Human-induced Disasters Research Articles

Geospatial and Temporal Patterns of Natural and Man-Made (Technological) Disasters (1900–2024): Insights from Different Socio-Economic and Demographic Perspectives

This pioneering study explores the geospatial and temporal patterns of natural and human-induced disasters from 1900 to 2024, providing essential insights into their global distribution and impacts. Significant trends and disparities in disaster occurrences and their widespread consequences are revealed through the utilization of the comprehensive international EM-DAT database. The results showed a dramatic escalation in both natural and man-made (technological) disasters over the decades, with notable surges in the 1991–2000 and 2001–2010 periods. A total of 25,836 disasters were recorded worldwide, of which 69.41% were natural disasters (16,567) and 30.59% were man-made (technological) disasters (9269). The most significant increase in natural disasters occurred from 1961–1970, while man-made (technological) disasters surged substantially from 1981–1990. Seasonal trends reveal that floods peak in January and July, while storms are most frequent in June and October. Droughts and floods are the most devastating in terms of human lives, while storms and earthquakes cause the highest economic losses. The most substantial economic losses were reported during the 2001–2010 period, driven by catastrophic natural disasters in Asia and North America. Also, Asia was highlighted by our research as the most disaster-prone continent, accounting for 41.75% of global events, with 61.89% of these events being natural disasters. Oceania, despite experiencing fewer total disasters, shows a remarkable 91.51% of these as natural disasters. Africa is notable for its high incidence of man-made (technological) disasters, which constitute 43.79% of the continent’s disaster events. Europe, representing 11.96% of total disasters, exhibits a balanced distribution but tends towards natural disasters at 64.54%. Examining specific countries, China, India, and the United States emerged as the countries most frequently affected by both types of disasters. The impact of these disasters has been immense, with economic losses reaching their highest during the decade of 2010–2020, largely due to natural disasters. The human toll has been equally significant, with Asia recording the most fatalities and Africa the most injuries. Pearson’s correlation analysis identified statistically significant links between socioeconomic factors and the effects of disasters. It shows that nations with higher GDP per capita and better governance quality tend to experience fewer disasters and less severe negative consequences. These insights highlight the urgent need for tailored disaster risk management strategies that address the distinct challenges and impacts in various regions. By understanding historical disaster patterns, policymakers and stakeholders can better anticipate and manage future risks, ultimately safeguarding lives and economies.

Simulation of smallholder farmers’ adaptation to irrigation-induced landslides: An ABM application in human-land-policy interaction

Understanding the dynamic interaction between smallholder farmers' adaptation decision-making behavior and the policy environment in the context of human-induced disasters is vital for developing effective policies to enhance farmers' participation in disaster risk reduction (DRR). From the perspective of bounded rationality theory, this study constructs the farmer-land-policy interaction (FLPI) model, taking Heifangtai in Loess Plateau, China, as a case study. Based on first-hand micro data, this study combines static econometric model analysis with dynamic simulation techniques, achieving a combination of micro decision-making and macro policies to understand the interaction between farmers and the policy environment. The FLPI model simulates farmers' future adaptations under multiple policy scenarios (baseline, mandatory policy, and subsidy policy scenario with a combination of different policy tools) from 2021 to 2030. Compared with the simulation results of the baseline scenario, the results indicate that mandatory and subsidy policies are effective interventions incentivizing farmers’ adaptation behavior for effective DRR. Mandatory policies rely on policy intervention to ensure that farmers adopt drip irrigation and to promote the generation of long-term behavior of farmers. And the results also propose a suitable subsidy range of 700–900 yuan and with a period of more than 2 years for subsidy policy. This study enriches the research on the interaction simulation between farmer behavior and policy environment under the background of human-induced disasters. And the FLPI model uses survey data as input, which could provide behavior rules closer to real situations than that of simplifying assumptions. The research indicates that the “bottom-up” approach of the FLPI model proven more appropriate to presenting micro-level adaptation and dynamic changes than traditional statistical models.And the agent-based model is very suitable for simulating the behavioral decision-making changes of farmers in policy environments.

Disaster risk management of cultural heritage: A global scale analysis of characteristics, multiple hazards, lessons learned from historical disasters, and issues in current DRR measures in world heritage sites

This study focuses on disaster risk reduction (DRR) in World Heritage (WH) sites around the world. The contents of disaster risk management in management plans, maps, and photographs of target WH sites are examined to understand the characteristics and hazards of heritage sites, lessons learned from historical disasters, and the status and issues in current strategies and measures. Through analyzing these results, it is found that there are diversified hazards in groups of buildings and archaeological sites in Asia and Europe. It is also revealed that fires, earthquakes, strong winds, and floods frequently occurred and caused enormous damage to the heritage sites, as well as human-induced disasters such as terrorism and explosions. Moreover, it was identified that heritage sites with wooden construction or construction partially composed of wooden components were more often damaged by fire, heritage sites located on multiple kinds of terrain were affected by a variety of disasters, and especially coastal heritage sites were exposed to shore erosion and sea level rise related to climate change. Through analyzing the damage, the various fire causes and the need for DRR measures against fires, earthquakes, and floods, become clear, and the urgency to investigate and address human-induced disasters is understood. It is further revealed that few surveyed WH sites have adopted intervention measures for earthquakes, storms, and human-induced hazards.

Precarious Lives of the Proletariat: Exploring the Human-Induced Catastrophe in the web series The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984 (2023)

This study explores the concept of ‘slow violence,’ a term coined by Rob Nixon to describe the insidious, often unnoticed effects of power imbalances over time. It examines how ‘state vampirism’ and ‘industrial capitalism’ oppress marginalized populations, with a focus on India’s dependency on countries like the USA. The research juxtaposes exploitation and deprivation in human-induced disasters, such as the Bhopal Gas tragedy (1984) and Chornobyl (1986), through the lens of Marxist subalternism. It also analyzes the portrayal of these themes in the 2023 Netflix series “The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984,” highlighting the plight of slum dwellers near Bhopal’s carbide factory. Ultimately, this paper questions the victimization process by capitalist multinationals, positioning Bhopal as a prime example of ‘corporate violence.’

Disaster management and mitigation strategies in Zambia: A systematic review

Overview: This paper provides an overview of disaster management and mitigation strategies in Zambia. Drawing upon a range of academic literature, government reports, and field studies, it examines the various natural and human-induced disasters that Zambia faces, including floods, droughts, disease outbreaks, and industrial accidents. The paper analyzes the country's disaster management framework, highlights key institutions, policies and stakeholders involved in disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Contribution to the Body of Knowledge: Basing on community-based approaches to disaster risk reduction and resilience building, the paper emphasizes the importance of local knowledge and participation in the mitigation of the impacts of disasters. It contributes to the ongoing discourse on enhancing resilience and reducing the impact of disasters on vulnerable populations and environments; and the development of more robust and sustainable disaster management and mitigation strategies that can better protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems in the face of future disasters. Methods: The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of policy documents and literature reviews with quantitative assessments of food production, consumption patterns, and socioeconomic indicators. Data was collected from various sources, including government reports, academic publications, and international organizations. Data was obtained from respondents by means of interviews, questionnaires and project observation schedules. The sample consisted of two hundred and fifty respondents. Frequency, percentages, tables, graphs and pie-charts were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data obtained. Data was then analyzed manually in some cases and also, a combination of software MS Access and MS Excel. Results: Effective disaster management and mitigation require a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach that integrates preparedness, risk reduction, community engagement, innovation, and global cooperation. By prioritizing resilience-building measures and investing in proactive strategies, societies can mitigate the impact of disasters and foster sustainable development in the face of evolving challenges. Recommendation: governments, organizations, and communities should work together to build more resilient societies and minimize the devastating effects of disasters.

Impact of Natural Disaster on the Tourism Possibilities Case Study of Himachal Pradesh

In both India and globally, all three sectors play pivotal roles in GDP production. The service sector, among them, has exhibited notable growth in recent years. An integral segment within the service and industrial domains is the tourism industry, which has flourished over an extended period, presenting ample opportunities for related sectors. India's economic advancement has significantly benefited from its thriving tourism industry, which attracts a substantial influx of domestic and international travelers for both business and leisure purposes. Beyond contributing to the revenue of towns and nations, tourism fosters local employment opportunities and showcases India's rich heritage sites, festivals, and natural landscapes, all of which are highly esteemed by visitors. For numerous years, natural and human-induced disasters have adversely impacted the nation's tourism sector. People bear the brunt of these calamities, experiencing severe disruptions in their social and economic lives. The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, known for their vibrant tourism industry, fall within India's disaster-prone zones. A robust economy is vital for the tourism sector, which is relatively susceptible to fluctuations, to flourish. The response of the tourism industry to such disasters underscores its vulnerability to abrupt changes in the local economy. This thesis underscores prior research indicating that both natural and human-induced disasters can detrimentally affect employment within the tourism sector. Focusing predominantly on economic ramifications, the paper delves into disasters occurring over the past two decades, with particular emphasis on the significant impact of the 2023 floods in Himachal Pradesh, which reverberated across northern India. Seniors' exposure, sensitivity, and capacities when combined with potentially dangerous situations might severely impair their ability to function normally. It affects people in a socioeconomic, psychological, and physical way. The Depending on their age group, the disaster's impact could be different in degree.

Enhancing disaster management effectiveness: An integrated analysis of key factors and practical strategies through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and scopus data text mining

In the 21st century, the surge in natural and human-induced disasters necessitates robust disaster management frameworks. This research addresses a critical gap, exploring dynamics in the successful implementation and performance monitoring of disaster management. Focusing on eleven key elements like Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Training, Disaster Preparedness, Communication, and Community Resilience, the study utilizes Scopus Database for secondary data, employing Text Mining and MS-Excel for analysis and data management. IBM SPSS (26) and IBM AMOS (20) facilitate Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for model evaluation.The research raises questions about crafting a comprehensive, adaptable model, understanding the interplay between vulnerability assessment, training, and disaster preparedness, and integrating effective communication and collaboration. Findings offer actionable insights for policy, practice, and community resilience against disasters. By scrutinizing each factor's role and interactions, the research lays the groundwork for a flexible model. Ultimately, the study aspires to cultivate more resilient communities amid the escalating threats of an unpredictable world, fostering effective navigation and thriving.

Sustainability and Resilience of Engineering Assets

The frequency and severity of natural or human-induced disaster events, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, pandemics, hazardous material spills, groundwater contamination, structural failures, explosions, etc., as well as their impacts, have greatly increased in recent decades due to population growth and extensive urbanization, among other factors. The World Bank estimates that the total cost of cities’ and communities’ vulnerability to these types of disasters could reach more than USD 300 billion per year by 2030. However, it has been argued that investment to improve the quality and resilience of engineered physical assets that are the backbone of modern societies, such as critical infrastructure, industrial facilities, and buildings, could significantly contribute to more sustainable and prosperous societies. Engineered assets are key to the delivery of essential services, such as transport, food, water, electricity supply, health and safety, etc. Some of these physical assets are integrated into asset systems and national or regional networks, with life cycles of several decades or even centuries. It is, therefore, of great importance that strategies and life cycle decisions, such as those related to short- and long-term capital investment planning, maintenance strategies, operational plans, and asset disposal, lead to the maximization of the value derived from these assets. Moreover, it is essential that the achievement of these goals is sustainable over time. Organizations dealing with engineering assets, both public and private, must, therefore, integrate sustainability and resilience concerns into everyday operations, using budgets that are often restricted, while also meeting demanding performance requirements in risky and uncertain environments. This Special Issue collates a selection of papers reporting the latest research and case studies regarding the trends and emerging strategies used to address these challenges, with contributions discussing how asset management principles and techniques can help to push the boundaries of sophistication and innovation to improve the life cycle management of engineered assets to ensure more sustainable and resilient cities and societies.

Planning for the Lake Izabal Basin Research Endeavor (LIBRE) continental scientific drilling project in eastern Guatemala

Abstract. As Earth's atmospheric temperatures and human populations increase, more people are becoming vulnerable to natural and human-induced disasters. This is particularly true in Central America, where the growing human population is experiencing climate extremes (droughts and floods), and the region is susceptible to geological hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and environmental deterioration in many forms (soil erosion, lake eutrophication, heavy metal contamination, etc.). Instrumental and historical data from the region are insufficient to understand and document past hazards, a necessary first step for mitigating future risks. Long, continuous, well-resolved geological records can, however, provide a window into past climate and environmental changes that can be used to better predict future conditions in the region. The Lake Izabal Basin (LIB), in eastern Guatemala, contains the longest known continental records of tectonics, climate, and environmental change in the northern Neotropics. The basin is a pull-apart depression that developed along the North American and Caribbean plate boundary ∼ 12 Myr ago and contains > 4 km of sediment. The sedimentological archive in the LIB records the interplay among several Earth System processes. Consequently, exploration of sediments in the basin can provide key information concerning: (1) tectonic deformation and earthquake history along the plate boundary; (2) the timing and causes of volcanism from the Central American Volcanic Arc; and (3) hydroclimatic, ecologic, and geomicrobiological responses to different climate and environmental states. To evaluate the LIB as a potential site for scientific drilling, 65 scientists from 13 countries and 33 institutions met in Antigua, Guatemala, in August 2022 under the auspices of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). Several working groups developed scientific questions and overarching hypotheses that could be addressed by drilling the LIB and identified optimal coring sites and instrumentation needed to achieve the project goals. The group also discussed logistical challenges and outreach opportunities. The project is not only an outstanding opportunity to improve our scientific understanding of seismotectonic, volcanic, paleoclimatic, paleoecologic, and paleobiologic processes that operate in the tropics of Central America, but it is also an opportunity to improve understanding of multiple geological hazards and communicate that knowledge to help increase the resilience of at-risk Central American communities.

Roles of Schools and Educators in Supporting Resilience in Young Children after Disasters

The increasing frequency and severity of natural and human-induced disasters have had detrimental effects on global populations, resulting in heightened human suffering and disruptions to social structures. This paper explores the multifaceted impact of disasters, encompassing both natural hazards and unnatural disasters, on children and the role of schools and educators in mitigating these effects. While the immediate concern during crises is children’s safety, there are ways to protect and support resilience in young children.
 Schools hold significant importance as centres for education, socialization, and economic development, and their role in disaster response and recovery is crucial. Schools provide a sense of normalcy and continuity for communities affected by disasters. However, many schools lack the necessary preparedness, and physical structure in some cases, to effectively respond to these events, and educators often find themselves as first responders without adequate training.
 The paper underscores the need for comprehensive disaster skills training for educators and school staff, ensuring they are equipped to address children’s psychological, emotional, and educational needs before, during and after disasters. Additionally, schools can serve as a ‘place attachment’ for children which aids in disaster preparedness, processing traumatic experiences, and fostering resilience and recovery.
 This Bridging the Gap paper highlights the urgent need for proactive measures in education including disaster-focused training, robust disaster management plans, and the integration of resilience-building strategies. By prioritizing children’s well-being and leveraging the pivotal role of schools and educators, communities can enhance their capacity to cope with, respond to, and recover from disasters, ultimately promoting greater overall resilience.

Outage Analysis of Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicle-Assisted Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer System for Industrial Emergency Applications.

In the scenario of a natural or human-induced disaster, traditional communication infrastructure is often disrupted or even completely unavailable, making the employment of emergency wireless networks highly important. In this paper, we consider an industrial Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system assisted by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that restores connectivity from the master terminal unit (MTU) to the remote terminal unit (RTU). The UAV also provides power supply to the ground RTU, which transmits the signal to the end-user terminal (UT) using the harvested RF energy. The MTU-UAV and UAV-RTU channels are modeled through Nakagami-m fading, while the channel between the RTU and the UT is subject to Fisher-Snedecor composite fading. According to the channels' characterization, the expression for evaluating the overall probability of outage events is derived. The impact of the UAV's relative position to other terminals and the amount of harvested energy on the outage performance is investigated. In addition, the results obtained based on an independent simulation method are also provided to confirm the validity of the derived analytical results. The provided analysis shows that the position of the UAV that leads to the optimal outage system performance is highly dependent on the MTU's output power.

Nature of Drug and Substance Abuse in Kilifi and Mombasa Counties of Coastal Kenya

Drug and substance abuse has become one of the looming human-induced disasters globally, making it a profound concern among the comity of nations owing to the significant detrimental effects it has in almost every aspect of life and development. In Kenya, it has become one of the major social catastrophes with the commonest and most easily identifiable manifest in public health. Specific objective of the study was to examine the nature of drug and substance abuse in selected counties in the coastal region, Kenya. The study was guided by the social learning theory and functionalism theory. The study was further underpinned by the interpretivism approach. The study used descriptive and evaluative research designs, with data collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The study was conducted in Kilifi and Mombasa Counties. Data was collected from 552 respondents, who included 384 household heads, 20 victims, 2 county education officers, 2 county commissioners, 2 county health officers, 70 administrative chiefs, 102 village elders, 9 head of NACADA officers, and 8 religious leaders. The study revealed that drug abuse is a significant problem affecting individuals of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Commonly abused substances include alcohol 99% (383), khat 98% (378), tobacco 97% (376), cannabis 94% (364), heroin 89% (341), cocaine 88% (337), prescription drugs 85% (326), and methamphetamine 80% (307). Both males 75% (289) and 25% (95) females engage in drugs and substance abuse. The main causes of the menace are unemployment 99% (380), poverty 98% (376), mental illnesses 97% (373) and curiosity and experimentation 96% (370). The study recommends strict border control, adequate provision of adequate security personnel at the border posts, and adoption of new technologies to aid in surveillance and monitoring and tracking of the smugglers.

Coastal erosion in temperate barriers: an anthropized sandy beach in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Coastal erosion is a common issue in urbanized areas located on sandy barriers in Latin America, making them highly vulnerable to both natural and human induced disasters. This pose a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of these coastal systems. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the medium-term shoreline evolution of a highly-anthropized beach sector located within a coastal barrier system of Buenos Aires, Argentina. For this purpose, a geospatial analysis based on aerial imagery and high-resolution satellite data was conducted for the 1965–2021 period. Additionally, the study aimed to identify critical erosive sectors and to provide estimations for the near-future shoreline evolution of these beaches. The results showed contrasting patterns, with sectors presenting shoreline retreat rates up to 0.7 m/yr while others demonstrated accretion rates exceeding 0.6 m/yr. Despite these along-shore variations in erosion/accretion balances, more than 70% of the shoreline presented an erosional trend for the studied period. This led to the identification of an erosional hot spot covering 30% of the urbanized waterfront. Furthermore, the 2030 forecast suggests that a highly urbanized beach sector could suffer a shoreline retreat of about 20 m. These results could be directly linked to the historical land use/land cover changes, mainly related to dune stabilization processes and to the implantation of urban surfaces. At this point, erosive patterns could be mainly caused by local cross-shore imbalances due to these anthropogenic disturbances. It is expected that the results of the present study will serve as a basis for coastal management policies, and the proposed method will be a useful tool for assessing coastal erosion hazard.

Evaluating How Tenure Security in Disaster Management Depends on Land Governance Based on Indonesian Case Study

Tenure security is a critical variable in disaster management, yet is dependent on the rules and regulations of a country with regards to land ownership and use. This study draws on three disasters that occurred in Indonesia as case studies: the tsunami in Aceh in 2004, the Sidoarjo mudflow in 2006, and the tidal flood and permanent inundation in Kabupaten Demak, reported in 1997. Using literature review approach, we compare the government responses in these examples and evaluate how they affected tenure security in each case, and presented it qualitatively. We discovered that there were different responses in terms of the declaration of a national disaster, Central Government support, the presence of a responsible agency, and how the government threatened it as a 'pure natural disaster' or a 'human-induced disaster.' We conclude that the Central Government plays an important role in ensuring tenure security during a disaster in terms of supporting laws and regulations, but the Local Government is also critical in the implementation process in land right reconstruction. Furthermore, for destroyed or lost land due to a disaster, the regulations on disaster management should distinguish between the root and cause of the disaster to ensure land rights protection and justice for the victims.

Disaster Management and Good Governance: A Review on Chattogram Landslides

Introduced by the development organizations, in the early nineties of the twentieth century, the concept of good governance emerged as a powerful tool of government management. The term Disaster Management has also been introduced in Bangladesh in the contemporary period. However, Bangladesh is observing the lack of good governance being an obstacle to disaster management. Without ensuring good governance the rise of the death toll due to natural as well as human-induced disasters such as floods, cyclones, river erosion, drought, fire incidents, launch accidents, or building collapse could not be prevented. This study has particularly focused on revealing the relation of landslides to the eight significant characteristics of good governance. The researchers have collected both the primary and the secondary data and have adopted a qualitative method for analysing the data retrieved from Chattogram metropolitan area (previously known as Chittagong) during the research. This study has tried to establish the argument that, lack of the characteristics of good governance including transparency, accountability, rules of law, participation, responsiveness, consensus, inclusiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness is responsible for occurring disasters like landslides. Thus, this study is expected to open a new edge in academic and development research. This will also help the policymakers cope with the guidelines to create necessary policies. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(1), June 2022 Page 35-55

A deep learning approach to improve built asset operations and disaster management in critical events: an integrative simulation model for quicker decision making

AbstractIncreasing levels of urbanisation and the rapid growth of modern cities require that particular attention be paid to ensuring the safety and protection of living conditions for their inhabitants. In this context, natural and human-induced disasters pose a major threat to the safety and normal operational procedures of buildings and infrastructures. In consequence, disaster management and built assets operations demand modern tools to be effectively prepared in order to better respond to such critical events. This study explores the potential of artificial intelligence in these operational fields by developing a deep learning model that is able to provide a rapid assessment of an asset’s structural condition in the case of a seismic excitation. The proposed simulation model makes an accurate prediction of the damage status of individual elements in a built asset, thus leading to operational improvements across all disaster management phases. In addition, the above development integrates the deep learning algorithm into building information modelling and then uploads the graphical information to a web dashboard. By following the framework proposed, an integrative model is designed that provides a visual and user-friendly interface that allows different stakeholders to navigate and comprehend essential information on the effects of a disaster; thus enabling quicker decision making and strengthening operational resilience in critical events.

Town Planning and Development for Disaster Prevention: Insights from Gokwe Town, Zimbabwe

An increasing number of disasters across the globe have prompted the creation of strategies for disaster risk reduction and resilience to save lives and property in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The 2030 Agenda calls for all development planning to simultaneously tackle disaster risk reduction and inclusiveness. This paper aims to remold urban planning for upcoming new towns in developing countries so that planners can be able to include indigenous knowledge systems in urban planning. The study was conducted in a new town, Gokwe, Zimbabwe, with a population of 8,118 from which a sample size of 229 was drawn using Cochran’s sample size determination formula and the 30% rule. A mixed-methods analytic case study was conducted to evaluate the potential of the town’s planning processes in preventing natural and human-induced disasters. The study used questionnaires, semistructured interviews, desktop sources, focus group discussions, and remote sensing. It analyzed the strategies, scope, and relevance of Gokwe town disaster risk-reduction strategies and their integration into town planning and development using six wards, from 1992 to 2020. The Urban Disaster Reduction Index (UDRI) model was applied based on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction indicators to measure the extent to which the town council’s development planning can help to reduce disaster and foster sustainable development. The UDRI was calculated for the four Sendai Framework priority areas and proved that the council’s disaster management is weak. The chief cause was found to be the town’s development control regulations and the national urban councils act that excludes contributions from local communities and leadership, placing new town planning in the hands of bureaucrats, technicians, and politicians only. It was concluded that for disaster management to improve requires local DRR and national urban development policies reformulation.

Disaster-development interface and its impact on emerging vulnerability scenario in Ladakh region of northwestern Himalayas.

The Union Territory of Ladakh, located in the northwestern Himalayan region, is highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic hazards like earthquakes, landslides, snow avalanches, flash floods, cloud bursts, and border conflicts. Occurrences of these disasters have significantly influenced the development and vulnerability scenario of Trans-Himalayan Ladakh. Findings reveal that despite suffering losses from natural and human-induced disasters, the region has benefited by grabbing the attention of policymakers at the national level. Consequently, long-term developments were positively impacted, reflecting infrastructural upgradation, improved transportation and communication, profoundly improving the socio-economic well-being of the people. Furthermore, post-disaster developments have managed to showcase the unique physiography and adventurous terrains of Ladakh, promoting tourism as the main economic driver in the region. The exponential growth of tourism and associated sectors have influenced the vulnerability scenario, which was quantified using the multi-criterion-based analytical hierarchical processes (AHP) method, indicating an increase in climate change-related vulnerability, followed by socio-cultural, environmental, and physical vulnerabilities. Specifically, the vulnerabilities with respect to flash floods, landslides, erratic rainfall, haphazard constructions, cultural dilution, water crisis, and changes in land use patterns have been exacerbated across the study area. The study highlights the need for effective management of these emerging vulnerabilities through proper planning to ensure long-term sustainable development goals in this environmentally fragile region.

The Yoruba Concept of the Okun Omo Iya as a Critique of Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” and the Quest for Environmental Sustainability

This paper attempts to critique the existential philosophy of Martin Buber’s theory of the “I-Thou” using the Yoruba concept of okun omo iya. The need for the realization of a sustainable environment has been a point of focus for researchers, scholars, and government policy makers. The reason for this realization is not far-fetched. According to a record from World Health Organisation (WHO), one-quarter of all deaths worldwide are attributed to over-exploitation and reckless usage of the environment. This undoubtedly has caused several human-induced disasters such as floods. The reckless usage and abuse of the environment is predicated on the domineering tendency of humans towards the environment. Martin Buber, in his existentialist philosophy, argues that humans should treat their relations as “I-Thou” (as subjects) and not as “I-It” (as objects). It follows that humans must be considerate in relating with each other such that fellow humans should not be treated as a means to an end, rather as ends in themselves. Simply put, fellow humans should not be seen as objects that others can either control, dominate, or subdue. However, Buber’s existentialist philosophy is human-centered, as it excludes the non-human entities and as well, failed to explain the relationship that should exist between humans and non-human entities. Hence, the Yoruba concept of okun omo iya will be used as a paradigm to remodel and re-configure the existentialist philosophy of Buber in a way that is environmentally inclusive.

Environmental Hazards and Management with Reference to Human-induced Disaster and its Impacts: A Case Study of Stone Quarry at Aizawl South, India

Environmental Hazards and Management with Reference to Human-induced Disaster and its Impacts: A Case Study of Stone Quarry at Aizawl South, India