Natural disaster

About: Natural disaster is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5456 publications have been published within this topic receiving 104808 citations. The topic is also known as: natural calamity & natural hazard.

Evidence against disaster-induced migration: the 2004 tornado in north-central Bangladesh.

Abstract: Migration is generally considered to be one of the primary responses to a natural disaster. The existing literature widely acknowledges the fact that disaster victims migrate from affected areas. This paper, though, provides empirical evidence of the non-occurrence of out-migration in the aftermath of the 14 April 2004 tornado in Bangladesh. Data collected from 291 respondents from eight tornado-affected villages suggest that no one from these locations migrated to other areas. The constant flow of disaster aid and its proper distribution by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were the main reasons why victims did not leave. This study contributes to the disaster literature by providing three important findings: disasters do not always create out-migration; emergency aid can compensate in monetary terms for damage caused by disasters; and some of the arguments made in the literature against the provision of emergency relief for disaster victims are not always valid for all countries.

Prediction of human emergency behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster

Abstract: The frequency and intensity of natural disasters has significantly increased over the past decades and this trend is predicted to continue. Facing these possible and unexpected disasters, accurately predicting human emergency behavior and their mobility will become the critical issue for planning effective humanitarian relief, disaster management, and long-term societal reconstruction. In this paper, we build up a large human mobility database (GPS records of 1.6 million users over one year) and several different datasets to capture and analyze human emergency behavior and their mobility following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident. Based on our empirical analysis through these data, we find that human behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster sometimes correlate with their mobility patterns during normal times, and are also highly impacted by their social relationship, intensity of disaster, damage level, government appointed shelters, news reporting, large population flow and etc. On the basis of these findings, we develop a model of human behavior that takes into account these factors for accurately predicting human emergency behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster. The experimental results and validations demonstrate the efficiency of our behavior model, and suggest that human behavior and their movements during disasters may be significantly more predictable than previously thought.

Disasters, development and environment

Abstract: The Exceptional and the Everyday - Vulnerability Analysis in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction Vulnerability Analysis and the Explanation of Natural Disasters Peru's 500-Year Earthquake - Vulnerability in Historical Context Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters in Central America - Vulnerability to Disasters at the Local Level Vulnerability and Responses to Riverine Hazards in Bangladesh - a Bangladesh Case Study Political Responses to Flood Disaster - the Example of Rio de Janeiro Disaster Mitigation as a Crisis of Paradigms - Reconstructing After the Alto Mayo Earthquake, Peru Education for Sustainable Development - a Long-Term Strategy for Famine Prevention in Ethiopia AIDS as a Long Wave Disaster.

Hurricane Iniki: measuring the long-term economic impact of a natural disaster using synthetic control

Abstract: The long-term impacts of disasters are ‘hidden’ as it becomes increasingly difficult over time to attribute them to a singular event. We use a synthetic control methodology, formalized in Abadie, A. et al. (2010), Synthetic control methods for comparative case studies: estimating the effect of California's tobacco control program, Journal of the American Statistical Association105(490): 493–505, to estimate the long-term impacts of a 1992 hurricane on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Hurricane Iniki, the strongest storm to hit Hawaii in many years, wrought an estimated US$ 7.4 billion (2008) in direct damages. Since the unaffected Hawaiian Islands provide a control group, the case of Iniki is uniquely suited to provide insight into the long-term impact of natural disasters. We show that Kauai's economy has yet to recover, 18 years after this event. We estimate the island's current population to be 12 per cent smaller than it would have been had the hurricane not occurred. Similarly, aggregate personal income and the number of private sector jobs are proportionally lower.

The role of social media as psychological first aid as a support to community resilience building.

Abstract: In this paper we review data collected from an online, social media-administered survey developed to explore public use of social media during a series of natural disasters, predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, during January to March 2011. These data are then explored using examples taken from the experiences of those involved in administering the most widely-used community-driven Facebook page during these disasters, which focused on tropical cyclone Yasi ('Cyclone Yasi Update'). The survey was completed by 1146 respondents who had used social media in relation to the recent natural disasters. Data indicated that the public relied on a mix of formal and informal information sources, often using social media to re-post or re-tweet links from government websites felt to be of use to communities, thus acting as filters and amplifiers of 'official' information. This paper discusses how social media, specifically their core strengths of timely information exchange and promotion of connectedness, were able to act as sources of psychological first aid in the early stages of disaster and assist in supporting aspects of community resilience.