Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters最新文献

{"title":"Spatially- Explicit Structural Approaches to Measuring Hazard/Risk Assessment, Vulnerability and Resilience","authors":"Y. Ghemras, S. Abela","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000133","url":null,"abstract":"This paper recalls approaches to measuring the most important and ranked elements when it comes up to a potential loss from environmental, economical, and social events. Those elements are stated as follows: hazard, risk assessment, vulnerability and resilience. The hazard profile includes the frequency of the hazard event occurring. The risk assessment is the estimating Hazard Losses. The vulnerability is related to harm in physical entities. The concept of resilience falls up into the capacity of a given system to absorb changes. The inter-connectivity between these three concepts provides an actual framework that measures the risks assessment level of hazards on vulnerable structures, based on maintaining its main characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk, vulnerability, and resilience; to implement an adequate scheme for upcoming construction projects, and anticipate future disasters.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"64 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126756993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adoption of Family Planning Measures among Couples in New Heaven Enugu State, Nigeria","authors":"Ezem Bu, Okeke Aa","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000132","url":null,"abstract":"This study examined the adoption of family planning measures among couples in New-Heaven, Enugu state. The sample consisted of hundred and fifty respondents randomly selected from ten streets in New Heaven. The methods used in the collection of data were questionnaires, interviews and direct observation. The secondary sources of data include; published and unpublished materials such as books, journals, news papers and workshops held in different parts of the world. In analyzing the data collected from the field, the Chi-square statistical method was used. Other forms of data analysis included the following; the use of simple percentages, tables and charts. From the analysis of data collected, it was discovered that distance to clinics significantly affects the adoption of family planning measures among couples in New Heaven, Enugu State, Nigeria. It was also observed that the standard of education, cultural background, age and occupation etc, affected respondents choice on the effective adoption of family planning techniques. These also affected the acceptance and rejection of birth control measures.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"128 9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114139885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: AStudy with Special Reference to North-Western India","authors":"Vinod Kumar","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000131","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change has become most critical issue at the global level, regional and local level to such an extent that climate change is considered as a gravest challenge for the mankind in the present century. No person, no country or no region of the world is immune to climatic changes. Past global efforts at dealing with the problem of global warming (which is most evident form of climate change) concentrated on mitigation, with the aim of reducing and possibly stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere. As stabilisation of GHG’s primarily depend upon changes in technology, discovery of new and less polluting fuels and with awareness in human behaviour towards mother earth. And all these changes are slow in nature, that’s why adaptation is seen as viable option in reducing the vulnerability to anticipated negative impacts of global warming. Now, at the global level it is increasingly realised that mitigation and adaptation should be perused complement to each other. However, increasing integrating mitigation and adaptation strategies in terms of climate changes are not completely new idea in India and especially in north-western India. This region is characterised by severe and frequent droughts from centuries. And given the rich cultural values of north-western region, local population through their indigenous knowledge systems, have developed a unique from of skills to reduce their vulnerability to variability in local climate. However, this knowledge is rarely taken into consideration in the design and adaptation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies. This paper is an attempt to highlight some indigenous mitigation and adaptation skills that have been praticesed in North-western India. Paper also attempts to put forward arguments for integrating indigenous knowledge into formal climate change and mitigation strategies.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124476820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural hazard resilient communities and land use planning: the limitations of planning governance in tropical Australia","authors":"S. Harwood, D. Carson, Ed Wensing, L. Jackson","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000130","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines how two Australian land use planning systems address the creation of hazard resilient communities in tropical areas. The application of substantive hazard knowledge and how this influences the associated procedures within the planning system is examined. The case studies of Darwin the capital of the Northern Territory, and the beachside suburb of Machans Beach within the Cairns Regional Council in far north Queensland are investigated. Both case study locations have experienced tropical cyclones since settlement and despite their hazard prone locations, both have intensified over their 120 year existence. Moreover, it is predicted that cyclones in tropical Australia will decrease in number, but increase in intensity. It would be rational to assume that industry, community and government would actively pursue planning strategies to negate the risks of natural hazards and the corresponding level of vulnerability to a hazard event. However, neither communities nor planning are driven by rational technical decision making processes. The paper concludes that the rhetoric for creating hazard resilient communities dominates national and state government policy, however this has minimal influence upon the legal framework that protects development rights. It would appear that the safe development paradox is present in the Australian land use planning system, and that the focus of planning is on creating certainty of development rights and achieving efficiencies through urban settlement patterns, as opposed to creating hazard resilient communities.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130045608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate Change Adaptation in the Southwest Indian Ocean: Case Study of the Perception of Risk, Common Coping Strategies and the Potential for Micro-Insurance","authors":"Char James, Stacia Yearwood","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000129","url":null,"abstract":"Given that climate change is adversely impacting upon the agriculture and tourism industries and the low income labourers in these sectors, this paper reports on household perceptions of climate risks, current coping mechanisms and current coverage of insurance in Mauritius and the Seychelles. The research methodology included a survey of 586 persons, interviews and workshops with stakeholders in the agricultural and tourism sectors of each country. Approximately 42% of persons surveyed had experienced some loss from an extreme weather event, with some respondents experiencing multiple events. The results demonstrated a reliance on personal savings and government assistance as a form of pseudo-insurance, with as many as 65% of respondents indicating that they utilized savings to cope after an extreme weather event which damaged housing and livestock. The general feedback from interviews in Mauritius indicated that government aid is usually provided to the identified sectors when they are impacted by disaster events. For Seychelles, however, government support was less prevalent. The use of such asset depleting coping mechanisms forebode the distinct possibility of having to sell possessions or not repair at all should there be future catastrophe events. These findings advance a sound agenda for policy and practice in the Indian Ocean on matters related to climate change adaptation. By discussing the current status of climate risk awareness and resilience in these countries, this paper offers an argument for the inclusion of microinsurance in a comprehensive risk management plan as an alternative financial risk management tool. Introducing microinsurance products designed specifically for climate and weather risk, and which take into account the shortcomings of traditional insurance, may reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities in the face of climate change.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"58 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129877149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of Hybrid Geo-Spatially Granular Fragility Curves to Improve Power Outage Predictions","authors":"M. Allen, S. Fernandez, O. Omitaomu, K. A. Walker","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000127","url":null,"abstract":"Fragility curves depict the relationship between a weather variable (wind speed, gust speed, ice accumulation, precipitation rate) and the observed outages for a targeted infrastructure network. This paper describes an empirical study of the county by county distribution of power outages and one minute weather variables during Hurricane Irene with the objective of comparing 1) ‘as built’ fragility curves (statistical approach) to engineering ‘as designed’ (bottom up) fragility curves for skill in forecasting outages during future hurricanes; 2) county specific fragility curves to find examples of significant deviation from average behavior; and 3) the engineering practices of outlier counties to suggest future engineering studies of robustness. Outages in more than 90% of the impacted counties could be anticipated through an average or ‘generic’ fragility curve. The remaining counties could be identified and handled as exceptions through geographic data sets. The counties with increased or decreased robustness were characterized by terrain more or less susceptible to persistent flooding in areas where above ground poles located their foundations. Land use characteristics of the area served by the power distribution system can suggest trends in the “as built” power grid vulnerabilities to extreme weather events that would be subjects for site specific studies.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133622026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the Flood Potential on a Lower Tapi Basin Tributary usingSCS-CN Method integrated with Remote Sensing & GIS data","authors":"Sudhakar B. Sharma, Anupam K. Singh","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000128","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this research paper is to identify watersheds with high flood potential based on watershed characteristics for formation of surface runoff. The SCS-CN method relies on remote sensing and GIS data for obtaining watershed characteristics. A 30 m raster grid size digital elevation model (DEM) has been generated from field survey using Global Positioning System (GPS) of 3 m accuracy integrating with Survey of India topographical maps of 1: 50,000 scale having 10 m contour interval. The undisturbed soil samples from field have been collected and laboratory analysis was carried out using modified proctor compaction test as per ASTM D1557 and sieve analysis as per ASTM C136. This has helped in establishing hydrological soil map while land use map has been prepared using Landsat 7ETM+ image band 2, 3, 4 [30 m] merged with PAN band 8 [15 m] for classification. The supervised classification approach using maximum likelihood classifier has been employed for preparation of land use map for Varekhadi catchment having 442 km2 of geographical coverage. The major land use categories classified on 10 Nov 2001 Landsat 7ETM+ image have been agriculture (32%), forest (29%), wasteland (20%), fallow land (14%), built-up (4%) and water bodies (2%). The hydrological soil groups generated in GIS environment have identified two soil groups viz. group B and group C that exist under study area. The Varekhadi catchment has been delineated into five watersheds viz. Amli, Zankhwaw, Visdaliya, Godsambha and Wareli delineated using DEM and stream network. The SCS-CN model was applied for estimating of daily run-off for each sub-watershed. The results obtained on the flood potential analysis shows that Wareli watershed has highest flood potential while the Amli watershed lowest. It should be noted that highest value of flood potential belongs to lowest part of watershed, where high population density can be found. This analysis reflects an increased vulnerability and risks to floods and inundations for Wareli watershed. Stream gauge data has been used for result validation with a common event of 2010 and it shows good fit with the model. The flood potential analysis within the lower Tapi basin tributary suggests that the SCS-CN method with hydrological parameters derived using remote sensing and GIS data can be applied to predict run-off in poorly gauged watersheds","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124919849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electricity Demand Evolution Driven by Storm Motivated Population Movement","authors":"M. Allen, S. Fernandez, J. Fu, K. A. Walker","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000126","url":null,"abstract":"Managing the risks to reliable delivery of energy to vulnerable populations posed by local effects of climate change on energy production and delivery is a challenge for communities worldwide. Climate effects such as sea level rise, increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, force populations to move locations. These moves result in changing geographic patterns of demand for infrastructure services. Thus, infrastructures will evolve to accommodate new load centers while some parts of the network are underused, and these changes will create emerging vulnerabilities. Forecasting the location of these vulnerabilities by combining climate predictions and agent based population movement models shows promise for defining these future population distributions and changes in coastal infrastructure configurations. In this work, we created a prototype agent based population distribution model and developed a methodology to establish utility functions that provide insight about new infrastructure vulnerabilities that might result from these new electric power topologies. Combining climate and weather data, engineering algorithms and social theory, we use the new Department of Energy (DOE) Connected Infrastructure Dynamics Models (CIDM) to examine electricity demand response to increased temperatures, population relocation in response to extreme cyclonic events, consequent net population changes and new regional patterns in electricity demand. This work suggests that the importance of established evacuation routes that move large populations repeatedly through convergence points as an indicator may be under recognized.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129183640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Association of Parent-Reported Lead Exposure with Language Skills and Externalizing Behavioral Problems in Children","authors":"B. Boutwell, Kevin M. Beaver, J. C. Barnes","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000124","url":null,"abstract":"An impressive amount of research has begun to suggest that language deficits and externalizing behavioral problems in children are closely connected. To this point, however, little research has been aimed at examining potential risk factors that might disrupt both the development of behavior and the acquisition of language in early childhood. Findings from empirical-based studies have consistently indicated that lead exposure is a risk factor for myriad negative outcomes in children. We build off this literature and examine the effects of lead exposure on both language development and externalizing problem behaviors. The current study analyzes data drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study in order to investigate the effects of parentally reported lead exposure on verbal intelligence and externalizing problems in children. Our findings suggest that the development of externalizing problems and language deficits appear to share a common pathway which may be vulnerable to the deleterious influence of lead exposure.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128745912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Racial Geography, Economic Growth and Natural Disaster Resilience","authors":"Huiping Li, Steven Fern, Ez","doi":"10.4172/2167-0587.1000123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000123","url":null,"abstract":"National Response Plans have emphasized the need for interoperability of plans, systems, technology, and command structures. However, much less emphasis has been placed on equally important at-risk populations’ response to those plans. This study attempts to characterize the impact on resilience (recovery) of metropolitan areas by the presence (or absence) of separate small communities within a larger jurisdiction. We tested the hypothesis that urban areas composed of aggregation of smaller, self-contained communities experience slower recovery from natural disasters than more integrated communities as part of an overall effort to define and build resilience to natural disasters. A resilience index was created following the Political, Security, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, and Informational (PMESII) framework, and was tested using the socioeconomic data from Katrina-affected areas in Mississippi and Louisiana. A correlation analysis then investigated the relationship between racial geography, economic growth and natural disaster resilience. Results indicate the existence of segregated micro ethnic communities negatively correlates with resilience, and that economic capability correlates positively. The positive correlation coefficients of the total number of general-purpose government and the total general revenue per capita of county governments with the resilience indices suggest the importance of government involvement and government capacity in resilience construction. Neither the intergovernmental transferred revenue nor the general revenue from total tax significantly correlated with the resilience indices, implying that both the financial assistance from federal and state government and the fiscal revenue supported by the private economy are vital. The quantitative indicators of natural disaster resilience provide guidance for vulnerable communities to improve their processes. We hope to provide insights to improve future plans by policymakers developing comprehensive plans to build resilient communities and examine the relationship between racial geography, economic growth and restoration of essential socioeconomic activities.","PeriodicalId":233291,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters","volume":"198 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128680686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}