ALBERT

Description: Purpose This study examines the websites of central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities to obtain a comprehensive bird’s-eye view of how they are preparing for natural disasters in the context of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the websites of central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities in Japan to survey the actual status of information dissemination on “evacuation and sheltering” in the context of COVID-19. Findings This study found that the central government issued many notices, notifications and administrative communications to prefectures, cities with public health centers and special wards, which were mainly related to opening, securing and operating evacuation centers and improving the environment. It was found that most prefectures disseminated information on both survival and living evacuation and did so from June onward, when the flood season was approaching. Among the municipalities, there were differences in information dissemination tendencies by prefecture, and it became clear that smaller municipalities were especially incapable of fully disseminating information via the Web. Research limitations/implications The data from the prefectures and municipalities surveyed in this study were collected from websites and do not necessarily represent the actual response to disaster-related evacuation in the context of COVID-19 in those areas. To clarify this evacuation, more detailed surveys are needed. Originality/value This study is unique because no research has been conducted on the response of Japanese administrative agencies to disaster-related evacuation in the context of COVID-19; the actual situation was analyzed in this study by examining central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities as administrative agencies and comparing their responses.

Description: Purpose Nowadays, nearly the whole globe is confronting a severe threat of the COVID-19. The purpose of this paper is to explore the predictors of environmental concerns during the COVID-19 among the entrepreneurs during a second pandemic wave. Design/methodology/approach The deductive approach is applied based on cross-sectional data. An online response is gotten from entrepreneurs of Pakistan. A convenience sampling is applied to target the entrepreneurs. In total, 220 usable answers ensue for the outcome. The structural equation model (SEM) is used for the assessment of hypotheses. Findings The results of this study highlight a significant and positive effect of uncertainty of COVID-19 (U19), Perceived vulnerability (PV), Risk perception of COVID-19 (RP) and Fear of COVID-19 (F19) on environmental concerns (EC) among the entrepreneurs. Practical implications The research outcomes would provide the guidelines to policymakers and planners to develop the policies for reducing the fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties during the waves of the COVID-19. The findings of the study would make disaster resilience which COVID-19 creates. The results would provide the re-built environment guidelines by reducing fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties. Besides, the findings would help provide the knowledge and practical aspects of disasters in terms of anxiety, exposure, risk and uncertainties, which are hazardous for humans and the environment. Originality/value This study provides the empirical evidence which is the first time conducted among the entrepreneurs. Besides, this study highlights the predictors such as fear, vulnerability, risk and uncertainties towards EC in the COVID-19 scenario.

Description: PurposeBased on the research, the authors identify how four key concepts in disaster studies—agency, local scale, memory and vulnerability—are interrupted, and how these interruptions offer new perspectives for doing disaster research from and for the South.Design/methodology/approachMeta-analysis of case studies and revision of past and current collaborations of authors with communities across Chile.FindingsThe findings suggest that agency, local scale, memory and vulnerability, as fundamental concepts for disaster risk reduction (DRR) theory and practice, need to allow for ambivalences, ironies, granularization and further materializations. The authors identify these characteristics as the conditions that emerge when doing disaster research from within the disaster itself, perhaps the critical condition of what is usually known as the South.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to a reflexive assessment of fundamental concepts for critical disaster studies. The authors offer research-based and empirically rich redefinitions of these concepts. The authors also offer a novel understanding of the political and epistemological conditions of the “South” as both a geography and a project.

Description: PurposeThis study hypothesizes the limitations of standardization as an interoperability development tool within emergency management.Design/methodology/approachPragmatism and Morgan's seminal organizational metaphors inform the conceptualization of the Interoperability Orange metaphor using symbolic logic and visual imagery.FindingsThe essence of standardization is homogeneity. Within emergency management, it is commonplace to develop legislation to standardize policies, procedures, training, equipment and terminology to engender interoperability among first responder and associated organizations. Standardization is achievable with similar or a small number of organizations. However, it is unlikely, if not impossible, in the context of disasters and catastrophes, given the broad range of organizations, groups and individuals typically involved. This diversity of cultures, subcultures, norms, values and indigenous and technical languages intimates that standardization is counterintuitive, particularly in disasters and catastrophes. The posited Interoperability Orange metaphor demonstrates that standardization as a policy, though desired, is theoretically unobtainable in enlarging multiorganizational environments. Thus, new perspectives, policies and solutions for interoperability are needed.Originality/valueThe posited theory builds on the growing body of metaphor-based emergency management research. The Interoperability Orange provides an accessible and easy-to-use communicative tool that aids theoretical cognition – notably within multicultural English as a Second Language environments – as it enables a deeper more critical and explicit understanding of the limits of standardization expressed via metaphor, symbolic logic and imagery.

Description: PurposePersons with disabilities face the impacts of disasters differently. Early warning systems can be one of the powerful tools to reduce the vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities and mitigate the impacts of disasters. The main objective of this study was to assess the disability inclusiveness of the current early warning system (EWS) in flood-prone areas of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative method was focused on getting in-depth information. Persons with disabilities participated in focus group discussions (FGDs) and shared the inclusiveness and gaps of the current EWS. Through extensive literature review, a checklist was developed to conduct the FGDs. QDA Miner 6.0.6 software was used for coding and analyzing the data.FindingsResults indicated that, though persons with disabilities have proper risk knowledge, the current monitoring and warning service, dissemination and communication, and response capability are not fully inclusive. A significant gap in the EWS was found in response capability. Even if somehow persons with disabilities manage to receive a warning about a flood, they lack the capacity to respond to the warning.Research limitations/implicationsThe study proposed that to make an EWS inclusive and effective, the concerned authorities should focus on all four parts of the EWS.Originality/valueStudies related to disability and disaster management are not very common. Conducting a qualitative study provided the persons with disabilities the opportunity to share their perspectives. Future studies can focus on vulnerability and capacity assessment of persons with disabilities to identify areas requiring interventions to enhance resilience.

Description: PurposeThis paper aims to explore the involvement of various actors in the preparation of Palu City's spatial plan before the multi-hazard events of 2018. In addition, it evaluates the extent to which disaster risk reduction (DRR) is mainstreamed in the spatial plan.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses qualitative methods of analysis with a risk-based planning approach and stakeholder analysis.FindingsIt is critical that DRR is mainstreamed in spatial planning from the preparation to the implementation. Disasters can take place when there is a knowledge gap in the planning process. This results in developments in disaster-prone areas and even in high-risk areas. Therefore, mainstreaming DRR into spatial planning requires national guidelines that offer planners at the local level clear and detailed guidance on what they must prepare, consider and do in a risk-based spatial planning process.Practical implicationsSpatial planning that does not mainstream DRR can lead to catastrophic consequences in the form of casualties and losses when multi-hazards occur.Originality/valueThe study provides evidence-based findings on the importance of mainstreaming DRR into spatial planning, particularly in areas prone to multi-hazards, which can be optimized through a risk-based planning approach.

Description: PurposeDisaster management agencies are mandated to reduce risk for the populations that they serve. Yet, inequities in how they function may result in their activities creating disaster risk, particularly for already vulnerable and marginalized populations. In this article, how disaster management agencies create disaster risk for vulnerable and marginalized groups is examined, seeking to show the ways existing policies affect communities, and provide recommendations on policy and future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors undertook a systematic review of the US disaster management agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), examining its programs through a lens of equity to understand how they shape disaster risk.FindingsDespite a growing commitment to equity within FEMA, procedural, distributive, and contextual inequities result in interventions that perpetuate and amplify disaster risk for vulnerable and marginalized populations. Some of these inequities could be remediated by shifting toward a more bottom-up approach to disaster management, such as community-based disaster risk reduction approaches.Practical implicationsDisaster management agencies and other organizations can use the results of this study to better understand how to devise interventions in ways that limit risk creation for vulnerable populations, including through community-based approaches.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine disaster risk creation from an organizational perspective, and the first to focus explicitly on how disaster management agencies can shape risk creation. This helps understand the linkages between disaster risk creation, equity and organizations.

Description: Purpose The current National Early Warning System for Sri Lanka (NEWS: SL) was established after the devastations of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Although early warning (EW) systems and evacuation procedures are in place, several areas which need improvements have been emphasized in recent studies carried out in the country. Therefore, this paper aims to outline the gaps in existing EW and EP related to tsunami and other coastal hazards with a special focus on the use of social media for disaster communication based on age groups. Design/methodology/approach This study has drawn on a review of past studies carried out by the same research team to identify the scope of the study. In addition to that, a conceptual framework was developed for the use of social media in the event of a disaster. Based on this conceptual framework, an online questionnaire was administered to identify the current status of the use of social media in Sri Lanka during a disaster situation. In total, 408 responses were collected and analyzed using the binary logistic regression method to evaluate the variation of different predictors associated with the use of social media for disaster communication. Findings Findings of the study revealed that the use of social media for disaster communication depends on the previous experience of users and their age. The gender of users does not affect the use of social media for disaster communication. Therefore, the accuracy and timeliness of disaster information distributed via social media should be improved further to enhance the use of social media for disaster communication. Moreover, the findings have highlighted unaddressed issues in areas such as governance; communication of technical agencies; evacuation and shelters; and response of the community. Originality/value This paper has identified key areas that need attention in the process of enhancing the use of social media for disaster communication. More use of technological platforms such as social media for receiving disaster-related information can address issues such as bottlenecks in communication, poor awareness and lack of last-mile dissemination. Furthermore, this paper has proposed recommendations for addressing the identified gaps in the overall EW mechanisms and EP pertaining to tsunamis and other coastal hazards to enhance the coastal disaster resilience in Sri Lanka.

Description: PurposeThis paper is joint reflection on the role of research assistants (RAs) in fieldwork for disaster risk research, particularly at the doctoral level. The paper has been co-authored by Gurung, who worked as a RA with the other author McGowran during his doctoral field research in Kalimpong from May 2019 to January 2020. The piece allows Gurung to voice his ideas on the research in a published research output and allows both authors to reflect on how the collaborative approach taken helped to make the research more responsive to, and reflective of, the problems people affected by landslides in Kalimpong face. The paper aims to highlight the benefits of working with RAs on landslide prevention and management in areas that may be unfamiliar and to provide a space for the RAs to voice their opinion on the research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is split into sections written by and in the voice of the authors. This reflects a compromise between wanting Gurung's voice to be clearly heard in the piece and the challenges of non-academically trained RAs contributing to academic outputs that require specific training. Brief outlines of Kalimpong district disaster research in the region are set out by McGowran initially. Gurung then outlines how he became involved in the research and how this affected the research methodology. He reflects on how the research played out and presents some brief reflections on the findings. McGowran then concludes the piece.FindingsThe authors discuss how landslides in Kalimpong are related to locally specific political, economic, cultural and physical processes. It is only through discussing these processes with the people who live with and are affected by these landslides that this more holistic understanding can be gained, even though complete explanations are never usually found. Ideas for further research into landslides in Kalimpong and elsewhere are presented, centering on the involvement of people affected by disasters in this research.Originality/valueThe authors hope the publication of the paper might set more of a precedent for the voice of RAs – and those who are affected by disasters – to be more clearly heard in disaster risk research and practice in future. More of this type of research could help to address some of the issues this special issue raises.