scholarly journals Evidence-Driven Approach for Assessing Social Vulnerability and Equality During Extreme Climatic Events

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram A. Barankin ◽  
Michelle E. Portman ◽  
Paul Kirshen ◽  
Robert E. Bowen

Climate change adaptation policy requires assessing a community's vulnerability based on its socio-economic characteristics. A predominant approach to vulnerability assessment is indicator-based, wherein variables are aggregated to assess the vulnerability of units in a system (e.g., neighborhoods in a city). Here we show that a particular evidence-based predictive statistics approach can address two shortcomings of the most commonly-used indicator-based approach: lack of a means of validation and problematic weighting of individual indicators. We demonstrate how robust evidence-based models can produce frameworks that overcome these limitations. Using the case study of Hurricane Sandy in the State of New Jersey, we conducted two-pronged validated vulnerability assessments, based on insurance claim payouts and assistance grants. The latter needs-based assessment shows that “Minorities” are substantially more vulnerable than others based on a significant negative association with assistance approval rate (approved claims divided by all claims). Our findings highlight issues discussed in the literature within the context of climate justice and equity. Such an approach is helpful locally, but also when adaptation plans are developed over broad scales of time and space considering disparities between regions or across multiple jurisdictions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-690
Author(s):  
C. S. Vanaja ◽  
Miriam Soni Abigail

Purpose Misophonia is a sound tolerance disorder condition in certain sounds that trigger intense emotional or physiological responses. While some persons may experience misophonia, a few patients suffer from misophonia. However, there is a dearth of literature on audiological assessment and management of persons with misophonia. The purpose of this report is to discuss the assessment of misophonia and highlight the management option that helped a patient with misophonia. Method A case study of a 26-year-old woman with the complaint of decreased tolerance to specific sounds affecting quality of life is reported. Audiological assessment differentiated misophonia from hyperacusis. Management included retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy based on the principles described by P. J. Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2014). A misophonia questionnaire was administered at regular intervals to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. Results A detailed case history and audiological evaluations including pure-tone audiogram and Johnson Hyperacusis Index revealed the presence of misophonia. The patient benefitted from intervention, and the scores of the misophonia questionnaire indicated a decrease in the severity of the problem. Conclusions It is important to differentially diagnose misophonia and hyperacusis in persons with sound tolerance disorders. Retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy can help patients who suffer from misophonia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6478
Author(s):  
Amemarlita Matos ◽  
Laura Barraza ◽  
Isabel Ruiz-Mallén

This study is based on ethnographic research that analyzes how traditional knowledge and local beliefs on biodiversity conservation relates to the local ability to adapt and be resilient to climatic changes in two communities around Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique: Nhanfisse in the buffer zone and Muanandimae in the core area. A total of 78 semi-structured interviews with heads of households were conducted. We found that both communities carried out practices and held beliefs associated with conservation, such as protecting trees and animal species considered sacred or perceived as beneficial for human life in terms of water provision and agricultural production. In addition to traditional ceremonies that respond to extreme climatic events such as drought and flood, other adaptation strategies used by the communities include moving to neighboring areas in search of better living conditions and using forest products in times of scarcity. We discuss that the management of the park should be agreed on, in a shared way, between local communities and conservation agents to ensure that these areas continue to perform the ecological, subsistence, and spiritual functions required. Our research results contribute to a better understanding of local adaptation dynamics towards extreme climatic events and improvement of management strategies.


Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Charlotte Fafet ◽  
Erinë Mulolli Zajmi

Fires are among the most frequently recurring hazards affecting museums and cultural heritage sites. The fires of the National Museum of Brazil in 2018 and of Notre Dame de Paris in 2019 showed that the consequences of such events can be heavy and lead to irreversible heritage losses. In Kosovo, few studies were made about the risks that can affect cultural heritage sites. A project led by the NGO Kosovo Foundation for Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB Kosova) in 2018 explored the most prevalent risks for the cultural heritage sites of the country and highlighted fire as a predominant risk in Kosovo. In order to better understand it, vulnerability assessments were conducted in several museums in Kosovo. Data were collected through field visits in the different museums, in which interviews with staff members as well as observations were conducted. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of the fire vulnerability assessments conducted in Kosovo’s museums in 2018. An important aspect of this project is the approach to collect information in data-scarce environments. It is believed that the questionnaires used to lead interviews with museums’ staff members could help other practitioners to collect data in such contexts and evaluate more easily the risk of fire for the museums and their collections. In the context of Kosovo, one of the main findings is the identification and prioritisation of measures to ensure better protection of Kosovar museums. Structural mitigation measures such as alarm and fire suppression systems are not the only elements necessary to improve the resilience of Kosovar museums to fire. Indeed, the promotion of risk awareness, the training of staff members and the realisation of crisis simulation exercises are just as important in order to prevent and detect a fire, and above all, to respond quickly and accurately if a fire occurs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4982
Author(s):  
Anahita Davoodi ◽  
Peter Johansson ◽  
Myriam Aries

Validation of the EBD-SIM (evidence-based design-simulation) framework, a conceptual framework developed to integrate the use of lighting simulation in the EBD process, suggested that EBD’s post-occupancy evaluation (POE) should be conducted more frequently. A follow-up field study was designed for subjective–objective results implementation in the EBD process using lighting simulation tools. In this real-time case study, the visual comfort of the occupants was evaluated. The visual comfort analysis data were collected via simulations and questionnaires for subjective visual comfort perceptions. The follow-up study, conducted in June, confirmed the results of the original study, conducted in October, but additionally found correlations with annual performance metrics. This study shows that, at least for the variables related to daylight, a POE needs to be conducted at different times of the year to obtain a more comprehensive insight into the users’ perception of the lit environment.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Mathis ◽  
Emilie Siverling ◽  
Aran Glancy ◽  
Siddika Guzey ◽  
Tamara Moore
Keyword(s):  

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Mayotte-Blum ◽  
Jenelle Slavin-Mulford ◽  
Meaghan Lehmann ◽  
Frank Pesale ◽  
Nikaya Becker-Matero ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drozdstoj St. Stoyanov ◽  
Peter K. Machamer ◽  
Kenneth F. Schaffner

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 383-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Cochran ◽  
Katherine L. Montgomery ◽  
Holly Bell

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e051001
Author(s):  
Nivia Barreto dos Anjos ◽  
Ângelo Francisco de Souza Andrade ◽  
Nelian Costa Nascimento ◽  
Tailan Bomfim Andrade

Este artigo apresenta a sistematização das ações de Assistência Estudantil realizadas pelo IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês em 2020 em tempos de pandemia de Covid-19. O objetivo geral consiste em demonstrar a relevância que as ações de Assistência Estudantil têm diante da situação de vulnerabilidade social que vivenciam estudantes que enfrentam a desigualdade social, fruto de um capitalismo perverso, a qual foi agravada no período da pandemia. A grande questão é tentar identificar como em 2020 o IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês tem impactado a vida dos estudantes em situação de vulnerabilidade social durante essa emergência sanitária. A metodologia adotada baseia-se em pesquisa sobre os relatórios das entrevistas e visitas domiciliares, com recorte temporal de 2020; como também na análise das ações desenvolvidas para estes estudantes diante da situação de emergência decorrente da pandemia. Trata-se de um estudo de caso que procura pesquisar a experiência. O recorte teórico baseia-se na concepção de Assistência Estudantil como um direito amparado legalmente pelo Programa Nacional de Assistência Estudantil, e nos estudos sobre desigualdade social na sociedade pós-moderna. E com base na pesquisa da experiência, os dados de Assistência Estudantil serão apresentados, explicitados em sete ações desenvolvidas em 2020. Já as considerações finais procurarão anunciar que o IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês tem feito diferença, impactado a vida de estudantes e contribuído para o fortalecimento da Política de Educação do Estado da Bahia durante a pandemia de Covid-19, principalmente dos estudantes em situação de vulnerabilidade social. Palavras-chave: Desigualdade Social; Neoliberalismo; Capitalismo; Educação Profissional.     Abstract: This article presents the systematization of student assistance actions carried out by IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês in 2020 in Times of pandemic covid-19. The general objective is to demonstrate the relevance that student assistance actions have in the face of the situation of social vulnerability that students who face social inequality, the result of a perverse capitalism, which was aggravated in the period of the pandemic. The big question is to try to identify how the IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês in 2020 has impacted the lives of students in situations of social vulnerability during this health emergency. The methodology adopted is based on research on the reports of interviews and home visits, with a time frame of 2020; as well as in the analysis of the actions developed for these students in the face of the emergency situation resulting from the pandemic.  This is a case study that seeks to research the experience. The theoretical framework is based on the conception of Student Assistance as a right legally based by the National Student Assistance Program, and on studies on social inequality in postmodern society. And based on the research of experience, the Data of Student Assistance will be presented, explained in 7 actions developed in 2020. The final considerations will seek to announce that the IF Baiano Campus Santa Inês has made a difference, impacted the lives of students and contributed to the strengthening of the Education Policy of the State of Bahia during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially of students in situations of social vulnerability. Keywords: Social Inequality; Neoliberalism; Capitalism; Professional Education.


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