Disaster Preparedness Activities Research Articles

Hospital safety index: evaluation of the readiness and safety of hospitals in Isfahan province, Iran

Objective: Hospitals play a vital role in disaster management and their function must be maintained during crises. Isfahan province is susceptible to major crises and disasters at any time of the year. The study aimed to investigate the hospital safety index (HSI) in hospitals in Isfahan province. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using the HSI questionnaire of the world health organization. The safety of all 55 hospitals in Isfahan province was evaluated with the Persian version of the questionnaire from 2017 to 2022. In this study, all hospitals were evaluated by a group of experts from the emergency operations center (EOC) of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and the checklists were completed with the cooperation of the hospital disaster committee, visiting the hospitals, and interviewing the personnel. Results: The safety level of hospitals has improved from 2017 to 2022 so in 2022, 38 hospitals (69.09%) had a high safety level, and 17 hospitals (30.91%) had a medium safety level. This increase in safety has happened in all three components of safety (functional, non-structural, and structural safety). There was no significant difference in the overall hospital safety score between academic-educational, non-academic governmental, social security and military, and private and charity hospitals (P<0.05). Conclusion: Although the safety in the hospitals of Isfahan province has improved due to the continuous disaster prevention and preparedness activities, hospitals still need to improve to achieve higher levels of safety. The HSI shows how well a hospital can maintain its organization and performance during disasters. This index will be useful for decision-making and policy-making to prioritize administrative and civil interventions.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Medical Officers on Disaster Preparedness: Study from Base Hospital Panadura (BHP) and Kethumathi Maternity Hospital (KMH), Panadura in Western Province


 
 
 Climate change is contributing to increased disasters in the world. As the disaster events are rising, health, socio-economic and political consequences are inevitable. Therefore, managing disasters to reduce the risk and impacts is given high priority in any development agendas. In this context, emergency and disaster preparedness have become a vital element in disaster management. To manage disaster induced health impacts that include deaths and injuries, hospitals play a major role. The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical officers on disaster preparedness in two key hospitals in the country. The present study focused on the medical officers in Base Hospital Panadura (BHP) and Kethumathi Maternity Hospital (KMH) regarding disaster preparedness. Cross-sectional research was designed to collect data from the health personnel working in two hospitals through a questionnaire which was prepared and distributed online. Data were collected from 95 and 17 doctors, who were randomly chosen, from BHP and KMH respectively. The majority of the respondents (93%) stated that hospital disaster preparedness plans could assist in reducing morbidity and mortality during an event of a disaster. In both hospitals, 40% of respondents were familiar with the disaster preparedness (DP) programs and 60 % were aware that such programs exist in their hospital. Around 67% and 65% of the medical officers from BHP and KMH respectively had stated that the prior experience of the medical officers is the key to handling a post disaster health management. The statistical analysis indicated that knowledge and practices of the medical officers were significantly linked to DP while the attitudes of the participants did not demonstrate any link to the DP programs. In summary, enhancing knowledge and good practices aiming at post disaster medical care as well as enhanced disaster preparedness activities among the medical officers contribute to disaster risk reduction.
 Keywords: Disaster preparedness, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Medical officers
 
 

The Use of Big Data to Improve Disaster Response and Preparedness Efforts

Disasters pose significant challenges to societies worldwide, necessitating effective response and preparedness measures. With the advent of big data technologies and the increasing availability of diverse data sources, there is a growing opportunity to leverage these resources to enhance disaster management. This research paper explores the utilization of big data in improving disaster response and preparedness efforts. It examines the potential benefits, challenges, and future directions of employing big data analytics in disaster management. By analyzing case studies and existing literature, this paper highlights the impact of big data on enhancing situational awareness, decision making, resource allocation, and community engagement. It also addresses privacy and ethical considerations associated with big data usage in disaster contexts. The findings suggest that leveraging big data can significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of disaster response and preparedness activities, leading to improved outcomes and resilience in the face of future disasters

Factors Contributing to Pharmacies With Good Disaster Preparedness and the Activities of Their Prefectural Pharmaceutical Association: Pharmacies' resilience and associations.

Pharmacies have a particularly important responsibility to supply medicine to disaster victims in order to save lives. This study investigated the characteristics of pharmacies that are well prepared for disasters as well as the efforts of the prefectural pharmaceutical association (PPA) to which the pharmacies belong. Questionnaires on matters related to disaster preparedness were mailed to 50 randomly selected pharmacies in each of Japan's 47 prefectures as well as all 47 PPAs in Japan. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of pharmacy background and the activities of the PPA to which they belong with pharmacy disaster preparedness as well as the association with pharmacies' awareness of disaster preparedness. Pharmacies in prefectures that conducted disaster preparedness training at least three times a year were better prepared for disasters. In addition, pharmacies with high online utilization and high disaster-preparedness awareness were significantly more prepared for disasters. Pharmacies that can promptly provide medicine to disaster victims are considered to be well-prepared for disasters. The results suggest that pharmacy preparedness is also influenced by the disaster preparedness activities of their prefectures.

Mapping The Location of Flood Shelters in Demak Regency using The Spatial Multi Criteria Evaluation Method

Floods are the most common disasters in the world and severely disrupt lives and livelihoods. Furthermore, the developing countries, especially Indonesia, around 241 flood events in early 2023. The World Bank’s through its Climate Change Action Plan 2021-2025, aims to support Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development, in pursuing poverty eradication and shared prosperity with a sustainability lens. In the action plan, there are actions to identify and prioritize mitigation and adaptation activities to this effect. In connection with Flood Risk Management where there is no flood shelter location Demak Regency, this study aims to research location using the Spatial Multi Criteria Evaluation method by using the Geographic Information System. Geographic Information System can provide a precise and an effective mapping to mitigate the flood disaster. The Flood shelter can help disaster preparedness activities by minimizing casualties in Demak Regency. Based on the identification results, it was found that there were 36 main points and priority flood shelters in the form of worship facilities and educational facilities.

After the fire: A qualitative study of the role of long-term recovery organizations in addressing rural communities’ post-wildfire needs

U.S. wildfire activity has increased over the past several decades, disrupting the systems and infrastructure that support community health and resilience. As the cumulative burden of wildfire damage is projected to increase, understanding an effective community recovery process is critically important. Through qualitative interviews with leaders of long-term recovery organizations (LTROs), a key component of wildfire recovery, we explored barriers and facilitators to LTROs’ ability to support post-wildfire needs among rural communities. Between February-May 2022, we conducted surveys and semi-structured interviews with 18 leaders from six LTROs serving rural communities in Washington, Oregon, and California impacted by wildfires between 2015–2020. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Framework informed the semi-structured interview guide and a priori codebook, to examine LTROs’ ability to address post-wildfire community needs from a health equity perspective. Additional codes were added through an inductive approach, and emerging themes were identified. Our findings indicate that LTROs face many barriers in addressing community needs post-wildfire, including the policies governing access to and the slow arrival of recovery resources, the intertwined nature of community economic health and built environment restoration, and the challenge of forming a functional LTRO structure. However, participants also identified facilitators of LTROs’ work, including the ability of LTROs and their government partners to adapt policies and procedures, and close collaboration with other community organizations. Factors both internal and external to the community and LTROs’ organizational characteristics influence their ability to address community needs, essential to health, post-wildfire. This study’s findings suggest the need for policy improvements to promote more equitable recovery resource access, that economic recovery should be a core LTRO function, and that recovery planning should be incorporated into community disaster preparedness activities. Future research should focus on LTROs’ role in other contexts and in response to other disasters.

DISASTER IN SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Various quite extreme natural disasters have hit various parts of the world this year. Starting from America, China, Indonesia to Greece and Spain. Even Al Jazeraa re-wrote the list of disasters that occurred in a long list in early November, 2021. There has been a change in the orientation of disaster studies in the last decade, if initially discussing more technical issues about disaster triggering events and handling disaster victims, an approach that emphasizes more on human and community approach. In this study, trying to provide an overview of the sociological perspective of disaster management, which discusses the diversity of understanding, responses and patterns of local communities in dealing with disasters as well as understanding, responses and patterns of external actors or organizations in disaster management. Disaster planning and preparedness activities are a continuous learning process, not an end goal. The sociological perspective is not just knowledge, but must be a guide in the preparation of programs of activities, priorities, and strategies for implementing sustainable disaster management.
 
 Keywords: Disaster, Sociological Perspective, Disaster Management

Community Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Activities for Volcanic Eruption in Central Negros

Aims: Determine the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) activities for a volcanic eruption in communities within the danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon volcano in the areas of disaster prevention and mitigation and disaster preparedness as assessed by the community leaders. Moreover, it sought to solicit challenges encountered and recommendations of the community leaders in the implementation of DRRM activities for a volcanic eruption in the communities. 
 Study Design: Descriptive survey.
 Place and Duration of Study: 25 communities within the 14-kilometer danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon volcano in Central Negros, Philippines, between August 2021 and September 2021.
 Methodology: 105 community leaders of communities identified using a purposive sampling technique. Frequency, ranking, and percentage were used to identify and determine the DRRM activities in the areas of disaster prevention and mitigation, and preparedness. The same statistical tools were used to identify challenges encountered and the respondents' recommendations.
 Results: This study revealed that the DRRM activities were practiced and communicated with the community. Most community leaders were aware and active in planning, implementing, and disseminating preparedness and mitigation measures in preparation for a possible volcanic eruption. When it comes to challenges, the absence/weak internet signal and insufficiency of funds for rescue equipment and other emergency resources were among the significant challenges identified. As to the recommendations, holding training courses to capacitate community members and allocating funds to procure rescue equipment and other emergency resources were among those identified.
 Conclusion: Prevention and mitigation and disaster preparedness activities for volcanic eruptions are being practiced by the communities. However, these are not substantive because of some challenges beyond the community's capacity to provide, like weak internet connectivity and insufficient funds to finance all the necessary rescue equipment. Moreover, the recommendations gathered imply that communities value making these DRRM activities sustainable, improved, and strengthened.

Exploring deaf students’ disaster awareness and preparedness in U.S. higher education settings: Implications for university-level DRR policy and programming

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) communities in the US are underserved during climate and human-caused disasters. While it is necessary for first responders, who are often hearing, to receive additional training, it is important to recognize that DHH individuals themselves are critical leaders in disaster preparedness and response in their communities. This paper examines DHH college students’ disaster awareness and knowledge through a cross-sectional survey protocol adapted from the Disaster Knowledge Instrument (Catedral Mamon, 2017). The survey pertains to disaster awareness, and was administered via a written English online survey platform, from October 1 to November 1, 2019, to DHH students attending a university in the Mid-Atlantic United States that is specifically designed for educating DHH students. Results consisted of 205 DHH participants with 58.5% (n = 120) identifying as white and 59.5% (n = 122) as female. Findings indicated significant differences in disaster experiences and awareness with respect to reported gender identities and racial and ethnic identities. Gender, in particular, had an extremely high correlation with disaster experiences, with 93.7% of the survey sample (n = 205) having experienced one or more disasters in their lifetime. Gender also significantly predicted knowledge about disaster preparedness and readiness, disaster awareness, and disaster risk perception. The analysis developed in this article demonstrates that while DHH college students may be aware of disaster and emergency related phenomena, students do not appear to possess an actionable foundation of knowledge to prepare for and mitigate disaster impacts. Moreover, it is not clear where students received the information they are reporting, as there is an extreme scarcity of data on disaster and emergency training for DHH serving primary, secondary, and higher education settings–including at the university where this study was conducted. Ultimately, the article identifies that a robust research program is needed to ascertain the current status of disaster education and training initiatives for DHH students. Such research is necessary for understanding the kinds of disaster preparedness activities taking place with DHH students, how effective they are, and to identify recommendations for policy and programmatic inputs. These activities could serve as a foundation for quality and equitable disability inclusive emergency planning and training of DHH community members, including those working and studying in educational institutions.

Contribution of critical thinking in the disaster preparedness of geographic students

Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts (PRB) continue to be built and addressed through various activities considering that Indonesia is a country that is prone to disasters. In the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, with an abundance of information The educational community as one of the important stakeholders Risk Reduction Efforts (PRB) were required to be critical of the information that was spread out including disaster information. However, students do not aware with the abundance of information available that is appropriate for the basis of disaster preparedness. Therefore the writing of this article aims to measure the level of critical thinking and its contribution to disaster preparedness, especially flooding, in geography education students. The research method chosen in this study is the Quantitative Survey. The results showed that the level of critical thinking and disaster preparedness of students included in the medium category. The results of the contribution of critical thinking to disaster preparedness showed the result of R square (R2) determination of 50.4%. This shows that critical thinking has an influence on student disaster preparedness. Therefore, it is time to think critically about information to be the focus in one of the efforts in disaster preparedness activities.

Association between awareness of vulnerability and disaster preparedness in an infrastructure-resilient city: a population-based study

ObjectivesFactors associated with an individual's awareness of vulnerability can be modified by the infrastructure of a city. These factors may impact disaster preparedness among local populations in an infrastructure-resilient city, which further influences the health risks of various population subgroups. Study designThis was a population-based study. MethodsFour population subgroups, which have previously been reported to be related to awareness of vulnerability (i.e. past experiences, sociodemographic deprivation, poor housing conditions and family medical needs), were analysed for their impacts on disaster preparedness. Validated population-based phone interviews (n = 856) were conducted in Hong Kong. Three types of disaster preparedness were studied: (1) physical preparedness; (2) social preparedness; and (3) education preparedness. ResultsPrevious experience of social hazards, accidental hazards and epidemics increased disaster preparedness among the local population. Specifically, experiences of accidental hazards and social hazards were positively associated with physical preparedness (odds ratios 1.626, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.215, 2.172) and 1.501 [95% CI 1.114, 2.024], respectively). However, experiences of natural hazards did not increase preparedness, even in Hong Kong, which is a city with high ‘disaster resilience’ because of its well-developed infrastructure. Moreover, individuals with a low educational level or low income had lower education preparedness, unmarried individuals had lower social preparedness, and poor housing conditions of non-private-housing households had negative associations with education preparedness. These findings partially align with local disaster responses to the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut, the 2019 social unrest and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, all of which were observed after the 2018 survey reported in this study. ConclusionsSocial and environmental interventions should be targeted to marginalised subpopulations through location-based community strategies to encourage increased environmental knowledge and participation in disaster preparedness activities.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public engagement approaches to disaster preparedness for foreign residents: case of Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Japan

PurposeForeign residents in Japan are classified as one vulnerable group at risk of disasters. Therefore, various measures are in place to engage, educate and offer first-hand experiences of disaster countermeasures required to overcome systematic disaster preparedness problems. However, the need for Japan to prevent the spread and infection of COVID-19 has necessitated measures that prohibit public gatherings and other social activities. This study aims to look at how these arrangements have impacted public engagement approaches to disaster preparedness for foreign residents within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.Design/methodology/approachThis study identifies local organizations and examines their methods of engagement that enhance the disaster preparedness of foreign residents in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The activities are examined in the context of when there was no COVID-19 pandemic and the current state of the pandemic. A change in activities attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic is then extracted and explained through field surveys and interviews with the relevant organization.FindingsThis study reveals that most disaster preparedness activities were best accomplished through in-person engagements. Nevertheless, online engagements have become the alternative option because of COVID-19 infection prevention. This change has widen the coverage of some activities but major setbacks include events cancelations and technical and technological challenges attributed to using online platforms.Research limitations/implicationsThis study did not examine the effectiveness of pre-COVID-19 pandemic engagement approaches and current changes attributed to the pandemic; many public engagement literatures acknowledge success to include the number of participants, the abilities of organizations to find ways to effectively and positively engage their stakeholders for meaningful partnerships, the number of clicks, access to a website and comments made online. Therefore, as organizations in this study have shown a glimpse of the above characteristics, there are indications of some level of effectiveness in their engagement approaches even amid a pandemic.Practical implicationsTo avoid such situations in the future, there is the need for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, local governments and associated organizations to develop public engagement approaches that are flexible to resist or cope with in-person, remote encounters, or sudden circumstances that could potentially derail planned activities.Social implicationsThe most effects attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic are the cancelation of many disaster drill exercises, community disaster walks, training of volunteers for foreign residents’ assistance and many hours of “Yasashii Nihongo” lesson. The cancelation of activities is a setback to the efforts of self-help and mutual aid campaigns by authorities to reduce the impacts of disasters.Originality/valueThe spirit of inclusion has been an embodiment of disaster management approaches in Japan for years for which policy recognitions have been tagged along the dimensions of public aid, self-help and mutual aid. These are aimed at engaging the populace, especially foreign residents in disaster training and exercises, language study and other communal activities for disaster preparedness. However, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there have been a series of restrictions on gathering and inter-personal public engagement activities in Japan. As foreigners are classified as the most vulnerable to disaster in Japan, it is important to understand how these restrictions will/are affecting the efforts of integration and disaster preparedness, which are a crucial part of the Government’s effort to reduce casualties and damage in the anticipated Nankai megathrust earthquake. Besides the results being useful for government interventions, it also adds to the knowledge of the repercussion of COVID-19 and how to plan for emergencies.

Implications for Preparedness for Disasters in Developing Countries for Health Education: A Literature Review

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of small to large-scale disasters in different parts of the world, affecting more people than ever, claiming thousands of lives, displacing millions of people, and destroying billions of dollar-worth of property globally. Studies have noted that disasters can happen anywhere, but about eighty-five per cent of those exposed to disasters reside in developing countries. These observations and reports have made it expedient for communities and nations to start building capacities and developing strategies and programs to respond to disasters or emergencies with their own resources, both human and material, without relying solely on aid international community. Despite increasing rates of disasters globally, most developing countries lag behind in preparedness to handle emergencies like disasters effectively, efficiently and appropriately. This is attributed to a number of factors, one of which is low disaster literacy level among the public. Hence, the need for health education to raise level of awareness and knowledge of disasters and improve attitudes and skills of individuals, communities, authorities and organizations in disaster prevention and reduction. A popular saying in disaster management is that “we cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge to save lives and property”. This statement emphasizes great role health education in disaster preparedness. The study intended to review from studies preparedness for disasters in developing countries: implications of health education. The study utilized conventional subject-search method, and a supplementary search method of citation/unstructured searching technique to review twenty-nine papers. The results showed that the resilience and capacity for disaster preparedness of any countries depends largely on the level and qualities of disaster awareness and education of the people, and the study also confirmed and added more information to already done research work the vital roles health education plays in all phases of preparedness for disasters. The study concluded that effectiveness and efficiency of disaster preparedness activities of nations are predicated on the level of disaster literacy and health education base of the people

The value of weather and climate information to the Tanzanian disaster risk reduction sector using non-monetary approaches

AbstractThis paper investigates the value of weather and climate information at different timescales for decision making in the Tanzanian disaster risk reduction sector using non-monetary approaches. Interviews and surveys were conducted with institutions responsible for disaster management at national, regional and district level. A range of values were identified including: 1) making informed decisions for disaster preparedness, response, recovery and restoration related activities; 2) tailoring of directives and actions based on sectoral impacts; 3) identification of hotspot areas for diseases outbreaks and surplus food production. However, while, a number of guidelines, policies, acts and regulations for disaster risk reduction exist it is not clear how well they promote the use of weather and climate information across climate sensitive sectors. Nonetheless, we find that well-structured disaster risk reduction coordination across sectors and institutions from the national to district level exists, although there is a need for further development of integrated Early Warning Systems, and a common platform to evaluate effectiveness and usefulness of weather warnings and advisories. Key challenges to address in increasing the uptake of weather warnings and advisories include language barriers, limited dissemination to rural areas, and limited awareness of forecasts. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend further quantitative evaluation of the skill of the severe weather warnings issued by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, and an assessment of how decisions and actions are made by recipients of the warnings in the disaster risk reduction sector at different stages in the warning, response and recovery process.

Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the Hawkesbury-Nepean region: A co-production approach

Fifteen percent of the global population live with some form of disability with refugees, migrants, indigenous peoples and prisoners with disabilities facing particular challenges accessing services. Despite this, people with disabilities are overlooked in disaster preparedness activities. In Australia, 29.7% of the population are born overseas and there is little understanding of how people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities are prepared and able to respond to disaster triggered by natural hazard (e.g. flood) and other emergencies. Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) is an approach that directs attention to the support needs of people with disabilities, in interaction with their environment, to plan and prepare for emergencies. This project implemented a co-production approach building the capacity of our community partner to co-develop sustainable resources and build disaster preparedness awareness and action among people with disabilities from CALD communities in the flood-prone Hawkesbury-Nepean region in Australia. This paper reports on the outcomes of the workshops as well as reflection on the benefits, challenges and lessons learnt from the co-production approach that was used.

Canadian health emergency management professionals’ perspectives on the prevalence and effectiveness of disaster preparedness activities in response to COVID-19

Emergency management (EM) professionals play an integral role in preparing healthcare organizations for disasters but evidence of their pervasiveness in Canadian healthcare is limited. Through an exploratory Canada-wide survey of EM in healthcare organizations, we aim to develop understanding of the prevalence and effectiveness of the disaster preparedness activities enacted in preparation for COVID-19. The online survey generated 161 responses; 150 (93%) had EM responsibility. EM reported that reviewing infectious disease (pandemic) plans and protocols was the most widespread activity (82%), while simulation-based exercises was the least (26%). Organizational incident management response to COVID-19 was led by a sole ‘incident commander’ 61% of the time, while 39% of ‘incident commands’ were led by multiple individuals. Of all those assigned to lead IM, only 68% received training in that role. Overall, the prevalence of disaster preparedness activities in healthcare organizations was positively associated with leaders who received training in incident response and having a dedicated EM resource. Meanwhile, the overall effectiveness of activities was positively correlated with having a sole ‘incident commander’ and was found to improve as the overall prevalence of activities rose. The study provides strong evidence for regional, organizational, and EM resource variation in the delivery of disaster preparedness activities and training for leaders in Canadian healthcare. Hence, we recommend the creation of a national health emergency preparedness system which includes legislated standards and a national training centre to ensure Canadian healthcare is bolstered against future disasters including pandemics.

Factors influencing flood disaster preparedness initiatives among small and medium enterprises located at flood-prone area

This paper highlights the factors affecting SMEs flood disaster preparedness located in Segamat District of Malaysia. An interviewer-assisted survey using a set of flood disaster preparedness questionnaire (developed and validated by a team of disaster management experts from various background) were implemented among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) business owners and managers (n = 253). The analysis of regression provided insights into the various factors affecting the contribution of small and medium-sized businesses towards flood preparedness activities. Findings demonstrated that risk perception is the most consistent factors in influencing preparedness actions. Besides that, previous experiences on floods, retails sectors and male ownership also contributed to a high level of flood disaster preparedness engagement. This research gave insight at why small and medium-sized businesses are involved in disaster preparedness activities which includes discussion from a review of previous findings.

Reminders for Learning about Flood Risk Preparedness in Indonesian Poor Villages: Parallel Group In Situ Randomized Controlled Trial

AbstractPoor people tend to be vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods because of their limited resources and capacities. Community-based disaster preparedness activities aim to increase aware...

The Factors Affecting Volunteers' Willingness to Participate in Disaster Preparedness.

Disaster preparedness is crucial for providing an effective response to, and reducing the possible impacts of, disasters. Although volunteers’ participation plays an important role in disaster preparedness, their actual participation in disaster preparedness activities is still low. To find ways to encourage more volunteers to participate, this study analyzed the social background and organizational and attitudinal factors affecting the volunteers’ willingness to participate. Questionnaires were distributed to 990 registered disaster volunteers across Beijing and the data were analyzed using linear regression models. Results revealed a weak willingness to participate in disaster preparedness. Only 28.08% of the respondents indicated that they were “very ready” to participate in voluntary disaster preparedness, and 14.65% showed “a little bit” of interest. The following was concluded: (1) Disaster volunteers’ social background variables were related to their willingness to participate in disaster preparedness. Compared to male volunteers, female volunteers were more willing to participate. Chinese Communist Party members were more willing to participate than non-members. (2) Providing accidental life insurance for the volunteers had a positive effect on their willingness to participate in disaster preparedness. Provision of more training had a negative effect on the volunteers’ willingness to participate, indicating a low quality of training. (3) Organizational identification was positively related to the volunteers’ willingness to participate. According to these results, we suggest that volunteer organizations should improve their standards and procedures for disaster volunteer recruitment and selection, and gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the disaster volunteers in order to better motivate them to participate.

A Report on GIS Based Analysis of Landslides in Myagdi District

Lanslide have become a routine event during monsoon in Nepal which accompanies a huge social, physical and economical loss. As the number of landslide event is in increasing order each year but their proper study is still limited, this assessment is an example of simple step in landslide study. Also, the developmental activities disturb the topology and hence increase or bring new form of landslide in the region. This report is mainly a preliminary study of existing landslide in Myagdi district which is generally carried out using QGIS software and remote sensing data available from http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov and recent Google satellite image. From the analysis carried out by using the inbuilt features in QGIS, relationship between various terrain, hydrological and anthropogenic parameters with landslide was driven. Based on this approach a simple precautionary measures in development activities, disaster preparedness and mitigation activities can be carried out.