate that the Kole wetlands function as a large-scale flood retention system capable of accommodating approximately 1–1.5 m of floodwater during extreme events, significantly reducing peak flood levels compared to surrounding non-wetland areas. Canal networks and regulators facilitated controlled water distribution and gradual drainage, leading to a reduction in peak discharge by up to 35–40 percent and shorter flood recession periods. Agricultural damage within the wetlands was substantially lower than in adjacent areas, demonstrating effective disaster risk reduction. Conclusion: The study concludes that the Kole wetlands operate as an integrated green infrastructure system delivering critical regulating ecosystem services for Eco-DRR. Strengthening wetland conservation, traditional water governance, and hybrid green–grey infrastructure approaches is essential for enhancing flood resilience and climate adaptation in vulnerable wetland landscapes.

Homelessness and COVID-19 in New Zealand: Challenges, emergency responses, and implications for disaster risk reduction