Development, Responsibility, and the Creation of Urban Hazard Risk

Scholarly attention has recently shifted to the creation and redevelopment of urban hazardscapes. This body of work demonstrates how housing is deployed in close proximity to hazards, and how the attendant risks have been communicated—or not—to potential residents. Utilizing the case of Calgary, Alberta, this article uses interview data collected from flood-impacted residents, and looks at their perceptions of development and risk creation. The analyses focus on how people attribute responsibility for development in flood-prone areas, and their views on future development in these areas. Results reveal that many residents argued for more government regulations preventing new development in floodplains. Moreover, they viewed developers as narrow-interested capitalists who fail to protect public safety and work to conceal risk from the public. Others wished to see large structural mitigation projects—dams, levees, or floodwalls—or insisted that homebuyers be informed of flood risk prior to purchase. The article concludes by addressing the implications for scholarly work in urban sociology, environmental sociology, and the sociology of disaster—all of which grapple with tensions between place-making and risk creation.

Analysis of Multiobjective Scheduling Model for Emergency Management under Multiresource Combination of Disaster Chains

This paper analyzes the formation mechanism of urban hazard chains. The results demonstrate that the complex interaction between the disaster-bearing bodies under the action of disaster-causing factors is the direct cause of urban hazard chains. The analysis of the energy effects of urban hazard chains shows that the coupling of the excitation energy released by the causative agent and the energy of the disaster-bearing bodies is the fundamental cause of urban hazard chains. Based on the description of the dynamical mechanism of the urban disaster chain system, this paper first sets up a disaster scenario and considers the effect of the time lag to establish a system dynamics model of the urban disaster chain and urban disaster management. The model of urban disaster management system dynamics shows the mutual influence and complementary relationship between disasters and the economy, pointing out that emphasizing the spill-over effects of disaster management systems can improve the effectiveness of disaster mitigation. This study also uses equilibrium entropy and brittle entropy theories to characterize the vulnerability of single-function networks and the degree of brittle association of each lifeline subsystem, respectively, and establishes a model for assessing the sensitivity of lifeline systems to disaster damage. Built on the collection and feedback of information from disaster areas after the occurrence of emergencies, this paper establishes a deterministic multihazard emergency resource dispatches model and an uncertain multihazard emergency resource dispatch model.

Combating Urban Hazard: A Qualitative Study on the Perception on Disaster Preparedness of STEM Students

In this study, the researcher identifies to what extent of knowledge does the respondents, STEM students of University of Immaculate Conception, know about Disaster Preparedness. This study spreads awareness to each individual to be more knowledgeable in a way of facing different calamites and disasters. In this matter, the knowledge of the respondents is being tested for their implication from what they have learned from the subject, Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction (DRRR). In accordance to that, this would help them to be more educated regarding the said issue. The researchers conducted a Focus Group discussion (FGD) and an In-depth Interview (IDI). The gathered data from the interview with the targeted participants was then transcribed and translated by the researchers. Among the answers given by the said respondents, the researchers have evaluated their prior knowledge about the said topic. The transcription was then analyzed and showed results.

Unexpectedly two storied tin shed collapse: A case study of urban hazard in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

The study has been carried out for an urban hazard analyses to find out the engineering geological characteristics of subsurface sediments and causes of two storied tin shed unexpectedly and suddenly collapsed and submerged in Rampura valley, Dhaka city, Bangladesh on the 15 April, 2015. Total 12 people were spot died due to collapsed tin shed. The area is covered by valley and this valley is composed of organic material, clayey silt, silty sand and sandy silt. Atterberg limit test indicates that the sediments are slightly plastic and low compressibility inorganic silts. Specific gravity of the sediments varies from 2.66 to 2.68, natural moisture content about 34.5%, dry density about 1.37 gm/cc, wet density about 1.84 gm/cc and unconfined compression strength about 45.9 Kpa. From this result, it reveals that shallow foundation is not suitable for the study area but deep foundation particularly pile foundation would be required. Five major possible causes have been identified for this incident, these are (1) presence of a valley and valley deposits, (2) very soft organic clay and soft slightly plastic clayey silt, (3) poor quality construction materials of shed and shallow foundation pillar, (4) overloaded by inhabitants with their usable items, and (5) filled up asides of the valley by filling materials which pressurized the pillar of the shed. Due to push or additional side pressure by filling materials to the foundation pillar, the pillar was moved and imbalanced the total shed and finally shed was suddenly subsided and collapsed by uniform settlement. Finally, it can be concluded that geological and engineering - geological study must be carried out for an urban hazard analyses in Rampura valley area as well as other valley areas in Dhaka city for future plan of urbanization and avoiding this type of urban hazard.