Aftermath Of Flood Research Articles

Household Finance in the Aftermath of Floods and Wildfires

Household Finance in the Aftermath of Floods and Wildfires

Microplastic occurrence in sediments of informal settlement in Durban, South Africa: assessing the ocean impact in the aftermath of floods

Microplastics prepared from waste plastic materials were used to study the occurrence of microplastics in informal settlement.

Health Impacts of the 2023 Flood in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Case Study on Skin-related Ailments and Waterborne Diseases

The devastating flood that struck Pakistan in 2023 had profound ramifications for public health, leading to a surge in waterborne illnesses and skin-related ailments among the affected populace. This thorough case study delves into the post-flood health consequences, with a specific focus on the emergence of skin rashes, allergies, burns, and heat strokes as formidable challenges. The report underscores the urgent necessity for swift, well-coordinated medical interventions during disasters to effectively alleviate the repercussions on vulnerable communities. The following recommendations could be used to prevent future diseaster situation. Effective management of post-flood scenarios demands meticulous risk assessment and mitigation strategies [2]. Vital to this process is the cultivation of community resilience, achieved through strengthening local capacities, fostering awareness, and promoting community engagement [6]. Integrated water management strategies are imperative to thwart waterborne diseases in the aftermath of floods, encompassing enhanced sanitation infrastructure, secure water supply, and health education [7]. Climate change adaptation must be seamlessly integrated into disaster response plans to tackle the escalating frequency and intensity of floods [10]. Leveraging medical relief and telemedicine, including mobile clinics, can bridge gaps in healthcare access during disasters [9]. These innovations facilitate remote medical consultations and essential healthcare delivery. Recognizing the toll floods take on mental well-being, access to psychosocial support services is paramount [8]. Cross-border collaboration heightens disaster response and recovery [3]. Resource and expertise sharing enhances healthcare interventions in the aftermath of trans-boundary floods. Early warning systems are pivotal in preventing casualties and mitigating health impacts [5]. To ensure equitable outcomes, disaster management must prioritize vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children, tailoring interventions to their distinct needs [1].

Impact of South Africa’s April 2022 floods on women and men’s lives and gender relations in low-income communities: A qualitative study

In 2022, South Africa faced devastating flooding which resulted in the loss of at least 425 lives and widescale destruction of property. Using qualitative methods, we describe the gendered impact of the floods on homes and lives of women and men from very low-income housing areas. We conducted 16 in-depth interviews with women, and eight single-sex narrative group discussions and with 35 women and 15 men from flood-affected areas. The women were research participants in a project that commenced prior to the floods, and the men were recruited for this study. The floods were described by many as ‘heart-breaking’, as neighbouring homes collapsed, children were swept away, and people known to them lost their lives. However, other participants asserted that the floods ‘didn’t affect them much’, before describing considerable, impact on their houses, families, possessions, neighbourhoods, jobs, and other aspects of their lives. After the initial struggle to secure their homes, and rescue family and possessions from the floods, participants were faced with extensive interruption to water supply and electricity, which severely exacerbated stress, especially for women. We describe how the impact of the flooding unfolded and largely followed the contours of gender relations, rather than disrupting them. Most women did not describe violence against women (VAW) as escalating after the floods, but for those who did, the pathway followed the impact of the floods on men’s access to the central tenets of successful masculinity, notably the provider/protector role, and lashing out response. Participants also emphasised that their lives continued much as before once the immediate aftermath of floods was past, and in so doing demonstrated significant resilience, which is not described in existing models of disaster impact on VAW.

Climate Change, COVID-19, And Flood Disasters In Pakistan.

In the aftermath of recent floods, Pakistan has been confronting several challenges such as infrastructural damages and economic decline. Despite its efforts to prepare for potential pandemics like COVID-19, limited healthcare resources, insufficient funding for research and development, and inadequate public awareness are some of the obstacles that hinder its full preparedness.1 The recent floods have further aggravated Pakistan's struggle to contain COVID-19 by disrupting healthcare services and vaccine distribution.2 Additionally, climate change is affecting maternal and child health in the country, with extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, causing a decrease in access to essential resources like food and water, and an increase in disease exposure, which ultimately impacts the overall wellbeing of the population.3 Such as malnutrition and the spread of waterborne diseases have a direct impact on the health of pregnant women and children, increasing the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery and increasing the risk of illness and premature birth, low birth weight, and other health problems in new-borns or even death in early childhood.4,5 Addressing the impact of climate change, COVID-19, and floods on the affected areas in Pakistan requires a multi-faceted approach that involves multiple sectors, including the government, healthcare, and the private sector. Some of the key solutions include: Improving access to healthcare: Increasing the number of healthcare facilities and ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary resources, including personal protective equipment, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies. Improving access to clean water and sanitation: Providing clean water and sanitation facilities in affected areas to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly in the aftermath of floods. Strengthening disaster preparedness and response: Implementing effective disaster preparedness and response plans to ensure that communities are prepared for and can quickly respond to extreme weather events and other disasters. Increasing funding for research and development: Supporting research and development activities to find solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, COVID-19, and other health emergencies. Improving public awareness: Increasing public awareness about the importance of preventative measures, such as vaccination, hand hygiene, and healthy behaviours, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. Promoting sustainable development: Encouraging sustainable development practices, such as the use of renewable energy sources and conservation of natural resources, to reduce the impact of climate change on the environment and health.

The aftermath of floods in Pakistan: a public health emergency.

The aftermath of floods in Pakistan: a public health emergency.

The Impact of Flood on Food Security in Farming Communities in Kumbungu District in the Northern Region of Ghana

Flooding is the most common environmental hazard worldwide, after diseases and transport accidents. Excessive rainfall coupled with the spillage of excess water upstream from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso has resulted in the death of humans and animals and destroyed farms, buildings, storage facilities, and crops. This is because of the wide geographical distribution of river floodplains and low-lying coasts and their long-standing attraction for human settlement. The research focused on communities along the White Volta basin in the Kumbungu District. The study discussed local farmers’ perception of the causes of floods in the affected communities, identified factors that exposed the people staying in these communities to vulnerability, and identified coping mechanisms employed by the community during and after floods. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research used household and institutional surveys and face-to-face interviews to collect data on flood disaster experiences. A sample size of 168 respondents was selected using systematic, purposive, and simple random methods. The study established that floods negatively impacted food security and people's livelihoods, especially agriculture. Children, women, and the elderly were groups identified to be most vulnerable to flooding. The research revealed that victims do not receive timely and adequate support in the aftermath of flooding. Most respondents used wood, grass, and mud as building materials that are not flood resistant. Some coping mechanisms are pito brewing, petty trading, fish mongering, prematurely harvesting crops, weaving thatch for local roofing, planting early maturing crops, and selling livestock. Keywords: Flood, Vulnerability, Food, Farms, Households DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-3-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

The public finance response to floods of local governments in Italy

This paper aims to empirically test the dynamics of budget outcomes of Italian municipalities in the aftermath of floods by accounting for heterogeneous levels of resilience and vulnerability to natural disasters. Our findings are based on a dynamic difference-in-differences model after propensity score matching. They point to substantial impacts in terms of increased capital expenditure and revenues from transfers, which depend on the degree of resilience and vulnerability. Through our analysis, we account for multiple aspects of risk to support policy decisions related to both ex-ante and ex-post disaster occurrence management.

Wellbeing in the aftermath of floods: Findings from a qualitative study in Bongaigaon District of Assam, India

The study presents key findings on the outcomes of psychological wellbeing in the aftermath of a flood as well as the interplay of social, institutional, and environmental processes that influence psychological wellbeing. Eight focused group discussions and 15 key informant interviews were conducted in five villages in the Bongaigaon District of Assam six months after the devastating floods occurred in August 2021. Four themes are identified that concern the presence or absence of institutions and agencies, social capital, secondary stressors, and the availability of resources. Participants bemoan the institutional inability to support a reliable early warning system and strong structural measures to protect them from flooding. The majorities of residents in the study area make a livelihood out of subsistence farming and have limited resources. Shared helplessness and the inability to mobilise assistance have led to the development of camaraderie. When it comes to sharing insurance information, the displaced people report the envious nature of the community, where members seek the best for themselves before anyone else. The limited resources restrict the scope of the profit accrued from social networks. Relocation to substandard shelters, concern for children's academic impairment, the potential loss of community properties and the burden of repairing them, and visitors coming to see their predicament are the secondary stressors that impair psychological wellbeing. It is also reported that those who were able to migrate have already left; for those remaining in the temporary shelters, migration is too costly an option, and they are seeking institutional intervention.

How flood affects rural employment in India: A gender analysis

It is widely accepted that natural disasters adversely affect agricultural production. Still, less is known about how disasters affect employment patterns in the long run, particularly the gender-differentiated impacts of such weather-related shocks in developing countries. Using employment and flood damage data, this study analyses how floods affect rural employment in 15 major states of India for 1983–2011. In addition, we examine the magnitude of the impact of floods on gender-wise employment in the rural agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The empirical estimates suggest that flood damage affects female agricultural employment more negatively than male agricultural employment in the long run, controlling for crucial employment determinants. Furthermore, women suffer disproportionately in obtaining employment in the non-agricultural sector in the aftermath of floods. Thus, we conclude that flood damage creates differential impacts on employment by gender, with female agricultural workers more adversely affected than male workers.

Improvements and Operational Application of a Zero-Order Quick Assessment Model for Flood Damage: A Case Study in Italy

Flood damage assessment is an essential asset in flood risk management, and the literature brings several models, most based on damage curves. This kind of approach is essential and well established but not suitable for being applied in the immediate aftermaths of a flood. Herein, a new application of a zero-order model for the Po-Venetian plain area, which covers more than 20% of the Italian territory, is conceived and implemented. At first, a calibration of the model with damage data coming from past events in the region is carried out, showing that the calibration is site-specific. In particular, it is shown how the exponent in the power-law form of the model is the same as obtained in a previous work on another territory, while the intercept, defined as specific damage, varies. Then the algorithm is applied to the area affected during the flood that hit the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy), in December 2020, for validation. Knowledge of the affected area comes from the quick assessment procedure commonly performed by the National Fire Corps in any significant flood, employing low-altitude all-weather helicopter GPS surveys. The paper shows that combining the model with such a rapid mapping technique leads to a near real-time estimation of damages in the aftermath of floods. The results are aimed at obtaining a first approximation figure. The estimation error shows this figure to be not far from those obtained with much more detailed approaches, requiring a much longer time for their setting. For that reason, the model results can contribute, among other things, by directing the immediate post-emergency management operations and promptly allocating financial resources for recovery.

Pregnant Mother and Baby Kits in Disaster Response: The Case Study of 2018 Floods in North of Sri Lanka

Pregnant mothers and neonates represent two important vulnerable groups in the aftermath of disasters. During population displacement due to floods in the North of Sri Lanka in 2018, there was a need to provide pregnant mother and baby kits to the affected pregnant mothers close to delivery and neonatal kits for the infants. This case study describes the efforts of the health sector in the provision of pregnant mother and baby kits with the support of well-wishers in the aftermath of floods. The need for pregnant mother and baby kits and the lack of prepositioned kits were reconfirmed. A list of items in the pregnant mother and baby kit was obtained. The necessary items were procured through voluntary subscription by well-wishers and assembled into kits in Colombo. Twenty-five maternity and neonatal kits procured and gathered through the voluntary subscription by volunteers were dispatched to the affected areas within 24 hours of the receipt of the request. The above action was mirrored by the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (APAD). Stockpiling pregnant mother and baby kits even in small numbers in hospitals, getting into a memorandum of understanding with suitable stakeholders for urgent supply in disasters, and family level preparedness to take with them the pregnant mother and baby kit during flood evacuation are recommended.

Tracking changes in resilience and recovery after natural hazards: Insights from a high-frequency mobile-phone panel survey

Knowing how resilience changes in the aftermath of a shock is crucial to the targeting of effective humanitarian responses. Yet, heavy reliance on face-to-face household surveys often means that post-disaster evaluations of resilience are costly, time-consuming and difficult to coordinate. As a result, most quantitative assessments are either carried out via one-off snapshots or by combining surveys conducted years apart. Doing so severely restricts our understanding of the temporal dynamics of resilience, particularly as it relates to inter- and intra- annual fluctuations.In this paper we examine how household's resilience to multi-hazard risk changes over time. To do so we combine two novel approaches. Firstly, we use a high-frequency mobile-phone panel survey to conduct remote interviews in Eastern Myanmar. Surveys took place every six weeks over a one-year period. Secondly, we adapt a self-evaluated subjective measure of resilience to allow it to be administered via mobile phone. Shortly after the first survey was conducted, monsoonal flooding affected the site, allowing for the effects of flood exposure on resilience to be compared over time.Our findings reveal how self-evaluated levels of resilience fluctuate considerably over the course of a year. To probe the effects of the monsoon floods, we compare resilience scores between households directly and indirectly affected by flooding. Scores drop sharply for the first three months amongst directly affected households, before slowly converging up to a year later. We also compare the effects of flood exposure on different socio-economic groups, revealing how female-headed households are particularly affected in the aftermath of flooding. Insights from the study highlight the dangers of using one-off resilience surveys to measure resilience, and underscore the need for development actors to account for shorter-term changes in the design of resilience-building interventions. Lastly, our findings showcase the potential of methodological innovations in addressing many of the resource, time and logistical constraints of traditional resilience measurement practices.

Assessing the adverse effects of flooding for the livelihood of the poor and the level of external response: a case study of Hazara Division, Pakistan.

Flood is found to be a frequent phenomenon. Over the past few decades, Pakistan has been the home of climate-related disasters like floods. This paper attempts to examine the effect of floods on the rural communities; those are vulnerable to floods, and their livelihood patterns were damaged due to flooding events in Hazara Division. This research study assessed the causes, the impact, and the aftermath of flooding and their link with climate change in Hazara Division (Torghar, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur). The significance of environmental changes and flood's threats were discovered and examined through the logistic regressions and then pathway analysis. The findings showed that floods, directly and indirectly, affected the livelihood, social standing, and physical and economic status of rural communities. Rise in poverty level is also reported in already vulnerable communities that further increase their exposure to risks and hazards. This study calls for local government strengthening, early warning systems, and (non)financial assistance in times of needs to minimize the floods risk and disastrous impacts on localities and resources.

Economic growth in the aftermath of floods in Indian states

Flood disaster is a recurrent phenomenon in India. The geo-climatic conditions are a major cause for higher flood damages in Indian states. This study employs the pooled mean group (PMG) approach to examine economic growth in the aftermath of floods in 14 non-special category states in India using flood disaster data over the period 1981–2011. The PMG estimates show that flood impacts in terms of area affected, the population affected, and economic losses due to floods decline real per capita GSDP growth in the long run after taking into account growth-enhancing factors. Moreover, instrumental variables (IV)-two-stage least-squares (2SLS) estimates also confirm that states experience lower real per capita GSDP growth due to higher flood impacts. The results, further, show that higher urbanization and enrollment of higher education increases real per capita GSDP growth in the long run. For robustness check, the study investigates the impact of floods on real per capita GSDP growth after taking into account government capital expenditure and per capita power consumption. The PMG and IV-2SLS estimates produce same results and confirm that flood impacts reduce real per capita GSDP growth, while government capital expenditure and per capita power consumption enhances real per capita GSDP growth. Overall, results confirm that flood management policies are essential to minimize the adverse impacts of floods on the growth of real per capita GSDP.

Decasticization, Dignity, and ‘Dirty Work’ at the Intersections of Caste, Memory, and Disaster

ABSTRACT:In this qualitative study we examine the role of caste, class, and Dalit janitorial labor in the aftermath of floods in Chennai, India, in 2015. Drawing from a variety of sources including interviews, social media, and news coverage, we studied how Dalit (formerly known as ‘untouchable’) janitors were treated during the performance of janitorial labor for cleaning the city. Our study focuses on two theoretical premises: (a) caste-based social relations reproduce inequalities by devaluing Dalit labor as ‘dirty work’; and (b) Dalit subjectivities, labor, and sufferings including occupational hazards become invisible and ungrievable forcing Dalits to provide a counter narrative to preserve the memory of their trauma and dignity injuries. We find that the discursive construction of janitorial labor as dirty work forced Dalit janitors to work in appalling and unsafe working conditions. Janitors suffered several dignity injuries in terms of social exclusion and a lack of recognition for their efforts and accomplishments. Specifically, we examine various ways through which caste, dirty work, and dignity intersected in the narrative accounts of Dalit janitors. We also explore memory and how processes of remembering and forgetting affected the dignity claims of Dalit janitors.

Reducing Flooding Impacts to the Built Environment: A Literature Review

The paper consists of the literature review and discussions that concerns the built environment, flooding, disaster risk management including resiliency and sustainability theory. The objective of this paper is to review any relevant works of literature in reducing the flooding impacts to the built environment in Malaysia, at the same time describing any potential improvements and current measures to handle the aftermath of flooding. Systematic literature review using reference material such as books, scholarly journals, previous studies, articles, and websites is carried out. The author also searched further for the references of the articles that were retrieved and repeated the process until a point where no new relevant articles come to light. The paper is significant in three ways; i) reducing the flood impacts by raising knowledge ii) providing responsibility measures in reducing flood from different perspectives iii) preparing ways to lessen the impacts of future flooding threats. The key findings of the paper are; a) Through knowledge application, the practice of reducing flooding impacts could be enhanced b) Flooding management should be carried out earlier before flooding attack but also remains later the event c) Disaster management plans must get ready to face with any uncertainties.

Children's Reactions to Flood Disaster in Kashmir.

Background:The flood disaster of 9th–10th September 2014 wreaked havoc in the Jammu and Kashmir region of India. Incessant rains and deluge claimed 283 lives and damaged 2.53 lakh houses. This article presents the findings of the psychosocial care team from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India, during the early phase of disaster.Materials and Methods:The team assessed posttraumatic stress symptoms of 64 child survivors from six villages of two districts struck by floods using Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES)-8 and qualitative narrations.Results:Children showed high levels of intrusion and avoidance in the aftermath of floods. Both boys and girls showed moderate to severe level of psychological impact on the domains of CRIES-8. The narrations by the children centred on the theme of “water” and “enjoyment in seeing lots of water;” followed by “fearing of the parent's life,” later on “fear of their own life,” and subsequently to avoidance to go near the river and nightmares like “floating in the water.”Conclusion:Disasters immensely impact children because of their particular stage of psychological and social development. This highlights the need for psychosocial interventions to minimize the impact of disasters on children at the earliest using simple psychosocial care techniques by employing available community-based manpower.

Impact of pavement layer properties on the structural performance of inundated flexible pavements

Abstract The assessment of the structural performance of flooded pavements remains complicated due to the lack of structural data in the aftermath of flooding and the fact that information about the pavement structure and materials is not always readily available. The objective of this study is to acquire a better understanding of the structural response of pavements that have been inundated and the foreseen changes in capacity using two approaches: a mechanistic approach using layer elastic analysis and the AASHTO empirical approach to determine the structural number. The relative impact of parameters such as unbound material type, layer thickness, traffic loads, and interlayer bond conditions on the reduction in expected strain values at critical locations were evaluated. The results show increases of 15–80% in vertical strains at the top of subgrade layer for low volume and interstate sections and 6–15% increase in horizontal strain at the bottom of asphalt layer for low volume sections and 3–8% for interstate sections. Accurate information on the layer thicknesses, traffic type, and interlayer bond condition were found to be most important for the evaluation of the change in expected horizontal strain. The types of base and subgrade materials are the most important factors for evaluating the change in expected vertical strain. The results of this study provide guidance on the type of information that is most important to collect for the assessment of the structural capacity of a pavement following inundation.

STRUCTURAL FLOOD DEFENCE MEASURES AND EFFECTS ON THE SURROUNDINGS

Floods are one of the major natural disasters that threaten many human lives and causes significant economic losses globally every year. The aftermath of flood on society depends on the affected country’s economic strength prior to the disaster. The larger the disaster and the smaller the economy, the more significant is the effect. This is clearest seen in developing countries, where weak economies become even weaker afterwards. The research work emphasizes structural Engineering work as measures for flood defence, which include: Levees, Storm sewer system, Storm surge protection works, Spillways, Dyke, Renaturalization and Dams. The influences and drawbacks of these measures were discussed and the enormous advantages of Dam which is the major defence measures analyzed.