Disaster Risk Reduction Planning Research Articles

The Role of the Spatial Network in Urban Disaster Risk Variations: Reimagining the Notion of Spatial Vulnerability at the Urban Scale

AbstractThe notion of “spatial vulnerability” is present in most disaster studies with a strong geographical connotation and accordingly is adopted at all scales, including the urban. While enabling mapping and visualizing risk patterns at macroscales, this geocentric foundation fails to capture disaster risk dynamics associated with the urban spatial network—an element that plays a significant role in the everyday and emergency functioning of cities, enabling users’ movement and interaction. Yet, urban vulnerability assessment overlooks this aspect and thus leaves urban disaster risk mechanisms partially unexplored. This study investigated the role of the network of urban public open spaces (UPOS) in the creation and progression of urban disaster risk in earthquake-prone settlements. Through a multimethod approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods and explores spatial configuration, planning policies, and practices of use of UPOS in everyday and emergency scenarios, our study demonstrated that UPOS configuration plays an active role in urban disaster risk. Urban public open spaces impact risk by influencing the exposure of pedestrians and their capacity for self-protection. The study further reconceptualized spatial vulnerability at the urban scale, as the fraction of vulnerability associated to the spatial network, highlighting the interplay of planning policies and spatial practices in its production and progression. Our findings make the notion of spatial vulnerability less ambiguous at the urban scale, by viewing the variable as an imbalance in capacities and exposure that generates spatially unsafe conditions. This refined conceptualization of spatial vulnerability becomes a lens for a more granular approach to urban disaster risk reduction and city planning by identifying and integrating sociospatial considerations.

Less Is More: Proposed Home-School Disaster Risk Reduction Plan

Disaster happens anywhere and anytime. It hampers economic growth, undermines social stability, and changes geographical characteristics. This research focused on crafting a home-school DRR plan through the collaborative initiatives of the University of Batangas and its students and families, thus strengthening the home-school partnership. Just like what is mentioned in the title, the less that is done through a home-school partnership, the more meaningful the impact. Specifically, this research determined the respondents’ DRR knowledge, practices, and strategies and measured the impact of the said strategies. The DRR plan and possible integration of DRR themes into the curriculum will improve the DRR efforts being made in every community where university students live. The target participants were 507 college students of the University of Batangas, selected via stratified random sampling with a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the gathered data, such as the weighted mean, percentage, frequency count, and standard deviation. The in-depth information gathered from the interview was integrated into the results. The findings were as follows: the DRR knowledge of the respondents and the DRR practices applied were observed to be of great extent. Meanwhile, the impact of such practices was evident for most items but strongly evident for items that concern family living and home routines. The DRR plan crafted out of the home-school partnership is intended to assist the barangay in the implementation of some identified initiatives. Of equal importance is the integration of DRR themes into the identified university courses (NSTP, STS, and PE).

An investigation into risk governance processes to encourage behaviour change to reduce disaster risk: A case study of Barbados

Organizations involved in the reduction of risk, emanating from hazardous events, play an important role in influencing the responses of households to reduce disaster risk either by the enforcement of regulations or by encouraging the adoption of best practices. One way this can be done is by examining ways to enhance knowledge exchange, better understanding of household safety behaviours and improved perceptions of risk. Further, micro-level research approaches are needed to examine how organizations involved in risk reduction and households interact in order to understand the contributing factors that hamper effective decision making and actions to reduce disaster risk in small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean.This study investigates how organization's disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches have incorporated risk perception, safety behaviours, and knowledge into their internal DRR plans. This case study took place in Barbados, a SIDS in the Caribbean. Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured informant interviews (n = 33). Findings of the key stakeholder interviews revealed that most organizations lacked systematic approaches to engage households and lacked clear impact pathways in the theory of change and did not strategically target identified vulnerable population subgroups for the desired behavioural change. There was a noted gap in understanding how risk perception influences and shapes risk and safety behaviours at the household level. Based on the results of this research strategies employed to reduce risk and build resilience can include key ways to integrate how the use of safety culture, and risk perception can enhance knowledge exchange for the development and improvement of place-specific DRR strategies.

Measuring vulnerability to assess households resilience to flood risks in Karonga district, Malawi

AbstractMany parts of Malawi are prone to natural hazards with varying degrees of risk and vulnerability. This study aimed at obtaining baseline data for quantifying vulnerability of the households to flood risks in Karonga District in northern Malawi, specifically in Group Village Headman Matani Mwakasangila of Traditional Authority Kilupula. The study used cross-sectional survey, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. This study applied Flood Vulnerability Index and statistical methods to quantify and analyse vulnerability of households in the aspects of exposure, susceptibility and resilience characteristics. Proportional Odds Model also known as Ordered Logistic Regression was used to identify factors that determine vulnerability of households to flood risks. The results show that households headed by females and elders of age (at least 61 years) were the most vulnerable to floods because of their limited social and livelihood capacities, resulting from being uneconomically active group. Households with houses built of mud, thatched and very old with no protective account for high vulnerability due to the fact that most of them are constructed using substandard materials. The level of vulnerability was increasing with an increase in the number of households exposed and susceptible to floods. With an increase in resilience to floods, vulnerability level was decreasing. The results further revealed a predictive margins of vulnerability levels which were not significantly different among the villages. However, villages with more exposed, susceptible and not resilience households were most vulnerable to floods. This study recommends that vulnerability assessment should be included in Disaster Risk Reduction planning and implementation in order to make DRR more efficient and realistic. This would further strengthen the disaster risk management to be more proactive as well as increase resilience of households to flood risks.

The Multi–Disaster risk assessment: A-GIS based approach for Izmir City

Urban settlements currently face many disasters that are increasing in number and frequency every day such as floods, landslides, sea level rise, storms, drought, forest fires, etc. due to the negative consequences of global climate change caused by significantly exceeding the carrying capacity of nature. Cities are currently becoming less resistant to disaster risks because of the unhealthy settlements. These settlements are becoming widespread in terms of physical, economic and social conditions as a natural result of the urbanization in which planning processes are carried out in an uncontrolled and unsupervised manner. This situation makes it a necessity to develop strategies and policies aimed at reducing and/or eliminating possible disaster damages which are defined as high risk. From this viewpoint, the study aims to reveal the current disaster risks in urban areas with a dense population and building stock. Izmir city is determined as the study area. Spatial analyses are performed for disaster risk by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools and Weighted Overlap method considering the natural and built environment elements that significantly affect the disaster risk. The findings obtained from the study and the determinations made within the scope of the Izmir Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan (IRAP) prepared by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) are evaluated comparatively. As a result, it has been seen that the determinations put forward for disaster risks have shown consistency throughout Izmir city and the studies carried out at the local level have been prioritized in such a way as to be aimed at risk management and prevention planning by the time.

Disaster Risk Reduction Plans in Historical Areas and the Kahramanmaras Earthquake of 6 February 2023: The Case of Kurtulus Avenue

Afet risk azaltma planları afetlere neden olabilecek faktörlerin sistematik olarak analiz edilerek yönetilmesi ve bu faktörlerin azaltılması amacıyla hazırlanmaktadır. Farklı ölçeklerde muhtemel senaryolar içeren bu planlarda tarihi alanların korunması kapsamında risk unsurları ve çözüm önerileri bulunmaktadır. Türkiye’den birden fazla aktif fay hattının geçmesi sebebiyle yeni ve eski tüm yapı stoğunun deprem ihtimaline karşı afet risk azaltma planı ile hazırlıklı olması gerekmektedir. Bu kapsamda tarihi alanların kimliklerine uygun özelleşmiş planlamalar yapılmalıdır. 6 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş Depremleri’nin ardından Antakya’daki Kurtuluş Caddesi üzerindeki kültürel miras hasarları ve yıkımı deprem öncelikli planlamanın önemini göstermektedir. Kurtuluş Caddesi özelinde kültürel miras yapıları incelenerek yapıların hasar görebilirlik riskini artıran kentsel ve mimari nitelikler araştırılmıştır. Literatür taramasının yanında güncel haberler ve idari raporlar taranarak elde edilen veriler harita ve tablolar kullanılarak aktarılmıştır. Kültürel mirası depremin yıkıcı etkilerinden korumak amacıyla kentsel ölçekte öneriler geliştirilmiştir.

Disaster-risk, climate change challenges and strategies in small islands in Bird’s Head Papua

A Disaster Risk Index analysis has never been conducted on small islands in Indonesia, particularly in the Bird's Head region of Papua, which includes 4,110 small islands that are now vulnerable and have become hotspots for climate change and hydrometeorological disasters. This study explores disaster risk indices, future climate change challenges, and Disaster Risk Reduction plans and policies at the site level on the small island of Bird's Head in Papua. Disaster risk index analysis includes threat, vulnerability, and capacity indexes. Climate change scenarios are derived from CMIP, using scenarios SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. Strategy and policy are based on the National Disaster Management Agency's seven priorities. Field measurements demonstrate that the Disaster Risk Index ranges from 0.73 to 0.82, including the high index class category, which is also directly related to the Hazard Index and Vulnerability Index and inversely proportional to the Capacity Index. Extreme rainfall estimates in the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios result in a 10% and 20% increase in rainfall in the Papua Birds Head region, respectively. The assessment of the seven priorities for tiny islands ranges from 0.2 to 0.37 in the low category. As a result, it is critical for stakeholders, particularly local communities and traditional and village officials, to actively participate in developing DRR strategies and policy ideas for small islands.

Capacity Audit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Basic Education

Vulnerability may be associated with a community's capacity to act and counteract the effects of a hazard by enhancing the community's capacity to reduce risk. With this, the study seeks to assess the school's capacity for disaster risk reduction and management in terms of implementation differences and identify the obstacles and training requirements for DRRM in the Secondary Public Schools of the province of Benguet. The questionnaire was self-designed based on the activities of the four thematic areas, with its validity and dependability subject to verification. The result indicates that the resource capacity of public secondary institutions is moderately established. Regarding capability, there is no significant distinction between resources, knowledge, and talents. With the current School DRRM plan, every school has a disaster risk reduction and management plan, and most have evacuation and contingency plans. The Public Service Continuity plan and the local climate change action plan are present in only nine institutions. With this result, there are still many spaces to be filled, and the DRRM capacity of each public school must be improved. It may affect the school's performance in delivering its main objective to provide a safe and hazard-free environment. It is best to be proactive and ready to ensure that learners and teachers are safe. The result also indicates that public institutions must examine their system and enhance its implementation of the different thematic areas of DRRM; it does not require a complicated framework but a functional and understandable guideline. If DRRM is implemented effectively, it will assure the continuity of education and the safety of students and faculty.

The Role of Kodam XIV / Hasanuddin Health Team in Natural Disaster Management

The role of the Kodam XIV / Hasanuddin and TNI health teams in natural disaster management is essential to provide health services and prevent more casualties. However, a deeper understanding of the effectiveness and challenges faced is needed. This study aims to analyze the role of Kodam XIV / Hasanuddin Health in natural disaster management, focusing on mitigation governance, early warning, and disaster preparedness. This research uses qualitative descriptive methods to describe what is happening in the field in related agencies. Data is collected through observation, interviews, and documentation by applying source, data, and time triangulation to ensure the validity and credibility of the information obtained. This research was conducted in West Sulawesi, a province prone to floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. The Health Team of Kodam XIV / Hasanuddin plays an active role in disaster risk management by carrying out mitigation in the form of wave containment infrastructure development and normalization, as well as conducting early warning through the installation of EWS tools controlled by BPBD and BMKG, and conducting training, socialization, and preparing disaster risk reduction plans in the preparedness cycle. It was concluded that the health team of Kodam XIV/Hasanuddin has a central role in disaster risk management by implementing various programs such as mitigation, early warning, and preparedness, as well as providing education and training to the community to increase awareness and response to disasters.

Earthquake Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies in Pakistan

The site of Pakistan in a region which is seismically active lends urgency to earthquake disaster risks. Seismic susceptibility implied by historical earthquake tremors continues to emphasize needs for sound disaster risk management approaches. This study seeks to critically analyze the current earthquake risk picture in Pakistan, a detailed appraisal of existing Disaster Management mechanisms and systems practice as well as implementation of policies. Using global standards, guides and practices as well as case studies, the study relative to best practice in earthquake risk reduction will be identified with a focus on application potential within Pakistan. Additionally, seismic zoning, vulnerability assessment and exposure analysis will be studied in the research to perform a comprehensive risk assessment of earthquake for the country. Through analyzing the existing challenges and gaps in the system, this paper is going to propose specialized risk reduction strategies for earthquake disaster that will integrate early warning systems implementation into building code implementing communities. The aim is as such to provide workable recommendations for the policymakers and stakeholders in order to lay down a resilient prepared response strategy towards an earthquake disaster risk reduction plan in Pakistan.

Improving Disaster Preparedness Services for People with Disabilities

Lack of disaster preparedness has contributed to many disaster victims, especially people with disabilities, who are often neglected in making disaster risk reduction plans. In light of the recent World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030, which establishes new priorities for disaster risk reduction over the next 15 years, this issue has become a hot topic since then. This paper aims to contribute ideas to the Indonesian government in reforming and improving disaster preparedness services for people with disabilities based on successful theories, research, and practices developed in several countries. Through reviewing literature studies related to the issue and interviewing relevant informants in Indonesia, both data sources coped with six strategies that may contribute to improving disaster preparedness for disabled individuals. The strategies as the results of this study are intended to be used as reference material, particularly by the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), in order to aid in the creation of a framework to better comprehend the communication, mobilization, transportation, and medical requirements of people with disabilities in the context of preparing disaster preparedness program scenarios.

Building Forest Fires Resilience, the Incorporation of Local Knowledge into Disaster Mitigation Strategies

The severity of the socio-economic, political, and ecological damage caused by forest fires each year requires action plans for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Despite efforts made to incorporate participatory mechanisms into risk governance, much of the research on disaster risk reduction in academia is conducted under the deficit model. This paper proposes public engagement as a mechanism for incorporating community-based knowledge, experiences, and practices into DRR plans. Based on the case study of forest fires in Galicia (Spain), developed within the MITIGACT project, we explore, through the analysis of in-depth interviews, how forest fires are defined, how disaster management plans are evaluated and what concrete proposals are considered. The results highlight the need to strengthen social governance at the local level and to balance the resources dedicated to the three phases of prevention, extinction, and recovery, moving from a linear to a circular model.

Water distribution based on SAR and optical data to improve hazard mapping

Climate projections foresee intense precipitation and long-term drought events is increasing with consequent rapid changes in surface water bodies in a short period. In areas with drastic hydrological changes, achieving accurate and rapid mapping of these phenomena in combination with hydrologic variability characteristics is a key of effective emergency management and disaster risk reduction plans. This study presents an automatic method for mapping drought and flood hazards, particularly in regions with significant hydrological changes. We use Sentinel-1/2 and Landsat data to extract surface water and classify permanent and seasonal water bodies in historical periods, which serve as the basis for identifying flood or drought areas. The water extraction method combines index-based analysis for optical data and the region-Otsu method for radar data, ensuring accurate identification of water. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through comparisons with existing products in Poyang Lake (China), the Po River Plain (Italy), and the Indus River Plain (Pakistan). Findings show a high similarity between the two, and our results can provide more specific details. Our method is particularly well-suited for areas with fluctuating hydrological conditions, can also map quickly without optical data. By effectively identifying areas affected by drought and flood hazards while mitigating errors from natural hydrological dynamics, this methodology contributes valuable insights to enhance emergency management and disaster risk reduction plans.

Multiscale Flood Disaster Risk Assessment in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin: A Focus on Watershed and Community Levels

Floods are one of the most frequent and costly natural hazards worldwide, causing significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods. The Lancang-Mekong River is a major river in Southeast Asia, but the basin is prone to flood disasters that may be exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, to better understand disaster risk and tailor disaster risk reduction measures, this study conducted multiscale flood disaster risk assessments at the watershed and community levels using indicator-based and hydrodynamic model-based methods. Both methods adopted open data with the supplement of local survey data. The results of the study showed that the flood risk is generally higher in the lower reach of the river due to high levels of both hazard and vulnerability. However, the community-scale risk assessment revealed that high flood-risk communities exist in low-risk zones, and vice versa, when the flood risk was assessed at the watershed scale. Such phenomena can lead to inadequate community preparedness for flooding or unnecessary allocation of resources for flood mitigation measures. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of disaster risk reduction strategies, policies, and plans based on an understanding of the risks. Furthermore, they offer a basis for prioritizing and targeting resources, particularly in areas with high population density or vulnerable communities.

Big Data, Small Island: Earth Observations for Improving Flood and Landslide Risk Assessment in Jamaica

The Caribbean region is highly vulnerable to multiple hazards. Resultant impacts may be derived from single or multiple cascading risks caused by hydrological-meteorological, seismic, geologic, or anthropological triggers, disturbances, or events. Studies suggest that event records and data related to hazards, risk, damage, and loss are limited in this region. National Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) planning and response require data of sufficient quantity and quality to generate actionable information, statistical inferences, and insights to guide continual policy improvements for effective DRR, national preparedness, and response in both time and space. To address this knowledge gap, we review the current state of knowledge, data, models, and tools, identifying potential opportunities, capacity needs, and long-term benefits for integrating Earth Observation (EO) understanding, data, models, and tools to further enhance and strengthen the national DRR framework using two common disasters in Jamaica: floods and landslides. This review serves as an analysis of the current state of DRR management and assess future opportunities. Equally, to illustrate and guide other United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) priority countries in the Pacific region, known as Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to grapple with threats of multiple and compounding hazards in the face of increasing frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events, and climate change impact.

A Systematic Review Investigating the Use of Earth Observation for the Assistance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Disaster Response and Recovery

The use of Earth observation technology such as satellites, unmanned aircraft, or drones as part of early-warning systems and disaster risk reduction plans is a widely researched and established area of study. However, the use this technology can have in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services in the response and recovery phases of a disaster is not widely researched. A systematic literature review was undertaken assessing relevant literature to identify Earth observation technology and methods that can be applied to the context of water, sanitation and hygiene in disaster response and recovery. Whilst there were many water-related studies, there was a lack of studies looking at the potential uses of Earth observation for sanitation. This is an area that requires further research. Three main common uses of Earth observation technology were identified as relevant: (1) Monitoring of surface water quality; (2) Groundwater Sensing; and (3) Mapping and monitoring of hazards and infrastructure. Whilst the studies of Earth observation in these areas highlight that this technology could be usefully applied to assist with water, sanitation and hygiene during disaster response and recovery, more research is needed and there are limitations to consider—predominantly that funding, communication and integration between many agencies and technologies are required. Additionally, some technologies are subject to local regulations which can cause restrictions to their use over contested or private areas, or trans-national boundaries—common situations in disasters. This review was largely influenced by the search strings inputted during the identification of relevant literature; changing the search strings would likely result in a different combination of literature available for review and subsequent variations in the findings.

Climate change loss and damage governance. Where are we now? A case study from Fiji’s sugar industry

ABSTRACT Anthropogenic climate change loss and damage (L&D) is a key area of climate policy. Much of the L&D governance has been situated within the international climate regime. A major gap in L&D governance is the lack of understanding of how institutions are dealing with L&D policy and decision-making at national and industry scales. This study examines L&D governance with an emphasis on policy gaps, capacity constraints, availability of data, and access to climate finance in Fiji’s sugar industry. Systematic policy analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 28) are conducted to gain insights into L&D governance in Fiji’s sugar industry. To date, the Ministry of Sugar Industry has been unable to develop climate change and disaster risk reduction policies and plans. Other institutional constraints in Fiji’s sugar industry to avert, minimise, and address L&D include lack of human resources with technical skills as well as limited data and access to financial resources. This research recommends key policy interventions such as developing L&D policy and action plans, building capacity, and implementing a standardised practice of data management between stakeholders for urgent climate action. At the international level, the Warsaw International Mechanism and the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage could be strengthened to mobilise urgent support and action, including finance and technical assistance to avert, minimise, and address L&D in vulnerable countries. Highlights Limited national L&D policy and mechanisms in Fiji have severe implications for farming communities and could exacerbate social-ecological systems vulnerability. The Fijian Ministry of Sugar Industry has been unable to develop robust climate change and disaster risk reduction policies to avert, minimise, and address L&D. At the international level, the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage must become fully operational and provide technical assistance for L&D needs assessment and strengthen L&D governance in developing countries.

Assessment of Rural Vulnerability to Sand and Dust Storms in Iran

Climate-related hazards such as sand and dust storms (SDS) have various impacts on human health, socio-economy, environment, and agroecosystems. Iran has been severely affected by domestic and external SDS during the last two decades. Considering the fragile economy of Iran’s rural areas and the strong dependence of livelihood on agroecosystems, SDS cause serious damage to human communities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct a vulnerability assessment for developing SDS risk mitigation plans. In this study, various components of SDS vulnerability were formulated through a geographic information system (GIS)-based integrated assessment approach using composite indicators. By implementing a GIS multiple-criteria decision analysis (GIS-MCDA) model using socioeconomic and remote sensing data, a map of rural vulnerability to SDS was produced. Our results show that about 37% of Iran’s rural areas have experienced high and very high levels of vulnerability to SDS. Rural areas in the southeast and south of Iran, especially Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan provinces are more vulnerable to SDS. The findings of this study provide a basis for developing SDS disaster risk-reduction plans and enabling the authorities to prioritize SDS mitigation policies at the provincial administrative scale in Iran.

Closing the Resilience Gap: A Preliminary Study on Establishing the National Fragility Curve Catalog for Multi-Hazard Assessment in Indonesia

This research paper presents a preliminary study aimed at closing the resilience gap in Indonesia through the establishment of a national fragility curve catalog for multi-hazard assessment. Indonesia is located in a high-risk hazard area, yet it currently lacks a comprehensive fragility curve catalog, which hinders effective risk assessment and mitigation strategies. By developing this database, the study aims to improve the understanding of structural vulnerability and enhance resilience planning across various hazards, such as earthquake, tsunami, wind, and flood. The research methodology involves collecting and analyzing data on the performance of different building types, exposed to multiple hazards. This includes considering various factors such as construction materials, design standards, and geographical characteristics. Statistical techniques and analytical modeling will be utilized to derive fragility curves that depict the probability of exceeding different damage levels or performance states given a specific hazard intensity. The findings of this study will provide valuable insights into the vulnerability of infrastructure and communities in Indonesia, enabling more informed decision-making for disaster risk reduction and resilience planning. The fragility curve database will facilitate quantitative risk assessments, support the development of appropriate building codes and standards, and inform the prioritization of mitigation measures. Ultimately, the establishment of a national fragility curve database will contribute to enhancing Indonesia's resilience to multi-hazard events and improving disaster preparedness at various scales.

World Organisation for Animal Health Members' Capacity to Deal With Animal Welfare Emergencies During Natural Disasters in Europe.

Little is known about individual European countries or regional capacity to respond to animal welfare emergencies during natural disasters; therefore, it is important to establish baseline information (eg, types of disasters, training) to enable more focused and data-driven actionable support for future disasters. A 55-question survey was distributed by an email link to the 53 World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) European Region Members plus 1 observer country. Forty-nine countries (91%, n = 54) responded to the survey. Fifty-one percent (25/49) indicated they incorporated animal welfare into their national disaster regulatory framework, whereas 59% (29/49) indicated animal welfare was incorporated in the Veterinary Service National Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Plan. Thirty-nine percent (19/49) indicated they had "no" or "limited" legal authority to manage animal emergencies in natural disasters. Floods, forest fires, and snowstorm/extreme cold were the 3 most commonly reported disasters over the last 10 years with 79% (27/34) reporting Veterinary Services was involved in managing these disasters. The survey results indicated a wide range in the capacity of WOAH European Member Countries to respond to animal welfare in natural disasters, highlighting the gaps and potential areas of improvement in this arena.