Earthquake Disaster Risk Management Research Articles

The influence of professionals on the general public in the choice of earthquake disaster preparedness: Based on the perspective of peer effects

Disaster preparedness is an important link in disaster risk management and an effective means to reduce disaster losses. However, few studies focus on the peer effects of the social network in residents' disaster preparedness decisions. Based on the survey data of 327 rural households affected by the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquake in China, this study theoretically constructs the peer effects model of professionals to the general public, and empirically uses the binary logit model to verify the peer effects of professionals on the general public. The results show that: (1)there are significant differences between the general public and professionals in emergency supplies preparedness and knowledge training preparedness; (2)the general public will imitate professionals' disaster preparedness to achieve the convergence of disaster preparedness; (3)the general public will enhance the level of emergency supplies and disaster insurance preparedness by social learning; (4)the general public's house reinforcement preparation is only related to the direct economic loss, and has nothing to do with social learning. The results of this study are helpful to improve the current policy system of mass monitoring and mass prevention in China and provide a reference for other countries in formulating earthquake disaster risk management policies.

Portfolio Seismic Loss Estimation and Risk-based Critical Scenarios for Residential Wooden Houses in Victoria, British Columbia, and Canada.

This study presents a city-wide seismic risk assessment of single-family wooden houses in Victoria, British Columbia, and Canada. The novelty and uniqueness of this study include considerations of detailed building-by-building exposure model for residential houses, current national seismic hazard model for Canada, and rigorous seismic fragility modeling of wooden houses based on nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures subjected to mainshock-aftershock sequences. A full consideration of stochastic event scenarios in probabilistic seismic risk analysis allows the identification of critical scenarios from overall regional seismic risk perspectives and provides valuable insights in informing earthquake disaster risk management actions. Outputs from the developed catastrophe model for Victoria are compared with the empirical model that was developed based on insurance claim data from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Results of the seismic loss calculations highlight the importance of seismic resistance of the existing houses and of aftershock effects. The integrated use of the outputs from the advanced catastrophe model facilitates risk-based identification of critical earthquake scenarios, which are useful for different stakeholders for earthquake risk management purposes.

Prevalence of Fatalistic Attitudes toward Earthquake Disaster Risk Management in Citizens of Tehran, Iran

The probability of earthquake in Tehran, large population and congestion in this city and unequal distribution of the population has increased the vulnerability of Tehran to the earthquake. One of the methods for reducing vulnerability is development of Disaster Preparedness Behavior (DPB). Fatalistic beliefs have a special effect on DPB. This study has evaluated the prevalence of religious and fatalistic beliefs to explain the people's needs in decreasing vulnerability and promoting their DPB during earthquakes. This study was a survey from October 21 to November 7, 2013. Data was gathered using questionnaire and survey during two weeks in 22 regions of Tehran. The study population consisted of the Tehran citizens aged ≥18 years old. Sampling was performed by Probability Proportional Size (PPS) sampling. A total of 1312 samples were included in the study. Among those participants who answered the question indicating their religion 99.5 %(963 persons) stated that they were Muslims. While 68.9% of participants had religious attitude toward earthquake crisis management, 57.9% did not have fatalistic views in this regard. However, 48.2% of participants expressed scientific approach toward earthquake crisis management.. In order to control fatalistic beliefs in earthquake disaster management and promote the people's DPB, the managers and policymakers are required to adopt proper strategies in this regard to increase education and train people to behave correctly, associate with their religious beliefs.

Nonmodel-based framework for rapid seismic risk and loss assessment of instrumented steel buildings

This paper proposes a nonmodel-based framework for estimating story-based engineering demand parameters (EDPs) in instrumented steel frame buildings with steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs). The proposed framework utilizes a wavelet-based damage-sensitive feature and basic building geometric information to infer the building damage state at a given seismic intensity. The story-based EDPs are predicted with a reasonable accuracy compared to those predicted from rigorous nonlinear response history analyses that typically require the explicit use of a nonlinear building model. The efficiency of the proposed framework is demonstrated through a number of illustrative examples including actual instrumented steel frame buildings that experienced the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles. It is shown that if the building content is known the proposed framework can facilitate building-specific seismic risk and loss assessment within minutes after an earthquake provided that the recorded floor absolute acceleration histories at discrete locations along the height of the building are accessible. The nonmodel-based framework is also extended at the city-scale through the development of generalized earthquake-induced damage and loss maps for the same earthquake event. The same framework can facilitate the decision-making for effective pre-disaster measures for earthquake disaster risk management of building assets.

Social vulnerability assessment of earthquake disaster based on the catastrophe progression method: A Sichuan Province case study

The identification of regions of social vulnerability to earthquake disaster and factors contributing to social vulnerability is significant for effective earthquake disaster risk management. To assess social vulnerability to earthquake disaster, this paper applied a rough set to construct an evaluation model of social vulnerability based on catastrophe progression. Following in-depth literature researches, an assessment model of social vulnerability to earthquake disaster in Sichuan Province, China, based on the catastrophe progression method was established. A rough set attribute reduction method was adopted to eliminate irrelevant social vulnerability indicators and optimize the proposed model. Finally, a catastrophe progression method for social vulnerability to earthquake disaster is developed to overcome the subjectivity of the index weight assignment of social vulnerability indicators in the currently used social vulnerability assessment method. The application of our method to Sichuan Province indicates large regional differences in terms of social vulnerability to earthquake disasters. The results show that the northeastern and central areas of Sichuan Province belong to the high social vulnerability category; in particular, Guangyuan is the most vulnerable region. These findings will provide policymakers with a scientific basis for their earthquake disaster risk management strategies.

Specific Architectural and Structural Design of an Earthquake Disaster Management Multi-Purpose Complex

Iran is one of the most seismic countries in the world, a lot of earthquakes occur in Iran every year. Some actions and researches have been done about Earthquake Disaster Risk Management field since 1990 after large earthquake of Manjil-Rudbar in Iran. One of the main subjects of Earthquake Disaster Risk Management is Community base Disaster risk Management (CBDRM). This paper presents the idea of Earthquake Disaster Management Multipurpose Complex (EDMMC) with self-help neighborhood approach that has been proposed for making CBDRM feasible in each neighborhood of a large city like Tehran, The case study is Youssef Abad-region6-Tehran. Furthermore, in structural Design, the seismic behavior of Earthquake Disaster Management Multipurpose Complex (EDMMC) was evaluated using dynamic nonlinear analysis. In total, three different structures (the building of a training complex with a typical foundation (M1 ), the steel building of the training complex with a LRB base-isolator (M2 ), and the steel building of the training complex with rocking structural systems (M3 )) were studied applying three earthquakes of Northridge, Kobe, and Chi-Chi. Several seismic parameters were also evaluated including time history of displacement (displacementtime), time history of base shear (force-time), and the hysteresis diagram (force-displacement). The results indicate the appropriate function of the selected M2 and M3 model in controlling and decreasing the seismic responses of the structure.

Initiatives for earthquake disaster risk management in the Kathmandu Valley

Situated over the Himalayan tectonic zone, Kathmandu Valley as a lake in geological past has a long history of destructive earthquakes. In recent years, the earthquake risk of the valley has significantly increased due mainly to uncontrolled development, poor construction practices with no earthquake safety consideration, and lack of awareness among the general public and government authorities. Implementation of land use plan and building codes, strengthening of design and construction regulations, relocation of communities in risky areas, and conduction of public awareness programs are suitable means of earthquake disaster risk management practice. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is still lacking earthquake disaster risk management plans. So, this paper highlights some initiatives adopted by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations of Nepal to manage earthquake disaster risk in the Kathmandu Valley. It provides some comprehensive information on recent initiatives of earthquake disaster risk management in the valley and also highlights the outcomes and challenges.

Evaluating earthquake disaster risk management in schools in Rungwe Volcanic Province in Tanzania

This article establishes existing knowledge on earthquakes and coping mechanisms employed in reducing the severity of adverse impacts caused by an earthquake disaster in a specific locality. The purpose of the study was to recommend useful measures for disaster risk management. It also more particularly aimed at assessing mechanisms employed in reducing the disaster risk and integrating knowledge of disasters and hazards in primary and secondary school curricula. The study was carried out in Rungwe Volcanic Province in Rungwe District, Tanzania, and included recording people’s attitudes towards earthquake disaster and locations of schools. It employed focus group discussions, public hearings and interviews in order to capture the actual situation relating to risk and vulnerability assessments by the community. The study revealed high levels of risk and vulnerability to the impact of earthquakes on the part of the community, who accepted earthquakes as a normal phenomenon and therefore did not employ special measures to reduce the impact. The study showed that the community’s coping mechanisms and the extent to which disaster management knowledge has been integrated in school curricula are inadequate in addressing earthquake disasters. It is thus recommended that traditional and modern technologies be integrated in curricula and later in sustainable practices; such technologies include the belief in ‘Nyifwila’, traditional housing style and wooden housing, and non-structural planning for disaster risk management.

Earthquake disaster risk management planning in schools

Purpose – This paper aims to develop an appropriate earthquake disaster management system for Iranian schools with a main focus on non‐structural problems of schools during disasters.Design/methodology/approach – A framework is proposed for disaster management planning regarding earthquakes in three phases: before, during, and after an earthquake. A detailed description of the proposed management system is also presented with special application to schools, focusing mainly on non‐structural problem.Findings – There is a need to emphasise on a national‐level contingency planning that includes developing and designing detailed plans for a proper response and training of relevant personnel. Another important issue, which needs special attention is the material which should be taught to the commanders of emergency activities at various levels in order to help them to control an effective emergency situation.Practical implications – By using the “emergency management system” proposed in this paper for Iranian ...

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT ON TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST EARTHQUAKE RISK—BY SCGE MODEL

本論文では, 空間的応用一般均衡モデルを用いて地域間の物資・旅客流動や産業連関を考慮した地域経済のモデル化を行い, 交通施設の機能損傷に起因する経済被害の空間的帰着構造を分析する枠組みについて述べる. 次いで, この枠組みを用いて, 東海地震の警戒宣言発令時や東海地震発生時における基幹交通網の機能低下の影響や, ネットワーク整備などの被害軽減施策の効果を定量的に評価する. また, 構築したモデルをベースとした巨大地震リスクのマネジメントのあり方について検討する.