Types Of Shelters Research Articles

Understanding California wildfire evacuee behavior and joint choice making

For evacuations, people must make the critical decision to evacuate or stay followed by a multi-dimensional choice composed of concurrent decisions of their departure time, transportation mode, route, destination, and shelter type. These choices have important impacts on transportation response and evacuation outcomes. While extensive research has been conducted on hurricane evacuation behavior, little is known about wildfire evacuation behavior. To address this critical research gap, particularly related to joint choice-making in wildfires, we surveyed individuals impacted by the 2017 December Southern California Wildfires (n = 226) and the 2018 Carr Wildfire (n = 284). Using these data, we contribute to the literature in two key ways. First, we develop two latent class choice models (LCCMs) to evaluate the factors that influence the decision to evacuate or stay/defend. We find an evacuation keen class and an evacuation reluctant class that are influenced differently by mandatory evacuation orders. This nuance is further supported by different membership of people to the classes based on demographics and risk perceptions. Second, we develop two portfolio choice models (PCMs), which jointly model choice dimensions to assess multi-dimensional evacuation choice. We find several similarities between wildfires including a joint preference for within-county and nighttime evacuations and a joint dislike for within-county and highway evacuations. Altogether, this paper provides evidence of heterogeneity in response to mandatory evacuation orders for wildfires, distinct membership of populations to different classes of people for evacuating or staying/defending, and clear correlation among key wildfire evacuation choices that necessitates joint modeling to holistically understanding wildfire evacuation behavior.

Commercial Free-Range Laying Hens' Preferences for Shelters with Different Sunlight Filtering Percentages.

Simple SummaryAustralian sunlight is intense, and may impact range use by free-range hens. Range design and management are important for optimising commercial layer farms where artificial shelters may offer protection for ranging hens. This study investigated preferences among 34–40-week-old hens for artificial shade cloth shelters of different densities, using two flocks on a commercial farm during the summer. Three types of sunlight-filtering shade cloth shelters, i.e., blocking 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultraviolet (UV) light, each with three replicates, were placed on the range for each flock. The number of hens under each shelter was counted at 30-min intervals using image snapshots from video recordings for 14 to 17 days. An on-site weather station recorded sunlight intensity across different spectra, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. During the day, hens generally preferred the 90%, followed by 70% and 50% sunlight-filtering shelters. However, fewer hens were observed underneath shelters during times of peak sun intensity. Shelter preferences were mostly impacted by ambient temperature in both flocks, with all sunlight spectra having different degrees of effect depending on the shelter type and flock. Overall, shelters comprising higher densities of sunlight-filtering artificial cloth were preferred by hens on the range, but these may not be sufficient to attract more hens outside during intense sunlight and hot climatic conditions.Extreme sunlight might be aversive to free-range laying hens, discouraging them from going outside. Range enrichment with artificial shelters may protect hens from sunlight and increase range use. The preferences of 34–40-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens for artificial shelters were assessed by counting the number of hens under three densities of individual shelters (three replicates/density) from video recordings for 14 to 17 days for two flocks. The artificial shelters used shade cloth marketed as blocking 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultraviolet light, although other sunlight wavelengths were also reduced. Different sunlight spectral irradiances (ultraviolet radiation (UVAB) (288–432 nm), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400–700 nm), and total solar radiation (TSR) (285 nm–3000 nm), ambient temperature, and relative humidity were recorded with an on-site weather station. There was a significant interaction between sunlight-filtering shelter and time of day (both Flocks, p < 0.0001), i.e., hens preferred shelters with the highest amount of sunlight-filtering at most time points. Regression models showed that the most variance in shelter use throughout the day resulted from the ambient temperature in both flocks, while sunlight parameters had different degrees of effect depending on the shelter type and flock. However, fewer hens under the shelters during the midday period suggest that during periods of intense sunlight, hens prefer to remain indoors, and artificial structures might not be sufficient to attract more hens outside.

Effects of simple shelters on growth performance and welfare of rainbow trout juveniles

Environmental enrichment is a promising strategy to improve the welfare of fish in captivity. However, the utilization of enrichment in aquaculture is still infrequent, maybe because there is a paucity of knowledge about how its effects depend on factors such as fish species, developmental stage, social environment or the type and extent of enrichment. In this study, we evaluated the effects of physical enrichment on the welfare of rainbow trout juveniles, by exposing them to simple plastic screen shelters. Juveniles of approx. 15 g were introduced to two types of submerged shelters: full screens (Full) or partial screens (Semi), and fish welfare was assessed and compared to a control group (without shelters) by evaluating fish growth and condition, extent of external lesions, and the neuroendocrine responses to acute and repeated stress. During the eleven-week experimental period, the fish in the sheltered units gradually developed a clear shelter-seeking behavior when exposed to external disturbance. Fish growth, condition factor and mortality were not affected by shelter presence. The presence of full shelters had a modest protective effect on fin damage: both pectoral fin- and total fin damage scores were reduced (> 10%) in this group with respect to the control group; the percentage of fish with severe damage in the pectoral fin was reduced in the Full group with respect to the Control (63% vs 82%). Partial shelters had no significant effect on fin damage scores, when compared to the control group. The presence of shelters did not affect the general level of stress upon standardized acute or repeated stressors. However, fish used to the presence of shelters showed a more intense startling response when exposed to stressors that forced them to abandon the shelter protection. Altogether, this study shows potential for shelters to be used as a welfare-promoting strategy in trout farming, but further research is needed to optimize the shelter type and design and the proper timing for its application.

Planning Shelter Service Spaces and Structures for Resilience: A Spatial Analysis of Women’s Shelters During COVID-19

Objective: Globally, domestic violence against women increased in severity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelters supporting women experiencing temporary homelessness due to violence had to make major changes in service delivery to accommodate pandemic protocols, including how many families could stay in shelter, where they were allowed to reside, and how they were, and were not, able to interact with shelter staff and the outside world. The present study used a novel approach to spatial analysis to understand how pandemic protocols affected shelter space use. Method: Floor plans and written pandemic protocols were submitted by 15 women’s shelters in Ontario, Canada. Each pandemic protocol was analyzed and mapped onto its respective floor plans to determine how much space was lost under different modes of operation: normal (pre-pandemic), physical distancing (using pandemic protocols), and quarantine (using pandemic protocols during an outbreak). Three types of shelter space were analyzed to understand what types of spaces shelters were losing: Primary (bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry areas), Secondary (community areas and staff offices), and Tertiary (hallways and storage). Findings: All 15 shelters lost space, with an average of 27% of net area lost overall (range 7%-56%). Within the three types of space, 18% of Primary, 48% of Secondary, and &lt;1% of Tertiary space was lost. Key factors influencing space loss were the type of protocol used and the existing layout of the shelter space. Conclusions: Recommendations for shelter space planning in the context of rapidly evolving public health requirements are provided.

The Spatial Optimization of Emergency Shelters Based on an Urban-Scale Evacuation Simulation

As an important space for disaster prevention, the construction of emergency shelters is crucial for the creation of a complete disaster relief facility network. Based on the goal of the prevention of day and night disaster, short-term fixed shelters are taken as the study object of the present work, and models are designed for evacuation simulation and the spatial optimization of shelters. According to the simulation, 680 of the 2334 demand points were found to be incompletely evacuated, and the average time for everyone to be evacuated was 10.3 min. Moreover, of the 888 short-term fixed shelters, only 218 did not reach their maximum capacity. In the context of short-term fixed sheltering, Haizhu was found to have the largest number of non-evacuated people (1.11 million), and the average number of non-evacuated people in Yuexiu was the largest (2184). According to the spatial optimization data of the shelters, the numbers of target plots for new shelter resources that must be added in Haizhu, Yuexiu, Liwa, and Tianhe are 406, 164, 141, and 136, respectively, the effective shelter areas of which are 2,621,100, 2,175,300, 812,100, and 1,344,600 m2, respectively. A total of 487 short-term fixed shelters and 360 temporary shelters were newly added, and the recommended scales for Haizhu, Liwan, Tianhe, and Yuexiu were 243, 70, 58, and 116, respectively, with average effective areas of 6169 m2, 5577 m2, 8707 m2, and 12,931 m2, respectively. Additionally, the recommended scales of newly added temporary shelters in Haizhu, Liwan, Tianhe, and Yuexiu are 163, 71, 78, and 48, with an average effective area of 2706, 2581, 4017, and 6234 m2, respectively. These findings provide a direct quantitative basis for the spatial optimization of various types of emergency shelters, and the method proposed in this paper supports the planning and layout of emergency shelters, as well as the improvement of the efficiency of urban resource allocation.

Gerbera leaf nutritional status as a cut flower cultivated with different doses of nitrogen and calcium

Abstract Vegetative tissue analyses might help to diagnose nutritional status of a crop. Foliage diagnosis is an effective method to set up balanced fertilization procedures. The current work aims to evaluate nutrient contents of two gerbera leaf sampling periods as a cut flower cultivated in pots with different doses of nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca) under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment, shelter type, in a container containing substrate in a 3x3+1 factorial scheme. Three doses of N (0.07, 0.15 or 0.2 g L-1) or three doses of Ca (0.02, 0.03 or 0.04 g L-1) were applied every 15 days. Control plants did receive neither N nor Ca. The substrate was analyzed before and after cultivation, and at the end of production years, as well as completely expanded leaves were collected for nutrient analyses. There was not significant interaction between N and Ca doses. Regarding the sampling period or doses of N and Ca, the determined macronutrient concentrations were in the following order of N&gt;K&gt;Ca&gt;P&gt;S&gt;Mg. The micronutrient concentrations were in the following order of Fe&gt;Mn&gt;B&gt;Zn&gt;Cu. Except for K, all the other nutrient concentrations were in the recommended range for gerberas production.

The establishment and development of the asylum institute (institution) in ancient states of the slavery period

The article is devoted to the analysis of the institution of asylum in practice and interstate relations of the ancient states of the slave-owning period. The author draws attention to the reasons for the emergence of the right to asylum and characterizes the right to asylum on the example of Ancient Egypt, the Kingdom of Israel, Ancient Greece, Rome, India It is concluded that the practice of granting asylum in these states was not the same, which is explained by the difference in the number of persons to whom such asylum was granted. In particular, attention is paid to the provision of asylum to slaves and the difference in its application to a free person.&#x0D; Two forms of asylum are described in ancient states: religious and territorial. When analyzing the religious form of asylum, the author draws attention to the various places where such asylum could be provided, examples of its use are given. The reasons for the impossibility of this type of shelter in ancient India are explained. A description of the territorial asylum is given and examples of international treaties concluded by ancient states that confirm its existence are given. It is concluded that religious asylum, which is currently unknown to modern international law, was the dominant form of asylum in ancient times. This is due to the special role of religion in the life of ancient states. Based on this, the author concludes that the institution of asylum law was more regulated by the rules of canon law than state, positive law. The state only determined the number of persons who could not use religious asylum and other equally important issues of the asylum procedure. As a result, the institution of asylum law emerged more as an institution of domestic rather than international law. However, in ancient times, many elements of the asylum institution that would make up its content in a later period were already present. This indicates the importance in the life of ancient society of the rules of the institution of asylum law.&#x0D; Attention is drawn to the reasons that motivate people to leave their homes and seek protection from harassment in shelters. Their similarity with the modern period is noted, which testifies to the urgency of the research topic.

Household evacuation preparation time during a cyclone: Random Forest algorithm and variable degree analysis

Household evacuation preparation time is important to ensure safe and successful evacuations and is essential for the estimation of the total evacuation time during a disaster. Previous research has shown that machine learning can provide a higher prediction accuracy, especially using the random forest model. However, no studies have investigated predictions of household evacuation preparation time considering the safe evacuation of coastal communities during cyclone disasters. This study proposes a methodology to predict household evacuation preparation time following demographic and behavioral input variables based on a random forest algorithm focusing on cyclones. In addition, this research analyzes the variable importance and partial dependence plot to identify the key influential factors that affect household evacuation preparation time. A case study was conducted in Gabura Union, Shaymnagar Upzila in Bangladesh regarding cyclone Bulbul in 2019 to gather demographic and behavioral data for a preparation time simulation. The prediction results showed efficient assessment of household evacuation preparation time prediction, meriting application for cases of future disasters. Our results show that the most important factors that impact household evacuation preparation time are evacuation companions and age, followed by shelter distance, income, and shelter type. The results of the prediction model can assist emergency response and evacuation planners and national disaster management authorities in developing and improving effective evacuation plans that take household evacuation preparation time into consideration for future disasters.

결혼이주여성 가정폭력 피해자 보호시설 개선방안

In this study in-depth interviews with six migrant women living in shelters and four workers were done to figure out how to improve the shelters for migrant women victims of domestic violence. As a result, migrant women requested the shelter to allow economic activities even partially to prepare for independence and expressed their desire to use independent space as a family unit. In addition, they asked for psychotherapy for their children, support for parenting and programs for acquiring Korean culture such as Korean language education. What they wanted most when leaving the shelter were support of housing, job and child education. The improvement suggested by the workers is as follows. At first, setting up standards for allowing migrant women’s economic activities in shelters. Secondly, strengthening the counseling for couples. Thirdly, reinforcing the education of skills of living and child rearing. Fourthly, psychological treatment and its budget for women and their accompanying children, Fifthly, expansion of various types of shelters satisfying the needs of migrant women such as self-reliance supporting shelter and family shelter. Based on these results, this study suggested how to improve the shelters for migrant women victims of domestic violence.&#x0D;

VAMPIRE BAT DESMODUS ROTUNDUS SHELTERS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

The vampire bat Desmodus rotundus is the main transmitter of domestic herbivorous rabies, which causes economic losses in cattle raising, being a serious public health problem. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allows the spatial monitoring of these bats shelters, which is an efficient way to prevent and control rabies. This study located shelters of D. rotundus in the Eastern Center region of São Paulo state and identified the types of shelters used (natural or artificial), their proximity to water, sexual composition, and population estimated of the colonies. Searches were carried out by colonies of vampire bats in natural and artificial shelters during 2002 to 2004, covering 18 municipalities. After located, the shelters were georeferenced, being recorded the nature of the shelter (natural or artificial), use (shelters of males, maternities, digestive) and estimated population. The data were incorporated into a GIS, producing a thematic map of the shelter’s location and their distance from the local water bodies. There were found 1.567 D. rotundus distributed in 94 shelters, where only six shelters (6.38%) were natural (caves). Most shelters (79.78%) were sparsely populated, with up to 15 bats, including male shelters (46 shelters) and 30 maternities (63.82% of maternities). Five shelters (5.37%) had between 50 and 100 bats and only two shelters (2.15%) had a population greater than 100 bats. Six shelters (6.38%) were inhabited houses, which is a concern for public health, as these may constitute a source of dangerous contamination for domestic and human carnivores. All the shelters were at a distance of up to 2 km of rivers or streams. The high percentage of artificial shelters found is a consequence of the intensification of the anthropic changes that increase the supply of food and shelter to D. rotundus, which associated with a large drainage network favors the dispersion of this species of bat in the region. The proximity of all D. rotundus shelters to the drainage network corroborates other studies in São Paulo state, where the areas close to the main rivers generally favor the existence of a larger number of shelters.

Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions in Portugal: A Questionnaire to Municipal and Animal Association Shelters.

Simple SummaryThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions in animal shelters in Portugal, namely, if there were differences between Municipal and Association shelters. A questionnaire was sent to both types of animal shelters. Responses were obtained from all areas of Portugal, and significant differences were reported on the numbers of animals and volunteers, funding and feed supply. Animal welfare aspects, such as abandonment, adoption, exercise and animal interaction, were not significantly different. Municipal shelters seem to be more vulnerable to operational and instruction constraints, whereas Associations were more dependent on volunteer work, funding and, consequently, feed supply. When facing an unpredicted health and social event such as the pandemic, organizations should rely on previously defined preparedness and contingency plans.The COVID-19 pandemic has an indirect impact on the health and welfare of animals. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on Municipal and Association animal shelters. A questionnaire was sent to 97 Municipal shelters and 65 Associations. Questions focused on public funding, management and animal welfare during COVID-19 restrictions. The response rate was 43.3% (42/97) for Municipal shelters and 38.5% (25/65) for Associations. Municipal shelters (67%) received over 80% of public funding, whereas 68% of the Associations received less than 50%. During the COVID-19 restrictions, financial difficulties were observed by 52% of Associations and 5% of Municipal shelters, and a lack of volunteers was observed by 56% of Associations and 17% of Municipal shelters. Operational difficulties were indicated by 43% of Associations and 12% of Municipal shelters, and a lack of instructions was observed by 31% of Municipal shelters and 4% of Associations. No significant differences were obtained on abandonment, adoption, clinical support, exercise and interaction. Decreased feed supply was reported by 40% of Associations and 5% of Municipal shelters. During the COVID-19 restrictions, Municipal shelters were more affected by the lack of instructions, and Associations were more affected by external factors such as a decrease in feed supply, volunteers and funding. Preparedness and contingency plans seem essential to face unpredicted crises.

The Human Sleep Paradox: The Unexpected Sleeping Habits ofHomo sapiens

The human sleep pattern is paradoxical. Sleep is vital for optimal physical and cognitive performance, yet humans sleep the least of all primates. In addition, consolidated and continuous monophasic sleep is evidently advantageous, yet emerging comparative data sets from small-scale societies show that the phasing of the human pattern of sleep–wake activity is highly variable and characterized by significant nighttime activity. To reconcile these phenomena, the social sleep hypothesis proposes that extant traits of human sleep emerged because of social and technological niche construction. Specifically, sleep sites function as a type of social shelter by way of an extended structure of social groups that increases fitness. Short, high-quality, and flexibly timed sleep likely originated as a response to predation risks while sleeping terrestrially. This practice may have been a necessary preadaptation for migration out of Africa and for survival in ecological niches that penetrate latitudes with the greatest seasonal variation in light and temperature on the planet.

The March 2021 Thessaly earthquakes and their impact through the prism of a multi-hazard approach in disaster management

In early March 2021, when Greece was struggling with the evolving third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the highest numbers of daily cases and fatalities from its initiation, Thessaly was struck by a seismic sequence, which included the 3 March, Mw = 6.3 mainshock, its strongest Mw = 6.1 aftershock the following day and numerous large aftershocks. The mainshock caused extensive damage to houses and infrastructure, while the aftershock aggravated damage and caused widespread concern among residents. Based on post-event field surveys in the affected area, it is concluded that the old unreinforced houses with load-bearing masonry walls in the northeastern part of the Thessaly basin suffered the most, while the recent constructions remained intact. As a result, hundreds of homeless were in need of immediate temporary sheltering, which immediately mobilized the Civil Protection authorities to manage the emergency situation. This emergency had something unique, which made its management a challenge: the implementation of the earthquake emergency response actions was incompatible with the measures to limit the further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the community during the evolving third pandemic wave. Many of the actions have been adapted to the unprecedented conditions through a prism of a multi-hazard approach to disaster management and their impact. Among others, more and different types of emergency shelters were used to prevent overcrowding, emergency supplies distribution processes were modified to prevent transmission through hands and surfaces, places for the identification and isolation of suspected COVID-19 cases were designated in emergency shelters and extensive and regular screening testing of the local population was conducted for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. From the analysis of the daily reported COVID-19 cases in the earthquake-affected area during the pre- and post- disaster periods as well as from results of rapid testing during the post-disaster period, it was found that the viral load of the earthquake-affected villages was not increased, despite the difficult and unprecedented conditions. It can be suggested that the adaptation of the measures to the new conditions has worked beneficially to reduce the spread of the new virus among those affected and the involved staff. For this reason, this approach could be considered as good practice and important lesson learned, which can be applied to similar future compound emergencies in areas with similar geoenvironmental and epidemiological characteristics.

Experimental shelter-switching shows shelter type alters predation on caterpillars (Hesperiidae)

AbstractCaterpillars build various shelters that protect them from natural enemies, but whether specific shelters provide different protection is unknown. To disentangle a caterpillar species’ shelter from the rest of its phenotype, we performed a field experiment in which two caterpillar species (Urbanus dorantes and U. proteus) were removed from their original shelters, placed into shelters made by conspecifics or heterospecifics, and monitored for predation and parasitism. Predation was intense, with 0–48% of caterpillars surviving depending on treatment. Shelter builder identity significantly affected predation independent of occupant identity, with caterpillars placed in U. proteus shelters experiencing higher predation than those in U. dorantes shelters. The effect of shelter builder identity was related to shelter type: shriveled leaf shelters built by U. dorantes had a lower risk of predation than cut-and-fold shelters built by either species. Cut-and-fold shelters built by the two species did not have significantly different shapes. Caterpillar stage also significantly affected predation (mid-instars were more successful than early instars), but caterpillar species identity did not. Surprisingly, parasitism was rare, but both shriveled leaf shelters and cut-and-fold shelters resulted in similar overall caterpillar mortality. The differences in predation and overall mortality between shelter types suggest a trade-off between protection from predators and parasitoids. This experiment demonstrates that shelter type determines the fate of the caterpillar inside, independent of the identity of the caterpillar that built the shelter. This is the first experimental evidence that predation may select for shelter type and associated shelter-building behavior in Lepidoptera.

Multi-period optimization model for planning people allocation in shelters and distributing aid with special constraints

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, people in affected areas need to be sheltered and cared for in the first hours after the event. This paper proposes a multi-period optimization model of mixed integer linear programming for emergency response, allocation of homeless people, and the distribution of relief supplies, considering the gradual occupation and vacating of shelters in the affected area. The model also stands out for considering different types of shelters in terms of infrastructure, food items distributed by period, accommodation items that can be reused when a homeless person leaves the shelter, and primary items, minimizing the logistical costs involved in the operation. To show the effectiveness of the model, a case study of a disaster that occurred in 2008 in southern Brazil is presented. Results indicate a feasible plan to gradually open shelters and periodically distribute relief supplies.

FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PROTOTYPES OF MODERN STORAGE OF CIVIL PROTECTION

The system analysis of the development of prototypes of modern civil protection storages as key elements of the system of individual and collective protection of the population in the conditions of spreading emergencies of different nature of origin is carried out. Collective and individual means of protection are widely used to protect: civilians from the destructive factors of emergencies in peacetime and wartime, rescuers during the localization and elimination of emergencies and workers from dangerous and harmful production factors. In recent years, the range of protective equipment has expanded, there are fundamentally new tools, increased their protective properties, improved ergonomic characteristics. The effectiveness of the use of means of protection depends on many factors, and above all on the rational choice and competent use of specific means of protection, taking into account the peculiarities of working conditions, production process, type of predictable sources of emergencies and modern weapons of mass destruction. Undoubtedly, in modern conditions, fast-forming engineering protection is the most effective way to protect the population from the dangers that arise during or as a result of hostilities, which is an urgent task of civil defense of Ukraine. During which the history of terminological definitions and the evolution of modern types of shelter and their functional features are analyzed. The classification of civil protection storages is carried out and the functional purpose of the main life support systems is determined. Some recommendations for the development of modern prefabricated storages of transformers for various functional purposes are given. The obtained results of the work allowed to establish a step-by-step chronology of the evolution of engineering prototypes of modern civil defense repositories, which historically formed modern parameters that have stood the test of time and are the basis laid down in legal documents. The performed analysis of the designs of prototype storage facilities and their functional and engineering content contains combined technical information that can be used for further research in order to develop modern prefabricated storage facilities for transformers for various functional purposes. Key words: emergency situation, civil protection storages, system analysis.

Engaged Convergence Research: An Exploratory Approach to Heat Resilience in Mobile Homes

Efforts to understand the complex, multidimensional nature of environmental vulnerability can generate new knowledge by deploying a convergence research framework within a community-engaged approach. We explore the benefits and shortcomings of what we call engaged convergence research (ECR) by narrating a case study that uncovered a pattern of indoor heat-related deaths that was previously unexplained: Although only 5 percent of Maricopa County, Arizona, residents live in mobile homes, residents of mobile homes account for 29 percent of indoor heat-related deaths. Exploring the multiplicative threats of economic precarity, population sensitivity to environmental exposure, site, and shelter type, we recharacterize the reality faced by mobile home dwellers to find them falling between the cracks of available heat resilience options. Beyond contributing to scholarship on indoor heat-related deaths, we demonstrate the potential for novel and actionable insights emerging from ECR. We also elucidate some of the challenges faced when enlisting community actors as coproducers of knowledge in geographic research.

Architecture of the scape: Thermal assessment of refugee shelter design in the extremes climates of Jordan, Afghanistan and South Sudan

In the face of the largest human displacement ever recorded in modern history more than 79.5 million persons around the world have been forced to flee their homes worldwide at the end of 2019, from which 30 million are refugees. However, most shelters lack actual capacity to provide adequate thermal control for much of the year time; whereas many are located in regions with hard weather conditions, most fail to maintain temperature and humidity within accepted human comfort levels. This fact triggers ad hoc users' responses that compromise their sense of security, privacy, and belonging, and in some cases, challenge their cultural traditions. This study evaluates the thermal performance of the three most common UNHCR's shelters design for refugees assigned to the three extreme climatic regions facing this crisis worldwide: Jordan, Afghanistan, and South Sudan and links with the regional particularities. Seasonal analyses are carried out through computer simulations contrasted with data collected in-situ. The study also tests variations of the thermal performance of each shelter type under the other climate locations seeking for potential matches. Findings show that UNHCR's shelter type A has the best regulation of humidity levels and potential for exportation, and that type C has the best performance for thermal stability although greater difficulties and application for rapid deployment. The study concludes with a detailed assessment of current designs' strengths and weaknesses that could inform future shelter designs or alterations of existing units to improve refugees' living conditions.

Shelter shopping: Where the built environment and social systems meet

Since 2009, disasters have displaced each year at least 15 million people worldwide. Immediately post-disaster, emergency shelters serve those displaced. The sheltering system often consists of formal (managed by the government) and spontaneous shelters (managed by volunteers). These two types of shelters may offer different resources with atmospheres that can vary widely. Displaced persons often select between shelters based on their personal preferences, engaging in what some refer to as “shelter shopping.” We seek to understand the intersection between social systems and sheltering systems; we examine reports on shelter counts, news, and social media about 14 emergency shelters that served those displaced by a 2018 California wildfire. Our aim is threefold: 1) to study demand at shelters, 2) to understand why people chose to stay at spontaneous shelters, and 3) to investigate what sheltering needs precipitated a tent city that occurred in a Walmart parking lot. Results show that at one time up to 40% of displaced persons staying inside were hosted in spontaneous shelters and as such, formal shelter managers faced uncertain demand. According to our research, people chose to stay at spontaneous shelters because of the social bonds afforded there and a dislike for rules at formal shelters.

Nonwoven Textile Waste Added with PCM for Building Applications

Due to the overall improvement of living standards and considering the priority to reduce the energy consumption, the adoption of efficient strategies, mainly in the building area is mandatory. In fact, the construction sector can be considered as one of the key field essential for the sustainability, due to the diversity of components and their life cycles. Reuse strategies may play an essential role in reducing the environmental impact of building processes. Within this framework, the reuse of textile waste to produce insulating materials represents one of the biggest opportunities for the promotion of a circular economy. It contributes significantly to improve the environmental sustainability reusing a waste as new raw matter involved to achieve high energy efficient buildings. This paper provides the results of an experimental campaign performed using wool waste derived from the industrial disposal of fabrics matched with phase change materials (PCMs) used in order to enhance the thermal mass of the final products. Physical and thermal parameters were measured in order to demonstrate the good performances of the textile materials and the essential role played by PCMs in shifting heat waves and reduce surface temperatures. Furthermore, DesignBuilder software was used to assess the energy consumption of a mobile shelter type structure under three different climatic scenarios. A comparison between the experimented materials and other solutions, currently available in the market, highlighted a significant reduction in energy consumption when adopting the materials under test.