Search Results (1,342)

Recently, frequent typhoons and waterlogging disasters have caused severe damage to the power distribution networks in coastal cities. In response to this issue, how to efficiently develop recovery plans and achieve flexible resource coordination has become key for urban power grids in regard to coping with extreme natural disasters. Therefore, this article proposes a multi type flexible resource collaborative scheduling method for power supply restoration in distribution networks which realizes cooperation between maintenance teams and mobile energy storage in the scenario of wind and flood composite disasters, simultaneously completing the transfer of important loads through topology reconstruction. Firstly, a damage model for distribution network nodes and lines under wind–flood composite disasters was established to address the impact of typhoons and waterlogging disasters on the distribution network. Then, based on the inherent characteristics of multiple types of flexible resources, various collaborative recovery models for flexible resources after disasters were established. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified through the coupling example of a 33-node distribution network and a 30-node transportation network. Full article

This study investigates how urban decline and intensifying flood hazards interact to threaten Japan’s urban environments, focusing on three main dimensions. First, a fine-scale analysis of spatial shrinkage was conducted using transition potential maps generated with a maximum entropy classifier. This approach enabled the identification of neighborhoods at high risk of future abandonment, revealing that peripheral districts, such as Hirakue-cho and Shimoirino-cho, are especially susceptible due to their distance from central amenities. Second, this study analyzed the 2019 Naka River flood induced by Typhoon Hagibis, evaluating water detection performance through both a U-Net-based deep learning model applied to Sentinel-1 SAR imagery in ArcGIS Pro and the DioVISTA Flood Simulator. While the SAR-based approach excelled in achieving high accuracy with a score of 0.81, the simulation-based method demonstrated higher sensitivity, emphasizing its effectiveness in flagging potential flood zones. Third, forward-looking scenarios under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6 and RCP 8.5 climate trajectories were modeled to capture the potential scope of future flood impacts. The primary signal is that flooding impacts 3.2 km² of buildings and leaves 11 of 82 evacuation sites vulnerable in the worst-case scenario. Japan’s proven disaster expertise can still jolt adaptation toward greater flexibility. Adaptive frameworks utilizing real-time and predictive insights powered by remote sensing, GIS, and machine intelligence form the core of proactive decision-making. By prioritizing the repositioning of decaying suburbs as disaster prevention hubs, steadily advancing hard and soft measures to deployment, supported by the reliability of DioVISTA as a flood simulator, and fueling participatory, citizen-led ties within a community, resilience shifts from a reactive shield to a living ecosystem, aiming for zero victims. Full article

The increasing frequency of natural catastrophes and other disasters has underscored the importance of resilience as a core competence for smart cities so that they efficiently manage unforeseen crises. The increasing recognition of resilience in the context of smart cities leads to examining the role and context for the role of the “Smart City Resilience Officer” (SCRO). This article addresses this research gap by exploring the significance of resilience in smart cities and introduces a self-assessment model for evaluating the skills of professionals tasked with its management. Additionally, it emphasizes the role of open data in enhancing smart city resilience, whose utilization offers significant benefits, such as increased transparency, improved collaboration among stakeholders, and the ability to harness data-driven insights for more effective resilience strategies. This article identifies and defines the requisite competencies for SCROs to differentiate them from other city managers and develops a self-assessment tool featuring 20 key competencies. This tool was evaluated by smart city stakeholders in the consortium countries of the OpenDCO Erasmus+ project using a competencies assessment methodology. This study highlights the role of resilience policies in Europe and in launching large-scale training programs that develop competencies and facilitate the sharing of experiences and best practices. The findings underscore the potential of competency assessment and open data utilization in advancing the resilience of smart cities. Full article

The frequent occurrence of disasters has brought significant challenges to increasingly complex urban systems. Resilient city planning and construction has emerged as a new paradigm for dealing with the growing risks. Infrastructure systems like transportation, lifelines, flood control, and drainage are essential to the operation of a city during disasters. It is necessary to measure how risks affect these systems’ resilience at different spatial scales. This paper develops an infrastructure risk and resilience evaluation index system in city and urban areas based on resilience characteristics. Then, a comprehensive infrastructure resilience evaluation is established based on the risk–resilience coupling mechanism. The overall characteristics of comprehensive infrastructure resilience are then identified. The resilience transmission level and the causes of resilience effects are analyzed based on the principle of resilience scale. Additionally, infrastructure resilience enhancement strategies under different risk scenarios are proposed. In the empirical study of Zhengzhou City, comprehensive infrastructure resilience shows significant clustering in the city area. It is high in the central city and low in the periphery. Specifically, it is relatively high in the southern and northwestern parts of the airport economy zone (AEZ) and low in the center. The leading driving factors in urban areas are risk factors like flood and drought, hazardous materials, infectious diseases, and epidemics, while resilience factors include transportation networks, sponge city construction, municipal pipe networks, and fire protection. This study proposes a “risk-resilience” coupling framework to evaluate and analyze multi-hazard risks and the multi-system resilience of urban infrastructure across multi-level spatial scales. It provides an empirical resilience evaluation framework and enhancement strategies, complementing existing individual dimensional risk or resilience studies. The findings could offer visualized spatial results to support the decision-making in Zhengzhou’s resilient city planning outline and infrastructure special planning and provide references for resilience assessment and planning in similar cities. Full article

Sparse road networks in high-risk geological disaster areas, characterized by long segments, few nodes, and limited alternative routes, face significant vulnerabilities to geological hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, and collapses. These disruptions hinder emergency response and resource delivery, highlighting the need for enhanced resilience strategies. This study develops a dynamic resilience assessment framework using a two-layer topological model to analyze and optimize the resilience of such networks. The model incorporates trunk and local layers to capture dynamic changes during disasters, and it is validated using the road network in Tibet. The findings demonstrate that critical nodes, including tunnels, bridges, and interchanges, play a decisive role in maintaining network performance. Resilience is influenced by disaster type, duration, and traffic capacity, with collapse events showing moderate resilience and debris flows exhibiting rapid recovery but low survivability. Notably, half-width traffic interruptions achieve the highest overall resilience (0.7294), emphasizing the importance of partial traffic restoration. This study concludes that protecting critical nodes, optimizing resource allocation, and implementing adaptive management strategies are essential for mitigating disaster impacts and enhancing recovery. The proposed framework offers a practical tool for decision-makers to improve transportation resilience in high-risk geological disaster areas. Full article

The frequent occurrence of flooding disasters threatens urban public safety and sustainable development, making enhancing urban ecological resilience crucial for flood prevention and disaster reduction. This study, focusing on the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRD) in China, constructs an evaluation framework based on three subsystems: the hazard, disaster-formative environment, and exposure. Using the entropy weight method, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), along with spatial autocorrelation analysis, the spatial distribution and trend of resilience indices are obtained. Based on stepwise regression analysis, the factors influencing the resilience distribution are discussed. The results show an overall increase in resilience levels in the YRD urban agglomeration, reflecting improvements in the urban emergency response and recovery capabilities. However, significant differences exist between cities, with a trend of decreasing resilience from first-tier cities to surrounding areas. Among these, indicators such as per capita disposable income and the number of people covered by social insurance have a significant positive impact on resilience clustering, highlighting the key role of socioeconomic vitality in urban resilience. This study is of great significance for differentiated and scientific flood disaster management in urban agglomerations. Full article

This study evaluates urban resilience to earthquakes in Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea, by analyzing outdoor evacuation sites through a dual-axis matrix framework to provide feasible solutions for enhancing urban resilience. Evacuation capacity was assessed by use of resident and de facto population data, while Geographic Information System (GIS) network analysis identified evacuation-feasible and evacuation-infeasible areas. The matrix categorizes areas along two axes: capacity (x-axis) and evacuation-infeasible areas (y-axis), facilitating targeted improvement strategies. Findings reveal that only 54 of 139 census blocks possess sufficient capacity and no evacuation-infeasible areas. For areas with adequate capacity but extensive infeasible areas, redistributing evacuation sites is recommended to improve accessibility. Areas with limited capacity but no infeasible areas require additional outdoor evacuation sites to accommodate the population. In regions constrained by both capacity and accessibility, establishing new evacuation sites within infeasible areas is essential. For critically low-capacity areas without infeasible areas, multi-use spaces, such as disaster prevention parks, are desirable to address evacuation needs. Lastly, areas lacking both capacity and accessibility urgently require new evacuation sites concentrated in infeasible areas. By simplifying complex variables into a capacity–accessibility matrix, this study integrates population dynamics, spatial accessibility, and site capacity, offering implementable solutions for earthquake preparedness in densely populated urban settings. Additionally, this approach supports urban planning efforts to mitigate seismic damage and enhance urban sustainability. Full article

Coastal traditional rural settlements face increasing challenges from human activities and natural disasters driven by global climate change and rapid urbanization. Ensuring their spatial stability is essential for ecological security, economic development, and social sustainability. This study addresses the lack of unified methodologies for assessing the resilience of regional traditional village clusters by proposing a “network construction–spatial simulation–resilience assessment” framework based on complex network theory. Using the Haicao housing village cluster in Rongcheng City, China, as a case study, a spatial network model was constructed, and resilience was evaluated under both current and future scenarios using eight resilience indicators. The results show that the current spatial network structure exhibits clustering with weak interconnections among subgroups. Key nodes significantly influence network metrics, resulting in low overall resilience. In future scenarios, protective measures targeting the top 15% of villages with high development potential enhanced social connections, reduced reliance on key nodes, and improved network resilience. This study provides a quantitative method for assessing the resilience of traditional village clusters and identifies critical pathways and nodes to optimize regional spatial structures. The findings offer new perspectives for guiding the preservation and sustainable development of traditional villages. Full article

In recent years, power outages due to typhoon-induced rainstorms, waterlogging, and other extreme weather events have become increasingly common, and accurately assessing the risk of damage to the distribution system during a disaster is critical to enhancing the resilience of the power system. Therefore, a risk assessment method for power distribution systems considering the spatiotemporal characteristics of the typhoon disaster chain is proposed. The mechanism of forming the typhoon disaster chain is first analyzed and its spatiotemporal characteristics are modeled. Secondly, the failure probability of the distribution system equipment during the evolution process of the disaster chain is modeled. Then, the non-sequential Monte Carlo state sampling method combined with the distribution system risk assessment index is proposed to establish the disaster risk assessment system of the distribution system. Finally, based on the IEEE 33-bus power system, the proposed distribution system disaster risk assessment method is verified. Simulation solutions show that the proposed assessment method can effectively assess the disaster risk of the distribution system under the influence of the typhoon disaster chain. The simulation results show that at the time step of typhoon landfall, the load shedding reaches 1315.3 kW with a load shedding rate of 35.4%. The total economic loss at the time step is 2,289,200 CNY. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in assessing disaster risks and improving the resilience of power systems during typhoon events. Full article

Post-disaster rapid recovery and reconstruction, along with the evaluation of these efforts, are crucial for affected areas. They not only facilitate the swift repair of vulnerable systems but also reflect whether the recovery work has enhanced regional coordinated development. This is vital for achieving sustainable development post-reconstruction. This study addresses two main questions: (1) How effective were the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Mianyang, Deyang, and Guangyuan post-Wenchuan earthquake from a socio-economic–ecological system perspective? (2) What are the temporal and spatial changes in the Coordinated Development Index (CDI) of key affected counties? By constructing a framework to assess post-disaster coordinated development, this study utilized the entropy weight method and mean-variance method for the comprehensive weighting of evaluation indicators. The gray system prediction model G(1,1) was used to forecast the coordinated development levels of the three cities from 2019 to 2025. The findings reveal the following: (1) From 2005 to 2018, the CDI of Deyang, Guangyuan, and Mianyang showed a significant upward trend. Post-earthquake reconstruction measures like land planning and ecological restoration notably enhanced regional resilience and promoted coordinated development among social, economic, and ecological systems. (2) Despite overall success in reconstruction, disparities in development levels persist among Mianyang, Deyang, and Guangyuan. Predictions suggest that Deyang, Mianyang, and Guangyuan will achieve high-quality coordinated development in the next 5, 2, and 1 years, respectively. (3) Although significant achievements have been made through industrial restructuring, land reuse planning, and ecological restoration, more precise disaster prevention and mitigation strategies are needed to foster coordinated development among social, economic, and ecological systems. In summary, this study evaluates the post-disaster recovery effects in the hardest-hit areas of the Wenchuan earthquake and forecasts future development, providing a reference for similar post-disaster reconstruction areas in assessing and predicting coordinated development. Full article

Background: Internal displacement is a global crisis, with Ethiopia being among the most affected countries due to conflict, violence, and natural disasters. Internally displaced people (IDPs) face multifaceted trauma at the individual, family, and community levels, exacerbating mental health issues such as PTSD and depression. Despite ongoing interventions, many programs lack cultural and contextual adaptations that are suited to Ethiopia’s diverse communities. Aims: This study aimed to explore the cultural and contextual factors influencing trauma-informed interventions for IDPs in Ethiopia and develop a framework for culturally responsive mental health support. Methods: Utilizing Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) and interpretative phenomenological research design, data were collected from 42 stakeholders through Focus Group Discussions and in-depth individual interviews, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes. Results: Key findings highlighted the ongoing trauma faced by IDPs, the importance of demographic characteristics (e.g., gender and education), and the role of cultural stereotypes in shaping trauma perceptions. Traditional community rituals such as coffee ceremonies have been identified as vital for healing. Effective interventions require cultural alignment, respect for religious values, and integration into community activities. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for culturally and contextually responsive trauma-informed intervention. Incorporating community rituals and engaging local leaders enhances intervention acceptance and effectiveness. The findings provide a framework to address mental health needs while fostering resilience among internally displaced Ethiopian populations. Full article

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become one of the most devastating epidemics recorded in world history. The adverse impact of the pandemic is significant within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and other sectors of the economy. A considerable number of COVID-19 research studies have been undertaken in response to this global challenge across disciplines, with minimal output in the built environment. Thus, this study aims to identify, analyse, and visualise COVID-19 research trends in the AEC industry to unfold the sector’s response and readiness for possible future global pandemics. The study employed the scientometric approach to explore COVID-19 research outputs in the AEC industry, an aspect of health and safety in construction that has not been considered in past studies owing to the novel nature of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings revealed that the USA, China, and the United Kingdom were the top published countries and most affected as well. Co-occurring keywords analysis further showed that the predominant focus of scholarly outputs on the subject is around four clusters focusing on sustainable resilience, pandemic pathways and insights, land use and energy strategies, and indoor air excellence. Notwithstanding its limitations, the findings establish the need for the AEC industry to adopt innovative and holistically sustainable construction practices in the event of future disasters and pandemics. The findings of the study provide a robust theoretical foundation for researchers and stakeholders in the built environment, improving the sector’s mitigative and adaptive capacity in the potential occurrence of future pandemics. Full article

Recent major disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in Europe, highlight the unpredictability of crises and the necessity for systemic preparedness at all levels of crisis management, including pre-hospital emergency medical services. Paramedics observed, under these challenging conditions (but not exclusively during them), cases of insufficient knowledge and skills in providing pre-hospital medical care, which lead to inadequate or prolonged decision making in delivering assistance. For this reason, the authors aimed to determine the extent to which such situations occur and to examine their causes, focusing on potential gaps and shortcomings in the education of paramedics. This study examines the impact of educational systems on the professional preparedness of paramedics in V4 European countries (the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland) during pre-hospital care through a questionnaire survey. A survey involving over 1600 respondents revealed significant disparities in perceived knowledge and skill gaps, with Poland demonstrating the highest deficiencies (78%) and the Slovak Republic the lowest (57%). Key factors influencing these gaps included the frequency of external educational and training activities, years of experience, and expertise in managing critical conditions. The findings underscore the importance of innovative technologies, such as simulations and virtual reality, in enhancing paramedic training, along with integrating digital solutions across all phases of disaster management. Recommendations focus on strengthening system resilience, fostering interdisciplinary approaches, and improving system sustainability and adaptability. By using the results obtained and leveraging technological advances, the study aims to contribute to more effective crisis preparedness, population protection, and sustainable development goals (SDGs), namely (3, 4, 9, and 11), especially in the field of crisis management. This reinforces the broader role of SDGs in building more robust, future-ready disaster management frameworks. Full article

Human species have colonized many different landscapes since their emergence on Earth, even the extreme ones, preferring landscapes with high biodiversity to look for different resources. This led to a strong connection between individuals and the landscapes in which they live. For landscapes prone to natural hazards leading to disasters, attachment is an essential non-structural aspect that should be considered when discussing community resilience. Thus, to develop efficient strategies for improving resilience to disasters, it is mandatory to understand how such an attachment can influence this process. Many scholars have addressed the role of attachment in the case of disasters; nevertheless, its influence on community resilience is still understudied. In this paper, to provide an insightful overview of the studies that address this specific aspect, a systematic literature review (SLR) using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology was carried out. Since the concept of attachment has declined in the literature in different dimensions, this SLR encompasses all these dimensions under the broader concept of place attachment (PA). The review highlights that the current literature recognizes a substantial role for attachment in influencing the resilience of disaster-prone communities, but there is no consensus on whether this role is either entirely positive or entirely negative. Given the nuances of the concept of landscape attachment, a better understanding of how to use this non-structural aspect for disaster adaptation measures represents a needed future direction in this field. Full article