Post-earthquake Reconstruction Research Articles

Effectiveness of Socio-Technical Assistance (STA) Program for Vulnerable Beneficiaries: Evidence from Nepal’s Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

Effectiveness of Socio-Technical Assistance (STA) Program for Vulnerable Beneficiaries: Evidence from Nepal’s Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

The politics of land management after disasters: the case of post-earthquake reconstruction in Türkiye

The politics of land management after disasters: the case of post-earthquake reconstruction in Türkiye

Resilience-based post-earthquake restoration scheduling for urban interdependent transportation-electric power network

As critical lifeline systems, transportation network (TN) and electric power network (EPN) are highly susceptible to natural hazards, such as earthquakes during their service life. At the same time, restoration of damaged TN and EPN is essential to support the post-earthquake reconstruction and emergency rescue in affected areas. Restoration strategies were traditionally developed for TN or EPN separately. However, neglecting the potential interconnection between these two networks in the recovery phase may lead to detrimental consequences, as in real-world scenarios, the obtained strategy may be less efficient or even unfeasible given that recovery of one system is usually dependent on the others for service provision. Accordingly, this paper presents a resilience-based framework for post-earthquake restoration of interdependent transportation-electric power networks. In this framework, restoration independencies and functionality dependencies are introduced to represent the interaction between TN and EPN. Then, a bi-level optimization model with the objective of maximizing seismic resilience is established to characterize the network recovery problem. Furthermore, a solution algorithm that incorporates a genetic algorithm and a chromosome validity test operator is designed to obtain the near-optimal solution. Finally, the proposed framework is illustrated through two numerical examples.

Walkability Infrastructures and Urban Rebalancing: The Case Study of L’Aquila City under Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

This paper describes the first results of the application of an innovative methodology for the development of a walkability overall index for urban street infrastructure, aimed at the application of urban design techniques to improve the urban form and its use by pedestrians. The general objective of the research is to identify the performance of the current city walkable network, to structure public policies and strategies consistent with it aimed at rebalancing settlements and infrastructure, and above all at the development of active mobility. The methodology defined integrates three approaches on walkability analysis: geometric–morphological, proximity, and sociality. In this paper, the analysis process related to the geometric–morphological component and partly to that of proximity will be described. It will be applied to the case study of the city of L’Aquila (Italy), a city undergoing reconstruction after the 2009 earthquake. From the first results of the application of the methodology to the case study, it emerges that the urban area analyzed is not capable of hosting walkable infrastructures unless urban design interventions are aimed at structuring an efficient network of pedestrian paths. In the future development of the study, it is expected to conclude the analysis of the proximity and social components, the other two groups of analysis considerations for walkability, which will complete the experimentation of the general methodology.

Seismically induced hillslope disturbance, sediment connectivity and mass wasting: Insights from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

A mega-earthquake in a mountainous region can trigger thousands of landslides. Subsequently, these loose co-seismic materials will experience the erosion-transport-sediment process. This process is closely associated with a series of cascading hazards, such as landslides, debris flows and floods. The disturbance and legacy effects of earthquakes have become the focus of attention for post-earthquake reconstruction and disaster mitigation. By combining the modeling of seismic-induced landslide magnitude with an analysis of the coseismic material sediment connectivity and transfer processes, we assessed the impacts of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on the mass balance and subsequent geohazard activities. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake produced 22,785 Mt of deposit storage, 37.9 % of which (∼8636 Mt) is connected to the channels and prone to erosion and transfer by hydrodynamic forces, and the remaining 62.1 % (∼14,149 Mt) was deposited on hillslopes far from the channel network and contributed little to the sediment dynamics. Long-term field observations found a causal relationship between decreasing surface erosion rate and gradual healing of co-seismic deposits due to coarsening by progressive removal of fine grains. We evaluated the residence time of fine-grained (<0.25 mm) landslide materials using the post-earthquake sediment evacuation rate and identified three stages regarding the enhanced erosion and surface mass wasting after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, namely, the high activity period (within 40.6 ± 5.4 years), the low activity period (40.6 ± 5.4–107.1 ± 14.2 years), and the steady period (after 107.1 ± 14.2 years). This has important implications for the hazard assessment of landslides and debris flows in understanding and modeling the post-seismic geohazard evolution over multiple timescales.

Wet deposition of sulfur and nitrogen in the Jiuzhaigou World Heritage Site, China: Spatial variations, 2010–2022 trends, and implications for karst ecosystem conservation

Excessive sulfur and nitrogen deposition is a threat to natural ecosystems. This study investigated the spatio-temporal changes of wet sulfur and nitrogen deposition in Jiuzhaigou to understand the responses of wet deposition chemistry to local and national air pollutant emission changes and to assess relevant ecological risks. The results show that local emission sources (e.g., tourism, post-earthquake reconstruction, and vegetation damages) largely elevated the concentrations of SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, and Ca2+ at the non-background sites during 2021–2022; However, the gaps of annual sulfur and nitrogen wet deposition fluxes among the background, semi-background, and non-background sites were reduced by annual precipitation. The pH was also higher at the non-background sites due to stronger acid neutralization capacities from crustal dust there, and acid precipitation (pH < 5.6) was not detected at all the sites. During the 2010 to 2022 period, the wet deposition of SO42− and TIN (i.e. total inorganic nitrogen) and the equivalent ratio of SO42−: NO3− generally presented a declining trend at the background and semi-background sites, as a result of regional and national emission reductions. The TIN reduction from 2015 to 2016 to 2021–2022 at the background site was more from wet NH4+ deposition and the site's NO3− concentrations and fluxes were relatively stable. Compared to the critical loads (CLs) of sulfur and nitrogen for acidification and eutrophication, the annual wet and wet+dry deposition fluxes of sulfur and nitrogen were lower in almost the entire watershed, except for the CLmin of nitrogen for acidification in considerable areas. However, all the wet deposition samples were calcite-unsaturated and had annual TIN concentrations higher than the national environmental standard of total nitrogen for surface water. More field investigations are needed to better assess the ecological risks.

Analyzing the influence factors of the post-earthquake reconstruction project using fuzzy DEMATEL

ABSTRACT The high degree of integration of the Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) method can more effectively reduce waste during construction and improve the sustainability of post-disaster reconstruction. The post-earthquake reconstruction in China is increasingly using the EPC method, and it is necessary to sort out the applicability and operating mechanism of the EPC method in the context of reconstruction. This study first established a process model for the post-earthquake reconstruction EPC project, and extracted 15 influencing factors. By using the fuzzy DEMATEL method, the prominence and mutual influence relationship between factors are determined. After setting a reasonable threshold, the key factors and influence paths are revealed. The study finds that the owner’s behavior, owner’s requirement, general contractor, available resources, contract and plan, and optimization information are the factors that need to be prioritized for resource allocating and managing, and they have a clear path of influence on other factors.

Conservation of urban heritage post-earthquake reconstruction through community involvement: case study of THIMI-issues and lessons learned

ABSTRACT Cultural heritage is a reflection of a community’s adopted ways of life. It comprises customs, behaviors, settings, physical objects, artistic expression, and ideals. As an impact of the Earthquake in 2015, the heritage building suffered catastrophic damage. This research examined the Thimi community’s approach to urban heritage construction through conservation, reconstruction, renovation, and restoration, and shares problems, success stories, and lessons learned in the cases of Phalcha (Rest House) and Dyo (Temple). The Thimi Municipality provided all required technical and financial support for these renovation and reconstruction activities. Conducting a depth literature review and understanding the process of both qualitative and quantitative methods of rebuilding, renovating, and restoring the urban cultural heritage structure, this research uses a case study approach. Locals, consultants, and technical employees involved in the rehabilitation and planning work provided most of the materials for all case studies. This study finds that the residents of Thimi feel pride in having their heritage structures restored by local community participation. Despite the local community efforts, there are a few shortcomings with the financial, technical, social, and administrative constructions and understanding of customary practices. The Madhyapur Thimi Municipality has developed measures to support communities willing to lead urban heritage conservation.

Examining governance of post-earthquake reconstruction planning from an evolutionary resilience perspective

Purpose The politically laden nature of postdisaster recovery calls for more research on its governance, especially at the micro-scale. Apart from engineering-oriented frameworks, researchers need new theoretical underpinnings. This paper aims to review the development of the evolutionary resilience theory and use it as an analytical framework to evaluate the governance of post-earthquake reconstruction planning in China. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines how reconstruction planning is governed in the epicenter town of the 2008 Great Sichuan Earthquake, highlighting three key qualities of evolutionary resilience. The authors draw on site investigations, semistructured interviews and analysis of official and unpublished documents from various sources. Findings This paper finds that despite the absence of specific resilience statements in reconstruction plans of the time, qualities of evolutionary resilience, including social connectedness, flexibility and innovation, were evident in a hybrid and contradictory reconstruction planning system. In this respect, resilience thinking appears in Chinese planning earlier than generally assumed. This paper suggests that this manifestation of resilience was the result of an instrumental utility in addressing socioeconomic uncertainties in the postdisaster environment and, thus, may not be systematic. Originality/value This work enriches the understanding of recovery governance from an evolutionary resilience perspective where existing research is insufficient. It also offers ample practical guidance for similar cases in China and elsewhere.

Evaluation of Post-Earthquake Geological Environment Carrying Capacity Based on AHP-GIS Coupled Analysis Method

Pingwu County, located in the north of Sichuan Province, China, was severely affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008. The county is part of the Fujiang river basin, and a large number of earthquake-induced geological hazards have developed in the area since the earthquake. Post-earthquake reconstruction in key towns and regional development is important and requires a scientific evaluation of the geological environment’s carrying capacity. In this study, geographic information system (GIS) - analytic hierarchy process (AHP) coupled analysis method is used to combine the post-earthquake geological environment background, disaster point distribution, and social development in the area to construct an evaluation system of geological environment carrying capacity based on ten evaluation indicator layers of geological environment, ecological environment and social environment. The weight of each evaluation indicator is calculated using the AHP analysis method, and the carrying capacity of the geological environment in Pingwu County for each GIS grid is calculated, thereby obtaining a division map for carrying capacity. The results of the evaluation show that the geological environment carrying capacity of the Pingwu County is balanced (critical overload) and surplus (not overloaded). Further, no overload condition is present, and the distribution of loading is related to human construction. In general, the carrying capacity of an area is low in areas with a high degree of construction and other related activities. Based on the evaluation results of the carrying capacity of the geological environment, this study provides suggestions for optimizing the construction of the central area of Pingwu County, controlling the scale of regional construction, maintaining the original nature of ecological species in the natural reserve area and prohibiting development and transformation, and providing a clear direction of development for the post-earthquake development planning of this area.

Spatial Pattern and Intensity Mapping of Coseismic Landslides Triggered by the 2022 Luding Earthquake in China

On 5 September 2022, an Mw 6.6 earthquake occurred in Luding County in China, resulting in extensive surface rupture and casualties. Sufficient study on distribution characteristics and susceptibility regionalization of the earthquake-induced disasters (especially coseismic landslides) in the region has great significance to mitigation of seismic hazards. In this study, a complete coseismic landslide inventory, including 6233 landslides with 32.4 km2 in area, was present through multi-temporal satellite images. We explored the distribution and controlling conditions of coseismic landslides induced by the 2022 Luding event from the perspective of epicentral distance. According to the maximum value of landslide area density, the geographical location with the strongest coseismic landslide activity intensity under the influence of seismic energy, the macro-epicenter, was determined, and we found a remarkable relationship with the landslide distribution and macro-epicentral distance, that is, both the landslide area and number density associatively decreased with the increase in macro-epicentral distance. Then, a fast and effective method for coseismic landslide intensity zoning based on the obvious attenuation relationship was proposed, which could provide theoretical reference for susceptibility mapping of coseismic landslides induced by earthquakes in mountainous areas. Additionally, to quantitatively assess the impact of topographic, seismogenic and lithological factors on the spatial pattern of coseismic landslides, the relationships between the occurrences of coseismic landslides and influencing factors, i.e., elevation, slope angle, local relief, aspect, distance to fault and lithology, were examined. This study provides a fresh perspective on intensity zoning of coseismic landslides and has important guiding significance for post-earthquake reconstruction and land use in the disaster area.

Rebuilding historic urban neighborhoods after disasters: Balancing disaster risk reduction and heritage conservation after the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal

The 2015 Nepal earthquakes devastated the Kathmandu Valley and exposed the challenges of conserving andrestoring architectural heritage in historic urban neighborhoods damaged by disasters, while also trying to rapidly rebuild houses, revitalize livelihoods, and reduce vulnerabilities to future hazards. In this paper we use quantitative and qualitative data to investigate how traditional housing was transformed during the post-earthquake reconstruction of four historic neighborhoods in the Kathmandu Valley. We assess how traditional housing stock in these neighborhoods was transformed by a combination of the direct impact of the earthquake; the enforcement of seismic-resistant modern building technology; the costs and logistics of rebuilding; and the priorities of local residents. Our findings indicate that the enforcement of seismic safety building codes and the expense of incorporating traditional architectural elements led to notable changes to the tangible cultural heritage of Kathmandu's historic urban neighborhoods, but likely also improved seismic safety.

Post-earthquake reconstruction of residential buildings in historical centers: damage indices of structural aggregates

The post-earthquake reconstruction process of historical centers discloses several issues due to the complexity of the built heritage, typically consisting of Building Aggregates (BA). These are characterized by structures deriving from progressive volume increases that, due to partially effective connections, can interact under seismic actions. Therefore, the repair and reconstruction work after seismic event, the conservation of the architectural values and the improvement of seismic and energy performances must rely on a deeper knowledge of the BA seismic behavior and on an unitary design approach. This paper presents an analysis of the damage caused by the 2009 earthquake to the buildings of the historical centers in the Abruzzo Region, with particular interest to the BA considered as a single structural block. A new perspective of the damage on structural and non-structural components, detected by means of the AeDES form, a first level survey form for post-earthquake damage and usability assessment, is proposed. The data related to the building damage are converted into an equivalent global building damage associated to the BA using conversion metrics found in the literature. Finally, some considerations are provided to evaluate the global building damage, necessary to the development of a comprehensive damage state.

Participation of Women in Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

Women's participation in development activities is in a meager condition, if not neglected. There are a lot more to do to accomplish in the path of participation of women in every landscape of society. Thus, the participation of women in post-earthquake reconstruction is a crucial subject at this time. In these circumstances, this study had been initiated. Empowerment is a situation where women have their self-dependency, free mobility, free participation on their own desired sector and field. The meaning of empowerment becomes meaning-ful when women become economically, socially and politically strong. In this regard, this study aims to explore the situation of women’s participation in reconstruction of private households and to establish the key factors that enable or hinder women’s involvement in post-earthquake reconstruction. The study has been based on primary source, data collected from interview schedule by fulfilling the validity from the review of literature with the sample from in Dhunibeshi Municipality Ward No. 2, Dhading The study concludes that the participation of women in the process of post-earthquake reconstruction has-been outstanding. It has great impact on the ideology and the structure of the society. Although it was a rough ride for women to participate actively in reconstruction, their contribution will have been valued in the country's economy and society.

An expeditious tool for the vulnerability assessment of masonry structures in post-earthquake reconstruction

AbstractPost-earthquake reconstruction activities need tools for assessing the vulnerability of structures, based on visual inspection and quick survey. So far, the public administrations in charge of granting the funds and monitoring reconstruction have adopted different methods taken from scientific literature or developed ad hoc for specific events. The time is ripe for a standard method to be developed, treasuring from the lessons learned in the field. This paper proposes an expeditious tool based on visual survey for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings, starting from available methods, whose parameters were reassessed and recalibrated, and scientific evidence from recent literature. The influence of the main structural features was considered to calculate a vulnerability index in the 0–100 range. The effects of materials and arrangement of masonry were quantitatively evaluated through the masonry quality index, which represents an advancement with respect to current practice. The method was validated on a sample of 50 masonry aggregates and nearly 200 structural units of L’Aquila, Italy, where reconstruction is underway after a destructive earthquake in 2009. The sample is representative of the built heritage of other earthquake prone areas in Italy and many European Countries and the proposed method is a step forward the development of a standard tool to be used in future post-earthquake reconstruction scenarios.

Prediction of fragility deterioration of earthquake-damaged RC structure based on damaged section analysis

Evaluating quantitatively the performance of earthquake-damaged structures is significant for facilitating post-earthquake reconstruction. However, it is difficult to quantitatively assess the effect of earthquake-induced damage on structural performance. In this paper, a new method to establish the earthquake-damaged structure model (EDSM) based on the damaged section analysis (DSA) procedure is proposed. DSA can consider the effect of the seismic damage on material properties and sectional dimensions, which are the primary difference between DSA and classical moment-curvature analysis. Furthermore, the DSA is verified on two RC columns by the comparison of hysteretic curve between damaged column models and test columns under cyclic loadings. The EDSM is established by replacing the plastic hinge regions of the damaged components with “Hysteretic” material. This method is applied to a RC frame structure and is verified for different ground motions with various intensities. Moreover, by the comparison of vulnerability curves between undamaged structure model (UDSM) and EDSM, the vulnerability of EDSM regarding the moderate limit state is more fragile than the vulnerability of UDSM regarding the slight limit state. A reduction index is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the deterioration of seismic performance of EDSM. It can be identified that the reduction in vulnerability decreases gradually as the limit state increases, which shows the earthquake-induced damage has a more significant effect on the elastic properties of structure.

Determinants of villagers’ satisfaction with post-disaster reconstruction: Evidence from surveys ten years after the Wenchuan earthquake

Residents’ satisfaction with post-disaster reconstruction in earthquake-stricken areas directly affects their quality of life, which cannot be ignored in post-disaster reconstruction. More than 10 years after the Wenchuan earthquake, we took ten randomly selected villages in the five areas hardest-hit by the Wenchuan earthquake as research objects and obtained 483 valid completed questionnaires. The villagers were randomly sampled and descriptive statistical analysis, factor analysis, and ordered logistic regression were used to explore the factors and relationships influencing villagers’ satisfaction with post-disaster reconstruction in Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas. The results show that: 1) the more rural residents know about the post-disaster reconstruction, the greater their level of satisfaction; 2) the more the annual income of families increases after resettlement, the greater the satisfaction of rural residents with the post-disaster reconstruction; 3) six public factors, namely the village committee acts as, housing construction quality, public service, policy of benefiting farmers, cultural environment, and hardware environment, all significantly positively affect residents’ overall satisfaction with post-earthquake reconstruction. This study thus enriches the theory of residents’ satisfaction studies and the practice of post-earthquake reconstruction.

Earthquake-induced liquefaction hazard mapping at national-scale in Australia using deep learning techniques

Australia is a relatively stable continental region but not tectonically inert, having geological conditions that are susceptible to liquefaction when subjected to earthquake ground motion. Liquefaction hazard assessment for Australia was conducted because no Australian liquefaction maps that are based on modern AI techniques are currently available. In this study, several conditioning factors including Shear wave velocity (Vs30), clay content, soil water content, soil bulk density, soil thickness, soil pH, distance from river, slope and elevation were considered to estimate the liquefaction potential index (LPI). By considering the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) technique, peak ground acceleration (PGA) was derived for 50 yrs period (500 and 2500 yrs return period) in Australia. Firstly, liquefaction hazard index (LHI) (effects based on the size and depth of the liquefiable areas) was estimated by considering the LPI along with the 2% and 10% exceedance probability of earthquake hazard. Secondly, ground acceleration data from the Geoscience Australia projecting 2% and 10% exceedance rate of PGA for 50 yrs were used in this study to produce earthquake induced soil liquefaction hazard maps. Thirdly, deep neural networks (DNNs) were also exerted to estimate liquefaction hazard that can be reported as liquefaction hazard base maps for Australia with an accuracy of 94% and 93%, respectively. As per the results, very-high liquefaction hazard can be observed in Western and Southern Australia including some parts of Victoria. This research is the first ever country-scale study to be considered for soil liquefaction hazard in Australia using geospatial information in association with PSHA and deep learning techniques. This study used an earthquake design magnitude threshold of Mw 6 using the source model characterization. The resulting maps present the earthquake-triggered liquefaction hazard and are intending to establish a conceptual structure to guide more detailed investigations as may be required in the future. The limitations of deep learning models are complex and require huge data, knowledge on topology, parameters, and training method whereas PSHA follows few assumptions. The advantages deal with the reusability of model codes and its transferability to other similar study areas. This research aims to support stakeholders’ on decision making for infrastructure investment, emergency planning and prioritisation of post-earthquake reconstruction projects.

The European Solidarity Corps and their activities with emphasis on the protection of the Basilica of Saint Benedict in Norcia after the 2016 earthquakes

Purpose. The aim of this paper is to present one of the ways to protect and preserve cultural heritage in post-crisis situations. The paper presents the initiative of the European Solidarity Corps and its volunteer activities in Norcia with an emphasis on interventions and actions of fixing and preventing further deterioration of the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia after the 2016 earthquake. Approach/methodology. Research on the activities of the European Solidarity Corps initiative and its volunteer activities in Norcia was conducted by analysing archival material and literature. The paper refers to official documents of the Ministry of Culture in Italy, the European Commission and recent Italian papers on the subject. Findings. The first part of the paper presents the basic information and goals of the European Solidarity Corps initiative. The second part of the paper presents the state of the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia before the 2016 earthquake and the state of the Basilica during the earthquake. The main part of the paper presents the volunteer activities carried out by the European Solidarity Corps in ruined Norcia. The paper presents the work of student volunteers within the framework of the activities of the European Solidarity Corps at the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia. The fourth part of the paper points to the existence of an initiative in Croatia called Europske Snage Solidarnosti, which invites young professionals to participate in volunteer activities. Originality/value. The paper provides information about the existence of the European Solidarity Corps initiative. The successfully used EU funds for the post-earthquake reconstruction of the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia are pointed out. Information on the existence of the European Solidarity Corps and their potential use in similar situations in Croatia is important. The paper can inform and encourage readers to join the European Solidarity Corps and participate in their volunteer projects, or to volunteer for another organization or institution.

Use of Lichens to Evaluate the Impact of Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Activities on Air Quality: A Case Study from the City of L'Aquila.

Simple SummaryLichens are a symbiotic association of fungi and algae. As few lichen species can tolerate high levels of pollution, they are widely used for air-quality monitoring. In this study, we used the Lichen Diversity Value (LDV), an index based on the diversity of lichens living on trees, to evaluate the effects of the reconstruction activities occurring in the city of L’Aquila after the 2009 earthquake that largely destroyed the city centre. We tested if the values of the LDV index changed along the urban–rural gradient in response to the presence of air pollutants produced by reconstruction works. We also used a rapid analytical technique (Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy—EDS) to detect the main pollutants accumulated in the lichens. We found that the LDVs increased from the city centre towards suburban areas. The EDS analysis revealed a massive presence of aluminium and silicon (used in the manufacture of concrete) in the more central areas. Our study suggests that the LDV index can be profitably used to monitor air quality in urban areas subject to building demolition and reconstruction, and that EDS may be applied to lichen samples for the rapid detection of the main pollutants associated with these activities.Lichens are widely used as bioindicators of air quality because of their ability to absorb chemical pollutants. We used the Lichen Diversity Value (LDV) index to assess the effects of the urban reconstruction activities in the city of L’Aquila ten years after the 2009 earthquake on air quality. Sampling was conducted from the city centre (still mostly under reconstruction and closed to traffic) to suburban areas (where reconstruction is minimal). We tested if the LDV index varied with distance from the city centre because of the presence of air pollutants produced by reconstruction works. We also used Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to detect the main pollutants accumulated in the sampled lichens. The LDV increased from the city centre towards suburban areas. EDS revealed high concentrations of pollutants related to demolition and reconstruction activities, such as aluminium and silicon (used in the manufacture of concrete), in the more central areas. These results suggest that the LDV index can be a useful tool to monitor air quality, even on a small scale, and in urban environments subject to building demolition and reconstruction. Moreover, EDS could represent a good preliminary analytical technique to identify the air pollutants associated with all of these activities.