Natural disasters, population displacement and health emergencies: multiple public health threats in Mozambique

In early 2019, following the 2015–2016 severe drought, the provinces of Sofala and Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, were hit by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, respectively. These were the deadliest and most destructive cyclones in the country’s history. Currently, these two provinces host tens of thousands of vulnerable households due to the climatic catastrophes and the massive influx of displaced people associated with violent terrorist attacks plaguing Cabo Delgado. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic added a new challenge to this already critical scenario, serving as a real test for Mozambique’s public health preparedness. On the planetary level, Mozambique can be viewed as a ‘canary in the coal mine’, harbingering to the world the synergistic effects of co-occurring anthropogenic and natural disasters. Herein, we discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for an effective and comprehensive public health response in a country already deeply impacted by health problems associated with natural disasters and population displacement.

Discovering Intra-Urban Population Movement Pattern Using Taxis’ Origin and Destination Data and Modeling the Parameters Affecting Population Distribution

GPS-equipped vehicles are an effective approach for acquiring urban population movement patterns. Attempts have been made in the present study in order to identify the population displacement pattern of the study region using taxis’ origin and destination data, and then model the parameters affecting the population displacement pattern and provide an ultimate model in order to predict pick-up and drop-off locations. In this way, the passenger pick-up and drop-off locations have been identified in order to obtain the population movement pattern. In this study, Moran’s I index was used to measure the spatial autocorrelation, and hot spot analysis was used to analyze spatial patterns of pick-up and drop-off locations. Effective parameters modeling was performed using the Poisson regression. The results of the spatiotemporal distribution map for pick-up and drop-off locations indicated a similarity in patterns and equal results for some locations. Results also indicated different features of spatial distribution during different hours of the day. Spatial autocorrelation analysis results indicated a low probability of randomness in the general spatial distribution of the locations. The result of modeling the parameters shows the positive effect of the parameters on the pattern of population movement, and according to the p-value of 0.000, Poisson regression is significant for the pick-up and drop-off locations. The modeling results also highlighted the importance of movement patterns in recognizing urban hot spots, which is valuable for policymakers and urban planners.

Settlement dynamics and development of transport communications in Southern Yakutia in late the XX – early XXI centuries

This article examines the settlement dynamics in relation to the development of transport communications using the statistical, comparative geographical, and cartographic methods. A brief characteristics is given to the system of displacement of population of Southern Yakutia in the late XX – early XXI centuries. The analysis employs the materials of the population censuses of 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2002, and 2010, which allows compiling the population maps that reveal the peculiarities of settlement network, their population density and structure. Spatial representation of the data is presented on the example of population displacement maps and development of transport communications in Southern Yakutia as of 1959 and 2010. Comparative analysis maps of different periods demonstrates a three-fold decrease in the number of settlements in Southern Yakutia during the intercensal period (1959–2010) due to liquidation of unpromising villages and change of nomadic lifestyle of the indigenous population to sedentary life in larger rural settlements during the period of Soviet administrative reforms of the late XX century. The emergence of new transport communications is associated with active industrial development of Southern Yakutia; however the territories were affected unevenly. It is established that spatial peculiarities of population displacement in Southern Yakutia in the late XX – early XXI centuries have remained, although the settlement areas of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North- the Evenks – have decreased. The study of transport communications on the maps of different periods revealed the dynamics of their development in different historical periods, determining the historical roads, abandoned transport routes, emergence of new types and categories of communication lines, including the network of technological roads of industrial companies used for infrastructure maintenance.

Demographic changes and formation of ethnic enclaves

Statistics show that South Asian and Chinese ethnic enclaves had residential mobility rates of 54.5 percent and 46.5 percent respectively during 2001-2006 against the average 44.9 percent for the Toronto CMA. This paper explores the implications of higher proportion of movement of Asian population in some selected ethnic neighbourhoods in Toronto. Why ethnics move into ethnic enclaves; why they move out from ethnic enclaves; and what are the implications of such movement on municipal planning are some of the questions explored in this study. This paper also discusses some of the emerging themes such as increasing trend of concentration of Asian population, displacement of one ethnic population by other ethnic population; and a possible disconnection between the neighbourhood demography, services and the municipal planning, which may require further investigation.

Demographic changes and formation of ethnic enclaves

Statistics show that South Asian and Chinese ethnic enclaves had residential mobility rates of 54.5 percent and 46.5 percent respectively during 2001-2006 against the average 44.9 percent for the Toronto CMA. This paper explores the implications of higher proportion of movement of Asian population in some selected ethnic neighbourhoods in Toronto. Why ethnics move into ethnic enclaves; why they move out from ethnic enclaves; and what are the implications of such movement on municipal planning are some of the questions explored in this study. This paper also discusses some of the emerging themes such as increasing trend of concentration of Asian population, displacement of one ethnic population by other ethnic population; and a possible disconnection between the neighbourhood demography, services and the municipal planning, which may require further investigation.

Forced to flee : contemporary Colombian refugee migration & internal displacement

Examines the situation of forced migration in Colombia by identifying how profound inequalities, a lack of governmental authority, and a crisis in national identity have contributed to the emergence of armed irregular groups and the perpetuation of the civil conflict. The Colombian conflict which has last[ed] for more than forty years has perpetuated extreme criminal violence, grave human rights abuses and massive levels of population displacement. Determinants or push factors involved in Colombian internal displacement and asylum seeking are analyzed to draw similarities between these two experiences to further question the distinctions maintained between them in international law.

Forced to flee : contemporary Colombian refugee migration & internal displacement

Examines the situation of forced migration in Colombia by identifying how profound inequalities, a lack of governmental authority, and a crisis in national identity have contributed to the emergence of armed irregular groups and the perpetuation of the civil conflict. The Colombian conflict which has last[ed] for more than forty years has perpetuated extreme criminal violence, grave human rights abuses and massive levels of population displacement. Determinants or push factors involved in Colombian internal displacement and asylum seeking are analyzed to draw similarities between these two experiences to further question the distinctions maintained between them in international law.

Modelling population displacement: both climate change and population growth heighten displacement risk due to river floods.

<p>Disaster displacements create hardships, particularly for socio-economically vulnerable groups. Displaced people face heightened risks to their well-being, including their physical and mental health and personal security. Assisting displaced people is an important part of any humanitarian response to disasters.</p><p>Among weather-related disasters, river flooding is responsible for a large part of population displacement. River flood risk is expected to increase due to climate change and its effects on the hydrological cycle. At the same time, socioeconomic development scenarios indicate substantial increases of population in many regions that experience flood-induced displacement.</p><p>We have modelled projected changes to flood-driven population displacement in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century with the CLIMADA (CLIMate ADAptation) platform, in collaboration with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.</p><p>We show that both climate and population change are projected to lead to an increase of relative global flood displacement risk by roughly 350% by the end of the century. If we keep the population fixed at present levels, we find a roughly 150% increase in relative global flood displacement risk by the end of the century, or a 50% increase of risk per degree of global warming. We model displacement probabilities as a function of population density, flood depth and flood fraction.</p><p>Although the resolution of the global model is limited, the effect of climate change is robust across greenhouse gas concentration scenarios, climate models and hydrological models. Our work potentially enables the creation of a displacement early warning system.</p>