Natural Disasters Research Articles

Natural disasters and entrepreneurship in rural China

ABSTRACT Entrepreneurial activities can provide jobs and increase market dynamics, which are important for economic and social development. Based on data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies, this study examined the impact of natural disasters on entrepreneurship using a multivariable linear regression model. The findings indicated that natural disasters significantly negatively impact entrepreneurship. Specifically, natural disaster experience reduces the probability of entrepreneurship by 1.6%, and each unit increase in natural disaster intensity reduces the probability further by 0.7%. The study findings remain robust after using propensity score matching to mitigate potential sample selection problems. Further heterogeneity analysis suggests that natural disasters have a greater negative impact on individuals with low levels of education and household engaged in agricultural production. The mechanism analysis showed that natural disasters affect entrepreneurship by affecting the health status of individuals and the household’s wealth. Implications for the government are provided at the end of this study to increase the entrepreneurial intentions of affected households.

Perceptions of Farmers about Socio-economic Impacts of Drought: A Case Study of Mastung District, Balochistan

Drought is one of the most complicated natural disasters, affecting more people than any other natural disaster. There has been an increasing trend in the number of disasters reported globally over last few decades. Balochistan is among the areas which are arid and drought affected. This study was conducted in Balochistan region with the help of 200 samples of farmers from Mastung District. The farmers were interviewed helping study drought perception in the selected area. The objectives of this study were to find the impact of Mastung district drought how it has impacted the people in the region and what strategies people of Mastung district are taking to overcome this drought. Analysis shows the residents of Mastung District had a fair amount of understanding of climate changes. A vast majority of respondents (95.5%) reported experiencing drought occasionally. The vast majority of respondents 96%, reported that climate change is influencing drought intensity and frequency. The results about effect of drought on household income show that drought has impacted household income and caused significant challenges for the households. Almost all the respondents have reported decrease of livestock numbers due to drought. Results show that drought has a largely negative impact on crop yield, with most of respondents reported moderate declines in crop yield due to drought. A vast majority (98%) of respondents indicated that drought has moderately reduced employment opportunities in the area. All of the respondents confirmed that drought causes malnutrition among children. 57 % of farmers think that there are disputes over water for irrigation use in Mastung District. There are some drought mitigation strategies adopted by local people including storing grains, storing crop residue for livestock and the use of drought resistant crop were other coping strategies. The government and non-governmental organizations should assist the local population in strengthening the communities' resilience by increasing their capacity for adaptation in order to lessen the effects of drought.

Assessment of the relationship between post-earthquake trauma levels, sleep disorders, dietary habits, and emotional eating in adults

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess post-earthquake trauma levels in adults and explore the relationship between trauma, sleep disorders, dietary habits, and emotional eating. Conducted with 708 adults using snowball sampling, the study utilized the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale, the Post-earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale, and the Feeding Your Feelings: Emotional Eating Scale. Results revealed that factors such as gender, exposure to earthquake-related content on social media, time spent on social media before sleep, losing a loved one, and emotional eating tendencies significantly influenced trauma levels (Adj. R²:0.166, p<0.001). Bidirectional relationships were found between trauma, sleep disorders, and emotional eating. Given the results achieved, the earthquake on 6 February not only triggered trauma among individuals living in the affected regions but also across the entire society, negatively impacting dietary habits. These findings underscore the importance of psychosocial support after natural disasters to mitigate negative effects like sleep issues and emotional eating.

Hospital Boarding Creates Critical Shortcomings in Disaster Preparedness.

Hospital patient boarding in emergency departments has reached unprecedented crisis levels over the past 4 years. Boarding and crowding has been demonstrated by prior literature to have adverse effects on patient care as well as increased associated costs. Importantly, the increase in hospital patient boarding has created critical shortcomings in disaster preparedness by limiting the capacity of emergency departments to respond to mass casualty incidents due to space and staffing constraints. Multiple concurrent threats exacerbate these challenges, including increases in the incidence of both natural and unnatural disasters over the past decade and decreases in the numbers of US hospitals, hospital beds, and employed healthcare staff. "Emergency department boarding" must also be renamed "hospital boarding" given that the fundamental challenge lies with hospital and health system leadership and does not stem from emergency departments. In this commentary, the authors share a call to action to increase support and funding for research to alleviate the demands of hospital boarding, greater recognition among hospital leadership of the threat that hospital boarding poses to disaster scenarios, and widespread development of hospital-based, regional plans for mass casualty incident response that are more effective in the context of excessive boarding.

Traces of Earthquake: Traumatic Life Experiences and Their Effects on Volunteer Nurses in the Earthquake Zone-An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.

It is crucial to understand the effects that traumatic events related to natural disasters have on individuals in as much detail as possible. However, the literature investigating the traumatic life experiences of nurses, who play a key role in disaster management, is still limited. The aim of this study was to explore in depth the traumatic life experiences of volunteer nurses who participated in relief efforts after two major earthquakes in the southeastern region of Türkiye. This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological design. The study sample consisted of 16 nurses selected by the purposive and snowball sampling methods. The data were evaluated using interpretative phenomenological analysis in the Maxqda 2020 program. Four themes were generated: (1) shocking facts, (2) coping methods, (3) traumatic stress reactions, and (4) traumatic growth. While traumatic life experiences in the earthquake area led to acute stress reactions in the volunteer nurses, these experiences also contributed to their traumatic growth and development. Healthcare managers and policymakers should develop comprehensive strategies and intervention programs to safeguard the mental health of nurses in the context of natural disasters. It may also be useful to improve clinical education programs and support systems by reviewing international policies and procedures.

Endotracheal tube as chest tube: a back-up alternative in resource limited settings

Thoracostomies, and subsequent placements of chest tubes (CTs), are a standard procedure in several domains of medicine. In emergency medicine, thoracostomies are indicated to release a relevant hemothorax or pneumothorax,...

A New Model of Emergency Supply Management for Swift Transition from Peacetime to Emergency Considering Demand Urgency and Supplier Evaluation

In recent years, the increasing complexity of natural disasters has highlighted the limitations of existing emergency material assistance systems. To address these challenges, this study proposes a collaborative adaptation mechanism for “peacetime and emergency integration” and develops a supplier evaluation framework. The framework incorporates multi-dimensional indicators such as profit, business credit, regional advantages, and emergency capability. Using a DEMATEL-ANP-based model, supplier L2 is identified as the optimal choice with a weight of 0.285. A fuzzy comprehensive assessment approach is applied to classify emergency materials based on demand urgency, identifying drinking water, rescue tools, medical supplies, and other critical items as priority resources. The evaluation vectors for these materials range from 0.1540 to 0.9909. This study enhances emergency material management through improved information systems, a better control of critical processes, and a unified assurance strategy. It provides theoretical support and practical guidance for more scientific and standardized disaster management practices.

Enhancing Human Detection in Occlusion-Heavy Disaster Scenarios: A Visibility-Enhanced DINO (VE-DINO) Model with Reassembled Occlusion Dataset

Natural disasters create complex environments where effective human detection is both critical and challenging, especially when individuals are partially occluded. While recent advancements in computer vision have improved detection capabilities, there remains a significant need for efficient solutions that can enhance search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in resource-constrained disaster scenarios. This study modified the original DINO (Detection Transformer with Improved Denoising Anchor Boxes) model and introduced the visibility-enhanced DINO (VE-DINO) model, designed for robust human detection in occlusion-heavy environments, with potential integration into SAR system. VE-DINO enhances detection accuracy by incorporating body part key point information and employing a specialized loss function. The model was trained and validated using the COCO2017 dataset, with additional external testing conducted on the Disaster Occlusion Detection Dataset (DODD), which we developed by meticulously compiling relevant images from existing public datasets to represent occlusion scenarios in disaster contexts. The VE-DINO achieved an average precision of 0.615 at IoU 0.50:0.90 on all bounding boxes, outperforming the original DINO model (0.491) in the testing set. The external testing of VE-DINO achieved an average precision of 0.500. An ablation study was conducted and demonstrated the robustness of the model subject when confronted with varying degrees of body occlusion. Furthermore, to illustrate the practicality, we conducted a case study demonstrating the usability of the model when integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based SAR system, showcasing its potential in real-world scenarios.

Analysis and Flood Mapping of Pekalen Watershed of Probolinggo Regency Using HEC-RAS Application

Flooding is one of the natural disasters that needs attention, especially in the Pekalen watershed, Probolinggo Regency. The purpose of this research is to analyze the design flood discharge and mapping of the area potentially affected by inundation. The research stages began with arithmetic area average rainfall analysis, log pearson type III design rainfall analysis, chi squared and smirnov-kolmogorov distribution fit test, mononobe rainfall intensity, HSS Nakayasu design flood discharge analysis, and flood mapping with HEC-RAS 2D flood modeling. The design flood discharge of Pekalen watershed at 10-year return period is 421.4 m³/s, 25-year return period is 455.12 m³/s, and 50-year return period is 479 m³/s. The areas potentially affected by inundation at 25 years return periods are Sukomulyo, Sukokerto, Pajarakankulon, Kradenan, Tanjung, Karangbong, Temenggungan, Karanggeger, Ketompen, Petemon, Selogudigwetan, Selogudigkulon, Puspan, Braniwetan, Branilor, Sumbersecang, Satreyan, Maronkidul, Gerongan, Brabe, Condong, Racek, Pesawaran, Ranugedang, Jangkang, Segaran, Ranuagung, Tiris, Andungsari, Andungbiru, and Sumberaren.

Effects of election and natural disaster mortality on calamity relief spending in India

Effects of election and natural disaster mortality on calamity relief spending in India

Factors Affecting the Drought Preparedness in Somaliland

Somaliland, located in the Horn of Africa, has been increasingly vulnerable to recurring droughts over the past years, severely affecting its agricultural productivity, water resources, and overall resilience. Despite the rising frequency of these natural disasters, there is limited research on the factors influencing residents’ preparedness, which hinders effective disaster management efforts. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence the perceived effectiveness of Somaliland residents towards drought preparedness by utilizing an extended Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) approach. The latent variables that were considered in this study were Government Intervention, Drought Awareness, Environmental Awareness, Coping Appraisal, Threat Appraisal, Behavioral Intention, and Perceived Effectiveness. Two hundred fifty-four (254) people living in Somaliland from all regional areas willingly responded to the survey questions by utilizing a snowball sampling method. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that drought awareness and environmental awareness had significant effects on threat appraisal. In addition, environmental awareness also had a significant positive effect on coping appraisal. Finally, threat appraisal and coping appraisal had significant effects on behavioral intention, which subsequently led to perceived effectiveness. This study addresses a gap in academic research and disaster preparedness efforts in Somaliland by providing insights into the theoretical framework that can enhance the country’s preparedness for drought and other natural hazards.

Do salient climatic risks affect shareholder voting?

Abstract Institutional investors affected by hurricanes subsequently support environmental proposals in non-affected firms even if they never voted for similar initiatives. Affected investors raise their holdings in firms where their pro-environment votes are consequential. The increased voting support after hurricanes has real effects as environmental proposals endorsed by more hurricane-afflicted investors are more likely to pass. Moreover, both market capitalization and analysts’ recommendations decline after firms pass environmental proposals. Our evidence suggests that natural disasters raise institutional investors’ concerns about the environment and about potential fund flow disruptions. These concerns, in turn, influence environmental activism, corporate policies, and firm performance.

Adapting to climate change and multi-risk governance: toward sustainable adaptation and enhancing urban resilience—Indonesia

Climate change has contributed to an increase in natural catastrophes over the past five years in Indonesia, causing various forms of damage in urban areas and posing a severe danger to multi-risk governance for municipal governments in Indonesia. This study explores how multi-risk governance strategies encourage sustainable adaptation to climate change and increase urban resilience in Bandung and Makassar City, Indonesia. This study method uses a qualitative-exploratory approach with a case study in two (2) climate-vulnerable cities in Indonesia. Data analysis uses qualitative-interactive analysis. The results of this study show that the impact of climate change in Bandung and Makassar City, Indonesia has caused an increase in the potential for erosion, reduced wetlands along the coast, an increase in the rate of seawater intrusion, a decrease in food production, damage to infrastructure, a reduction in clean water sources, an increase in disease. respiratory, floods, droughts, and other hydrological disasters. This has resulted in many climate approaches and actions being taken to respond to the impact of climate change in Indonesia (Bandung and Makassar City), the results of which are still not optimal to date. This study suggests a sustainable adaptation approach to climate action in Bandung and Makassar City which prioritizes social justice and environmental integrity so that it has a real impact on community vulnerability and environmental damage due to the impacts of climate change. The contribution of this study provides sufficient insight into the institutional approaches and adaptive sustainability measures needed to promote resilience in Indonesia. At the same time, this study will be a useful reference in future research on multi-risk governance and sustainable adaptation strategy for climate action and enhancing urban governance.

The Role of Applied Mathematics in Typhoon Hazard Assessment: From Statistical Models to Risk Prediction

Typhoons, as tropical cyclones occurring in the western Pacific, are one of the most destructive natural disasters, often causing severe impacts on coastal areas. With the gradual increase in typhoon intensity, predicting typhoon paths and their strengths is crucial to mitigate their threat to human lives and economic infrastructure. In recent years, the importance of applied mathematics, especially statistical modelling, in typhoon hazard assessment has become increasingly prominent. This paper discusses the application of statistical models such as extreme value theory, time series analysis and multiple regression analysis in typhoon risk prediction, aiming to reveal the key role of applied mathematics in typhoon disaster assessment, and to provide a theoretical basis for improving the accuracy of prediction and formulating effective response strategies. Through this study, it helps to improve the accuracy of typhoon track and intensity prediction, and provides scientific support for coping with the increasing typhoon disasters. In addition, this study provides an important theoretical basis and reference direction for relevant departments to formulate disaster prevention and mitigation strategies

The impact of natural disasters on stock market participation in urban China

The impact of natural disasters on stock market participation in urban China

Seed Dormancy and Germination Potential of Coastal Rice Landraces in Bangladesh: Implications for Climate-Resilient Cultivation

The coastal regions of Bangladesh host a rich diversity of Aman rice landraces, which are crucial for local agriculture but are highly vulnerable to natural disasters like cyclones and floods. Specifically, local landraces often experience flooding during grain filling and maturation stages, and sprouts in the field lead to a severe loss of yield. Seed dormancy, which delays germination, is a key trait for escaping sprouting in the field during harvesting. However, there is lack of information on genetic variability in the existing rice landraces grown in the coastal area of Bangladesh. This study evaluated the seed dormancy of 28 local Aman rice landraces, plus four varieties from the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Germination tests were conducted under controlled conditions, and an electrical conductivity (EC) test was used to assess seed vigor. The results showed that Bari Mota, Tulsimala, Chinigura, Dishari, and Birindi exhibited the highest dormancy rates, i.e., 100%, 100%, 99%, 99%, and 99%, respectively, while BINA Dhan 10, Nona Bokra, and BINA Dhan 8 had the lowest dormancy rates, with values of 11%, 16%, and 24%, respectively. Priming treatments enhanced germination rates in some varieties; however, others, such as Bari Mota and Tulsimala, remained dormant, underscoring the variability in seed dormancy levels. Compared to non-priming, a significant improvement of germination was recorded in BRRI dhan 41 (85.3% vs. 9%), Motha mota (84% vs. 8%), Lal chikon (74.6% vs. 1%), Sadamota (74.6% vs. 5%), and Bashful (53.3% vs. 3%). Altogether, our results suggest that local landraces are diverse in seed dormancy, and genotypes with high dormancy, such as Bari Mota and Tulsimala, can potentially be grown in the disaster-prone coastal areas. In contrast, these genotypes can be used for future breeding programs. Therefore, this study carries significant implications for rice cultivation in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Exploring River’s Flood Dynamics: Integrating HEC-RAS 1-D Modelling and Geospatial Techniques for the Karjan River in Gujarat’s Narmada Basin, India

Floods rank among the most devastating natural disasters, causing extensive damage to property and severe impacts on communities. Effective management and mitigation of flood risks necessitate reliable data regarding flood depth, discharge, and extent. The Karjan River Basin’s low-lying regions experienced significant flooding in 2020. This research utilizes the latest new HEC-RAS version for one-dimensional hydrodynamic flood modelling for the Karjan River in low-lying areas and the merging point of the Karjan River Basin in Narmada River, emphasizing geospatial techniques. The study showcases the analytical process of the new HEC-RAS v6 in spatial analysis. River features like bank lines and cross-sections were derived from ALOS Palsar for flood modeling. An unsteady flow simulation was conducted to model water dynamics, yielding water depth results viewable in the HEC-RAS geospatial RAS mapper. Flood depth maps created for 2020 reveal that areas low lying area i.e. Dhamncha, bhadam, Juna Rundh and surrounding area near the merging point of Karjan River are prone to floods when river discharge surpasses 8836 cubic meters per second. Model accuracy was verified by comparing simulated outcomes with historical data from the mentioned events, demonstrating the model’s precision and reliability.

Utilizing Remote Sensing and GIS to Study Natural Disasters "Volcanoes" and Their Impact on Climate Change

Multifarious regions around the world are exposed to natural hazards and disasters, each with unique characteristics. A higher frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological events, most probably related to climate change, and an increase in vulnerable population have been addressed as potential causes of such disasters. To mitigate the consequences of these disasters, Disaster Risk Management, including hazard assessment, elements-at-risk mapping, vulnerability and risk assessment of spatial components as well as Earth Observation (EO) products and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), should be considered. Multihazard assessment entails the evaluation of relationships between various hazards, including interconnected or cascading events, as well as focusing on various levels from global to local community levels, as each level manifests particular objectives and spatial data. This paper presents an overview of the diverse types of spatial data and explores the methods applied in hazard and risk assessments, with volcanic eruptions serving as a specific example. The rapid development of scientific research and the advancement of Earth Observation satellites in recent years have revolutionized the concepts of geologists and researchers. These satellites now play an indispensable role in supporting first responders during major disasters. The coordination of satellite deployment ensures a swift response along with allowing for the timely delivery of critical images. In tandem, remote sensing technologies and geographic information systems (GIS) have emerged as essential tools for geospatial analysis. The application of remote sensing and GIS for the detection of natural disasters was examined through a review of academic papers, offering an analysis of how remote sensing is utilized to assess natural hazards and their link to climate change.

Identifying Key Nodes and Enhancing Resilience in Grain Supply Chains Under Drought Conditions

Grain supply chains remain stable in the face of natural disasters, and the resilience of the grain supply chain plays an important role. In a complex scenario of exposure to shocks, it is significant to identify the critical nodes of the grain supply chain and propose countermeasures accordingly to enhance the resilience of the grain supply chain. In this paper’s study, firstly, a triangular model of contradictory events is used to describe complex scenarios and obtain Bayesian network nodes. Secondly, the fragmentation of the scenario is based on the description of the scene, the scene stream is constructed, the event network is obtained, and the Bayesian network structure is built on the basis. Then, combining expert knowledge and D–S evidence theory, the Bayesian network parameters are determined, and the Bayesian network model is built. Finally, the key nodes of the grain supply chain are identified in the context of the 2022 drought data in the Yangtze River Basin in China, and, accordingly, a strategy for improving the resilience of the grain supply chain is proposed in stages. This study provides a new research perspective on issues related to grain supply-chain resilience and enriches the theoretical foundation of research related to supply-chain resilience.

Indonesian Tourism Workers on Volcanoes and Geotourism's Colonial Origins: Making a Subaltern History Visible

Abstract Indonesia's volcanoes are places of recreation, aesthetic production, and scientific knowledge-gathering, as well as sites of pilgrimage, spirituality, and natural disasters for locals as well as international travellers. In this article, I focus on volcanoes as historic sites of labour to demonstrate the entanglement of colonial tourism and science with local forms of work and knowledge, and to reveal the origins of the porting and guiding work that takes place on Indonesia's volcanoes to this day. Using Tina Campt's method of “listening to images,” I show how colonial photographs, albeit partial sources, make modes of subaltern labour visible that written sources routinely minimised, restoring porters, guides, and what I call “camp domestics” to histories of service, science and geotourism in Indonesia. Recognising the homosocial setting of the colonial scientific expedition and the peculiar physical challenges of the volcano environment, I also examine the negotiation of Indonesian and European masculinities and their intersection with class and racial hierarchies on the volcano. The article thus reflects on how Javanese workers’ spatial and social mobility entailed the negotiation of opportunity as well as exploitation on tour.