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Disaster governance encompasses the responsibility and management of disaster mitigation, relief and recovery as well as power and politics around these areas of action. Research on disaster governance focuses on various scales of action when examining the implications of disaster governance frameworks for particular populations and there is growing scholarship on the impacts that national politics and programmes have on local efforts. Under-represented in these discussions is an engagement with the relationality of disaster governance within national boundaries, not just vertically (i.e., the local in relation to the national) but horizontally--the local in relation to other locals. Through an examination of Ladakh in relation to neighbouring Kashmir, this article shows how local efforts to enhance disaster governance have been stymied both by the vertical (local-centre) politics of border security and conflict, as well as by the material effects that politics and violence in neighbouring Kashmir Valley have on Ladakh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the journal Frontiers in Earth Science titled "Prevention, Mitigation, and Relief of Compound and Chained Natural Hazards." It discusses the increasing frequency of extreme natural disasters due to global climate warming and frequent earthquakes, which pose significant threats to human life and property. The editorial highlights the importance of preventing, mitigating, and relieving compound and chained natural hazards, and the role of technological advancements in addressing these hazards. The document provides an overview of nine published papers that focus on earthquakes, geological hazards, earthquake-triggered landslides, and landslide susceptibility. It concludes by emphasizing the need for continued research on comprehensive natural hazards and disaster chains, beyond earthquakes and geological disasters, such as meteorological events, floods, droughts, wildfires, and tsunamis. [Extracted from the article]

The present paper argues that the standardised treatment of disaster research and practice perpetuates the production of systematic epistemic injustices against victims of disasters. On the one hand, disaster victims are often prevented from contributing with their opinions and knowledge to the processes of disaster mitigation and disaster conceptualisation. On the other hand, disaster victims tend to lack the hermeneutical resources to make sense of their experiences intelligibly, due to the existence of significant hermeneutical gaps in the hegemonic terminology on the matter. I argue that both forms of epistemic injustice, the testimonial and the hermeneutical, are sustained by an epistemic privilege between the Global North and the Global South in matters of disasters. The second group comprises what I categorise generally as 'disaster victims'. I identify two forms of structural prejudice that operate against disaster victims: one is the 'non-expert' prejudice, and the other is the colonial prejudice. Finally, because of the intercultural nature of disaster environments, I discuss the field of 'multicultural competencies' as a useful form of unveiling and counteracting the epistemic injustices contained in both disaster theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sichuan-Tibet Railway spans several watersheds such as Jinsha River and Yalong River, and Potential landslides are frequent along the route, which poses serious hazards to the normal construction and operation of the railroad. The traditional time-series InSAR technology is limited by the number of images and other restrictions, and has a long solution time, making it difficult to obtain information on short-term occurrence of deformation and unable to perform wide-area potential landslides monitor quickly. In this paper, taking a geological hazard-prone area in the Jinsha River basin (or a section of the Sichuan-Tibet line) as an example, based on the Sentinel-1 satellite SAR data provided by the Copernicus program of ESA, the model corrects the interferometric superposition deformation results obtained from a small number of SAR images (less than 7), decodes the corrected rate results, and identifies a total of 13 areas where deformation obviously occurs A total of 13 typical areas with significant deformation were identified. The identified typical areas were time-series solved and their deformation was traced. The method provides a new idea for identification and monitor of Potential landslides in a wide area and further promotes the development of disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold waves, as a common natural disaster, have a significant impact on economic development and living environment in coastal areas, especially in estuary regions. This paper utilizes the Delft3D software based on a rectangular grid, driven by the eight major tidal harmonic constituents of M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1, P1, and Q1, to construct a hydrodynamics and sediment numerical model. The study focuses on the morphodynamic changes in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) during a severe cold wave and strong wind event. By simulating the intense cold wave from November 28 to 30, 2022, the effects on the sedimentation in the YRD were analyzed. Results show that the cold wave process increases the water levels in the nearshore areas, with a general rise of more than 0.2 m in the YRD waters, particularly severe at the old Yellow River (YR) estuary and the northwest part of Laizhou Bay, reaching 0.25-0.35 m. This increase leads to intensified erosion and sedimentation in different areas near the YR estuary, especially near the old YR estuary and in the northwest part of Laizhou Bay. After a cold wave process, the erosion and sedimentation increase significantly by 0.05-0.1m. Furthermore, by comparing the flow speed differences and tidal-induced Eulerian residual currents with and without cold waves, it was found that around the YRD, from the current river estuary to the old YR estuary, the maximum flow speed increased by more than 0.35 m/s during the cold wave, and the maximum Eulerian residual currents also increased by 0.13 m/s. The direction of the residual currents changed from northwest-southeast to southnorth, further confirming the significant impact of cold waves on the morphodynamic evolution of the YRD. This study provides new perspectives and methods for understanding and predicting morphodynamic changes in estuarine regions during cold waves, which is significant for disaster prevention, mitigation, and management of estuarine areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives an account of the diverse dimensions of research on disaster risk reduction in mountain regions derived from an open call of the Journal of Mountain Science that brought 21 contributions. This special issue includes topics as diverse as landslide dynamics and mechanisms, landslide inventories and landslide susceptibility models, insights to landslide hazards and disasters and mitigation measures, disaster response and disaster risk reduction. The overall structure of the paper takes the form of three sections. The first part begins by laying out the significance of disaster risk reduction in mountain areas, whereas the second one looks at the research insights on disaster risk reduction in mountains provided by the contributions comprised in the special volume. The final section identifies areas for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress of science and technology makes the birth of nanometer material. In order to study the application of nanometer material in disaster prevention and mitigation, this paper proposes the research on the disaster information integration technology of disaster prevention and mitigation system based on nanometer material. This paper introduces the disaster information integration technology of the disaster prevention and mitigation system based on nanometer material. In order to highlight the advantages of the disaster prevention and mitigation system based on nanometer material, this paper carries out the function test and performance test. In the aspect of performance test, this paper compares it with the disaster prevention and mitigation system of other two materials from the aspects of response time and accuracy research. In this paper, we find that the response time of the disaster prevention and mitigation system based on nanometer material is faster than that of the other two systems, and the accuracy of the system in this paper will not be greatly reduced with the increase of task amount, which is relatively stable. Among them, when the task amount is 10, the accuracy of the system in this paper is 0.96, and when the task amount is 150, the accuracy of this system is 0.94. The results of this paper show that the disaster prevention and mitigation system based on nanometer material is relatively superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of earthquake disaster reduction efforts in China, the content of earthquake disaster reduction policies has become increasingly enriched and improved. Particularly, multiple provincial governments have proposed earthquake disaster reduction planning policies. It is important to explore whether these policies can affect disaster mitigation. Therefore, this paper summarizes the earthquake disaster reduction plans and factors influencing seismic resilience. Panel data from 24 provinces between 2012 and 2021 were collected, and a difference-in-differences approach was used to construct an econometric model to evaluate the policy effects and analyze the enhancement of seismic resilience. The results show that the implementation of earthquake disaster reduction policies has a positive impact on earthquake monitoring, evacuation, and emergency relief capabilities, and the estimated policy effects are statistically significant. Moreover, a series of tests were conducted. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Earthquake disaster reduction policies have a positive impact on the improvement of seismic resilience in provinces. (2) Provinces with a higher number of earthquakes experience more significant effects from earthquake disaster reduction policies. (3) Provinces with higher seismic peak ground acceleration values exhibit more pronounced improvements in seismic resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Mining Magazine is the property of China Mining Magazine Co., Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The western region of Sichuan Province, located in the Hengduan Mountains, is one of China's most seismically active zones. Due to limited land resources, many villages in western Sichuan Province are situated in mountainous and valley areas, facing harsh climatic conditions, lagging economic development, and insufficient infrastructure. After experiencing seismic disasters, these villages often encounter challenges, such as cut-off mountain roads, difficulties in delivering relief supplies, and sharply a significant drop in nighttime temperatures due to the high-altitude climate. Consequently, in the case of the economic underdevelopment and limited resources, how to repurpose existing buildings for disaster relief has become a crucial issue for disaster prevention and mitigation in these villages. This paper takes Ganbao Tibetan Village, located in the alpine gorge regions of western Sichuan Province, as a case study. It evaluates the interior space utilization status of different types of existing public buildings during disasters, calculates the effective utilization rate of interior space disaster reduction conversion based on the spatial layout model, and extracts the typical interior space dimensions that are conducive to disaster relief and conversion of public buildings based on the interior space utilization characteristics of disaster relief. This study provides a reference for the design of public service buildings considering the requirements of disaster resilience transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-mediated geotechnology refers to the technology that utilizes various types of microbial processes to improve the hydro-mechanical behavior of soil and rock, aiming for the prevention and mitigation of geoengineering problems. This paper provides a detailed and comprehensive review of bio-mediated geotechnologies, aiming to enhance understanding in this field. The review encompasses mechanisms, influencing factors, engineering properties, applications, as well as challenges and prospects associated with bio-mediated geotechnologies. Three typical bio-mediated geotechnologies are examined: biomineralization, biofilm, and biogas, with a specific focus on microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). Key factors affecting MICP efficacy, including bacteria species, bacteria concentration, temperature, pH, cementation solution, soil properties, and treatment strategies, are elaborated upon. The paper highlights the significant improvements in mechanical strength, permeability reduction, and erosion resistance achieved through MICP treatment. Furthermore, a wide range of applications for MICP in geotechnical and environmental domains are reviewed, spanning from foundation treatment to geological disaster prevention. Despite its promise, MICP faces challenges such as environmental impact mitigation, uniform distribution, and large-scale application. The paper concludes by discussing future research directions, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative approaches to address these challenges and fully realize the potential of MICP in geotechnical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issue of poor accuracy in typhoon wind data, this paper presents a methodology for the calibration of typhoon wind data while conducting an analysis and evaluation of the associated uncertainties. The approach commences with the introduction of two wind field data calculation models. The first model facilitates the correction of buoy attitude, thereby transforming inaccurate buoy wind speed data into real-speed data. In parallel, the second model enables the conversion of buoy-observed true velocity into neutral stable stratified wind parameters, leveraging satellite-derived data for precise calculations. Subsequently, the paper undertakes the task of spatio-temporal alignment between buoy data and satellite observations. Ultimately, a comprehensive comparative analysis is conducted by juxtaposing the ERA5 database with data collected from a moored buoy equipped with the R.M. YOUNG wind monitor. A new simulation method for satellite wind speed data inversion is proposed, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed calibration method in enhancing the accuracy of typhoon wind field data. In particular, the maximum wind speeds recorded were 20.15 m s−1 and 13.22 m s−1 during Typhoon "Jangmi (202005)" and "Maysak (202009)," respectively. Furthermore, the mean square errors (MSE) for our method were measured at 0.31 m s−1 and 0.28 m s−1, outperforming the satellite-derived indicators. The expanded uncertainty of measurement results for the two typhoons was calculated at 0.39 m s−1 and 0.34 m s−1, closely aligning with the MSE values. These computational models present a valuable means of enhancing the precision and reducing uncertainty in satellite-derived data. The findings presented in this paper hold great promise for applications in typhoon forecasting, investigations of air-sea interactions, and disaster prevention and mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Water Science / Shuikexue Jinzhan is the property of Editorial Board of Advances in Water Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, a comprehensive flood hazard map for the vicinity of King Talal Dam in Jordan, utilizing advanced remote sensing (RS) and GIS methodologies, is developed. Key geographical and environmental factors, encompassing terrain slope, elevation, aspect, proximity to water streams, drainage density, and land use/land cover, are integrated to highlight areas with increased flood risk. This study, by employing a novel theoretical approach, harnesses the synergistic capabilities of RS and GIS to collect and analyze geospatial data. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is applied to assign weights to various flood-conditioning factors, quantifying their relative importance in flood risk assessment. Through the weighted sum overlay technique, the aforementioned factors are integrated to categorize flood risk levels from very low to very high. This study successfully maps flood hazards, identifying areas near main water channels, ravines, and lower-elevation areas prone to flooding. This research provides a robust framework for flood risk assessment, contributing valuable knowledge to the fields of environmental management and disaster mitigation. It underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and updating of flood hazard maps to accommodate changing land use, climate, and hydrological conditions. The innovative application offers crucial insights for urban planners and policymakers, emphasizing the need for proactive strategies in flood-prone areas and serving as a model for similar geographical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity as the global climate changes. Risk assessment for agricultural drought disasters is an important approach for disaster prevention and mitigation. Based on the formation mechanism of natural disaster risk, the index system model of agricultural drought risk assessment in North China was constructed, and the robustness of the established risk assessment model was tested by using the internal test method. Then based on the characteristics of agricultural drought risk formation in North China, the paper proposes corresponding risk prevention recommendations. The conclusions were as follows: when adjusting the indices and methods in the risk assessment model, the range of changes in the agricultural drought risk ranking for each city was mostly 1-2.5 places, and the model was relatively robust. With the exception of Beijing and Tianjin, which had the highest disaster prevention and mitigation capacity, central and northern China had the highest agricultural drought risk, which was previously linked to the high risk and vulnerability of these regions. The agricultural drought risk in northern Henan and southern Shandong is low, mainly due to the low risk. The 34 cities in North China can be divided into 6 agricultural drought risk clusters, which are not dispersed in space and cross-city distribution, and have good aggregation. Cluster 4, located in the northernmost mountainous areas, has the highest risk of drought, which is associated with high environmental vulnerability and low capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation, so agricultural areas should be reduced and agricultural input should be increased. Clusters 2, 5 and 6, located in the central and southern regions, have higher grain acreage and yields due to drought, so agricultural drought risk can be further reduced by increasing agricultural input and improving irrigation guarantee rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization and the frequent occurrence of extreme weather globally, the risk of urban flood disasters has gradually increased, and its potential consequences are immeasurable. Therefore, conducting risk assessment of urban flood disasters is of great significance, as it is one of the foundations and decision-making means for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and has become a hot topic and trend in current research. This paper starts by exploring the concept and formation mechanism of urban flood disasters, taking Hazard Factors, Disaster-prone Environment sensitivity, Vulnerability of Exposed Bodies, and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Capabilities as primary indicators. Based on this, a risk assessment index system is established with 14 secondary indicators, such as annual average rainfall, distance to water systems, elevation, and terrain undulation. The spatialization of each indicator data point is processed through ArcGIS10.7, and the importance of hazard and sensitivity indicators is ranked using the Random Forest algorithm. The indicators are then weighted using a combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the entropy method, and the combined weights of each assessment indicator are calculated. Taking Wuhan City as the research area, the weights of each indicator are input into the established risk assessment model. ArcGIS spatial analysis techniques and raster calculation functions are utilized to solve the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of the assessment model, obtaining zoning maps of risk levels for hazard, sensitivity, vulnerability, disaster prevention, and mitigation capabilities, as well as the distribution of comprehensive risk levels. The validity and rationality of the model results are verified by actual disaster data, providing important reference for urban flood disaster prevention in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a pseudo-grey metabolic grey Markov model to deal with the prediction issue in which the original sequences are oscillation sequences. Design/methodology/approach: First, the original sequences were processed with the accelerated advection transformation and the weighted mean generation transformation to make them smoother. Then, the mean GM (1, 1) model was applied to the multi-step prediction of the pre-processed data sequences. Finally, with the help of the optimal partitioning method, the pseudo-grey metabolic Markov model was used to correct the prediction results and determine the final prediction values. Findings: The results demonstrate that the accuracy of this model is significantly higher than that of the traditional grey Markov model, which further verifies the rationality of the proposed model. Therefore, scientific and reasonable prediction of urban rainfall is of great theoretical significance and application value for the government and decision-making departments to formulate drought prevention and disaster mitigation measures. Originality/value: The model in this paper not only provides new ideas for the data preprocessing problem of the grey Markov model, but also solves the problem of errors due to individual subjectivity in state interval division. It provides a novel idea for the development of grey prediction models. The rationality and validity of the model are illustrated by taking the Zhengzhou City of Henan Province as examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little historic data about the vulnerability of the damage elements in debris flow disaster in China. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the vulnerability of debris flow quantitatively. This paper was devoted to the research of the vulnerability of brick and concrete building impacted by debris flow which widely existed in affected area. Under two assumptions, several prototype walls of brick and concrete were constructed to simulate the damaged structures in debris flow while the iron spheres were taken as the substitute of debris flow. The failure criterion of brick and concrete building was proposed with referring to the structure standards (brick and concrete) and the damage pattern in debris flow. The quantitatively estimation of vulnerability of brick and concrete building was finally established based on Fuzzy mathematics and the proposed failure criterion. The results show that the maximum impact bending moment is the best fit to be the disaster-causing factor in vulnerability curve and formula. The experiments in this paper is the preliminary research on the vulnerability of the element impacted by debris flow. The method and conclusion will be useful for the quantitative estimation of the vulnerability in debris flow and also can be referred in other types of the vulnerable elements research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood hazard and risk assessments (FHRAs), and the underlying models, form the basis of decisions regarding flood mitigation and climate adaptation measures and are thus imperative for safeguarding communities from the devastating consequences of flood events. In this perspective paper, we discuss how FHRAs should be validated to be fit-for-purpose in order to optimally support decision-making. We argue that current validation approaches focus on technical issues, with insufficient consideration of the context in which decisions are made. To address this issue, we propose a novel validation framework for FHRAs, structured in a three-level hierarchy: process-based, outcome-based, and impact-based. Our framework adds crucial dimensions to current validation approaches, such as the need to understand the possible impacts on society when the assessment has large errors. It further emphasizes the essential role of stakeholder participation, objectivity, and verifiability when assessing flood hazard and risk. Using the example of flood emergency management, we discuss how the proposed framework can be implemented. Although we have developed the framework for flooding, our ideas are also applicable to assessing risk caused by other types of natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life-cycle inspection of civil infrastructure can guide decisions on structural safety and reliability. This paper proposes a strategy for smartphone-based public participation in the life-cycle inspection of civil infrastructure (SPIC). The SPIC strategy consists of three parts: participants, Urban Brain, and Global View. Next, the feasibility of this strategy is verified by simulation experiments implemented in Unity3D. Civil infrastructure inspection modes include routine inspection, focus inspection, and emergency inspection. The activation and transition of the three inspection modes are tested. Test results show that routine inspection with public participation could timely identify pre-set damaged civil infrastructures. All abnormal civil infrastructures are observed by the Urban Brain. The focus inspection mode is activated when an abnormal civil infrastructure is detected, and the focus inspection provides a detailed and professional assessment of the abnormal civil infrastructure. Then, the inspection of all civil infrastructures in emergency inspection mode is completed in the test. Furthermore, this paper carries out a factor sensitivity analysis of this strategy. The proposed strategy establishes the mechanism for the assign-accept-feedback inspection task. In addition, the simulation performed in Unity3D is one of the next alternatives for large-scale urban disaster prevention and mitigation experiments in the real world. The SPIC strategy can effectively enhance the disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities of civil infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is located in the intersection area of two seismic zones. Due to this special geographical location, earthquake disasters occur frequently in China. Earthquake emergency rescue work is one of the key construction works of disaster prevention and mitigation in China. This paper mainly studies the earthquake disaster rescue model based on the complex adaptive system theory and establishes the earthquake disaster rescue model by analyzing the complex adaptive system theory and combining the earthquake rescue process. In this paper, through the task allocation mechanism task, the disaster rescue task is divided into simple task and complex task, and the executive task subject is divided into single task subject and multitask subject. On the basis of considering the shortest emergency rescue time goal and the goal of maximizing the deployment utility of rescue team, the reasonable deployment of a rescue team is realized through a complex adaptive system, that is, the deployment utility of the rescue team is maximized. In this paper, the simulation experiment and comparison of the earthquake disaster rescue model based on the complex adaptive system theory are carried out. The experimental results show that the model used in this paper is better than the other two models in terms of algorithm convergence, rescue number, and overall score; in different scenarios, the relative survival probability of the model in this paper is 58.92%, 67.85%, and 77.46%, and the proportion of the wounded rescued is 66.31%, 76.45%, and 83.06%, which were higher than those of the other two models. The earthquake disaster rescue model based on the complex adaptive system theory proposed in this paper provides an effective theoretical basis and method system for postdisaster emergency rescue decision making and enhances and improves the emergency response ability to deal with large-scale geological disaster events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the last decades have seen a clear shift in emphasis from managing natural hazards to managing risk, the majority of natural-hazard risk research still focuses on single hazards. Internationally, there are calls for more attention for multi-hazards and multi-risks. Within the European Union (EU), the concepts of multi-hazard and multi-risk assessment and management have taken centre stage in recent years. In this perspective paper, we outline several key developments in multi-(hazard-)risk research in the last decade, with a particular focus on the EU. We present challenges for multi-(hazard-)risk management as outlined in several research projects and papers. We then present a research agenda for addressing these challenges. We argue for an approach that addresses multi-(hazard-)risk management through the lens of sustainability challenges that cut across sectors, regions, and hazards. In this approach, the starting point is a specific sustainability challenge, rather than an individual hazard or sector, and trade-offs and synergies are examined across sectors, regions, and hazards. We argue for in-depth case studies in which various approaches for multi-(hazard-)risk management are co-developed and tested in practice. Finally, we present a new pan-European research project in which our proposed research agenda will be implemented, with the goal of enabling stakeholders to develop forward-looking disaster risk management pathways that assess trade-offs and synergies of various strategies across sectors, hazards, and spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the types of disasters and analyzing the distribution pattern of and the spatial correlation between villages and disasters are important prerequisite for the disaster prevention and mitigation of traditional villages. Taking Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture as an example and using the tools of kernel density evaluation and spatial statistics, this paper analyzes the distribution pattern of and the spatial correlation between traditional villages and typical geological disasters on the three spatial scales of Aba Prefecture, village agglomeration area, and village administrative area with necessary explanations. It concludes that most of the traditional villages in Aba Prefecture agglomerate in the middle- and high-level alpine gorges and some are clustered at either the border area or the central hinterland of counties; with the increase of maximum seismic intensity and frequency of earthquakes, it appears there is an increase of traditional villages and their trend of agglomeration, which implies an overlap of the areas of dense traditional villages and high-density geological disasters, as well as the synchronous increase of traditional village density and geological disaster density; and the traditional villages in Aba Prefecture are affected by multiple disasters, in particular landslide and debris flow. Finally, the paper discusses the issue of disaster prevention and mitigation in the protection and development planning of traditional villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are one of the most severe meteorological disasters, making rapid and accurate track forecasts crucial for disaster prevention and mitigation. Because TC tracks are affected by various factors (the steering flow, the thermal structure of the underlying surface, and the atmospheric circulation), their trajectories present highly complex nonlinear behavior. Deep learning has many advantages in simulating nonlinear systems. In this paper, based on deep-learning technology, we explore the movement of TCs in the northwestern Pacific from 1979 to 2021, divided into training (1979–2014), validation (2015–2018), and test sets (2019–2021), and we create 6–72 h TC track forecasts. Only historical trajectory data are used as input for evaluating the forecasts of the following three recurrent neural networks utilized: recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) models. The GRU approach performed best; to further improve forecast accuracy, a model combining GRU and a convolutional neural network (CNN) called GRU_CNN is proposed to capture the characteristics that vary with time. By adding reanalysis data of the steering flow, sea surface temperatures, and geopotential height around the cyclone, we can extract sufficient information on the historical trajectory features and three-dimensional spatial features. The results show that GRU_CNN outperforms other deep-learning models without CNN layers. Furthermore, by analyzing three additional environmental factors through control experiments, it can be concluded that the historical steering flow of TCs plays a key role, especially for short-term predictions within 24 h, while sea surface temperatures and geopotential height can gradually improve the 24–72 h forecast. The average distance errors at 6 and 12 h are 17.22 and 43.90 km, respectively. Compared with the 6 and 12 h forecast results (27.57 and 59.09 km) of the Central Meteorological Observatory, the model proposed herein is suitable for short-term forecasting of TC tracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: On September 5, 2022, an Ms 6.8 earthquake occurred in Luding County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China. The casualties and economic losses caused by the earthquake are huge. Most of the landslides triggered by this earthquake are small and medium-sized rock collapses and destructive debris flows, with a small number of large-scale landslides. Results: There are 5007 coseismic landslides in the Luding earthquake VII-degree area and above, with a total area of 17.36 km2. The landslides are generally distributed along the NW-SE direction. The highest landslide area density is 13.8%, and the highest point density of the landslide is 35.73 km2. High-density area is mainly concentrated in the IX-degree area and the northeast side of the seismogenic fault. Coseismic landslides are more likely to develop in the area with the slope more than 40°, the slope direction of 67.5-112.5 degree, and vegetation coverage of 40–50%. More landslides are developed in granite areas and forest areas. The closer distance to active faults, the more the coseismic landslides develop. The correlation between coseismic landslide development and the distance from the active faults is better than that between coseismic landslide development and the distance from the seismogenic faults. Conclusion: The landslide database used in this paper is the most perfect at present, and the research results have also been verified by fieldwork. This is also the first applied study of this landslide inventory, which indirectly confirmed the accuracy of the inventory. The results obtained in the manuscript will provide an important guideline for future disaster prevention and mitigation in southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are geological disasters that can cause great damage to natural and social environments. Landslide hazard assessments are crucial for disaster prevention and mitigation. Conventional regional landslide hazard assessment results are static and do not take into account the dynamic changes in landslides; thus, areas with landslides that have been treated and stabilized are often still identified as high-risk areas. Therefore, a new hazard assessment method is proposed in this paper that combines the deformation rate results obtained by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) with the results of conventional hazard assessments to obtain the hazard assessment level while considering the deformation factor of the study area, with Zhouqu, Gansu Province, selected as the case study. First, to obtain the latest landslide inventory map of Zhouqu, the hazard assessment results of the study area were obtained based on a neural network and statistical analysis, and an innovative combination of the deformation rate results of the steepest slope direction from the ascending and descending data were obtained by InSAR technology. Finally, the hazard assessment level considering the deformation factor of Zhouqu was obtained. The method proposed in this paper allows for a near-term hazard assessment of the study area, which in turn enables dynamic regional landslide hazard assessments and improves the efficiency of authorities when conducting high-risk-area identification and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landslide dynamics model is one of the methods for evaluating landslide motion processes, contributing to disaster prevention and mitigation. With the advancement of science and technology, GIS has become the mainstream platform for landslide simulation. However, the three-dimensional movement of landslides is intricate, leading to a lack of methods for three-dimensional landslide numerical simulation on GIS platforms. In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional, two-phase landslide dynamics model. Through the proposed solution, three-dimensional modeling and numerical simulation of landslides can be achieved on GIS platforms. Simultaneously, drawing inspiration from the SPH kernel functions, we visualize the results of the three-dimensional model on the GIS platform. Simulation of the Yigong landslide demonstrates that our solution can realize three-dimensional landslide simulation on the GIS platform. Our model adeptly captures numerous details in the landslide motion process. However, constrained by the inherent limitations of the three-dimensional model, the model results are susceptible to numerical oscillations and diffusion, with the accuracy of the model being controlled by grid partitioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude rockfalls, as one of the major geological disasters in mountains, is highly concerned about the study of failure mechanisms and disaster prevention and mitigation. In August 2020, the Babaoshan cliff in Yanhe County, Guizhou collapsed and falling rocks hit agricultural vehicles on the road and damaged residents' houses below. Based on on-site investigation, three rockfall types of tension-rotating, tension-shear-falling, compression-shear exist in the study area, and the compression-shear rockfall can conform to the chain law of rockfall. The paper used the dynamic analysis software Rocpro-3D to simulate and invert the movement characteristics and impact range of rockfall at Babaoshan cliff. The results show that: 1) the hazardous zone, which is about 95 m wide and 175 m long, was formed by the rockfall at R1 and covered localized roads and houses below, with the covered probability of 20%, 17% respectively; 2) the terrains on the rockfall paths in two rockfall disaster events are mainly characterized by stepped shape and overall flat angle respectively, and the behaviors are mainly characterized by ejection and rolling respectively, meanwhile, the times to reach the road and houses were 17 s and 24.3 s, respectively, in addition, the protruding rock mass below the rockfall location gives the falling rock horizontal velocity and good movement space, which will make the falling rock move further away; 3) the different rockfall directions reflect different terrain combinations, simulation inversions reveal that different terrain combinations have significant control over the distance and shape of the rockfall trajectories. And, it was found that the more times a falling rock is rebounded, the greater the energy obtained; 4) the probabilities of falling rocks at H1, H2, H3 invading residential areas are respectively 8.67%, 20%, 19.33%, meanwhile invading road zone are respectively 10.67%, 15.33%, 9.33%. At least one point or several points stopped within the zone of the affected houses in the rockfall disaster event 2 in three prediction of the rockfall impact range, which indicates that there is a great risk that this house will continue to be affected by disasters after rockfalls occur within the steep cliff area above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling at high resolution is still rarely performed because of its high computational cost and the lack of topographical data for some areas. Despite this, such modeling has been performed for the Odra River, the second largest river in Poland. This river has a high potential for flooding, which has been severely experienced many times in history, most recently in 1997 and 2010, when floods caused large losses. Since then, many different types of activities have been executed in order to reduce the risk of flooding. The paper presents a 2D modeling concept created during these activities. Given that the river valley is up to several kilometers wide, and consists of many complex topographical features and hydrotechnical facilities, a cascade of 25 2D models in MIKE21 software was developed. It covers a 600 km long section of the Odra River and an area of 5700 km2 in total. A regular grid resolution of 4–6 m was used in the modeling. The models were applied for numerous purposes, first for the elaboration of flood hazard and flood risk maps for larger cities, and then for the verification of historic flood data and stage–discharge relations at gauge stations, as well as the verification of design discharges via flood routing. Other important uses were the evaluation of the effectiveness of flood mitigating works, including the feasibility study for the Racibórz reservoir, and the assessment of flood hazard due to embankment failure or ice jamming. Selected applications, as well as practical aspects of the model's preparation and use, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stadium is a wind-sensitive structure, and the tornado has a greater damage to the stadium. The Ward tornado generating device was used to simulate the wind load characteristics of the stadium during tornado action in order to investigate the wind load characteristics of the stadium. The results of this paper are compared with the experimental results to verify the accuracy of the simulation method. The wind load characteristics of the stadium and its most vulnerable location during a tornado are ascertained by examining the wind pressure coefficient and wind speed distribution law of the stadium's upper and lower surfaces with different swirl ratio. The influence of uniform wind and wind profile on the wind load of the stadium is explored by comparing and analyzing the wind pressure coefficient of the stadium surface with and without wind profile at the entrance of the wind field. The impact of varying ground roughness on the stadium is compared in order to ascertain how it affects the wind speed, stadium wind pressure, and vortex core radius. The vorticity of the stadium in the tornado wind field with different swirl ratios was compared and analyzed, and the influence of the stadium on the vorticity development of the wind field was explored. This study reveals the effects of swirl ratio, ground roughness and wind profile on the wind pressure, wind speed and vorticity of the stadium under tornadoes, and determines the most vulnerable location and the most unfavorable factors. The above research is helpful to provide reference for disaster prevention and mitigation of stadium structure design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes an assessment of the coastal erosion hazard of the Odisha state with the use of 'Coastal Hazard Wheel' methodology which is a multi-hazard assessment as well as a management tool in a changing global climate. This study analyses the coastal environment to assess the vulnerability profile of coastal erosion by using bio-geophysical parameters such as geological layout, tidal range, exposure to waves, balance or deficit of sediments, characteristics of flora and fauna and exposure to storm climate. These are also used in analysing climate change hazards of the coast which are inherent to an area like saline flooding, gradual inundation, ecosystem disruption and salt water intrusion. CHW framework has generated information about the degree to which coastal erosion is inherent in a particular coastal location along the coast. This application has used remote sensing data from the public domain and a GIS approach to screen the problem with an appropriate scale as suitable for regional and national planning purposes with a management perspective because of limited data availability. The study has generated coastal erosion data and maps for the 480 km of the coastline dividing the coast in to 14 different morphological segments. Assessment of this hazard shows that 50 percent of Odisha's coastline is vulnerable to a high or very high inherent hazard of erosion, 45 percent exhibits a lower level of erosion presence and 5 percent is moderately vulnerable to erosion. This study has revealed increasing magnitude of coastal erosion than previous assessments by different researchers which were mostly based on coastal vulnerability indices. The study also identifies a number of possible erosion hazard management and mitigation options which can be used depending on their location specific field data and coastal characteristics. The finding of the study is significant in view of its contribution towards a first step in understanding coastal erosion at the regional level for their management. However, input of local data and manmade structures along the coast in the model would enhance the results for the site-specific mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire risk has become one of the most recurring and frequent disasters in the world. Fire disaster risk has put more burdens on the economic loss and social development of the people of Lusaka city in Zambia. Lusaka city has continuously suffered from fire cases that have claimed millions of Kwacha loss and life. It has been discovered that the incidence of fire is increasing very rapidly. The causes can be charcoal braziers, cigarette ends, lighted candles, illegal wiring, electrical fault, etc. but the devastation is increasing both in terms of lives and economies. Due to the increase of cases, the disaster management mitigation unity in Zambia organized and structured programs and policies, but the administration and resilience implementation of these programs demand more efficiency. In the recent years, fire disaster risk has damaged lives and the economy much more than other disasters in Zambia. This paper is about the fire risk analysis and resilience improvement in Lusaka city. The data are from the fire brigade in Lusaka city and the field which has been used to analyze the trends of fire and other disaster risks in years and their impact on the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1999, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) implemented the Geohazard Risk Management Program (GRMP) to identify, assess, monitor, and prioritize the mitigation of risk resulting from geohazard events at specific sites along the provincial highway network. The GRMP was developed to address a variety of geohazard types including rockfall hazards that occur at natural and constructed (cut) highway backslopes. An evaluation of various methods for the condition assessment of rockfall geohazards, including TEC's current GRMP risk rating system, has been completed with the intent of better understanding the suitability of each method as TEC transitions to a formalized GAM program. The GRMP risk rating values for selected rockfall geohazard sites along highway corridors in Alberta were compared to values developed from the results of five established rock mass and rock slope rating systems. The results of this study demonstrate that TEC's current GRMP risk rating system is a viable tool for the condition assessment and performance monitoring of rockfall geohazards, which could be utilized within a formalized GAM program, further benefitting from years of recorded application in Alberta. Of the other rating systems tested, the rockfall hazard rating system (RHRS) showed a strong correlation with the GRMP risk rating while Q-Slope, the Geological Strength Index (GSI) and Rock Mass Rating (RMR) correlation were marginal but displayed a potential for use as condition assessment tools. The work presented in this paper provides the first evaluation of rock slope rating systems for rockfall hazards along corridors in Alberta, directly comparing them to the slope performance as observed by TEC in a quantitative manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Check dams are the most commonly used engineering measure for debris flow control worldwide. The scour and siltation characteristics between dams are important factors affecting dam design. In this study, classical dimensional analysis of the variables that influence the development of gully bed scour and siltation was carried out. Flume experiments were conducted to examine the influence characteristics of opening width, flume slope, debris flow density, and opening rate on the characteristics of gully bed scour and siltation. The influential characteristics of variables on the dimensionless scour depth, scour length, siltation length, scour volume and siltation volume were obtained. The experiments showed that, with an increase in the relative opening from 1.5 to 2.5, scour depth increased by 7.4%, scour length decreased by 11.2%, siltation length increased by 22.0%, scour volume decreased by 4.7% and siltation volume increased by 22.0%. With an increase in flume gradient from 0.105 to 0.213, scour depth, siltation length and siltation volume increased by 40.0%, 65.9% and 65.9%, respectively, and scour length decreased by 20.1%. With an increase in sediment concentration from 0.303 to 0.545, siltation length and siltation volume increased by 15.4% and 15.4%, respectively, and scour depth, scour length and scour volume decreased by 9.6%, 9.1% and 17.8%, respectively. As opening rate increased from 0.08 to 0.32, siltation length and siltation volume increased by 33.3% and 33.3%, respectively, and scour depth, scour length and scour volume decreased by 5.4%, 13.7% and 18.4%, respectively. The results showed that the flume gradient was the most influential factor on scour depth, scour length, siltation length and siltation volume, and the sediment concentration was the most influential factor on scour volume. Then, according to the experimental data, some empirical formulas predicting scour depth, scour length, siltation length, scour volume and siltation volume were obtained. The error between the computed values according to the formulas in this paper and the observed values was within ±10%. These research results may provide a technological basis for window dam design in debris flow disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate catastrophe insurance is an important tool for advancing China's comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation efforts and an important part of modernizing China's national emergency management capabilities. Based on the understanding of the definition of catastrophe and China's climate catastrophe, this paper systematically analyzes the main problems and challenges faced by China's climate catastrophe risk management and elaborates on the characteristics of the current opportunities for the development of China's climate catastrophe insurance. The paper then summarizes the development features of international catastrophe insurance systems, compares the features of the Shenzhen and Ningbo pilots of catastrophe insurance in China, and proposes key focus points for the meteorological department to participate in climate catastrophe insurance. Finally, this paper proposes measures to enhance climate catastrophe insurance in China in future from the development of international catastrophe insurance and China's climate catastrophe pilot work. Firstly, consider the whole process of comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation concept and play the role of the government and the market and other multi-body, to explore the construction of the catastrophe insurance system. Secondly, establish a special or comprehensive catastrophe insurance fund. Thirdly, promote the formation of public–private partnership sharing mechanism. Fourthly, the government should provide appropriate legal and policy support. Fifthly, use the market mechanisms to reduce government pressure on public finances in catastrophe insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new construction mode, the prefabricated building is the main direction of the transformation and upgrading process of the Chinese construction industry. In an earthquake area, prefabricated building damage is often reported; therefore, it is important to evaluate the failure risk of its structure under seismic effect. In this paper, combined with the vulnerability and building depreciation theory of prefabricated buildings, as well as a seismic hazard analysis of engineering sites, we propose a quantitative method for evaluating the structural failure risk of prefabricated buildings under seismic effect during their service life. In order to illustrate the proposed method, a residential prefabricated building as described in the previous study is used as a case study. The structural failure risk value and overall risk level of the case under seismic effect are calculated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the seismic risk evaluation method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method benefits and assists risk management in the decision making and disaster prevention and mitigation regarding prefabricated buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GPS (global position system) monitoring has great theoretical and practical significance for understanding regional crustal deformation and disaster prevention and mitigation. Based on the GPS system differential model, this paper builds a seismic real-time data analysis model and discusses and analyzes the GNSS (global navigation satellite system) single-system single-difference model, single-system double-difference model, and dual-system double-difference model. When the model is processing the data of the GNSS dual-satellite positioning system, the proposed short-baseline ambiguity solution is studied to a certain extent and solves the problems that other common methods can only detect large cycle slips or require dual-frequency data. During the simulation process, through the study of the GPS coordinate time series, the stability of the site, the periodic change of the site, the movement law of the plate, and other information can be analyzed. The combined method is used to estimate the station noise, coordinate time series parameters, and the station velocity, and then the influence of the common mode error on the station noise, parameter estimation, and station velocity estimation is studied. The experimental results show that the average magnitude of white noise and colored noise decreases by 31.61% and 42.28%, respectively, which effectively reduces the uncertainty of parameter estimation and the uncertainty of station velocity estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake is among the most disastrous natural hazards existing in the global economy. Large-scale earthquakes exhibit threats and challenges to the modern society, causing casualties and deaths, impeding socio-economic activities and causing massive economic losses throughout the world. Thus there is a need for an earthquake early warning, detection, and rescue system which can save lives of human, environment, and economy of the world. Tremendous growth in the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) applications has opened up new possibilities in characterizing infrastructure, risk area and disaster zones, planning and implementation of seismic hazard reduction measures etc. Furthermore, ICT provides an enormous opportunity for both disaster management systems and earthquake-related authorities (emergency responders, police, public health and seismology departments) to acquire state-of-the-art assistance and improved insights for precise and appropriate decision making. Consequently, it is now of paramount importance to transform from individual monitoring, prediction and decision-making frameworks to smart earthquake management systems which includes decision makers and earthquake affecting people equally with the assistance of recent technological advancements. Even though a significant number of earthquake or seismic hazard papers are published in international journals, there has been no quantitative assessment of information and communication technologies (ICT) in this literature yet encountered. Hence, this study is performed. This paper presents a bi-dimensional scientometric study of research from the perspective of various domains, research areas of seismic hazard and ICT trends over the last 10 years, as indexed in Scopus. The essence behind this study is to unveil the main influencing aspects that govern the publications and its citation structure using scientometric method. The publication pattern is analyzed first, along with related subject categories and contributing countries. Then, citation structure is analyzed which includes the distribution of citations over the years, citing journals, documents, authors and influential institutions along with their impact in terms of citations per paper. Furthermore, the keyword analysis is visualized using VOSviewer. Timeline review of keywords are exported from VOSviewer to pinpoint the hotspots and research trends. This paper provides in-depth understanding of existing seismic hazard research and indicates the emerging ICT trends in this research domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slope stability prediction plays a significant role in landslide disaster prevention and mitigation. This paper's reduced error pruning (REP) tree and random tree (RT) models are developed for slope stability evaluation and meeting the high precision and rapidity requirements in slope engineering. The data set of this study includes five parameters, namely slope height, slope angle, cohesion, internal friction angle, and peak ground acceleration. The available data is split into two categories: training (75%) and test (25%) sets. The output of the RT and REP tree models is evaluated using performance measures including accuracy (Acc), Matthews correlation coefficient (Mcc), precision (Prec), recall (Rec), and F-score. The applications of the aforementionedmethods for predicting slope stability are compared to one another and recently established soft computing models in the literature. The analysis of the Acc together with Mcc, and F-score for the slope stability in the test set demonstrates that the RT achieved a better prediction performance with (Acc=97.1429%, Mcc=0.935, F-score for stable class=0.979 and for unstable case F-score=0.935) succeeded by the REP tree model with (Acc=95.4286%, Mcc=0.896, F-score stable class=0.967 and for unstable class F-score=0.923) for the slope stability dataset The analysis of performance measures for the slope stability dataset reveals that the RT model attains comparatively better and reliable results and thus should be encouraged in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of earthquake-induced landslide hazards is an important prerequisite for disaster prevention and reduction in tectonic active areas. However, few studies have considered the amplification effect of site and topography on ground motion parameters and made the peak ground acceleration (PGA) correction. Based on Newmark's method, taking Litang County, Sichuan Province, China, as the study area, considering the site amplification effect and topographic amplification effect, this paper carried out the assessment of landslide hazards under the action of occasional earthquakes with an exceedance probability of 10% and rare earthquakes with an exceedance probability of 2%. The results show that the hazard of earthquake-induced landslides is higher in the high slopes of loose rock in the middle of Litang County and the steep rock slopes with large topographic relief in the northeast, and low in the southern plateau and central basins. The site and topographic conditions have a significant effect on the nonlinear amplification of PGA, and the corrected PGA is even magnified by 2–3 times in steep mountains. Compared with the occasional earthquakes, the influence of rare earthquakes on the initiation and movement distance of landslides is remarkably improved. This study can provide a valuable reference for potential earthquake-induced landslide hazard assessment and seismic landslide emergency response in Litang County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Earthquake hazard assessment is the first step towards implementing prevention, preparedness and response or faster recovery actions to reduce the risk of seismic disasters. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study on present-day seismicity in terms of the estimated waiting time and conditional probability in Africa by 2022–2072 using four competing distribution models (Brownian passage time (BPT), gamma, lognormal and Weibull). We also investigate how much Coulomb stress change $\ ({\Delta {\rm CFF}})$ induced by previous earthquakes that occurred in neighbouring active sources should revise the probability of occurrence at the location of the next events. We analyse large earthquakes with moment magnitude, ${M}_{\rm w} \ge 6.0$ , collating data from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor and from several published literature that list fault plane solutions of large African earthquakes since 1900. We assume that the data set is stationary and consists of independent events. First, the model's parameters are estimated and the results of the statistical analysis of the interevent times show clear evidence of quasi-periodic recurrence behaviour for large earthquakes ${M}_{\rm w} \ge $ 6.0 in different seismotectonic regions in Africa. Next, a comparison among the distribution models is performed with the aim of selecting the most suitable one. The results in terms of the maximum likelihood criterion and its extension (Akaike Information Criterion) indicate that, in general, the BPT and Weibull models had similar fits to each other, and performed slightly better than gamma and lognormal models. Then, we use Gaussian random distributions to treat parameter uncertainties (e.g. aperiodicity, maximum expected magnitude, slip rate and mean recurrence time) of the distribution models associated with each seismotectonic region. From repeated Monte Carlo draws, we assess uncertainties of the 50-yr conditional probability values for the next earthquake obtained from two distribution models (BPT and BPT + $\Delta {\rm CFF}$) related to the 50th percentile. The results of the BPT distribution indicate very high chances of future earthquakes in the study region where the conditional probability of a large earthquake reaches 99.5, 95.6, 83.1 and 82.2 per cent for the western branch of the East African Rift System (EARS), northwest Africa, the Afar region, and the eastern branch of EARS, respectively. Taking into account the effect of stress change from interacting sources (BPT + $\Delta {\rm CFF}$), these probabilities are slightly modified to 99.8, 98.4, 89.9 and 87.3 per cent for the western branch of EARS, northwest Africa, the Afar region and the eastern branch of EARS, respectively. These marginal increases suggest that the estimated effect of the earthquake interaction introduced by the coseismic slip of previous earthquakes on neighbouring active sources is minor if compared with the uncertainties affecting the renewal models used for the basic time-dependent conditional probability assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous data have become a key issue restricting the monitoring accuracy of volcanic ash cloud and rapid application of remote sensing. In view of the characteristics of classification and heterogeneous data in volcanic ash cloud monitoring, a monitoring method of volcanic ash cloud using feature fusion, convolutional neural networks (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) (FF–CNN–LSTM) is presented in this paper. In this method, firstly, the target features in image are identified by CNN and the time sequence information in text is extracted by LSTM. Secondly, the mapping relationship between text information and image features is learned by fusing image target and text high-level features, and then the identification and diffusion of volcanic ash cloud from heterogeneous data containing only image and text were performed. Finally, the presented FF–CNN–LSTM method is tested by the simulation experiment and the true heterogeneous data of Enta volcanic ash cloud case. The experimental results show that compared with the single CNN, LSTM and the simple combination between CNN and LSTM (CNN–LSTM), the presented FF–CNN–LSTM method in this paper can be fitted with less training steps and has high accuracy and low loss rate; the obtained distribution of volcanic ash cloud is clear and intuitive and has the characteristics with fewer model parameters, simple calculation and high accuracy. It also shows the feasibility and effectiveness of the presented method in volcanic ash cloud monitoring to some extent. The results reveal that the presented method can potentially contribute the monitoring of volcanic ash cloud and disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is significant for disaster prevention and mitigation, land use management, and as a reference for decision-making. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in deep learning have been successfully applied to LSM studies and have been shown to improve the accuracy of LSM. Although optimizing the quality of negative samples at the input step of a deep learning model can improve the accuracy of the model, the risk of model overfitting may increase. In this study, an LSM method based on the Gaussian heatmap sampling technique and a CNN was developed from the perspective of LSM dataset sampling. A Gaussian heatmap sampling technique was used to enrich the variety of landslide inventory at the input step of the deep learning model to improve the accuracy of the LSM results. This sampling technique involved the construction of a landslide susceptibility Gaussian heatmap neural network model, LSGH-Net, by combining a CNN. A series of optimization strategies such as attention mechanism, dropout, etc., were applied to improve the model structure and training process. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach outperformed the benchmark CNN-based algorithm in terms of metrics (Accuracy = 95.30%, F1 score = 95.13%, and Sensitivity = 91.79%). The Gaussian heatmap sampling technique effectively improved the accuracy of frequency histograms of the landslide susceptibility index, which provided finer-grained mapping details and more reasonable landslide density. By analyzing Gaussian heatmap at different scales, the approach proposed in this paper is an important reference for different regions and other disaster susceptibility studies as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to produce the geological hazard-susceptibility map for the Changbai Mountain area affected by volcanic activity. First, 159 landslides and 72 debris flows were mapped in the Helong city are based on the geological disaster investigation and regionalization (1:50,000) project of Helong City. Then, twelve landslide conditioning factors and eleven debris flow conditioning factors were selected as the modeling variables. Among them, the transcendental probability of Changbai Mountain volcanic earthquake greater than VI degrees was used to indicate the relationship between the geological hazard-susceptibility and Changbai Mountain volcanic earthquake occurrence. Furthermore, two machine learning models (SVM and ANN) were introduced to geological hazard-susceptibility modeling. Receiver operating characteristic curve, statistical analysis method, and five-fold cross-validation were used to compare the two models. Based on the modeling results, the SVM model is the better model for both the landslide and debris flow susceptibility mapping. The results show that the areas with low, moderate, high, and very high landslide susceptibility are 31.58%, 33.15%, 17.07%, and 18.19%, respectively; and the areas with low, moderate, high, and very high debris flow susceptibility are 25.63%, 38.19%, 23.47%, and 12.71%, respectively. The high and very high landslide and debris flow susceptibility classes make up 85.54% and 80.55% of the known landslides and debris flow, respectively. Moreover, the very high and high landslide and debris flow susceptibility are mainly distributed in the lower elevation area, and mainly distributed around the cities and towns in Helong City. Consequently, this paper will be a useful guide for the deployment of disaster prevention and mitigation in Helong city, and can also provide some reference for evaluation of landslide susceptibility in other volcanically active areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the geographies of emotion and masculinities literature to explore rural men's experiences of the 2016 Kaikōura/Waiau earthquake in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 men affected by the earthquake. Geographies of emotion enable reflection on the social context and individual circumstances of those impacted by natural hazard events, thereby contributing to understanding the way local constructions of gender influence people's experiences of disasters. The paper highlights how emotions are present regardless of how antipodean notions of hegemonic masculinity, reflecting stoicism and reserve, shape disaster responses. The research identified that two years on from the earthquake, men were still emotional when talking about the earthquake, yet attempted to silence their emotional distress. Through an analysis of emotion, men's hidden vulnerabilities and capacities, which are linked to sets of understandings about masculinities in place, are captured. This research illustrates the value of undertaking analysis of men's emotions in disaster spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural hazards, which have the potential to cause catastrophic damage and loss to infrastructure, have increased significantly in recent decades. Thus, the construction demand for disaster prevention and mitigation for infrastructure (DPMI) systems is increasing. Many studies have applied intelligence technologies to solve key aspects of infrastructure, such as design, construction, disaster prevention and mitigation, and rescue and recovery; however, systematic construction is still lacking. Digital twin (DT) is one of the most promising technologies for multi-stage management which has great potential to solve the above challenges. This paper initially puts forward a scientific concept, in which DT drives the construction of intelligent disaster prevention and mitigation for infrastructure (IDPMI) systematically. To begin with, a scientific review of DT and IDPMI is performed, where the development of DT is summarized and a DT-based life cycle of infrastructures is defined. In addition, the intelligence technologies used in disaster management are key reviewed and their relative merits are illustrated. Furthermore, the development and technical feasibility of DT-driven IDPMI are illustrated by reviewing the relevant practice of DT in infrastructure. In conclusion, a scientific framework of DT-IDPMI is programmed, which not only provides some guidance for the deep integration between DT and IDPMI but also identifies the challenges that inspire the professional community to advance these techniques to address them in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, relevant actions to retrofit heritage should be considered before the occurrence of earthquakes. This proactive approach is preferred, rather than a reactive approach in an emergency situation, following the earthquake. These preventive actions are known as disaster mitigation, risk mitigation, disaster risk management, seismic upgrading and preventive conservation. In the case of vernacular heritage, poor workmanship, lack of financial support, vast number of buildings, and the use of weak material lead to the need to conduct efforts to develop preventive conservation methods with relevant criteria. All these actions were directed to protecting vernacular heritage from multiple potential damages that could threaten this architecture in the future. In recent years, records of casualty and losses due to earthquakes reveal that seismic events can be one of the most destructive potential damages for building, especially if constructed with a weak material, such as adobe. There is little literature concerning preventive conservation of vernacular adobe buildings, which are at risk from earthquakes. Vernacular architecture needs more consideration due to the high number of vernacular dwellings worldwide but especially due to the inhabitants' safety. Failure to recall the effects of destructive earthquakes with a large recurrent period of seismic actions, but also economic reasons lead to the neglect of these important preventive solutions. The main objective of this paper is to emphasize that a comprehensive conservation procedure related to prevention of casualties and damage of vernacular adobe heritage located in seismic-prone regions, should consider relevant principles and criteria for the conservation of cultural heritage. In the field of preventive conservation of adobe vernacular heritage located in seismic-prone regions, there is some confusion concerning the relation between the conservation process and the seismic protection process; the importance and need of conservation principles in seismic protection procedures; and also the role of the architect and of the engineer in these processes. These matters will be discussed in the current paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Systemic risks originate in tightly coupled systems. They are characterised by complexity, transboundary cascading effects, non-linear stochastic developments, tipping points, and lag in perception and regulation. Disasters need to be analysed in the context of vulnerabilities of infrastructure, industrial activities, structural developments and behavioural patterns which amplify or attenuate the impact of hazards. In particular, disasters are triggered by chains of events that often amplify and also multiply damages. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: The paper applies the concept of systemic risks to disasters more precisely to the combination of natural and human-induced disasters. The paper refers to the International Risk Governance Council's Risk Governance Framework and applies this framework to the systemic aspects of disaster risks. Findings: The paper maps out strategies for inclusive governance of systemic risks for disaster prevention and mitigation. Furthermore, the paper highlights policy implications of these strategies and calls out for an integrated, inclusive and adaptive management approach for the systemic aspects of disaster risks. Originality/value: The paper fulfils the identified need to analyse disaster risks in the context of vulnerabilities of infrastructure, industrial activities, structural developments and behavioural patterns which amplify or attenuate the impact of hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological disasters have brought a great negative impact on people's lives. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, the detection technology of meteorological disasters has been continuously improved. At present, satellite remote sensing detection technology has made gratifying achievements, and it has a good application in meteorological disaster prediction. In this paper, the application of satellite remote sensing technology in the process of meteorological disaster monitoring is discussed in depth. In traditional work, the accuracy and timeliness of meteorological disaster monitoring is the key and difficult point of meteorological disaster prevention. Using satellite telemetry to monitor meteorological disasters can effectively improve the accuracy and timeliness of meteorological disaster monitoring, provide reasonable solutions and decision-making basis for meteorological disaster prevention, and achieve the purpose of disaster prevention and mitigation. This paper introduces the basic principle, technical system, and important role of satellite remote sensing technology, expounds on the application of satellite remote sensing technology in the monitoring of agricultural meteorological disasters such as water, drought, freezing, and hail, and provides a scientific reference for farmers, agricultural sustainability, and agricultural decision-making. The continuous development of our country's modern social economy has put forward higher requirements for agricultural production. Traditional monitoring technology can no longer meet the needs of agricultural meteorological disaster monitoring. The scientific application of remote sensing monitoring technology has important value, which can effectively improve the detection level and make it have higher accuracy and real-time performance, thereby promoting modern agricultural production in China. Based on the analysis of the application value of remote sensing monitoring technology, this paper comprehensively discusses the specific conditions of different disasters monitored by remote sensing monitoring technology in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]