Public response to earthquake disaster: a case study in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

By considering an area affected by a Ms 7.1 earthquake in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, in 2010 as an example, this paper analyzed the public response level after an earthquake disaster and discussed the principal factors influencing public response behaviors using a questionnaire survey. The results showed that the local public’s response level is low in the studied area. The average response scoring rate is only 0.50. Gender, family income, experience and religion are the most significant factors influencing the public response level. Females or individuals with low family income and little education tend to have lower response capability and are more vulnerable during an earthquake disaster. Furthermore, on the whole, participants who had experience coping with unexpected safety events appear to adopt more reasonable response behavior during an earthquake disaster. The relatively undeveloped economy and low education level are the basic limiting factors for improving the public response capability in the studied area. Certain policies and suggestions to improve the response capability and disaster reduction were discussed.     

Delphi process applied to the 921 earthquake relief for damaged bridges in Taiwan

This paper presents panel-developed, expert opinion-based suggestions, and a Delphi process for the development of an earthquake damage assessment and recovery model. The model was specifically designed for the disaster relief of the damaged bridges of the 921 earthquake in Taiwan and uses four major indices: emergency handling ability, administrative capability, budget execution responsibility, and law enforcement reliability. The 921 earthquake, which occurred on September 21, 1999, forced the Taiwanese government into an unprecedented relief operation consisting of emergency rescue and reconstruction. However, some of the relief measures reflected possible inefficiency in intergovernmental cooperation. Regarded as one of the most decisive relief measures in Taichung County before it was consolidated and upgraded to a municipality on 25 December, 2010, the rescue and reconstruction of the majorly damaged bridges in the county were taken as an example to analyze the differences in the earthquake relief policies between the central and local governments. Based on experts’ experiences in government affairs and the four major indices of the damage assessment and recovery model, the ongoing governmental restructuring policy is considered retrospectively not only at the central government level but also at the local government level; this would serve to improve preparedness for catastrophes and to solve possible problems in earthquake-related intergovernmental cooperation.     

Initiatives for earthquake disaster risk management in the Kathmandu Valley

Situated over the Himalayan tectonic zone, Kathmandu Valley as a lake in geological past has a long history of destructive earthquakes. In recent years, the earthquake risk of the valley has significantly increased due mainly to uncontrolled development, poor construction practices with no earthquake safety consideration, and lack of awareness among the general public and government authorities. Implementation of land use plan and building codes, strengthening of design and construction regulations, relocation of communities in risky areas, and conduction of public awareness programs are suitable means of earthquake disaster risk management practice. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is still lacking earthquake disaster risk management plans. So, this paper highlights some initiatives adopted by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations of Nepal to manage earthquake disaster risk in the Kathmandu Valley. It provides some comprehensive information on recent initiatives of earthquake disaster risk management in the valley and also highlights the outcomes and challenges.     

层次分析法在城市灾害应急能力评价中的应用

城市灾害应急能力评价是城市灾害管理的重要内容。建立城市灾害应急能力评价体系对增强城市灾：善管理能力和提高政府部门对灾害的应急响应能力有极其重要的意义。文章从系统理论的角度出发,运用层次分析法（AHP）和专家调查法合理地确定了各个评价指标的权重,建立起城市灾害应急能力评价模型。该方法将定量和定性相结合。很好地解决城市应急能力评价的定量问题,同时,还可以克服主观随意性,从而提高对城市灾害应急能力评价的可靠性、准确性和客观性,为城市安全减灾提供科学依据。     

Unnoticed but important: revealing the hidden contribution of community-based religious institution of the mosque in disasters

The role of community-based religious institutions has been largely undocumented, underestimated and overshadowed in the disaster studies literature. This paper explores the role of the mosque, a community-based religious institution, in disaster management by documenting and analysing its role in rural settings in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. The study examines the role of the mosque in relation to key actors from the state, civil society and private sector during response, relief, recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation phases of the Pakistan earthquake. Using qualitative research methods and a case study design, this article analyses primary data collected through 5 months of fieldwork (in 2009 and 2010). The findings demonstrate the multifaceted and distinct contribution of the mosque in cultural, economic, social and political aspects of the lives of the earthquake-affected communities. Possible challenges to engagement with the mosque, both gender inclusiveness and political controversy around its role, are also raised. This research suggests that state, civil society and private sector actors involved in disaster management need to understand complex relationships involving people and their religious institutions, and their impact on the social dimension of recovery. The findings of the study contribute to the scarce knowledge about the role of community-based religious institutions including churches, mosques, synagogues and temples and call for engagement: that is, acknowledging and valuing their role for building a synergy between secular and religious efforts for disaster risk reduction and post-disaster recovery.     

The comparison analysis of Chinese public perception of earthquakes on different time scales

China has suffered from severe earthquake disasters in recent years. In order to explore the impact of severe earthquakes on public risk perception on different time scales, four surveys were conducted twice each after the severe Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes. t tests were performed between two consecutive surveys to explore the change of public risk attitudes. The results demonstrated that after the two severe earthquakes, the public seismic risk acceptance has increased over time, and the comparison between pre- and post-Yushu earthquake illustrated that the severe disaster had more impact on vulnerable population such as females, children and low-income people. Moreover, linear regression models were employed to find the determining factors of public acceptance towards earthquake risks. It was discovered that the public perceived earthquake effect had significant negative relationship with seismic risk acceptance, and public trust towards local government had positive relationship with the risk acceptance. This study could help government to gain better understanding of public mental status and take more effective disaster preparedness measures when preventing and responding to a severe earthquake.     

四川省8·13特大泥石流灾害特点、成因与启示

2010年8月12～14日,四川省部分地区普降大到暴雨,在5.12汶川地震极重灾区的绵竹市清平乡、汶川县映秀镇和都江堰龙池镇诱发了极为严重的泥石流灾害。本次泥石流灾害表明:地震区和非地震区、震前和震后的泥石流在发育分布规律、启动条件、暴发规模、活动形式及其成灾方式和危害性等方面都具有显著的差别。通过对8.13清平乡泥石流、映秀红椿沟泥石流以及龙池泥石流的基本分析,表明8.13泥石流具有群发性、突发性、破坏性、灾害链效应等特点,同时还具有沿发震断裂呈带状分布、物源主要来自于汶川地震触发的崩滑堆积物、活动形式主要表现为"拉槽"侵蚀等显著特征。震区异常丰富的松散固体物源和极端气候所造成的局地短时强降雨是泥石流暴发的根本原因。针对汶川地震区泥石流暴发的新特点,应进一步加强对震区泥石流的防治,尤其是针对具有重大泥石流隐患的沟谷,一方面应提高设防标准,强化工程治理和专业监测预警,另一方面更应引入风险管理和控制的理念,注重"防""治"结合;"软""硬"结合;工程措施与非工程措施结合;"治理"与"管理"结合,调动全社会力量,共同防范地质灾害。     

Integrated seismic hazard evaluation and disaster management approach for Turkey

A significant proportion of the urban areas in Turkey is subject to high seismic risk. An important step for seismic risk mitigation is to define the hazard and damage after an earthquake. This paper proposes an integrated seismic hazard assessment and disaster management processes for Turkey. The proposed methodology utilizes information technologies in its seismic assessment component that provides fast results for assessment. First, image process methodology by using satellite images was implemented in the seismic assessment process for fast evaluation right after an earthquake. Second, the seismic assessment process was integrated with disaster management process. As a result, through integrated seismic hazard evaluation and disaster management procedure, an effective, fast and dependable estimation of loss for Turkey was planned.     

福建省地震重点监视防御区城市防震减灾体系工程简介

福建省地震重点视防御区城市防震减灾体系工程以中国地震局关于建立健全地震监测预报、震灾预防和紧急救援三大体系为主要目标 ,以国家和福建省确定的地震重点监视防御区为主要目标区 ,尤以切实加强重点监视防御内城市的防震减灾措施 ,强化城市对地震灾害的综合防御能力为主要建设内容。该项目得到中国地震局、福建省委、省政府和有关地市大力支持 ,已列为福建省“十五”重点项目 ,省委、省政府为民办实事重点项目     

Study on indirect economic impacts and their causes of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

In terms of events that undermine economic growth, the impact of natural disasters is huge and inevitable. Taking the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake as the research object, and based on the country-year data for 181 counties in Sichuan Province from 1999 to 2018, this paper uses the dynamic difference-in-difference method to investigate the indirect impact of this event on the economy. The main findings are as follows: Even though the central government has introduced reconstruction policies and invested a lot of reconstruction funds, in 2018, the per capita income in the extremely and relatively severe disaster areas was still significantly lower than the counterfactual by 21.96% and 7.61%, respectively. There is heterogeneity in the long-term indirect impacts in areas with different disaster levels, and the economies of the extremely severe disaster areas may form a "poverty trap," while the economies of the relatively severe disaster areas are still in a slow recovery state. It was further found that the assistance of central government’s reconstruction funds and the increase in local government expenditure are the reasons for the rapid economic recovery in the short term, and the insufficient level of total demand caused by the investment and consumption is the main reasons for the negative indirect impact on the economy in the disaster areas.

     

The Role of Uncertainty on Alternative Disaster Management Strategies

The work presented in this paper is an outgrowth of a multi—year study at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on Managing Catastrophic Risks. We focus on the role of homeowners and insurance companies in managing the hazard from earthquake risk. Specifically, we consider alternative earthquake disaster management strategies for a typical homeowner and a small insurance company in the Oakland, California region. These strategies involve the adoption of mitigation measures and the purchase of earthquake insurance by the homeowner and the purchase of an indemnity contract (e.g., excess—of—loss reinsurance) by the insurer.

We focus on how uncertainty impacts these disaster management strategies. Specifically, we illustrate the impact of structural mitigation and risk—transfer mechanisms on the insurer's performance when there is uncertainty in the company's risk profile. This risk profile is captured through a loss exceedance probability (EP) curve, representing the probability that a certain level of monetary loss will be exceeded on an annual basis. Parameters considered in the sensitivity analysis that will shift the loss EP curve include: earthquake recurrence, ground motion attenuation, soil mapping schemes, and the exposure and vulnerability of the residential structures. The paper demonstrates how uncertainty in these parameters impacts the cost effectiveness of mitigation and reinsurance on the insurer's profitability and chances of insolvency, as well as the number of policies the insurer is willing to issue.     

浅谈地震灾害预报

本文阐述了地震预报与地震灾害预报的相互区别及其相互联系 ,并分析通过自然科学研究与社会科学研究两种途径进行地震灾害预报 ,以达到防震减灾的目的。建议 :加强地震预报与地震灾害预报的管理 ,地震灾害预报只能在具备一定条件的地区进行 ,而不应全面铺开。     

Locating social capital in resilient community-level emergency management

This paper distinguishes between two types of emergency management at the local scale—municipal government responsibilities and community-level initiatives. It argues that these are interdependent, but separate aspects of emergency management. Communities, whether or not tied to particular places, are posited as being key, but often overlooked resources in both proactive and reactive phases of emergency management. Of particular importance within communities are the social capital resources (networks of strong and weak ties) that may work to improve a community’s resilience to risks and hazards. Two cases studies, the 2003 electricity power blackout in the eastern parts of both Canada and the United States and the 2000 water-borne disaster in Walkerton are utilised to demonstrate the concepts developed in the paper.     

Housing crisis after natural disaster: the aftermath of the November 1980 southern Italian earthquake

The problems of mass-homelessness created by the earthquake of 23 November 1980 in southern Italy were tackled by the Italian government in two phases, respectively involving resettlement of the survivors in temporary prefabricated homes and reconstruction of permanent housing. This paper firstly describes and evaluates the programme of temporary shelter provision, showing that, although it was successful in rehousing survivors, it has helped to alter the urban layout and architectural style of villages in the disaster area and, coupled with indiscriminate demolition of damaged buildings, has reduced the emphasis on permanent reconstruction. Special powers adopted by the government to achieve the resettlement are also evaluated. Next, the main reconstruction laws, which were passed about 6 months after the disaster, are examined. Large-scale financial provision for the reconstruction process is shown to have been tempered by bureaucratic delays, legal complexities and a certain amount of inequity in the distribution of funds. Aftershocks and subsequent earthquakes are described in terms of how they prolonged the psychological and physical emergency and helped to stimulate official preparedness for disaster relief. Finally, landslides, floods and other natural disasters occurring during the aftermath of the 1980 earthquake are shown to have had a cumulative effect that resulted in the formation, in 1982, of a Ministry for Civil Protection and the belated strengthening of national measures for disaster relief and prevention.     

Using Bayesian networks in analyzing powerful earthquake disaster chains

Substantial economic losses, building damage, and loss of life have been caused by secondary disasters that result from strong earthquakes. Earthquake disaster chains occur when secondary disasters take place in sequence. In this paper, we summarize 23 common earthquake disaster chains, whose structures include the serial, parallel, and parallel–serial (dendroid disaster chain) types. Evaluating the probability of powerful earthquake disaster chains is urgently needed for effective disaster prediction and emergency management. To this end, we introduce Bayesian networks (BNs) to assess powerful earthquake disaster chains. The structural graph of a powerful earthquake disaster chain is presented, and the proposed BN modeling method is provided and discussed. BN model of the earthquake–landslides–barrier lakes–floods disaster chain is established. The use of BN shows that such a model enables the effective analysis of earthquake disaster chains. Probability inference reveals that population density, loose debris volume, flooded areas, and landslide dam stability are the most critical links that lead to loss of life in earthquake disaster chains.     

Urbanization and water management in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam-issues,challenges and perspectives

The management of water resources is an unfinished effort of the international community. Rapid urbanization has transcended the management capacity of governments in developing countries. Since the renovation policy launched in 1986, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has experienced the fastest urbanization and industrialization process. This has placed severe constraints on the use of water resources and management capacity of the local government. The abstraction of groundwater has exceeded the limiting volume (520,000 m³/day) and the annual drawdown of water table is 2–3 m. In addition, the quality of urban water bodies is increasingly exacerbated by a huge volume of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater. These are hampering water demand, use and the capacity of the municipal authority in managing water resources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of urbanization on water resources. Current issues and challenges in the management practices of water resources are discussed. It will propose a new paradigm of water management in Ho Chi Minh City.     

Design and implementation of a voluntary collective earthquake insurance policy to cover low-income homeowners in a developing country

Understanding and evaluating disaster risk due to natural hazard events such as earthquakes creates powerful incentives for countries to develop planning options and tools to reduce potential damages. The use of models for earthquake risk evaluation allows obtaining outputs such as the loss exceedance curve, the expected annual loss and the probable maximum loss, which are probabilistic metrics useful for risk analyses, for designing strategies for risk reduction and mitigation, for emergency response strategies and for risk financing. This article presents, based on probabilistic risk models, the design and implementation of a risk transfer instrument to cover the private buildings of the city of Manizales, Colombia. This voluntary collective instrument provides financial protection to both, the estate tax payers and the low-income homeowners through a cross-subsidy strategy; besides, it promotes not only the insurance culture but also the solidarity of the community. The city administration and the insurance industry are promoting this program using the mechanism of the property tax payment. This collective insurance helps the government to access key resources for low-income householders recovery and improve disaster risk management at local level.     

地震应急卫星通信系统实施方案

破坏性地震给人类的生命财产安全带来严重的破坏 ,地面交通及通信等基础设施也遭到极大的损坏 ,给政府震后应急救灾通信造成很大的障碍。本文旨在为震后现场应急救灾通信及灾情快速评估提供一个可行的解决方案 ,并提出在实现该方案时可能遇到的难题。     

Evaluating the vegetation destruction and recovery of Wenchuan earthquake using MODIS data

The Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 has led to huge damage to land surface vegetation in northwest Sichuan, one of the typical ecological fragile regions in China. In this paper, the vegetation degradation by the earthquake and its recovery after the disaster are evaluated from analysis of MODIS Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) time series products and other ancillary GIS data. The results suggest that local vegetation GPP after the earthquake in the heavy afflicted area has decreased by 22%. The local vegetation productivity in the heavy afflicted area had recovered to 84 and 87% after 1 and 2 months later. Since August 2008, the vegetation productivity has increased to a nearly normal level.     

Role of panchayat (Local self-government) in managing disaster in terms of reconstruction,crop protection,livestock management and health and sanitation measures

The Panchayati Raj Institution is a statutory body elected by the local people through a well defined democratic process with specific responsibilities and duties. It is the most appropriate institution from village to the district level. The role of Panchayats (local self governing institutions) is important in view of their proximity to the local community, universal coverage and enlisting people’s participation on an institutionalized basis. Panchayat and municipalities are local governing institutions in countries like India, have a constitutional mandate under the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments Act. Apart from the proper implementation of different ongoing developmental programmes, the panchayat system has to play pivotal roles in respect of natural as well as man-made disaster management. In India, Particularly in West Bengal the village level Disaster Management Committee is headed by ward members of gram panchayat. The Panchayati Raj Institutions provide adequate space to the weaker section of the communities at its three levels, i.e. village, block and district. Good governance can be an instrumental feature in poverty reduction. This study was undertaken in cyclone affected areas in West Bengal to assess the role of panchayat in disaster management. The empirical study revealed that main role performed by the panchayat in respect of disaster was reconstruction of damaged houses, crop protection measures, livestock management, health and sanitation measures. Besides these broad aspects, the panchayats officials also organized health camp, involved in rescue operation, arranging temporary shelters and so on as disaster management operation. Total 60 gram panchayat officials and 150 villagers were selected randomly as respondents for the present investigation. The data were analysed into mean score, rank position and spearman correlation coefficient to achieve the objectives. The findings of the study indicated that significant differences were observed on the opinion of the villagers and officials on reconstruction of houses and health and sanitation measures. The roles performed by the local self-government in disaster management were very poor. There was absolutely lack of involvement of people’s representative. Therefore, adequate supports are suggested on these aspects from the representatives in association with higher authorities.