Disaster Waste Research Articles

Planning to adapt: identifying key decision drivers in disaster response planning

ABSTRACT Traditional disaster response plans are struggling to adapt to the increasingly complex, unique, and uncertain disaster impacts. Decision-making under deep uncertainty suggests the consideration of decision trigger points and adaptive processes to develop plans that are flexible for any oncoming challenge. Two disaster response planning situations are examined here: disaster waste management, and volcanic eruption clean-up. Both of these are examined in terms of how we can use adaptive processes to develop flexible plans oriented around key decision drivers. The indicators developed show that orienting plans around both hazard-centric drivers (level of earthquake shaking, ashfall depth) and impact-oriented descriptors (number of displaced people, hazard of waste) offer several benefits. Coupling the development of impact-oriented descriptors with scenario discovery and scenario planning will help disaster planners to identify key decisions, decision criteria and triggers that can be built into the planning process.

The Relationship between a Sense of Ownership among Municipal Officials and Efficacy Assessments of Disaster Waste Management

The Relationship between a Sense of Ownership among Municipal Officials and Efficacy Assessments of Disaster Waste Management

Assessing urban disaster waste management requirements after volcanic eruptions

Disasters can generate substantial quantities of disaster waste that must be managed for effective response and recovery. Modelling the potential quantities and types of waste expected after disasters has been widely applied for a variety of hazards (e.g., earthquake, hurricane, flood, tsunami). However, there has been limited consideration of modelling disaster waste as a result of volcanic eruptions, which can generate considerable disaster waste volumes and management issues. In this work we develop a modelling framework for assessing disaster waste types and quantities after volcanic eruptions affecting urban environments. The framework facilitates quantification of different waste types resulting from damaged buildings and classification of different clean-up zones. The framework is based on vulnerability models and heuristic analysis of the likely waste generated at different damage states from volcanic hazards and is designed to be applied as part of a standard risk modelling procedure. Clean-up zone classifications are developed by identifying key management requirements for different urban land use types. We apply the framework to a case study, using eight eruption scenarios for the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand. Modelling outputs indicate that building debris waste generated under each of these scenarios is likely to be on the order of hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of tonnes. Waste is also likely to be highly mixed in some areas where buildings are heavily damaged and contaminated with volcanic products such as tephra and/or lava, which will complicate disaster waste management activities.

Consumer goods in Japanese elderly-only household units: Micro-material stock and earthquake resistance

This study aimed to investigate the actual existential scenarios of consumer goods possessed by people, specifically earthquake resistance of consumer goods in elderly-only households. A ‘basic unit’ of consumer goods focusing on elderly-only household units was developed in this study. A web questionnaire survey was conducted for household units in the Kansai region of Japan for inhabitants over 65 years of age. The principal questions were related to the quantity and type of consumer goods possessed and/or not used on a daily basis (unnecessary consumer goods). The results of the survey revealed that the total micro-material stock in household units was 1216 kg/housing unit. The average quantity of unnecessary consumer goods was 20.9%, and the average rate of earthquake resistance for all consumer goods was 35.4%. Case studies in two cities, Minami-Ise and Kobe, were conducted to estimate the quantity of potential disaster waste. In Minami-Ise, the potential disaster waste derived from consumer goods (12,400 t) is equivalent to 83% of the micro-material stock derived from consumer goods in the city; 54% of the disaster waste may be generated from household units alone. The results revealed that if the rate of earthquake resistance of consumer goods was 100%, 22.5% of the potential disaster waste may be reduced. The potential disaster waste derived from consumer goods was estimated at 430,000 t in Kobe. Areas with particularly prominent potential disaster waste derived from elderly-only household units were visualized using GIS.

Optimisation of waste clean-up after large-scale disasters

Disaster waste clean-up after large disasters is one of the core activities at the recovery stage of disaster management, which aims to restoring the normal functioning of the disaster affected area. In this paper we considered a waste clean-up system consists of (i) demolition operation, (ii) collection of waste from customer nodes to temporary disaster waste management sites (TDWMSs), (iii) processing at TDWMSs, and (iv) transportation of the waste to final disposal sites in the recovery of disasters. A multi-objective mixed integer programming model is developed to minimise the total clean-up cost and time. Three different approaches are developed to solve the problem, which are tested with artificial instances and a real case study. Results of artificial instances indicate that the models developed can be used to obtain close to optimal solutions within an acceptable computing time. Results of the case study can facilitate the decision-makers to develop the waste clean-up with minimised total cost and clean-up time by selecting the right location of TDWMSs and setting up the proper waste clean-up schedule.

Repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on municipal solid waste management: Challenges and opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global emergency and has raised social and economic concerns which will also spill over to environmental issues. Amid this natural experiment, current study evaluates prevailing municipal solid waste (MSW) management practices, with the emphasis on MSW treatment and disposal facilities in select developed and developing countries. The data and information used in this paper is collected from several scientific research papers from different disciplines, publications from governments and multilateral agencies and media reports. Despite limited literature on MSW management during such pandemics, this article presets a global backdrop of MSW management during COVID-19 outbreak and examines various aspects of MSW management. Discussion includes identifying parameters of disease transmission through solid waste handling, consequences of medical waste surge on current municipal waste treatment and disposal systems. Further, based on previous pandemic and disaster waste management studies, this study also presents challenges and opportunities in the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic. The paper recommends alternatives approaches for MSW treatment and disposal and outlines the future scope of work to achieve sustainable waste management during and aftermath of the pandemics.

Environmental risk assessment of landfill site that accepted disaster waste

Natural disasters can cause the destruction, spreading and mixing of a huge range of man-made materials. In the rush to clean up after a disaster a longer-term problem can often result at the landfill where the materials are disposed of. Simply gathering and dumping all this waste onto landfill as quickly as possible is inefficient, dangerous and costly. Dr Shinya Suzuki of the Graduate School of Recycling-and Eco-Technology, Fukuoka University, Japan has focused much of his career on this growing problem. He says the first step needed is to investigate past disasters and the approaches taken to cleaning them up. From this, it is then possible to set up better plans and approaches to disaster waste management. Disaster response involves not only the clarification of natural phenomena and the securing of human lives, but also the preservation of the natural environment and living environment and its early restoration and reconstruction. Disaster waste disposal is a very important issue not only from the viewpoint of early restoration of the living environment, but also to ensure that no legacy remains in the future.

Bayesian approach in estimating flood waste generation: A case study in South Korea

Accurate estimations of flood waste generation are a crucial issue in disaster waste management. Multilinear regression of related parameters has been recognized as a promising technique for flood waste estimation. There are two types of flood waste estimation methods: pre-event predictions using factors related to regional properties and rainfall hazards, and post-event predictions using damage variables due to floods, such as the number of damaged buildings. Previous attempts to establish these models used deterministic approaches; however, probabilistic methods have never been applied. Considering the large degrees of uncertainty in waste generation from floods, a probabilistic approach can provide a more accurate model compared to models developed by the conventional deterministic approach. This study applied Bayesian inference to develop a flood waste regression model in South Korea. The aims of the study are as follows: (1) to analyze the characteristics of coefficients estimated by the Bayesian approach; (2) evaluate the performance of the prediction model by Bayesian inference; and (3) assess the effectiveness of Bayesian updating in a flood waste estimation. According to the results, the coefficients obtained via Bayesian inference showed a more significant p-value compared to those developed through the deterministic approach. Bayesian inference with a null prior distribution was effective in error reduction, specifically for post-event prediction. Bayesian updating did not effectively increase the accuracy of the model, while iterative updating required a complex calculation process. These results reveal the potential of the Bayesian approach in flood waste estimations, which can be transferred to other countries.

“Networking Seminar on Disaster Waste Management 2019” by JSMCWM Disaster Waste Research Division and the Kyushu Regional Branch

“Networking Seminar on Disaster Waste Management 2019” by JSMCWM Disaster Waste Research Division and the Kyushu Regional Branch

Evaluation of Post-Earthquake, Tsunami, and Liquefaction Disaster Waste Management in Palu

The Central Sulawesi region is known as the meeting place for three of the world's main tectonics. As a result, the region is prone to natural disasters, especially those caused by the movement of these plates, which has prompted a shift in the Palu-Koro Fault. This also caused the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that devastated the coastal area of Palu Bay on September 28, 2018. Post-disaster waste management is one of the most important operational management systems ever developed to help affected communities and restore conditions to a stable situation after the disaster. In this study, the estimation of disaster waste generation was carried. In addition, an evaluation of disaster waste management was carried out as well as the formulation of disaster waste management mitigation, particularly earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction disasters. The estimated generation of construction disaster waste is 80,894,4 m3 and non-construction waste is 52,305.6 m3. Disaster waste management evaluation indicate that the lowest value in the evaluation aspect is in the aspect of community participation (30%) and the Financing aspect (37.5%). The establishment of a disaster waste management system will focus on the preparation of technical guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on disaster waste management.

Practice and Evaluation of Workshop to Promote Civic Action for Disaster Waste Management

Practice and Evaluation of Workshop to Promote Civic Action for Disaster Waste Management

Factor Analysis for Ownership of Municipal Officials in Disaster Waste Management

Factor Analysis for Ownership of Municipal Officials in Disaster Waste Management

Lessons learned from the Ezgeleh–Sarpol Zahab earthquake of November 2017: status of damage and disposal of disaster waste

A massive earthquake of magnitude Mw 7.3 shook Kermanshah Province in Western Iran along the Iraqi border on November 12, 2017. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 10 km southwest of Ezgeleh Town in Kermanshah Province. Field observations almost 4 months after the disaster indicated that the earthquake had caused tremendous damage to most structures in both urban and rural areas, and left an enormous amount of disaster waste. To investigate the status of the damage and disposal of the disaster waste, remote sensing was conducted using an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone). Through the capture of low-altitude images by drone and the generation of 3D models, the quantity of debris accumulated in a waste disposal facility near Sarpol Zahab was estimated at approximately 480,000 m3. A compositional analysis of the disaster waste was performed using an imaging technique. This revealed that the disaster waste was largely composed of concrete (39.6%), hollow brick (35.4%), and gypsum (21.2%) in the urban area, whereas soil was the dominant component (77.4%) in the rural area. The damage caused to most buildings was essentially due to their non-standard construction. The management of debris from the damaged buildings was a critical issue for the authorities, and the lack of preparedness was a serious drawback that consumed an enormous amount of time, budget, and workforce. A practical post-disaster preparedness plan would help the decision-makers and the public to manage the otherwise overwhelming nature of the post-disaster conditions in a more reasonable manner.

Heritage waste management

PurposeThe considerable volume of rubble generated by the 2016–2017 earthquakes in central Italy reveals a significant issue in the post-disaster reconstruction phase. Drawing from the experience of Macerata province and the city of Camerino, the purpose of this paper is to explore a possible change of attitude in the reuse of heritage waste materials in the reconstruction process of damaged historical villages and towns in Italy.Design/methodology/approachThis research outlines a comparison between national and regional directives on the rubble management on the one hand, and the praxis on the other, carrying out semi-structured interviews with experts who have been involved in the reconstruction process of Macerata province and Camerino, in Marche region.FindingsThe research reveals that the current vision in Italy for the management of disaster waste is still very close to the traditional paradigm that gives heritage waste an intrinsic value, worthy of great efforts for its collection, catalogue and preservation in view of the likely philological restoration of the damaged heritage. The most recent experiences in Camerino show that institutions responsible for the conservation of cultural heritage may accept a possible paradigm shift towards a more innovative and less expert-driven approach to heritage waste materials and their possible upcycling.Originality/valueWithin a critique of the traditional restoration paradigm, this article links disaster waste management to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to enhance the long-term sustainability of historical villages and towns in Italy.

Basic Framework of Regional Model for Disaster Waste Estimation and Distribution by Using Spatial Approach in Central Java-Indonesia

Disaster are becoming more frequent around the world and more intense in urban areas. Central Java is the province with the largest number of disasters in Indonesia. Disaster create amount of disaster waste and sometime very huge, many times comparing to daily municipal waste generation. Government and local citizen sometimes are unable to handling disaster waste. Since effective implementation of disaster waste management (DWM) will lead quick and better recovery of living and avoid more environmental risk, high level regional government such as provincial should help. To make effective support, it is important that provincial government develop a model to monitor disaster waste generation in each regency and cities. This study aims to develop basic framework of regional model for disaster waste estimation and distribution in provincial level. This study used Central Java Province as a case study. To estimate disaster waste in Central Java, this study developed an index system as a basic model. It is about basic comparison of disaster waste generation in all central java regencies or cities. Disaster waste is associated with total disaster events. This study utilized GIS tools to express model and system. This study developed of regional model disaster waste estimation in Central Java, divided by 3 sub decades. Study result shown that in first decade 1990-1999 the highest index of disaster waste estimation is Brebes Regency. Second decade 2000-2009 the highest index of disaster waste estimation is Semarang Regency and the third decade 2010-2018 the highest index of disaster waste estimation in Cilacap Regency.

Disaster waste management after flood events

AbstractLarge amounts of waste debris occur in urbanised areas when heavy rain on local geology generates flooding and landslides. Improved understanding of disaster waste management helps to support future strategies. This study aims to find management solutions that are environmentally and economically sustainable, hypothesizing three different options. There are many variables which influence the environmental impact and the operational cost. The distances between the areas of interest and the management site, the extent of a first manual sorting carried out by citizens, the economic load of each involved step. Overall, both the environmental and the economic analysis confirmed the usefulness of the non‐advanced option, which includes a temporary debris storage site for a preliminary shredding. On the other hand, the impact due to a possible biological treatment is not balanced by the advantage of the further volume decrease. The article shows a simple analysis schema, easily adaptable to different geographical context, is useful as supporting tool for the decision makers in flood emergency scenarios.

Management of Disaster Waste Generated by July 2018 Heavy Rains and Efforts by Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Environmental Office

Management of Disaster Waste Generated by July 2018 Heavy Rains and Efforts by Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Environmental Office

Collaborative Efforts of Disaster Waste Management Regions

Collaborative Efforts of Disaster Waste Management Regions

Disaster Waste Disposal following Massive July 2018 Raintall in Hiroshima Prefecture

Disaster Waste Disposal following Massive July 2018 Raintall in Hiroshima Prefecture

2017 Heavy Rain Disaster in Northern Kyushu and Disaster Waste Management for a Small Municipality

平成 29 年 7 月九州北部豪雨において，朝倉市は，未だかつてない規模の被害を被った。2012 ( 平成 24 ) 年 7 月の九州北部豪雨の経験を踏まえ，独自の災害廃棄物処理マニュアルを整備し，災害廃棄物処理の肝ともいえる一次集積場も合併前の市町ごとに 3 カ所確保していた。しかし，今回の災害規模は，その想定をはるかに上回っていた。災害対策本部は，人命救助，道路啓開物の除去，避難所対応，インフラの応急復旧等に翻弄され，人口約 5 万 4 千人の小規模自治体は，大混乱に陥った。このような中，災害廃棄物の処理は，かなり厳しいものであった。しかしながら，環境省をはじめとする多くの方々のさまざまな支援と市民の皆さんの理解と協力をもって，何とか乗り越えることができた。 本稿では，今回の災害の特徴を踏まえながら，通常時の廃棄物処理スキームと比較しつつ，災害廃棄物に対する平時からの備えから処理，そして課題を明らかにすることで，今後の大規模災害廃棄物対策に寄与することを願って紹介するものである。