Disaster Management Process Research Articles

Designing and Evaluating Games for Landslides, Earthquakes, and Fires: Lesson Learned from Schools in Nepal

The Himalayan country of Nepal is vulnerable to landslides, earthquakes, and fires. Its inhabitants need to be empowered on how to react in emergencies to prevent fatalities and respond to crises efficiently while promoting longer-term sustainability and resilience. This research project, a collaborative effort involving teachers, students, and researchers, highlights the design and implementation of games for disaster risk reduction tested in remote schools. Three interactive games were developed using an iterative game design process and testing in workshops aiming to ensure the inclusivity and diversity of the project. The games targeted preparedness and response to landslides, earthquakes, and house fires. The outcome has proven that the game-based approach to teaching and learning is crucial in empowering underserved school children often left out in formal and informal disaster management processes. This study has shown that game-based learning of disaster preparedness and response effectively empowers resource-deficient communities and regions of the Global South.

Climate change and vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe: Implications for social work practice

Social work is a practical profession that aims to improve problem-solving skills and social functioning, particularly for disadvantaged and marginalised vulnerable groups. The ongoing climate change is worsening the global social work burden since it increases the frequency of occurrence, magnitude, and duration of disaster events such as droughts, heat waves, diseases, tropical cyclones, and floods that negatively impact human beings. Specifically, children, people with disabilities, women, and the elderly are especially vulnerable, as they are often unable to move quickly and may have existing health conditions that make escaping from disasters difficult—meanwhile, the human rights perspective advocates for the inclusivity of all people in the disaster management process. The study used qualitative literature review analysis to explore social work-based strategies for managing the impacts of climate change in Zimbabwe while ensuring the participation of vulnerable groups in co-creating the strategy. The research involved a scoping literature review using African Journals Online, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Central search engines. The study followed specific steps, including formulating the research problem, developing and validating the reviewing protocol, searching for relevant literature using key search terms, screening for inclusion, assessing the relevance, extracting data, analysing and synthesising data, and reporting the findings. Conclusions and recommendations were based on the gaps and inconsistencies identified in the literature review.

Aplikasi Sistem Informasi Geografis Persebaran Lokasi Pos Pemadam Kebakaran Berbasis Android

Cirebon District Fire Service which serves the community and helps the community when a fire accident occurs. Information about the location of the nearest fire station is not widely known by some people. This of course hampers the process of fire disaster management and services for the community. The purpose of this research is to produce a Geographical Information System application for the distribution of fire station locations based on Android that can be easily accessed by the public. Geographical Information System uses Hybrid Mobile technology which is implemented into the Dart and Flutter programming languages. In this study, the data collection techniques used were observation, interviews and literature study, with the testing method using blackbox testing. From the results of the system implementation, it can be concluded that using the Android-based Geographical Information System Application can help and provide convenience for the community in obtaining information and assistance regarding the location of the nearest fire station.

The Legal and Institutional Challenges Facing Community-Based Disaster Management in Tanzania

This article examines the legal and institutional challenges facing community- based disaster management in Tanzania. This study employed qualitative methods to analyse the legislative and institutional framework governing disaster management in Tanzania. Data was gathered through interviews and focused group discussions with stakeholders engaged in disaster management in Tanzania. The study results indicate that government actors acknowledge the significance of community-based disaster management. However, the integration of local communities in the disaster management process is impeded by various legal and institutional challenges. There exists a notable discrepancy between the policy and legislation governing disaster management. Additionally, the allocation of funds for disaster management is limited, and the avenues for public participation are ineffective. The requirement for sufficient integration of local communities is necessary to foster community-based disaster management. The study suggests a range of legal and institutional changes to improve the integration of communities in the disaster management process. These proposed reforms include legal empowerment of local communities, acknowledging the value of indigenous knowledge, strengthening disaster management committees by offering financial assistance and promoting greater involvement of the civil society.

Basic Concepts of Disaster Management and Hazard Risk Vulnerability Profile of Gurgaon Based on District Disaster Management Plan 2020

To understand the process of disaster risk reduction and disaster management it is very important to know the usage meaning and difference between the basic concepts of disaster management. While hazard refers to probable event that can occur, disaster is actual occurrence of the event. Any event becomes a disaster after occurrence when it has very wide impact in terms of loss of life, injury to people, damage and destruction of physical structures and environment. Similarly, vulnerability is situation it can be physical, social or economic but risk is calculation of probable impact of disaster. Capacity improvement can lower the vulnerability, lower the risk and lower the total impact of disaster. Capacity improvement by building strong structures and creating awareness among communities will help in building a resilient society to cope with disasters. In this paper we tried to understand the meaning of these basic concept with illustrations from District Disaster Management Plan 2020 of Gurgaon District of Haryana

Integrating Law in Flood Management in India: A Case Study of Flood Awareness and Risk Perception in Mumbai

Globally, floods are increasing in frequency and velocity. The position in India is no different with floods emerging as a complex, recurring problem leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. Although floods cannot be completely eliminated solely through law, law can be an important tool to mitigate its consequences and reduce its risks. Using a mixed doctrinal and non-doctrinal methodology, this study investigates the efficacy of the legal, policy and institutional mechanism on flood management in India. Moreover, with the recent thrust on disaster risk management and reduction, risk perception of natural disasters of the public at large is also emerging as a vital component of the disaster management process. In the present research, a case study of flood risk perception in Mumbai has been undertaken wherein participants from Greater Mumbai and Mumbai suburban districts participated in a survey on their awareness and perception of floods and related risks. The research findings indicate that while majority have experienced floods, have awareness on its causes and dangers, they do not know about challenges in terms of the efficacy of law. It is argued that as continuous neglect of community is likely to be catastrophic, a robust legal framework ought to be built that secures Government-community partnership for effective flood management.

Disaster management with cloud-based geographic information systems: site selection of landfill areas after Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye earthquake sequence

On February 6, 2023, the earthquakes centered on Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık and Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan affected several provinces in the region and generated a vast amount of demolition waste. This study aims to develop a site selection model for the most suitable landfill areas after the earthquake using open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and the Best-Worst Method (BWM). First, the study identifies decision criteria with a Delphi expert panel. Next, it determines the weights using the BWM based on pairwise comparison. Spatial data of the determinants were obtained from open data portals, and proximity, overlay, and slope analyses were carried out for the disaster region. Combining the output data layer of each criterion, a suitability map of the landfills was produced. As a result, 36,2% (29,826 kms square) of the study area was classified as suitable and very suitable. In this study, a cloud GIS-based decision support platform was developed to act quickly and initiate recovery processes within the scope of disaster management of the destructive earthquake. The suitability map and potential sites were shared with the responsible teams in the disaster area so that the potential sites could be displayed on the map and the suitable areas could be navigated on appropriate routes. The findings of the study revealed that the use of open data and cloud GIS framework in the disaster management process enables quick, reliable, and cost-effective actions in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

Role of Print Media during Flood Disaster in Pakistan

Journals and newspapers played a crucial role during the floods in Pakistan in 2022. They provided people with updates and information by informing and guiding them about the consequences of the flood. Floods, droughts, and other exciting weather events are anticipated to increase as a result of climate change, which will have a profoundly negative impact on human and environmental systems. This study evaluates the role of print media with regard to social responsibility. The results of the study show that the media could have contributed more to the disaster of the floods in Pakistan by encouraging readiness and reconstruction. The media gives aiding those in need top priority regarding disaster response and policy-related messaging. Its multifaceted contributions include timely information dissemination, public awareness raising, coordination support, policy advocacy, and accountability throughout the disaster management process, from preparation to recovery.

Disaster Management Cycle

Last decade has been a decade (2000-2019) of some of the major disaster occurrences. Majority of these disasters were climate based. Between 2000-2019 there were 7348 major recorded disaster events worldwide as compared to 4212 between 1980-1999 These disasters claimed 12mn lives and affected more than 4.03 billion people (2000 – 2019). Asia suffered the highest number of disaster events due to size of the continents, its physiography and high density of population. In terms of affected countries globally, India with 321 events was third highest in terms of economic losses and loss of lives [1]. Widespread occurrences of disasters and heavy destruction in terms of loss of life and property and damage to ecosystems has highlighted the issue of understanding and managing the disasters effectively whether they are natural or caused by human neglect and interventions. Disaster management and overall development of a region should go simultaneously, in fact, development should include disaster management processes. Occurrence of disasters disrupt the process of development by causing damage to the developmental efforts which have taken long time to achieve. It often pushes the countries back by several decades. Thus, efficient management of disasters before their occurrence, rather than responding to them after the occurrence has, in recent times, received increased attention both within India and abroad.

Exploring theimpacts ofsocial mediaand crowdsourcingon disaster resilience.

Social media and crowdsourcing (SMCS) are increasingly proving useful for addressing the effects of natural and human-made hazards. SMCS allow different stakeholders to share crucial information during disaster management processes and to strengthen community resilience through engagement and collaboration. To harvest these opportunities there is a need for better knowledge on SMCS for diverse disaster scenarios. These challenges are being addressed within the LINKS Horizon 2020 project. The project aims at strengthening societal resilience by producing advanced learning on the use of SMCS in disasters. This is done through an in-depth study across three knowledge domains (disaster risk perception and vulnerability, disaster management processes, SMCS technologies), the establishment of an interactive framework, and an online platform in which a community of relevant stakeholders can learn and share knowledge and experiences. This paper provides an overview of the project objectives and approaches and a summary of the initial results.

Disaster management timeline: an extended version

PurposeThis study aims to review the stages of the traditional disaster timeline, propose an extended version of this timeline and discuss the disaster strategies relevant to the different stages of the extended timeline.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive review of the existing literature was made to discuss the need for an extended version of the conventional disaster timeline and to explain the differences between the various disaster management strategies. The research approach was based on theoretical and practical reasoning underpinned by the literature.FindingsThe proposed extended disaster timeline allows better allocation of a wider range of management strategies. Successful disaster management depends on prioritisation of efforts and the use of the right strategy(s) at the right time: before, during and after an incident.Practical implicationsThis study provides a better conceptualisation of the disaster stages and corresponding strategies. It clarifies the role of each strategy, thus linking it more effectively with the disaster timeline. Subsequently, this study is expected to improve decision-making associated with the disaster management process. In the end, it is expected to help transforming the conventional disaster timeline into a more practical one that is result-oriented more than only being a conceptual model.Originality/valueDisaster management strategies are used interchangeably very often in the literature. A few attempts were made to capture multiple strategies in one study to demonstrate what constitutes effective disaster management without mixing irrelevant strategies with the different disaster stages.

Coordination analysis in disaster management: A qualitative approach in Türkiye

Disaster management is a multi-disciplinary field in which different fields of expertise and institutions work together internationally. The coordination of divergent institutions is necessary for their everyday functioning. However, these persistently vexing phenomena are exacerbated by uncoordinated processes. This study aimed to explore and describe the coordination experiences of the professionals involved in the disaster management process. A phenomenological pattern was applied, a method that tries to make sense of experiences. A purposive sampling method was used, and interviews lasting 977 minutes with 31 people were conducted. The results revealed that disaster drills and training are held to ensure inter-institutional coordination. However, coordination is explained with the concepts of communication. The differentiation between the theoretical knowledge of coordination and its practical application is noteworthy. The most common issues that caused coordination problems were related to the incident command system, leadership, resource management, communication, and the use of social media. More specific problems codes are uncertain assignments, multi-authority, lack of language unity, and leadership gap. Disinformation in the social media category appears as a coordination problem. However, it has been intensely stated that social media should be used for rapid information sharing. It is advisable to receive leadership training and incorporate social media into the coordination process to improve disaster risk management. This will aid in better comprehension and implementation of the measures needed.

The Dynamics of Interorganizational Collaboration in Disaster Management: A Network Study Based on Flood Disasters in China

Interorganizational collaboration networks have become an important tool for disaster management. However, research on how different organizations can effectively collaborate throughout the entire disaster management process in centralized states such as China is scarce. This study begins to fill this lacuna by investigating interorganizational collaboration in different phases of disaster management and analyzing changes in the structure of the networks constructed during the preparedness and response phases of the 2020 flood disaster in Hubei Province, China. Building on the complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory, we argue that interorganizational collaboration changes dynamically according to its tasks and requirements. In the preparedness phase, interorganizational collaborations primarily follow established plans and choose horizontal self-organized collaboration mechanisms. However, when the urgent information and resource requirements increase in the response phase, many organizations choose vertical mandatory collaboration mechanisms. We found that organizations at the central and provincial levels in China were well positioned to coordinate information and resources and strengthen the interorganizational collaboration and communication that is crucial in disaster management. These findings contribute to the study of interorganizational collaboration networks in disaster management.

INVESTIGATION OF DISASTER LITERACY LEVELS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS

Disaster literacy can be expressed as the level of receiving, reading, understanding and correctly using information that provides the basis for people to make correct decisions in disaster management processes. In this study, it was aimed to determine the disaster literacy levels of Political Science and Public Administration students. The population and sample of the study consisted of students enrolled in a university's Political Science and Public Administration Program. The data of the study was collected by survey technique between 05.12.2022-07.02.2023. The research was completed with the participation of 107 (72% of the universe) out of 149 participants registered in the relevant program. In the study, a significant a difference was found between the mitigation of harm scores of the participants and their class levels (p0.05). There is no significant difference between gender and mitigation, preparation, response and recovery scores (p>0.05). According to the findings, it was evaluated that increasing people's disaster literacy levels will significantly contribute to the development of social disaster resilience.

Evaluation of the Self-Perceptions of the People Working in Disaster Organizations on Leadership Behaviors

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of the leadership behaviors of individuals participating in disaster organizations during the disaster management process and to gain a better understanding of the role of leadership in disaster management. The data were collected between November 2022 and April 2023. While examining the differences between the groups, t and ANOVA tests were used. It is seen that there is a significant difference between the genders in terms of principled leadership. It has been determined that women exhibit a higher principled leadership characteristic compared to men. It is seen that there is a significant relationship between education level and leadership characteristics. It has been determined that there is a negative relationship between age and participatory leadership. In conclusion, leadership characteristics and their relationship with different variables may be important factors to be considered for the design of leadership development programs and evaluating leadership potential. It is thought that organising training modules for effective leadership in disaster and supporting individuals with leadership potential will contribute significantly to the disaster management process.

Glimpsing Indonesia’s Social Media Discourse: What Goes on During the Covid-19 Infodemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an "infodemic", of false and true information circulating on social media platforms. This phenomenon has posed various challenges in implementing disaster management programs to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, both globally and specifically in Indonesia. This study seeks to investigate the public's perception of social media discourse during the COVID-19 infodemic in Indonesia. Both primary and secondary data were collected to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The primary data was collected through a focused group discussion (FGD) method. Meanwhile, secondary data sources were gathered using a literature review of scholarly articles. Approximately 60 articles were selected from sources such as Google Scholar and PubMed, published between 2019 and 2022. The articles were selected based on their relevance of the topic discussion. The study used Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough and Wodak (1997) to analyze the data. Both of the data were then synthesized to glimpse how the infodemic has impacted various disaster management efforts across various parts of the country. The results revealed that the infodemic has worsened public perceptions of how the Indonesian government handles COVID-19 as well as disrupting various disaster management processes. The study finds that the infodemic's impact on the public's perception has resulted in misinformation hampering effective pandemic management efforts. By recognizing the severity of the infodemic and working to combat it, Indonesia can more effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic and minimize its negative impact on the public.

Hastane Afet Yönetim Sürecinde Tıbbi Sosyal Hizmet Uygulamaları: Kahramanmaraş Depremleri Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Dünyanın birçok yerinde deprem, sel gibi doğa olayları ya da insan eliyle gerçekleşen afet olayları can kayıplarına sebep olmakta; bu durum da toplumları birçok açıdan olumsuz etkilemektedir. Türkiye, afetler konusunda acı tecrübelere sahip ülkelerdendir. 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde gerçekleşen ve yüzyılın felaketi olarak adlandırılan Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık ve Elbistan Depremleri afet yönetim süreçlerinin önemini bir kez daha göstermiştir. Sağlık tesisleri afetlerde yoğun hizmetler sunan kuruluşlardır. Acil müdahale ve tıbbi bakımla birlikte sağlık tesisleri afetten etkilenen kişilere çeşitli psikososyal hizmetler sunmaktadır. Sosyal hizmet uzmanları, sağlık tesislerinde psikososyal müdahale ekiplerinin önemli bir parçasıdır. Barınma, korunma, sosyal bakım ve psikososyal destek gibi temel ihtiyaçların karşılanmasında ve farklı vaka yönetim süreçlerinde sosyal hizmet uzmanları; depremden etkilenen bireyler ve aileleriyle ilk teması sağlayabilecek ve hastane ortamında gerçekleştireceği mesleki müdahaleleriyle müracaatçılarını toplum kaynaklarıyla buluşturabilecek meslek profesyonelleridir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı, Kahramanmaraş Depremleri sonrası sağlık kuruluşlarında, afetten etkilenen bireylerin ve dezavantajlı grupların psikososyal ihtiyaçlarına odaklanmak ve gerçekleştirilebilecek sosyal hizmet müdahalelerini literatür ışığında tartışmaktadır. Sonuç olarak afet ve risk yönetiminde hastane temelli psikososyal ve ekonomik destekler, kişilerin erken dönemde ihtiyaçlarının karşılanmasına katkı sağlayacaktır.

Gender Issues in Disaster: Understanding the Problems Involved for Women Vulnerability, Sustainability, and Awareness in Nigeria

The study investigates the gender issues in disaster and analyses the relationships between vulnerability sustainability and awareness following a qualitative method on the basis of secondary sources. The study notes that the women living in coastal areas are facing more difficulties due to the complexity of atmosphere where their activities are not properly recognized in disaster planning and management. However, the study showed that women, particularly belong to the poor families are primarily responsible for their domestic roles due to culturally dominated labor division. The study also recommended that women should be involved in emergency planning and disaster management process through ensuring their active participation. The inclusion of greater number of women in the emergency management profession could help in the long term to address disaster risks. Since, the underlying cultural, social, and economic patterns that lead to a low socio-economic status of women and thereby generate their specific susceptibility to disasters. Though, such initiatives have not addressed like their entire adverse impact on socio-economic status in recent literature, the present study is an initiative to address the women’s involvement in preparedness and capacity building at the community level as well as household level which the vulnerable women are striving with the frequent disasters to sustain in the planet.

Disaster Response and Management: The Integral Role of Rehabilitation.

With the increasing frequency of disasters and the significant upsurge of survivors with severe impairments and long-term disabling conditions, there is a greater focus on the importance of rehabilitation in disaster management. During disasters, rehabilitation services confront a greater load due to the influx of victims, management of persons with pre-existing disabilities and chronic conditions, and longer-term care continuum. Despite robust consensus amongst the international disaster response and management community for the rehabilitation-inclusive disaster management process, rehabilitation is still less prioritised. Evidence supports the early involvement of rehabilitation professionals in disaster response and management for minimising mortality and disability, and improving clinical outcomes and participation in disaster survivors. In the last two decades, there have been substantial developments in disaster response/management processes including the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative, which provides a standardized structured plan to provide effective and coordinated care during disasters. However, rehabilitation-inclusive disaster management plans are yet to be developed and/or implemented in many disaster-prone countries. Strong leadership and effective action from national and international bodies are required to strengthen national rehabilitation capacity (services and skilled workforce) and empower international and local EMTs and health services for comprehensive disaster management in future calamities. This narrative review highlights the role of rehabilitation and current developments in disaster rehabilitation; challenges and key future perspectives in this area.

Lessons from Flood Disaster Management of Khuzestan Province, Iran, Based on the Experiences of Policymakers: A Qualitative Study

Background: Floods are among the most destructive crises in various countries, including Iran, and are considered a national issue. To reduce flood damages, the flood management process must be regularly reviewed and its problems be identified. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed to focus on flood management in April 2019 in Khuzestan province, Iran, to investigate the flood disaster management in Iran based on the experiences of policymakers, identify problems, improve the process of flood disaster management, and reduce damage in the future. Methods: This study was designed based on qualitative content analysis. Data was collected using one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. According to the targeted sampling method, six policymakers related to the Khuzestan flood disaster management in April 2019 were selected as interviewees. Interviews continued until data saturation. Results: After data analysis, three main themes were identified, namely 1) actions before the flood disaster, such as provision of infrastructure and public awareness, 2) actions during the flood disaster, such as flood disaster level assessment and coordination of actions, and 3) actions after the flood disaster, such as damage assessment. It should be mentioned that each theme included sub-themes and categories. Conclusion: Increased effectiveness of disaster management requires integration and centralization of disaster management and coordination between organizations involved in the disaster at all stages of disaster management, including before, during, and after the disaster. It is also necessary to pay attention to research and successful models and implement preparedness programs along with disaster drills to prevent disaster damage. Engagement of the participation of people should be considered as well.