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We present a Risk Atlas of Mexico City based on a Geographical Information System (RA-GIS). We identified the prevalent social risk to the more relevant hazards in Mexico City (CDMX): earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, forest fires, and land subsidence. A total of 274 shape-file maps were generated in this project. Seismic hazard was estimated for return periods (RP) of 20, 125, 250, and 475 years. Three areas in central and northwestern CDMX were identified along the Younger Chichinautzin Monogenetic Volcanic Field with a high probability of forming a new volcano. Subsidence is concentrated to the east and southeast of CDMX, where subsidence rates are among the highest worldwide. Flooding events were estimated for RP of 2, 5, 10, 50, and 100 years, and most of them are concentrated in the central and northern sectors of the city. During the dry season (December–April), southern CDMX has very high probability of forest fire occurrence. There is high susceptibility of landslides on the west and southwest of the city. The goals of this RA-GIS are to provide a tool to the local and federal authorities and all organizations responsible for disaster prevention and mitigation to: (1) improve the knowledge of the potential physical and social impact of local hazards; (2) provide elements for disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response; (3) benefit decision-makers with robust risk data; (4) provide information for land-use planning; and (5) support further research to reduce the impact of disasters caused by natural phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological disasters frequently occur in China and around the world. These natural hazards can cause huge economic losses and threaten the personal safety of citizens. The public's willingness to engage with disaster relief efforts and the degree of participation is critical to reduce the impact of such disasters. This study conducted a survey with 62,903 respondents from China. The study utilized statistical analysis and correlation analysis in order to understand the differences and similarities of the public's willingness to take part in disaster relief across gender and age. The study found that: (1) the public's awareness of insurance and willingness to make donations during climate disasters is low, and that more than half of the public are only willing to insure for very less money; (2) although the public has very high enthusiasm to participate in disaster relief, they are less willing to learn the basic skills of reducing disasters and for participating in training for disaster reduction as volunteers. This was especially the case for elderly citizens and females; (3) the willingness of the public to prevent and reduce disasters is high, and this was the case across various gender and age groups. Finally, the study puts forward several measures to improve the uptake of disaster relief and disaster prevention among citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic location and natural environment expose Taiwan to an elevated risk of natural disasters that severely damage human life and national infrastructure. Currently, disaster information is handled through distributed systems maintained by different management agencies. Gleaning critical information from disparate Web sites is a difficult and labor-intensive task that makes consolidating disaster information impractical. Lack of such integration delays alerts notification from being disseminated to relevant administrative agencies in a timely manner, stalling necessary decision making and magnifying the disaster. This research developed a data exchange platform to integrate and exchange data between distributed systems using software agent techniques. Such techniques were designed to exchange data automatically. Agents become active at the onset of a disaster event and compile data from various resources to report on the current state of bridges. Also, action recommendations delivered by the system can assist bridge managers make appropriate decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effectiveness of disaster prevention programs using NXT control techniques. The purpose of the cultivation of scientific literacy is to develop a more rational, scientific perspective on the current social changes and the impact of natural disasters. Using NXT as an effective scientific tool to support science education, we can further explore science education for the development of scientific literacy. The expectation confirmation model and technology acceptance model are used to explain the effect of technology products on the user's satisfaction and intention. However, for the interpretation of scientific literacy, there is a lack of environmental and cognitive factors. So we combine social cognitive theory with social and scientific theories in our exploration of the use of NXT for the dominant effect of scientific literacy. The results demonstrate that users' self-efficacy and the ease of use of NXT have low significance on use of scientific tools, but, at the end, it did not affect the user wishes. The interactions of NXT features and climate are the main causes of enhanced user intentions. Therefore, environmental factors are identified as an important reason for the development of scientific literacy. The results of this study on scientific literacy stimulate more directions for discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Registering a 7.3 magnitude on the Richter scale, the 921 Chi-Chi Earthquake that struck central Taiwan on September 21, 1999 left the island nation with fragile soils, frequent floods, and debris flow, further weakening homeland resources. Taiwan's dense population had forced its residents to use mountain hills for agriculture and development. The 92-Flood in 2004, which incurred vast monetary losses and human casualties, caused the government to rethink its strategy for land use. In order to use land in a more efficient and in an eco-friendly manner, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan of the Taiwanese government proposed the 'Land Recovery Strategy and Action Plan' in 2006. Its core concept was aimed at 'respecting, and adapting to, nature.' To achieve this goal, a hillside watershed management and flood mitigation policy was proposed. Factors of safety, economy, and ecology were included in the policy. Both strategies and practical measures to be implemented were organized in a chart for better understanding and for reference by other countries with similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]