Disaster Prevention 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.

A Study on Improving Disaster Mitigation Awareness by Simulated Flood Experience Using VR Videos

Abstract. In recent years, the frequency of floods has been increasing every year, causing considerable damage, in particular, to human life due to delays in evacuation. In this research, a web page containing a questionnaire was created to investigate the changes in human action during floods to contribute to efficient disaster prevention and mitigation activities by residents and municipality officers in charge of disaster management. The subjects were made to watch videos created using Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The questionnaire on the web page was used to verify whether watching the VR videos would change people's attitudes toward disaster mitigation in the event of a flood. The results showed that the subjects who watched the VR videos were more likely to choose the correct action and the decision time to choose the action was earlier. These results indicate that VR videos can be used to raise awareness of efficient disaster mitigation actions during floods.

지역 커뮤니티를 통한 지역 방재력 향상에 관한 연구

This study analyzed the characteristics of regional disaster prevention-related laws and cases through residents' communities in Japan, with the purpose of presenting policy direction for improving disaster preparedness in the event of a disaster in Korea. As a result of the study, the following conclusions were obtained. First, when large-scale disasters such as the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in Japan, residents' activities through self-help and mutual assistance became important due to the limitations of public assistance. Public awareness also decreased that “emphasis should be placed on public assistance”, but the proportion of those who responded that “public assistance, mutual assistance and self-help should be balanced” increased. Second, due to the revision of the “Framework Act on Disaster Countermeasures” in 2014, the “District Disaster-Prevention Plan” for autonomous, local disaster -prevention activities was introduced. The characteristics of the “District Disaster- Prevention Plan” are ① bottom-up plans in which plans are established and proposed by residents. ② It is a plan that is directly prepared by a resident who is familiar with the current issues of the region and is in line with the reality and characteristics of the region. ③ It is a plan to enhance the disaster prevention capacity of the region based on the “District Disaster-Prevention Plan” by emphasizing the implementation of disaster prevention activities, regular evaluation, and continuity of disaster prevention activities. Third, since the implementation of the “District Disaster-Prevention Plan” in 2014, various disaster prevention organizations have been working to establish plans in various parts of Japan. There are various representative disaster prevention activities ① centered on residents' associations, neighborhood associations, and elementary schools, ② local disaster prevention activities centered on private businesses, and ③ those centered on universities.

Research in computing-intensive simulations for nature-oriented civil-engineering and related scientific fields, using machine learning and big data: an overview of open problems

This article presents a taxonomy and represents a repository of open problems in computing for numerically and logically intensive problems in a number of disciplines that have to synergize for the best performance of simulation-based feasibility studies on nature-oriented engineering in general and civil engineering in particular. Topics include but are not limited to: Nature-based construction, genomics supporting nature-based construction, earthquake engineering, and other types of geophysical disaster prevention activities, as well as the studies of processes and materials of interest for the above. In all these fields, problems are discussed that generate huge amounts of Big Data and are characterized with mathematically highly complex Iterative Algorithms. In the domain of applications, it has been stressed that problems could be made less computationally demanding if the number of computing iterations is made smaller (with the help of Artificial Intelligence or Conditional Algorithms), or if each computing iteration is made shorter in time (with the help of Data Filtration and Data Quantization). In the domain of computing, it has been stressed that computing could be made more powerful if the implementation technology is changed (Si, GaAs, etc.…), or if the computing paradigm is changed (Control Flow, Data Flow, etc.…).

Disaster Mitigation Policy by The Government Of Bima In Realizing A Disaster Resilient City

The purpose of this research is to describe the local government policies in realizing Bima as a Disaster Resilient City and to describe the form of disaster mitigation policies by the Bima government in realizing a Disaster Resilient City. Research method of this research is normative-empirical legal research (Mix Methods), using a statutory approach (Statute Approach), and a conceptual approach, the type of data used is secondary data and is supported by primary data. The result shows that the disaster mitigation policy efforts developed by the Bima City government are in the form of Structural (Physical) Mitigation, drainage systems, retention dams, construction of retaining dams, making check dams, dams, earthquake-resistant house river embankments. Non-Structural (Non-Physical) Mitigation legislation, training, socialization. The policy forms of the Bima Government indicate that a Regional Regulation is made which includes the establishment of development policies that pose a risk of disaster, disaster prevention activities, emergency response and rehabilitation. In addition, other policies are 7 priority Regional Resilience Index (IKD) and 71 Regional Resilience Index Indicators in 2020/2021. The usefulness of this research is academically, this research is expected to be useful for further researchers as well as the development of legal science in the future, practically, this research is expected to be a reference for further researchers and the Government in particular in studying how disaster mitigation policy arrangements by Bima Government in order to realize Disaster Resilient City. The authenticity of this research lies in the regulation of disaster mitigation policies, as far as the authors search that the policies carried out by the City government already exist, but in the post-disaster period, those who have conducted research on other objects. Therefore, it is considered important to do research.

Risk Awareness and Impediments to Disaster Preparedness of Foreign Residents in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Japan.

The likelihood of a mega-earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the threat of other disasters in the Tokyo Metropolitan area have necessitated collective responsibilities to take all possible actions to reduce their impacts. The experiences from past disasters have, however, highlighted the plight of foreign residents in coping with disasters and have reinvigorated calls for rigorous counteractions. As the population of foreign residents continues to increase in the metropolis, this research examines their awareness of risks and the obstacles that hinder disaster preparedness in the wake of future disasters. An Extended Parallel Process Model is utilized to analyze both secondary and primary data sources, and the results reveal that 65% perceive the severity of disaster as a threat and believe in a likelihood of occurrence in the city; however, the confidence to undertake some recommended countermeasures are lacking (with low efficacy of 70%). This is causing many to control their fear by not actively seeking further risk information or participating in disaster prevention activities. In consideration of these instances, the study recommends a collective approach built upon the merits of stakeholder engagements to provide vicarious experiences, verbal persuasions, and mastery experiences to boost the response capacities of foreign residents for disaster preparedness. This will be relevant for city authorities to enhance risk communication and foster foreigner–Japanese community integration.

Examining the relationship between media representations of typhoon-related issues and public risk perception

Japan is prone to typhoons and has accumulated a wide range of knowledge about preparing for typhoon disasters. With the development of the Internet, risk information associated with typhoon disasters has increased in online sites. In the pre-emergency phase, media coverage serves as an important guideline for individual disaster mitigation actions. However, depending on which aspects of risk are portrayed in media, attention may be focused only on a few specific risky areas or events. When people do not perceive risk correctly, the risk message can be misleading for mitigation actions. This study conducted a quantitative content analysis to examine how the risk of typhoons was understood by users through online news stories concerning Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 during the pre-emergency phase. Our results found that perception of typhoon risk was distorted by previous typhoon disaster coverage. Additionally, disinformation that could cause confusion in disaster prevention behaviors, was spread on online message boards. Bulletin boards have the potential to inform many people of social norms that encourage them to be well prepared for typhoons. According to the content analysis of online comments, online users indicated that mandatory orders from the government provide the only excuse for missing work during a crisis. Risk managers should monitor the spread of inaccurate information about disaster prevention activities and convince companies to conduct pre-disaster preparedness planning with employees. Clear presentation of social norms on disaster prevention make it easier for people to take disaster prevention actions.

Development of “A Support System for Disaster Prevention and Evacuation” Based on the Experience of the Kumamoto Earthquake

In the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake that heavily impacted Mashiki Town of Kumamoto City, Japan, the cooperation between the Kumamoto City government, welfare shelters, and individuals with special needs was insufficient. As a result, many people requiring support could not use welfare shelters and spent their evacuation lives in places where they were not sufficiently equipped with adequate resources. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose support methods so that many people with special needs can use welfare shelters. In addition, we will deepen the cooperation between the three administrative parties by developing a support tool, “a support system for disaster prevention and evacuation”. The system embraces (1) disaster prevention activities, (2) aid during disasters, (3) restoration and reconstruction, and (4) support each phase for taking records and addressing issues. This system will allow many people with special needs to use welfare shelters in times of grave need. Demonstration experiments will be conducted utilising the system to help verify usefulness and identify points for improvement.

A Redeemable SVM-DS Fusion-Based Trust Management Mechanism for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) have gradually received attention due to their widespread applications, such as in disaster prevention, environmental monitoring and military activities, and they simultaneously face security challenges. In recent years, trust management mechanisms have become important tools for responding to internal attackers. However, most of the existing trust management mechanisms do not consider the adverse influence of complex underwater environment on node evaluation, and do not deal with the case that normal nodes are misjudged as malicious nodes. To achieve accurate trust evaluation of nodes and reduce the possibility of misjudgment of normal nodes, a redeemable Support Vector Machine-Dempster-Shafer (SVM-DS) fusion-based trust management mechanism (SDFTM) is proposed for UASNs in this paper. First, according to the characteristics of attacks, three kinds of trust evidence are selected: packet-based evidence, data-based evidence and energy-based evidence. Then the support vector machine (SVM) is applied to classify the trust of node from the aspect of each kind of trust evidence, while Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory is used to fuse the different trust classification results of nodes. Second, to deal with cases where a normal node may be misclassified as a malicious node, trust redemption process is carried out based on the historical performance and environmental influence (unreliable acoustic channel, weak link connectivity). Finally, the trust value is calculated and updated. The simulation results prove that the proposed scheme yields satisfactory performance in malicious detection and reduce the possibility of misjudgment of normal nodes.

Risk perception in Unión Juárez, Chiapas, Mexico

The proximity to the Tacana volcano, to the subduction zone between the Cocos and North America plates, to the Mexican coast, and to the active geologic Polochic-Motagua fault makes the population of Union Juarez (UJ), Chiapas, Mexico, exposed to many natural hazards including hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. We assessed the risk perception of UJ, and our findings indicate that the community has moderate level of risk perception according to the scale of the National Center for Disaster Prevention of Mexico. The UJ’s risk perception is mainly dependent on gender and religion because females unlike males in case of disasters and emergencies: (1) believe that it is necessary to improve their preparedness; (2) trust the local civil protection authorities; (3) would know how to respond; (4) would follow the established protocols; and (5) would not relocate. On the other hand, non-religious people know better the protocols to follow in the event of disasters than the religious population. Besides, the community of UJ reasonably perceives earthquakes and extreme rains as the main hazards that they are exposed to, while volcanic hazards are considered less important although the town is located very close to the Tacana volcano that has been active during the last 30 years. The local population lacks of proper knowledge and resources to develop adequate disaster mitigation plans. Surprisingly, the work of the local civil protection is considered poor. Our results can be used for local authorities as a tool to strength the disaster prevention actions in UJ.

Explosion at an aluminum factory caused by the July 2018 Japan floods: Investigation of damages and evacuation activities

An explosion at an aluminum factory occurred due to floods in Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, in July 2018. This study investigates the accident, its overall impact on local residents, and emergency management activities. The results of the study showed that several nearby structures and homes were damaged by the explosion. Concern for more explosions has led to the evacuation of residents of Shimobara area of Soja City. In Shimobara, residents had carried out voluntary disaster prevention activities before the disaster. After the explosion, Shimobara residents were able to evacuate safely in cooperation with the voluntary disaster prevention organization and the local government agency. The study revealed that there was a lack of information on chemical accident hazards shared by the factory with local government authorities and first responders, as well as with local residents. In order to be better prepared for technological accidents, and in particular accidents caused by natural disasters (known as Natechs), mechanisms for information sharing between companies and municipalities should be adopted.

Evaluating Training Need for Epidemic Control in Three Metropolitans: Implications for COVID-19 Preparedness in Vietnam.

Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide face a critical shortage of human resources in the health sector. Medical students are a potential task force with the capability to support the stretched health sector. This study aims to evaluate their training need for epidemic control in order to employ them effectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based survey from December 2019 to February 2020. There were 5,786 observations collected using the snowball sampling technique. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with training participation in epidemic prevention and disaster prevention. Multiple Poisson regression model was constructed to examine factors associated with the number of times they participated in sanitation training and disaster prevention activities in the previous 12 months. Sanitation and health education communication activities had the highest proportion of participants, with 76.5 and 38.4%, followed by examining and treating diseases in the community (13.4%). Those who participated in community activities had a higher number of times to participate in epidemic sanitation training and be involved in disaster prevention. This study informed the need for training programs to prepare medical students for COVID-19 epidemic responses. The training curriculum should include both theoretical approaches and contextual approaches to achieve efficient epidemic control.

Coastal habitats across sea-to-inland gradient sustain endangered coastal plants and Hymenoptera in coastal dune ecosystems of Japan

Coastal sand dune ecosystems have been lost and increasingly fragmented due to human use and disaster prevention over the past few decades. Generally, habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss have led to the decline of species biodiversity. In coastal dune ecosystems, habitat loss across the coastal gradient may be a major driver of the decline in coastal species diversity and ecosystem functions. In this study, we assessed the species richness of coastal plants and hymenopteran insects in fragmented coastal dunes of Japan using six sites with and without back-dune habitats. We recorded plant species and their flowering status monthly from April to September 2018 and examined the effects of landscape factors on plant species richness. We also assessed the species richness of hymenopteran bees and wasps and compared their determinants with those of plants. In total, we identified 109 plant species, including 33 native coastal plants (10 of which are endangered) and 40 exotic plants. The number of native plant species was positively affected by the presence of back-dune habitat and sand dune size, while that of native coastal plant species was positively affected only by the presence of back-dune habitat. In contrast, the number of exotic plant species was dependent only on sand dune size. We recorded 58 hymenopteran species including 28 bee pollinators and 30 predatory wasp species. The number of hymenopteran species was positively related to the number of native plant species for both bees and wasps. In conclusion, habitat loss across the coastal gradients led to decreased species richness of native coastal plant species, resulting in reduced species richness of pollinator and predatory insect communities. Most of the coastal areas across sea-to-inland gradients have been lost due to recent disaster prevention activities. Our results highlight the urgent need for biodiversity conservation of endangered species in remnant coastal dune ecosystems.

Consideration of Evacuation Drills Utilizing the Capabilities of People with Special Needs

People with special needs are at higher risk during a disaster than those without because of delayed disaster evacuation behaviors. Therefore, one of the top priorities in the field of disaster risk reduction is implementing evacuation support for the people with special needs. However, assistance is often limited, especially in areas with declining and aging populations. In addition, past evacuation activities for people with special needs have tended to focus on the barriers they face and assistance they need during evacuation rather than their utilizable capabilities. Therefore, this study considers evacuation drills that utilize the capabilities of people with special needs. An “indoor evacuation drill” was developed and the evacuation behaviors of residents with special needs were analyzed. An indoor evacuation drill is defined as an evacuation activity that participants carry out within their own homes – for example, evacuating from the bedroom to an exit. In coastal areas, such a drill helps residents prepare to evacuate their homes in case of a tsunami, while in mountainous regions, it helps them prepare for evacuation to the upper floors in case of a landslide. The study participants were residents of Hamamachi ward (a coastal area) and Kumai ward (a mountainous area) in Kuroshio town, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. The results indicate that an indoor evacuation drill conducted in the participants’ living area, such as the entrance or second floor of their home, is easier to implement than usual disaster evacuation drills, and helps people with special needs regain autonomy in disaster risk reduction activities. Moreover, the participation rate of the target population in local evacuation drills increased after participating in the indoor evacuation drills. Existing evacuation drills often overlook people with special needs, and delays in disaster prevention for this population are often associated with their lack of interest in related activities. However, the results of this study suggest that disaster prevention activities themselves sometimes overlook the challenges faced by people with special needs and prevent them from participating.

Experience, Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence in Social (Fire) and Chemical Technology

“Realization of society 5.0 in fire and disaster prevention activities” is one of intensive goals of Japanese government developing fire technology [1]. Improvement of new equipment and materials for disaster response utilizing AI and ICT should be developed according to social requirements. Efforts to predict earthquake, pour, flood, etc. through AI analysis of data collected from past disasters must continue. In parallel with such elaboration of disaster prediction, it is necessary to proceed with preparations for prompt and accurate provision of disaster information during emergency situations and support for rebuilding lives post disaster.

Experience, Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence in Social (Fire) and Chemical Technology

“Realization of society 5.0 in fire and disaster prevention activities” is one of intensive goals of Japanese government developing fire technology [1]. Improvement of new equipment and materials for disaster response utilizing AI and ICT should be developed according to social requirements. Efforts to predict earthquake, pour, flood, etc. through AI analysis of data collected from past disasters must continue. In parallel with such elaboration of disaster prediction, it is necessary to proceed with preparations for prompt and accurate provision of disaster information during emergency situations and support for rebuilding lives post disaster.

An Education System for Collaborative Governance in Disaster Management - A Comparative Study of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan -

각종 대형재난이 빈발함에 따라 재난관리에 있어서 정부, 민간, 시민사회의 상호협력을 통한 협력적 거버넌스의 중요성이 점차 확대되고 있다. 한국은 현재 공공부문에 국한된 인력 및 기술이 투입되고 있으며 민간, 시민사회의 협조체계 마련은 미흡한 실정이다. 특히 참여 주체들의 재난에 대한 이해 정도와 수행역할에 대한 인지가 명료해야 하나, 정부 주도적 시스템 하에서 관련 교육은 미미한 수준이다. 이에 본 논문에서는 선진국과 한국의 재난 교육시스템을 비교하고 함의를 도출하고자 한다. 연구결과 첫째, 관련법의 재정비를 통한 법적 안정성 및 합목적성이 요구된다. 둘째, 마을 단위의 대처를 포함한 재난관리 인프라 점검 및 개선이 필요하다. 셋째, 재난에 대한 인식개선을 바탕으로 협력적 거버넌스 구축 하에서 재난 교육시스템이 강화되고 생활화될 필요가 있다. 즉, 재난과 관련하여 정부, 민간, 시민사회 등 모든 영역에서 구성원의 소통 활성화, 지식 향상, 역할 명료화를 강화하는 교육시스템 구축을 통해 긴밀하고 효과적인 재난 예방ㆍ대비ㆍ대응ㆍ복구가 가능할 것으로 기대된다.With the frequent occurrence of large-scale disasters, the importance of collaborative governance through mutual cooperation among government, private sector, and civil society in disaster management has been gradually increased. In South Korea, disaster management tasks mostly belong to the public sector, without sufficient collaboration with private sector and civil society. Therefore, it is critical to enhance disaster management capacity by raising disaster knowledge of participants. This study intends to draw implications by comparing disaster education systems in Korea with other developed countries such as the U.S. and Japan. The results of the study are as follows. First, related laws should be reorganized to ensure legal stability and justifiability. Second, it is necessary to check and improve the disaster management infrastructure including community-level action. Third, based on the improvement of disaster awareness, disaster education system should be strengthened within a cooperative governance framework. As a result, disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery activities would become effective through the establishment of an education system that strengthens communication, improves knowledge and clarify the roles of all stakeholders.

Development of Disaster Prevention System Based on Deep Neural Network using Deep Learning with Dropout

Yoon, I.J. and Hong, J.-W., 2019. Development of disaster prevention system based on deep neural network using deep learning with dropout. In: Lee, J.L.; Yoon, J.-S.; Cho, W.C.; Muin, M., and Lee, J. (eds.), The 3rd International Water Safety Symposium. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 91, pp. 186-190. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Recently, unprecedented abnormal climates and disasters of the greatest intensity have increased worldwide due to various problems such as global warming. In particular, from the Great East Japan Eartquake in March 2011, Japan has suffered from the highest frequency of disasters (floods, earthquakes, etc.) and the single largest external force (tsunami) that have not been experienced before. For such disasters of the maximum frequency, the hard and soft countermeasures alone have limitations and it is critical to integrate and appropriately harmonize them with various disaster prevention systems.The purpose of this study is to develop a flood risk management information system to support natural disaster mitigation measures. The main function of the disaster prevention support system is to select the most similar one to a typhoon before landing based on past typhoon data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology and to present guidelines for prior disaster prevention activities according to various disaster factors caused by the selected typhoon (e.g., water level and river flow rate). A database was constructed for 189 typhoons that directly or indirectly affected the target area among those that occurred between 1950 and 2017, and a system was developed by applying AI technologies such as Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Dropout. The main parameters of this database are typhoon route, central pressure, moving speed, precipitation, water level, and flow rate. For the grid sizes of the model, 2° and 1° in longitude and in latitude were considered. The system search results showed the highest reliability of the model at the grid size of 1° when only typhoon route, center pressure, and moving speed were considered compared to the results of considering other parameters.

The Web-based Framework of X-Band Polarimetric Radar System

The application of X-Band Polarimetric radar (X-Band MP radar) is very effective in disaster risk management which can help professional, researchers, private and government agencies to take actions for rainfall-related disaster preparedness and prevention activities. This needs dissemination of rainfall radar data and information for developing the methods, models and applications. With the emerging Internet technologies, many web-based systems are used as a fundamental platform for gathering, processing and delivering the data or information in many fields. This paper is aimed to recognize the requirements of a web-based framework for rainfall estimation system by using X-Band MP radar. Through the systematic approach, three requirements for the proposed architecture are identified, which are the source of rainfall data, the technology involved in the system development and the features of web-based system. Those requirements are represent the whole concept of X-Band MP radar system for Malaysia. Based on the outcome of this study, a web-based system framework is proposed and the prototype of the proposed system will be developed.

Variation of Geospatial Representation of Community Hazard Maps with Disaster Prevention Activities

Abstract. After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the limitation of assistance by public bodies in the time of such massive natural disaster struck has been recognized. Moreover, it has acknowledged that self-help by suffered families and mutual support of neighbours are crucial to mitigate further damage. Since then, the major focus of the disaster management in Japan has altered to effectiveness of non-structural measures for a forecast crisis. Thus, improving the existing hazard maps into those that show actions to be taken by residents in an easy-to-understand manner has been dictated by the national government.This study discusses the geospatial representation of an alternative hazard map from residents’ perspective with the local community activities. Those mapping activities have been conducted for some years in a study area. Then, the geospatial information represented on the community hazard map has gradually changed. At the early year of the activities, the map represents the certainty of disaster risks. At the late year of those after few modifications have made, the map mainly argues the possibility of risks from residents’ perspective.