Disaster Resilience Research Articles

Towards a Resilient City: Analyzing Semarang Preparedness in Facing Disaster Related to Climate Change, Indonesia

Semarang, a populous Indonesian coastal city, faces rising sea levels, tidal floods, and potential increases in rainfall intensity due to climate change. Measuring urban resilience is crucial to understand current and future disaster risks, informing the development of effective climate and disaster resilience policies. This study analyzes Semarang City's preparedness for climate-related disasters using a qualitative approach. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and surveys involving stakeholders and representatives from each sub-district were conducted. The Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) framework was employed to assess preparedness across natural, social, economic, institutional, and physical dimensions. The findings reveal that preparedness in Semarang is a multi-faceted and ongoing effort. While initial analysis suggests a moderate level of preparedness, areas for improvement include strengthening the climate action plan, expanding early warning system reach, and enhancing community flood coping capacity. These actions are essential to safeguard society and the environment, bolstering the city's resilience and adaptability to climate change impacts.

Assessment of School Teacher's Disaster Preparedness by Using Comprehensive School Safety Framework

The Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF) is a comprehensive strategy for a safe learning environment for teachers, students and school staff. This study assessed the disaster preparedness level of secondary school teachers in the public school district Attock. Three hundred twenty teachers were selected from district Attock public based on their age, gender, qualification, teaching level and teaching experience. A five-point Likert scale survey instrument using the CSS framework was used to analyze the disaster preparedness of secondary school teachers. The data was collected through Google Forms using a survey. Data was standardized on MS Excel for a smooth run on SPPS. The data revealed that the majority of the schools are prepared for disaster. There are safe learning facilities, school disaster management, disaster risk reduction and resilience education. However, no school was found to be highly prepared. At the end of the study, the researcher gives further research recommendations on school safety based on the CSS framework.

Pengembangan Kapasitas Kelembagaan Desa Tangguh Bencana (Destana) di Kabupaten Magelang

Development of institutional capacity in disaster management in Magelang Regency through the Disaster Resilient Village (Destana). The number of disasters that occurred in Magelang Regency in 2022 was 624 disaster events consisting of strong winds or tornadoes, landslides, house fires, forest or land fires, floods and volcanoes. The aim of this research is to analyze the Institutional Capacity Development Policy through Disaster Resilient Villages (Destana) in Magelang Regency. The research methodology uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques through observation, interviews and documentation. The research results found that institutional strengthening in the Destana program was achieved by establishing a Village Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (PRB). This forum has been formed since 2015 and is called "Ing Sasmita Response Forum (FORTIS)". Fortis consists of representatives from the community, government, vulnerable groups and representatives from women. Fortis has 30 members with 10 women (33%). Furthermore, strengthening institutions by forming a Volunteer Team (Disaster Preparedness Team) with volunteer team members coming from members of the PRB forum and volunteers. Apart from that, the Magelang Regency government also strengthened institutions by collaborating between institutions and areas closest to the border. However, this collaboration does not yet have a cooperation agreement (MoU) agreed upon by both parties, so it is not yet binding on the parties involved in disaster management

Disaster Resilience Scale for individuals: A fundamental requirement for a disaster-resilient society

This study proposes a scale that measures the disaster resilience of individuals as members of a disaster-resilient society. We constructed the Disaster Resilience Scale for Individuals (DRSi) by using the survey data of 10,000 individuals across Japan, and extracting 8 factors from 24 items. The verification process shows that DRSi scores differ based on the respondents’ gender and area of residence, thus reflecting the impact of gender-based division of roles in Japan, and region-specific disaster experiences. We also propose a short version of the DRSi for the convenience of data collection. Furthermore, DRSi is expected to work as an effective tool for measuring resilience at the individual level to evaluate the impact of an intervention on a local community.

Classification and Planning Strategies of Multidimensional Resilience Units for Urban Waterlogging: A Case Study of the Old City District in Shijiazhuang, China

The frequency of urban disasters such as waterlogging has markedly increased, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen urban disaster prevention capabilities and resilience. This research, anchored in the resilience characteristics of robustness, redundancy, resource deploy ability, and rapid response, devised a resilience clustering factor system specifically designed for older urban districts. The old city district of Shijiazhuang, China, was selected as the empirical case study area. This research employs the K-Means++ clustering method to analyze the region’s resilience units against waterlogging. Furthermore, it utilizes the method of pedigree classification to categorize the identified ten types of resilience. Secondly, these were subsequently divided into three primary categories based on a spectrum of strengths and weaknesses within each unit: dominant, mixed, and disadvantaged clustering. This categorization unveiled the unique resilience distribution patterns within the area. The findings of this study reveal a pronounced differentiation in resilience types among the units in Shijiazhuang’s old city district. This spatial analysis highlighted a significant heterogeneity, with a tendency towards cluster formation. The spatial distribution of different resilience unit types was found to be uneven, leading to the emergence of clustered, patch-like, and zonal agglomerations. Combined with the unit clustering classification and the mean clustering performance of each factor, the response unit of waterlogging control resilience planning is determined for the study area, and the strategy of resilience waterlogging control and linkage is proposed. By mapping the spectrum of rainwater resilience types across the studied area, this research broadens the scope of resilience evaluation from a traditional vertical-level assessment to a more comprehensive horizontal typological analysis, offering empirical, theoretical insights for future resilience-building endeavors in older urban districts.

Faith-based organisations and disaster management in informal urban Accra

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

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

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

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

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

Fire Safety Awareness and Practices of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Students in a Philippine Public Secondary School

The Philippines is one of the countries that faced severe fire disasters. However, fire received little recognition in disaster readiness and risk reduction. Seeing that students are gathered in one place, a fire safety assessment is necessary to ascertain their acquisition of competencies in fundamental concepts of fire. Anchored on KAP theory, this study investigated the Grade 12 STEM students' safety awareness before, during, and after a fire in relation to practices in public schools in the central Philippines relative to sex and family monthly income. Using a descriptive, comparative, and correlational approach, a validated and reliability-tested questionnaire was administered to 94 randomly selected students. Mean, Standard Deviation, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman Rank Correlation were utilized in data analysis. Overall, students possessed a prominent consciousness and could relatively demonstrate the necessary measures and responses to prevent and suppress the fire. Comparatively, no significant difference exists when grouped according to sex and family monthly income. Concurrently, a significant relationship was observed between their awareness and practices, implying that students who possess the consciousness of fire safety will likely demonstrate the measures against the dangers of fire, which validated the KAP theory. Continuous improvement of teachers' instructions is crucial to strengthen students' readiness and resilience in disasters like fire.

Beyond environmentalism: The geopolitical chess game behind Indonesia’s mineral export bans and renewable energy transition

The increase in human energy consumption and the serious effects of the dominance of fossil energy, especially limited supply and climate change, have an impact on changes in the global geopolitical order. As such, the adaptation carried out by Indonesia became an important step in ensuring national energy security amidst global challenges. This research highlights the urgency of accelerating the energy transition to renewable sources in Indonesia as part of the national strategy. Efforts to accelerate the energy transition are not only a response to global demands, but also as an effort to maintain energy security, environmental sustainability, and are an important geopolitical factor. This study uses mixed research methods, where the author carries out quantitative data processing and then juxtaposes it with qualitative processing and analysis. The analysis was carried out using the concept of resource geopolitics. This study found that abundant renewable resource capacity, downstream efforts by the government, reduced dependence on other countries, and increasingly mature energy transition readiness make Indonesia better prepared to face global geopolitical competition. This study concludes that accelerating the energy transition in Indonesia is not just a response to global demands, but is also a strategic step to increase energy security, disaster resilience and environmental resilience.

Navigating Challenges for Disaster Resilience: Insights from Department of Public Works and Highways Personnel

Disasters are unforeseen, catastrophic events that have the potential to significantly harm populations, ecosystems, and economies. Disasters can occur quickly or gradually, and the scope of their effects may range from local to regional to even global. The Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) efforts in building and maintaining resilient road networks are vital for ensuring access to affected areas during disasters. This facilitates the timely arrival of emergency responders, the delivery of relief supplies, and the evacuation of affected populations. This study then seeks to examine the experiences of the DPWH-BSDEO (Benguet Second District Engineering Office) personnel in their commitment to fostering disaster resilience while navigating challenges. This study utilized a qualitative research design. Data were collected from various sources, including DPWH-BSDEO employees, Municipal of Buguias personnel, Philippine National Police-Buguias, Bureau of Fire Protection-Buguias, as well as official office reports. The responses of the participants established that the challenges faced by DPWH-BSDEO personnel encompass insufficient funding, limited resources, inadequate training among disaster volunteers, vulnerability of responders to disasters, limited community cooperation, suboptimal communication, and an ineffective drainage system. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that it is imperative to enhance the DRRM functions within the office and significantly bolster its capabilities.

A complete methodology to assess hydraulic risk in small ungauged catchments based on HEC-RAS 2D Rain-On-Grid simulations

This paper explores the use of the rain-on-grid (or direct rainfall) method for flood risk assessment at a basin scale. The method is particularly useful for rural catchments with small vertical variations and complex interactions with man-made obstacles and structures, which may be oversimplified by traditional hydrologically based estimations. The use of a hydrodynamic model solving mass and momentum conservation equations allows the simulation of runoff over the watershed at a basin scale. As a drawback, more detailed and spatially distributed data are needed, and the computational time is extended. On the other hand, a smaller number of parameters is needed compared to a hydrological model. Roughness and rainfall loss coefficients need to be calibrated only. The direct rainfall methodology was here implemented within the two-dimensional HEC-RAS model for the low-land rural, and ungauged, watershed of the Terdoppio River, Northern Italy. The resulting hydrographs at the closing section of the watershed were compared to synthetic design hydrographs evaluated through pure hydrological modelling, showing agreement on the peak discharge values for the low-probability scenarios, but not on the total volumes. The results in terms of water depth and flow velocity maps were used to create flood hazard maps using the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience methodology. The Index of Proportional Risk model was then adopted to generate a basin-scale flood risk map, by combining flood hazard maps, damage functions for different building-use classes, and the value of reconstruction and content per unit area.

Policy Brief 13: Catalysing the private sector for disaster response and resilience – Case study of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation

Extreme weather events, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and epidemics cause the loss of countless lives and bring disruption to many countries. Governments and humanitarian aid agencies are expected to be at the forefront of preparing for and responding to such disasters.
 However, occasionally the scale and impact of some natural disasters are so large that additional resources beyond what governments can provide become necessary. In such cases, efforts may be perceived as insufficient and slow. Resources and efforts need to be augmented in order to provide relief and support to those who need it most.
 Could the private sector take a more leading role in pre- and post-disaster efforts? How could a structured, long-term engagement reduce the inevitable integrity risks in high-stress disaster situations involving numerous government, business and international actors?
 This Policy Brief looks at how the Philippines Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) has emerged as a leading private-sector coordinator for disaster risk reduction and management.
 It illustrates the important role that the private sector can play in responding to – and building resilience to – natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies. It also showcases how vital it is for good governance, integrity and transparent collaboration to be at the heart of those efforts.

Resilience, efficiency fluctuations, and regional heterogeneity in disaster: An empirical study on logistics

While resilience analysis can provide important insights into risk management strategies, research gaps exist in terms of logistics efficiency, regional economic environment, and spatial clustering patterns. Therefore, our study capitalizes on the dramatic variations in logistics activities among regions during COVID-19 to examine regional logistics resilience in the disaster and explore potential spatial clustering patterns. We measure regional logistics resilience through changes in performance outcomes, specifically efficiency fluctuation. To analyze spatial clustering patterns, (regional heterogeneity) presented by logistics efficiency, we propose a new multi-stage approach that integrates the data envelopment analysis with the K-medoids algorithm and analyzes data from the Chinese logistic industry. The results reveal that efficiency fluctuations exhibit distinct spatial distribution characteristics, with more pronounced negative fluctuations in areas of important logistics activities nodes and islands, and more widespread negative trends in coastal areas. Moreover, regions with high freight volumes and logistics specialization demonstrate a sustained high level and quality of logistics efficiency. Furthermore, consumption capacity and economic development appear to positively influence fluctuations in logistics efficiency. The findings hold implications for enhancing regional logistics resilience in the disaster and contribute valuable insights to regional logistics risk management.

ENHANCING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE: ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS V2G AS PORTABLE ENERGY SOLUTION

This study investigates the potential of utilizing electric school buses equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology as a portable energy solution to enhance community resilience during and after power outages caused by natural disasters and shortages. The first objective of this research is to advance our understanding of disaster resilience, particularly during the critical response period—from the onset of the disruption event to the stabilization of recovery efforts. The second objective is to translate fundamental insights gained from this understanding into practical applications. To achieve these objectives, the study encompasses various analyses. Firstly, economic losses resulting from power outages are quantified, providing insights into the broader impacts of energy disruptions. Additionally, the performance of power grid systems is evaluated to assess their resilience and effectiveness in responding to and recovering from adverse events. Furthermore, the study includes calculations for mobilization (response) time, crucial for assessing the timeliness and efficiency of emergency response efforts. Finally, the viability of employing electric bus V2G technology as an emergency power solution is thoroughly analyzed. This encompasses assessing factors such as response time, load recovery or supply, system performance pre- and post-recovery, and other resilience metrics. By integrating these multifaceted analyses, this research aims to offer comprehensive insights into the potential of electric school buses as a resilient energy solution for communities facing power disruptions.

HEALTH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, DISASTER RESPONSE AND POLITICAL IDENTITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

In this paper, we developed a model to assess the government’s disaster response during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring variations across jurisdictions dominated by different political identities in the United States. The model defines an individual’s payoff as a positive function of his/her income and the government’s disaster response. The individual is more prone to wear a mask if the government is more responsive to the disaster during the pandemic, and there can be a lower income loss for the individual during the pandemic when he/she has higher compliance to the government’s order of face mask. Utilizing this model, we derive the government’s disaster response to be positively correlated with the impact of COVID-19 deaths on masking behavior and negatively correlated with the change of the death toll relative to income. This allows us to evaluate the unobserved disaster response of the government explicitly using regression results. We compare the government’s disaster response across jurisdictions dominated by different political identities in the United States. The results highlight a more resilient disaster response in Democratic states, translating into superior health system performance compared to their Republican counterparts. These findings emphasize the crucial role of policies designed to strengthen disaster response, especially in addressing collective action problems such as those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crises.

PERAN PEMERINTAH DAERAH DALAM PENGURANGAN RISIKO BENCANA MELALUI PENINGKATAN KETAHANAN BENCANA DAERAH DI KABUPATEN TANAH BUMBU

Exploitation of natural resources triggers a decrease in the carrying capacity and capacity of the environment and results in climate change and various kinds of disasters. The objectives of this research are Analyzing the role of the Regional Government in implementing the Regional Resilience Index Improvement Program; Analyzing the inhibiting factors of the Regional Resilience Index improvement that has been carried out by the Tanah Bumbu Regency Government; Determining the priority scale of the Regional Disaster Resilience Improvement Program. Data analysis used in this study is Calculating the percentage of indicator achievement based on the Technical Guidelines for the Regional Resilience Index Assessment Tool, Descriptive analysis of inhibiting factors in increasing the Regional Disaster Resilience Index (71 Indicators) to stakeholders through interviews, Creating a priority scale matrix to determine recommendations. Determination of the priority scale matrix is based on Minimum Service Standards and ranking of relevant stakeholders. The results of research on the role and inhibiting factors of the Tanah Bumbu district government in increasing the Regional Resilience Index are Indicators implemented in the priority of Strengthening Policies and Institutions by 60.00%. Indicators implemented in the priority of Risk Assessment and Integrated Planning amounted to 75.00%. Indicators implemented in the Information System Development, Training and Logistics priority by 69.23%. Indicators implemented in the priority of Thematic Handling of Disaster Prone Areas amounted to 80.00%. Indicators implemented in the priority of Increasing the Effectiveness of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation by 70.00%. Indicators implemented in the priority of Strengthening Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management by 55.00%. Indicators implemented in the Disaster Recovery System Development priority of 75.00%.

ANALISIS PENGETAHUAN MITIGASI BANJIR PADA MASYARAKAT KABUPATEN BANJAR DENGAN PENDEKATAN METODE REGRESI LOGISTIK BINER

The largest flood condition in South Kalimantan Province occurred in 2021. The worst flooded area is Banjar Regency with 27,249 fatalities. Floods also affected the agriculture and fisheries sectors, causing agricultural land productivity to decrease to 87,598 tons from 2021 to 2020. A total of 1,838 aquaculture businesses suffered losses of up to 70 billion rupiah. The causes of flooding do not only come from natural factors but can come from other factors such as a lack of knowledge of flood mitigation, resulting in huge losses for the community. Previous research states that the factors that influence flood disaster mitigation are the level of education and income. This study aims to determine the factors that influence flood mitigation knowledge in Banjar Regency communities using the binary logistic regression method. The results of the study provide differences from previous studies, namely the environmental factor with category 1, the implementation of environmental management by the community affects flood mitigation knowledge with a p value (0.027) < α (0.05) and a value of W (2.2198) > Z_table (1.960). The odds ratio value shows that the probability of the Banjar Regency community having flood mitigation knowledge is 2.79 times greater than other variable categories. The model explains an influence of 31.6% with an AIC value of 125. The respondents flood mitigation knowledge in managing the environment includes all types and stages of flood disaster mitigation related to local wisdom in the respondents location, namely several terms such as "Apar-Apar, Jukung Terpal, Galangan, Kelambu Kolam". There are still some things that need to be maximized for flood mitigation knowledge, namely the formation of disaster resilient villages in Martapura City, East and West Sub-districts. Dissemination of information on climate-smart agriculture training to farmers. Realization of temporary waste bin facilities in Banjar Regency.

Using Q-methodology to discover disaster resilience perspectives from local residents

Finding ways to increase local community resilience is important, therefore, this study explores how to use individual disaster resilience indicators and provides new ways to quantify them. Specifically, Q-methodology is used as a combined approach of qualitative and quantitative techniques to examine the shared perspectives among the residents in the Dove Springs community of Austin, Texas. To maintain adaptability and eliminate repetition and ambiguity, the initially retrieved set of 95 indicators was reduced down to 45 through two cycles of revision with subject matter experts. A total of 41 respondents were engaged in our study, and they prioritized the indicators based on their understanding of community well-being. Participants also identified their perspective of the two most important and unimportant statements. As a result, four types of perspectives were identified as informing the status of resilience: housing and food security, education and employment, equity, and disaster preparedness. Subsequently, we proposed a weighted quantification strategy to derive a single resilience value within a hierarchy from indicator level through category level. The findings and suggestions from our mixed-method study lay the groundwork for a better quantitative assessment of disaster resilience in a local context that can be beneficial for decision-making.

Developing an innovative disaster resilience framework with universities as key agents – the value of consolidating international expertise

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the higher education sector has seen an expansion of universities’ expertise from being providers of education, research and knowledge transfer to providers of crisis response capacity for partners and stakeholders. Prior to that, nascent approaches towards delivering disaster mitigation and response capability through community training and volunteering were seen across universities located in areas prone to natural disasters. This leads to the purpose of the paper, which is to address initiatives required to enhance the role of the higher education sector in disaster resilience. Specifically, in relation to driving national policy-making and disaster management activities at the local level, high levels of decentralization prevent effective interventions by central government bodies. Based on an inductive approach, the methods used were informed by an initial fact-finding exercise and a series of roundtable discussions involving senior higher education and disaster resilience experts from across Indonesia and Europe. Building on the four theoretical perspectives, expert opinions then informed the conceptual development of an innovative and scalable disaster resilience framework. Within the higher education sector, this integrates conventional streams of university activity, such as curriculum development, research, innovation, knowledge transfer and networking, with a contextually adapted and appropriate disaster mitigation and response capability.