Community Disaster Resilience Research Articles

Participatory Framework for Urban Pluvial Flood Modeling in the Digital Twin Era

The recent advancement in digital twin technology, which creates virtual replicas of real-world processes, offers an interactive testbed for understanding and predicting environmental changes. As pluvial flood damage escalates globally in urban areas, there remains a gap in understanding the most effective collaboration between governments and local residents for sustainable flood risk management. To address this gap, we develop a participatory framework for urban pluvial flood modeling, incorporating open source software, virtual reality, minimum viable product, and gamification components. This framework engages citizens in every phase of the participatory modeling process, from input data preparation, through hydrological model construction, to model verification, and experiments. We present a case study on the recurring pluvial flood damages in South Korea's Gangnam region, demonstrating the practical implications of an interactive, web-based crowdsourcing platform to leverage community engagement and local knowledge. The results underscore the evidence of a proactive role for citizens, not merely as recipients of disaster information but as key contributors collaborating with a range of stakeholders in stormwater management and modeling. Combining digital twin technology with citizen participation can empower informed decision-making and collective actions in the evolving digital era, leading to a disaster-resilient community.

An inquest into the resource mobilization and utilization capacity of local leaders for community resilience to agriculture-threatening droughts and floods

The main objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between resource mobilization and utilization capacity of local leaders and community resilience to droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani District of the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe. Continual exposure to the hydro-climatic disasters of droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani has accelerated the vulnerability of poor rural communities, plunging them deeper into poverty and preventing them from taking advantage of economic opportunities. With Lower Muzarabani faced with increasing magnitude, frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, the need for concerted efforts towards building disaster-resilient communities can never be overemphasized. The Conjoint Community Resilience Assessment Model (CCRAM) Household Questionnaire was used to collect data in face-to-face interviews among the sampled households. in Lower Muzarabani. The original CCRAM Model structure, consisting of 5 disaster-resilience factors (Leadership, Collective Efficacy, Preparedness, Place Attachment, and Social Trust) and 28 items, was used as the basis for the survey. The multi-stage sampling method was used in selecting the 200 households for the survey. The major finding obtained with the use of the Pearson Bivariate Correlation Analysis and Linear Regression Analysis was that the efficiency and effectiveness of resource mobilization and utilization activities (represented in the CCRAM model by the preparedness factor) significantly and positively influence community resilience to the hydro-climatic disasters of droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani.

Assessment and Comparison of Community Resilience to Floods and Tsunamis in Padang, Indonesia

Community disaster resilience is very important for the City of Padang, where floods occur almost every year. The city is also now at the peak of the Sunda Megathrust cycle, which could cause a tsunami in the near future. This study aims to assess and compare community resilience to different types of natural disasters that cause either shocks or stresses. Data were collected through the distribution of questionnaires to 150 respondents and field observations. The analysis employed a quantitative approach to assess community disaster resilience based on indices of social, community capacity, economic, and infrastructure dimensions. The highest values for the social dimension were found in both floods and tsunamis, scoring equally at 0.73, indicating high resilience. In contrast, the lowest values for the economic dimension were observed in floods (0.35) and tsunamis (0.32), indicating low resilience. A significant difference was noted in the community capacity dimension, with a resilience value of 0.50 for floods and 0.34 for tsunamis, indicating moderate and low resilience, respectively. The results of this analysis suggest that the community is more prepared to face floods, as evidenced by higher values in the community capacity and economic dimensions compared to tsunamis. Therefore, interventions to increase community resilience are needed. This study recommends the need for an integrative and comprehensive approach, beyond existing efforts, in increasing community resilience related to floods and tsunamis.

Study of an evaluation method of earthquake-proof capacity of a community during an earthquake

In dealing with the occurrence of earthquakes, urban communities and people within the system should primarily consider the geological background, secondary hazards caused by earthquakes, countermeasures to mitigate earthquake disasters, community connectivity, and the impact of various indicators and criteria on the earthquake-proof capacity of the community. It is important to comprehensively assess these factors to ensure that a community is well-prepared to withstand an earthquake. This study takes Shenzhen (China) as an example to conduct a preliminarily evaluation of a method of earthquake-proof capacity during an earthquake, with the results reflecting the comprehensive capacity of communities. The evaluation framework focuses more on effectively improving the disaster response capacity and resilience of urban communities.

Faith-based organisations and disaster management in informal urban Accra

ABSTRACT Disaster risks in African cities are compounding due to the triple convergence of climate change impacts, unplanned urbanisation, and entrenched socio-spatial inequities. Disaster events are, therefore, common with disproportionate impacts on informal residents yet resting within reactive and extremely limited disaster management regime that leaves behind many voids in disaster risk reduction. Drawing on a qualitative approach and situated in a disaster-vulnerable community of Dome, Greater Accra, this paper unpacks the activities of Faith-based Organisations (FBOs) in filling the voids in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This research is timely because elevating and integrating FBOs activities in disaster management could concretise multi-actor frameworks for disaster risk reduction that are culturally sensitive, locally situated, and socially engaged. The paper documents that experimenting with formal-informal collaborations in community-based risk reduction and leveraging the practices and experiences of FBOs in disaster risk reduction holds the potential for building disaster prevention and resilient capacities in informal urban riskscapes. The study recommends that active collaboration between FBOs and government organisations can assist in bridging crisis management gaps and improving community disaster resilience.

Understanding the Sustainable Development of Community (Social) Disaster Resilience in Serbia: Demographic and Socio-Economic Impacts

This paper presents the results of quantitative research examining the impacts of demographic and socioeconomic factors on the sustainable development of community disaster resilience. The survey was carried out utilizing a questionnaire distributed to, and subsequently collected online from, 321 participants during January 2024. The study employed an adapted version of the ‘5S’ social resilience framework (62 indicators), encompassing five sub-dimensions—social structure, social capital, social mechanisms, social equity and diversity, and social belief. To explore the relationship between predictors and the sustainable development of community disaster resilience in Serbia, various statistical methods, such as t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression, were used. The results of the multivariate regressions across various community disaster resilience subscales indicate that age emerged as the most significant predictor for the social structure subscale. At the same time, education stood out as the primary predictor for the social capital subscale. Additionally, employment status proved to be the most influential predictor for both social mechanisms and social equity-diversity subscales, with property ownership being the key predictor for the social beliefs subscale. The findings can be used to create strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing the sustainable development of resilience in communities in Serbia by addressing the intricate interplay between demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors, and their ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from different disasters.

Exploring and Enhancing Community Disaster Resilience: Perspectives from Different Types of Communities

This study aimed to explore the differences in various aspects of community disaster resilience and how to enhance disaster resilience tailored to different community types. The evaluation results were validated using the flood event that occurred in Zhengzhou on 20 July 2021 (hereinafter referred to as the “7.20” rainstorm disaster). The main results of the analysis showed that the respondents’ overall evaluation of their community’s resilience to the “7.20” disaster was relatively high. Commercial housing communities performed the best, followed by urban village communities, and employee family housing communities performed the worst. Specifically, commercial housing communities scored highest in three dimensions: human capital, physical infrastructure, and adaptation. Urban village communities scored highest in the three dimensions of social capital, institutional capital, and community competence, while employee family housing communities consistently ranked the lowest in each dimension. The most significant disparities were found in human capital, followed by community competence and social capital, adaptation, and, lastly, institutional capital and physical infrastructure. Targeted improvement strategies and measures are suggested for each type of community, offering valuable recommendations for relevant government agencies aiming to enhance community disaster resilience and disaster risk reduction.

Sharing the Responsibility: Ministry of National Education’s Disaster Preparedness and Response to Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

Disaster-resilient communities develop effective preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation strategies. Following the experience of earthquakes on February 6, the Turkish community has been questioning its resilience. This paper examined the Ministry of National Education’s five-year preparedness strategies before the earthquake and its response to the February 6 earthquakes in Turkiye. The findings revealed that the Ministry made efforts to raise awareness among the community by developing training programs and securing schools by strengthening or rebuilding facilities. The ministry’s disaster response actions were classified into five categories: education, first aid and healthcare, food and water management, search and rescue, and shelter management. Our analysis suggested that the Ministry put crucial effort into disaster education, but more was needed to reach the entire school community. Furthermore, the Ministry responded promptly to the categories of food and water management, search and rescue, and shelter management from the first day, but not in its primary responsibility of education category.

Navigating Flood Resilience: Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learnt from the Dominican Republic

Recent unprecedented events worldwide, such as floods in Dubai, recurring heavy rainfall in Santo Domingo, and abrupt temperature changes in the United Kingdom (UK), underscore the tangible impacts of climate change. In response to escalating threats from natural disasters, global communities prioritise resilience and effective disaster management systems. This paper addresses best practices for managing abnormal floods, laying the foundation for the next generation of preparedness and mitigation plans. Focusing on flood risk in Santo Domingo, the study employs the Community Disaster Resilience Framework, conducting a workshop with over 100 stakeholders from government, private, and academic sectors. The assessment spans physical, economic, environmental, and social aspects, revealing common challenges in infrastructure upkeep, public awareness, urban planning, drainage, and economic disparities. The paper proposes technological solutions like predictive maintenance and smart drainage systems, emphasising the potential for implementation. Recognising the importance of community involvement and preparedness, insights from the United Kingdom guide initial steps in strategy development. The conclusions advocate for collaborative efforts among government, academia, and society to navigate the complexities of disaster management and community resilience, ultimately proposing a framework to address these challenges. Further research is suggested in expanding online platforms for disaster risk reduction education in the Caribbean region.

Unfolding the Experiences and Preparedness Mechanism of Senior Citizens in the Wake of Disaster: Towards a Disaster Resilient Community

The physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of every individual is negatively affected by disasters. In particular, the aged people, or “Senior Citizens” are susceptible to the disproportionate and detrimental effects brought upon by any form of disaster. Thus, this study explored the lived experiences of senior citizens in any disaster and their corresponding preparatory mechanisms. Using a qualitative-phenomenological research design, this study interviewed eleven (11) participants to generate their experiences and preparatory mechanism in the wake of disaster. The use of Collaizi’s method was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. Analysis of data revealed two emergent themes: (1) Disaster-related challenges and (2) life security that describe the experiences of the participants. In addition, the results have shown that senior citizens experience difficulty in combating disasters due to a range of disaster-related challenges they encounter. On the other hand, their most common preparatory mechanism in order to combat the challenges primarily relates to safety measures. Thus, disaster preparations need to be strengthened and ensure that the needs of senior citizens are taken into account in local disaster planning and community response efforts.

Community disaster resilience in Brazilian small urban centers

Brazilian small urban centers are facing several disasters impacts due to their singular environmental, economic, and social characteristics. A comprehensive approach encompassing multiple dimensions of resilience and adaptation is essential to minimize material and human losses. This article analyzes the community disaster resilience of 213 small urban centers in the Brazilian Southeast region, affected by recurrent events, such as floods, flash floods, and landslides. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach. First, a quantitative analysis was conducted at the municipal level using statistical techniques to develop a community disaster resilience index, incorporating social, economic, infrastructure, institutional, and community dimensions. Simultaneously, a qualitative assessment evaluated the levels of social capital at the intra-municipal scale among populations affected by disasters through an online questionnaire. The results demonstrated a direct correlation between community disaster resilience levels and the economic and urban development of the assessed municipalities. Lower levels of community disaster resilience were associated with higher vulnerability of the population, characterized by limited socioeconomic development, inadequate housing conditions, insufficient urban infrastructure for transportation, healthcare, leisure, and social support services, and ineffective implementation of public development policies. Moreover, the absence and limited diversity of leisure spaces that foster social connections contributed to reduced community engagement and participation, resulting in lower levels of social capital. This study underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance community resilience in small urban centers facing recurrent disasters. The findings provide insights for policymakers and practitioners to prioritize interventions and investments in economic development, infrastructure improvement, and social capital enhancement as crucial elements of disaster risk reduction and resilience-building efforts.

Analyzing Differentiated Climate Change Impacts on Women in the Wetland Area: A Case Study on Sunamganj District

Disadvantageous geo-location, dense population, and poverty make Bangladesh climate-sensitive, particularly in livelihoods. The impacts are detrimental to the economy, environment, and social development of the people of Dowarabazar and Jamalganj Upazila, Sunamganj District. This research aimed to scale the differentiated impacts of climate change on wetland women. To conduct the research, a survey approach following the Community Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) was applied. The data were collected through questionnaire survey and observation. The sample size was 300 (150 males and 150 females). Simple random samplings were applied. The study included women of middle-aged, young, elderly, disabled, ethnic, religious minorities, widowed, destitute, and all income classes of poor and rich. It is found that the women's community is extremely vulnerable to different climatic impacts affecting women's capital of human, social, economic, physical, and natural. Women's social capital is highly impacted and the impact score is 3.54. Secondly, human capital (score is 3.07). The impact scores of natural and physical are 2.92 and 2.49. The lives and livelihoods of women have been severely curbed by climatic complications, vulnerable sanitation, poor house structure, and illiteracy. Proper management and access to income generation, empowerment, and social services are required for women's adaptation and resiliency.

Understanding memory transmission in disaster risk reduction practices: A case study from Japan

“Disasters strike when they have faded from memory”, is a powerful quote from the Japanese geophysicist Terada Torahiko (1878–1935). This sentence, often used when addressing the need to improve disaster resilience, is a powerful reminder of the role that local memories of past disasters play in ensuring the safety of communities exposed to hazards. Twelve years from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET) that hit Japan Tohoku's East Coast, this article aims at understanding how the transmission of local knowledge and experiences of past disasters contributes to increasing community resilience to tsunami risks. Based on field research along the coast of the Japanese prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, this study analyses 11 semi-structured in-depth interviews, to investigate the role of memory transmission in preparing for tsunami risks such as the GEJET. The data was analysed following a narrative approach and through thematic coding with the use of NVivo. Coding structures led to the identification of disaster memory transmission practices in the case study areas and allowed the testing of the relevance of the theoretical framework to community disaster resilience studies. Results are aligned with the theoretical framework and show that disaster memorials are more likely to influence community resilience if passed down using a combination of oral transmission and interpretation together with the use of backup memory archives and physical objects. Such practices are recommended as they allow both the communicability and durability of lessons-learned. Transmitting and maintaining a constant interaction between these two forms of memory is the responsibility of those institutions that oversee the keeping alive of memories, by continuously repurposing and renewing them while engaging with exposed communities.

Project APRED: A web-based data analytics platform for supporting community disaster resilience

In this paper, we introduce the Analysis Platform for Risk, Resilience, and Expenditure in Disasters (APRED)—a disaster-analytic platform developed for crisis practitioners and economic developers across the United States (US). APRED provides practitioners with a centralized platform for exploring disaster resilience and vulnerability profiles of all counties across the US. The platform comprises five sections including: (1) Disaster Resilience Index, (2) Business Vulnerability Index, (3) Disaster Declaration History, (4) County Profile, and (5) Storm History sections. We further describe our end-to-end human-centered design and engineering process that involved contextual inquiry, community-based participatory design, and rapid prototyping with the support of US Economic Development Administration representatives and regional economic developers across the US. Findings from our study revealed that distributed cognition, content heuristic, shareability, and human-centered systems are crucial considerations for developing data-intensive visualization platforms for resilience planning. We discuss the implications of these findings and inform future research on developing sociotechnical visualization platforms to support resilience planning.

Harnessing ICT Resources to Enhance Community Disaster Resilience: A Case Study of Employing Social Media to Zhengzhou 7.20 Rainstorm, China

This study aimed to explore how community disaster resilience can be enhanced via the utilization of ICT resources. Three social media applications were selected. Taking the 2021 Zhengzhou 7.20 rainstorm as an example, questionnaire responses were collected and analyzed, and a linear regression model was constructed to explore the impact of the relationships between responses. The findings showed that the use of WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo had positive effects on community disaster resilience. Specifically, the use of social media (WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo) by the general public during this rainstorm disaster was positively related to convenience and trust, creation and dissemination, emotion and communication, cooperation and collective action, and relief and release. We also analyzed the differences in the use of the three social media platforms during the rainstorm disaster and found that the number of people who used TikTok was the highest, but the variable scores for TikTok were not the highest. WeChat had the highest variable scores, and both the number of users and variable scores for Weibo were in the middle.

The impact of war on insurer safety: a contingent claim model analysis

Determining the optimal guaranteed rate of life insurance policies can effectively promote sustainable societies and disaster-resilient communities in times of war. Nevertheless, such strategic coverage remains uncommon in many countries. This article presents a capped-down-and-out call option model to assess life insurers’ safety during conflicts. Wars may lead to reduced life insurance businesses due to lower guaranteed rates set by insurers, yet they can also improve insurer safety within an imperfectly competitive insurance market. By increasing the surrender rate of the policy associated with reducing the optimal guarantee rate, the insurer’s security is improved, thereby contributing to the stability of the overall insurance. Our findings suggest setting guaranteed rates is critical to asset-liability matching management, especially in wartime, to maintain insurance stability.

Developing strategic targeted interaction design to enhance disaster resilience of vulnerable communities

Still too often, technical reconstruction assistance does not lead to adoption of hazard-resistant construction techniques by disaster-affected households. Ideally, effective interactions should be framed and communicated in such a way that it appeals to different intentions of individual households to build back safer. Currently, there is no model for humanitarian interactions that indicates what household characteristics reveal intention differences. To develop audience-specific interactions, this study adapted the three stages used in marketing: segmentation, targeting, and positioning, and the established social scientific model motivation, ability, and opportunity. Our strategic targeted interaction design (STID) method segments the affected population based on intentions to build back safer and provides tailored interactions. Based on similarities, 27 target groups are identified, requiring different interaction approaches. To test viability of the STID method, data were collected through 865 open-ended household interviews in earthquake affected communities in Nepal. Cluster analysis shows the presence of different target groups within the same communities. Descriptive statistics of the target groups led to a proposal of audience-specific interaction strategies to enhance safer construction practices and reduce disaster risk. Our analysis indicates a combination of multiple interaction strategies, prioritizing the learning process and interactions within communities over interactions with external actors. This study presents a highly promising method toward personalization of aid, tailored to perceptions of target groups over general community characteristics.

Constructing a Composite Disaster Resilience Index towards Natural Disasters in Mauritius

Mauritius is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) which faces regular environmental hazards due to its geographical location. Building disaster-resilient communities has become the goal of many disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks. This study aimed at quantifying the resilience of the population of Mauritius towards natural disasters using statistics drawn from secondary sources of data. A Composite Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI), which ranged from 0 to 100, was established. Four indicators and sixteen sub-indicators which reflected domains of resilience in terms of community capacity, economic, built-up environment and social, were used to develop the CDRI. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to map the CDRI across 144 administrative areas, which included 124 Village Council Areas (VCAs) and 20 Municipal Council Wards (MCWs), for a visual representation. Resilience indices were classified into least and most resilient. Results showed a spatial variation in resilience levels towards natural disasters across the administrative areas. Nearly fifty percent of the eleven most resilient communities were found in urban areas (MCWs). Twelve administrative areas were the least resilient towards natural disasters and emerged from rural (VCAs) and marginalised areas only. Coastal villages of Grand Sable, Quatre-Soeurs, Bambous-Virieux, Le Morne and Case Noyale formed a cluster of least resilient communities along the East coast. A t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in resilience levels between urban and rural regions at p < 0.05. Results suggested that infrastructure and the social capacity building were likely to be less developed in rural areas than in urban areas. Findings also demonstrated that most VCAs and MCWs performed less well in community resilience when compared to the rest of the dimensions of resilience. Results provided evidence with potential to help decision-makers in the allocation of resources to improve resilience in Mauritius.

From Social to Collective Capital: Factors behind the Success of a COVID-19 Task Force

Social capital offers an important framework for understanding community disaster preparedness and resiliency at both the individual and community levels. Social capital also offers a lens for understanding interorganizational collaboration, particularly for public health disasters. Yet missing from the literature is an exploration of how social capital at the individual level may develop into collective capital at the group level, to then be leveraged for community public health disaster management. We conducted a mixed-methods case study of an emergent rural task force that formed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Using social network and qualitative analysis, we find that pre-existing relationships, leadership, goal congruence, and frequent meetings helped develop individual-level social capital into collective capital. The findings from this study have implications for strengthening the nexus of public health and disaster management and the creation of collective capital that can help communities better respond to future disasters.

Cross-Sectional Study Protocol on Community Disaster Resilience in Selangor Flood-Prone Communities During Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Future floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Communities must arm themselves with information and skills to overcome these disasters and limit their impact. Moreover, the Coronavirus-19 infection doubled as the transmission was thought to occur when evacuation facilities were overrun and crowded. Despite government and agency assistance, the aftermath of a flood disaster leaves victims susceptible to the impacts. Resilience is essential when battling flooding or a pandemic. Thus, this study aims to determine the community disaster resilience score and its associated factors in Selangor flood-prone communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey will be conducted with a sample size of 574 residents living in flood-prone areas. A validated self-administered questionnaire will be distributed in liaison with community leaders using paper and online. The questionnaire includes respondents’ demographic, flood disaster preparedness, general disaster preparedness belief, and community disaster resilience. The associations and predictors between the independent and dependent variables will be examined using bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression with a < 0.05 significance level. Discussion: Insights from this research will help communities better prepare for and recover from disasters. A more robust resilience approach requires focusing on predictors and recruiting those factors to assist health authorities in promoting flood disaster preparedness and resilience practices in the community. Researchers may comprehend the health behaviour of a community to build disaster preparedness and resilience as well as a health intervention.