Household-level disaster-induced losses and rural–urban migration: Experience from world’s one of the most disaster-affected countries

Losses due to natural disasters induce rural–urban migration throughout the world. It is also a major driver of population influx in Dhaka city, the capital of one of the most disaster-affected countries in the world, Bangladesh. While the relationship between natural disasters and migration is evident, the magnitude of household-level losses inducing rural–urban migration has not been widely discussed. This paper approaches this issue based on an empirical study. Using appropriate sampling procedure, a total of 407 households in Dhaka statistical metropolitan area were interviewed. This research finds out that 18.43% of rural–urban migrants in Dhaka city are disaster induced. A sharp drop in income immediately after the disaster is the predominant reason behind their migration. The river bank erosion-affected migrants encountered as high as 89% drop in income, whereas the flood-affected migrants experienced 70% drop. This article identifies five post-disaster components that ultimately determine migration. To conclude, the paper offers several approaches to minimize mass rural out-migration.

     

Surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer and their contribution to atmospheric aerosols around coastal areas of the Malaysian peninsula

A study was done to determine the concentrations of surfactants on the sea-surface microlayer and in atmospheric aerosols in several coastal areas around the Malaysian peninsula. The concentrations of surfactants from the sea-surface microlayer (collected using rotation drum) and from aerosols (collected using HVS) were analyzed as methylene blue active substances and disulphine blue active substances through the colorimetric method using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The results of this study showed that the average concentrations of surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer ranged between undetected and 0.36 ± 0.34 μmol L⁻¹ for MBAS and between 0.11 ± 0.02 and 0.21 ± 0.13 μmol L⁻¹ for DBAS. The contribution of surfactants from the sea-surface microlayer to the composition of surfactants in atmospheric aerosols appears to be very minimal and more dominant in fine mode aerosols.     

Synoblique convergent and extensional deformation and metamorphism in the Neoproterozoic rocks along Wadi Fatira shear zone, Northern Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Wadi Fatira area occurs at the southern margin of the Northern Eastern Desert (NED) of Egypt and is occupied by highly sheared metavolcanics tectonically alternated with banded iron formations and intruded by Barud tonalite–granodiorite, post-tectonic gabbroic and granitic intrusions. Detailed structural investigation showed that the schists and migmatitic amphibolites are formed by shearing in metavolcanics and syntectonic Barud tonalite–granodiorite due to movement along the Wadi Fatira shear zone (WFSZ). This shear zone starts as a NW–SE striking fault along Wadi Barud Al Azraq and the Eastern part of Wadi Fatira and turns to a E–W trending fault to the north of Wadi Fatira. Microstructural shear sense indicators such as asymmetric geometry of porphyroclasts such as σ-type and asymmetric folds deforming fine-grained bands which are frequently found around porphyroclasts indicate sinistral sense of shearing along the WFSZ. This shear zone is characterized by transitions from local convergence to local extension along their E–W and NW–SE trending parts, respectively. The NW–SE part of the WFSZ is of about 200 m in width and characterized by synmagmatic extensional features such as intrusion of synkinematic tonalite, creation of NE–SE trending normal faults, and formation of migmatitic amphibolites and schlieric tonalites. This part of the shear zone is metamorphosed under synthermal peak metamorphic conditions (725°C at 2–4 kbar). The E–W compressional part of the WFSZ is up to 3 km in width and composed of hornblende, chlorite, actinolite, and biotite schists together with sheared intermediate and acidic metatuffs. Contractional and transpressional structures in this part of the WFSZ include E–W trending major asymmetrical anticline and syncline, nearly vertical foliation and steeply pitching stretching lineations, NNE dipping minor thrusts, and minor intrafolial folds with their hinges parallel to the stretching lineation. P–T estimates using mineral analyses of plagioclase and hornblende from schists and foliated metavolcanics indicate prograde metamorphism under medium-grade amphibolite facies (500–600°C at 3–7 kbar) retrogressed to low-grade greenschist facies (227–317°C). The foliation in Barud tonalite–granodiorite close to the E–W part of the WFSZ runs parallel to the plane of shearing and the tonalite show numerous magmatic flow structures overprinted by folding and ductile shearing. The WFSZ is similar to structures resulted from combined simple shear and orthogonal shortening of oblique transpressive shear zones and their sense of movement is comparable with the characteristics of the Najd Fault System.     

Testing a 1-D analytical salt intrusion model and its predictive equations in Malaysian estuaries

Abstract

Little is known about the salt intrusion behaviour in Malaysian estuaries. Study of salt intrusion generally requires large amounts of data, especially if 2-D or 3-D numerical models are used; thus, in data-poor environments, 1-D analytical models are more appropriate. A fully analytical 1-D salt intrusion model, which is simple to implement and requires minimal data, was tested in six previously unsurveyed Malaysian estuaries (Kurau, Perak, Bernam, Selangor, Muar and Endau). The required data can be collected during a single day of observations. Site measurements were conducted during the dry season (June–August 2012 and February–March 2013) near spring tide. Data on cross-sections (by echo-sounding), water levels (by pressure loggers) and salinity (by moving boat) were collected as model input. A good fit was demonstrated between the simulated and observed salinity distribution for all six estuaries. Additionally, the two calibration parameters (the Van der Burgh coefficient and the boundary condition for the dispersion) were compared with the existing predictive equations. Since gauging stations were only present in some nested catchments in the drainage basins, the river discharge had to be up-scaled to represent the total discharge contribution of the catchments. However, the correspondence between the calibration coefficients and the predictive equations was good, particularly in view of the uncertainty in the river discharge data used. This confirms that the predictive salt intrusion model is valid for the cases studied in Malaysia. The model provides a reliable, predictive tool, which the water authority of Malaysia can use for making decisions on water abstraction or dredging.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Fiori     

Biosorption of Heavy Metals in Leachate Derived from Gold Mine Tailings Using Aspergillus fumigatus

Leachate derived from bioleaching process contains high amount of metals that must be removed before discharging the water. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from a gold mine tailings and its ability to remove of As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn from aqueous solutions and leachate of bioleaching processes was assessed. Batch sorption experiments were carried out to characterize the capability of fungal biomass (FB) and iron coated fungal biomass (ICFB) to remove metal ions in single and multi‐solute systems. The maximum sorption capacity of FB for As(III), As(V), Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn were 11.2, 8.57, 94.33, 53.47, 43.66, and 70.4 mg/g, respectively, at pH 6. For ICFB, these values were 88.5, 81.3, 98.03, 66.2, 50.25, and 74.07 mg/g. Results showed that only ICFB was found to be more effective in removing metal ions from the leachate. The amount of adsorbed metals from the leachate was 2.88, 21.20, 1.91, 0.1, and 0.08 mg/g for As, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Pb, respectively. The FT‐IR analysis showed involvement of the functional groups of the FB in the metal ions sorption. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that surface morphological changed following metal ions adsorption. The study showed that the indigenous fungus A. fumigatus was able to remove As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn from the leachate of gold mine tailings and therefore the potential for removing metal ions from metal‐bearing leachate.     

Daily precipitation concentration in Central Coast Vietnam

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Empirical frequency distribution of daily precipitation amounts can be fitted by a negative exponential distribution, because anywhere there are many small...     

Evaluating evapotranspiration using data mining instead of physical-based model in remote sensing

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Precise calculations for determining the water requirements of plants and the extent of evapotranspiration are crucial in determining the volume of water...     

Analysis and farmers’ perception of climate change in the Kashmir Valley,India

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Analysis of climatic variables is important for the detection and attribution of climate change trends and has received considerable attention from researchers...     

Stratigraphy of the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event OAE2 in shallow shelf sequences of NE Egypt

Two shallow water late Cenomanian to early Turonian sequences of NE Egypt have been investigated to evaluate the response to OAE2. Age control based on calcareous nannoplankton, planktic foraminifera and ammonite biostratigraphies integrated with δ¹³C stratigraphy is relatively good despite low diversity and sporadic occurrences. Planktic and benthic foraminiferal faunas are characterized by dysoxic, brackish and mesotrophic conditions, as indicated by low species diversity, low oxygen and low salinity tolerant planktic and benthic species, along with oyster-rich limestone layers. In these subtidal to inner neritic environments the OAE2 δ¹³C excursion appears comparable and coeval to that of open marine environments. However, in contrast to open marine environments where anoxic conditions begin after the first δ¹³C peak and end at or near the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary, in shallow coastal environments anoxic conditions do not appear until the early Turonian. This delay in anoxia appears to be related to the sea-level transgression that reached its maximum in the early Turonian, as observed in shallow water sections from Egypt to Morocco.     

Wrench structural deformation in Ras Al Hilal-Al Athrun area, NE Libya: a new contribution in Northern Al Jabal Al Akhdar Belt

Al Jabal Al Akhdar is a NE/SW- to ENE/WSW-trending mobile part in Northern Cyrenaica province and is considered a large sedimentary belt in northeast Libya. Ras Al Hilal-Al Athrun area is situated in the northern part of this belt and is covered by Upper Cretaceous–Tertiary sedimentary successions with small outcrops of Quaternary deposits. Unmappable and very restricted thin layers of Palaeocene rocks are also encountered, but still under debate whether they are formed in situ or represent allochthonous remnants of Palaeocene age. The Upper Cretaceous rocks form low-lying to unmappable exposures and occupy the core of a major WSW-plunging anticline. To the west, south, and southeast, they are flanked by high-relief Eocene, Oligocene, and Lower Miocene rocks. Detailed structural analyses indicated structural inversion during Late Cretaceous–Miocene times in response to a right lateral compressional shear. The structural pattern is themed by the development of an E–W major shear zone that confines inside a system of wrench tectonics proceeded elsewhere by transpression. The deformation within this system revealed three phases of consistent ductile and brittle structures (D₁, D₂, and D₃) conformable with three main tectonic stages during Late Cretaceous, Eocene, and Oligocene–Early Miocene times. Quaternary deposits, however, showed at a local scale some of brittle structures accommodated with such deformation and thus reflect the continuity of wrenching post-the Miocene. D₁ deformation is manifested, in Late Cretaceous, via pure wrenching to convergent wrenching and formation of common E- to ENE-plunging folds. These folds are minor, tight, overturned, upright, and recumbent. They are accompanied with WNW–ESE to E–W dextral and N–S sinistral strike-slip faults, reverse to thrust faults and pop-up or flower structures. D₂ deformation initiated at the end of Lutetian (Middle Eocene) by wrenching and elsewhere transpression then enhanced by the development of minor ENE–WSW to E–W asymmetric, close, and, rarely, recumbent folds as well as rejuvenation of the Late Cretaceous strike-slip faults and formation of minor NNW–SSE normal faults. At the end of Eocene, D₂ led to localization of the movement within E–W major shear zone, formation of the early stage of the WSW-plunging Ras Al Hilal major anticline, preservation of the contemporaneity (at a major scale) between the synthetic WNW–ESE to E–W and ENE–WSW strike-slip faults and antithetic N–S strike-slip faults, and continuity of the NW–SE normal faults. D₃ deformation is continued, during the Oligocene-Early Miocene, with the appearance of a spectacular feature of the major anticline and reactivation along the E–W shear zone and the preexisting faults. Estimating stress directions assumed an acted principal horizontal stress from the NNW (N33°W) direction.