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1 – 10 of over 5000Hazard warning schemes provide efficient hazard recognition and promote project safety. Nevertheless, these schemes perform poorly because the warning information is calibrated…
Abstract
Purpose
Hazard warning schemes provide efficient hazard recognition and promote project safety. Nevertheless, these schemes perform poorly because the warning information is calibrated for individual characters and is not prioritized for the entire system. This study proposes a hazard warning scheme that prioritizes hazard characters from the inspection process based on the inspectors' experience.
Design/methodology/approach
First, hazard descriptions were decomposed into their characters, forming a double-layer network. Second, warning schemes based on cascading effects were proposed. Third, character-based warning schemes were simulated for various experiences.
Findings
The results show that when a specific hazard is detected, the degree centrality is the most effective parameter for prioritization, and hazard characters should be prioritized based on betweenness centrality for experienced inspectors, whereas degree centrality is preferred for novice inspectors.
Originality/value
The warning scheme theoretically supplements the information-processing theory in construction hazard warnings and provides a practical warning scheme with priority for the development of automated hazard navigation systems.
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Abdulla Ali Alhmoudi and Zeeshan Aziz
The impacts and costs of natural disasters on people, properties and environment are often severe when these occur on a large scale and with no warning system in place. The lack…
Abstract
Purpose
The impacts and costs of natural disasters on people, properties and environment are often severe when these occur on a large scale and with no warning system in place. The lack of deployment of an early warning system (EWS), low risk and hazard knowledge and impact of natural hazard experienced by some communities in the UAE have emphasised the need for more effective EWSs. This work focuses on developing an integrated framework for EWSs for communities prone to the impact of natural hazards to reduce their vulnerability and improve emergency management arrangements in the UAE.
Design/methodology/approach
The essential elements of effective EWS were identified through literature review to develop an integrated framework for EWS. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were also used to identify and confirm hindering factors to deployment of effective EWSs in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah Emirates, while areas that require further development were also identified through this means.
Findings
The outcome of this research revealed that the warning for natural hazards in the UAE lacked the required elements for effective EWS, whereas the elements which are present are insufficient to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards. The information in this work emphasises the need to improve two elements, and to develop the other two essential elements of EWS in the UAE.
Originality/value
The outcome of this research revealed that the warning for natural hazards in the UAE lacked the required elements for effective EWS, whereas the elements which are present are insufficient to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards. The information in this work emphasises the need to improve two elements and to develop the other two essential elements of EWS in the UAE.
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Devanjan Bhattacharya, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, Piero Boccardo and N.K. Samadhiya
Communication of an impending hazard to people in near real time is critical. The purpose of this paper is to develop an internet‐SMS based geo‐hazard warning communication system.
Abstract
Purpose
Communication of an impending hazard to people in near real time is critical. The purpose of this paper is to develop an internet‐SMS based geo‐hazard warning communication system.
Design/methodology/approach
A warning system based on an internet‐resident concept and the available cellular mobile infrastructure is proposed in this study. The functionality of the system is modular in architecture.
Findings
The messages have been transmitted in a set of 20 SMSs six times, to locally‐owned mobile numbers, resulting in a total number of 120. It has been found that 58 messages got delivered within ten seconds, the rest within 40 more seconds. The threat messages reached the impending threat areas within acceptable time delay.
Originality/value
The paper describes the implementation of a novel and stand‐alone system for dynamic hazard warning. Cellular or mobile phone, a gadget used by common man, is expected to be the best proposition to effectively warn people individually and to propagate hazard messages to users in large regions ubiquitously. The concept allows pervasiveness and redundancy, important to withstanding hazards and bringing several original elements through the development of this “fast warning system”, as current warning strategies do not include such solutions.
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Indrajit Pal, Subhajit Ghosh, Itesh Dash and Anirban Mukhopadhyay
This paper aims to provide a general overview of the international Tsunami warning system mandated by the United Nations, particularly on cataloging past studies and a strategic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a general overview of the international Tsunami warning system mandated by the United Nations, particularly on cataloging past studies and a strategic focus in the Indian Ocean, particularly on the Bay of Bengal region.
Design/methodology/approach
Present research assimilates the secondary non-classified data on the Tsunami warning system installed in the Indian Ocean. Qualitative review and exploratory research methodology have been followed to provide a holistic profile of the Tsunami rarly warning system (TEWS) and its role in coastal resilience.
Findings
The study finds the need for strategic focus to expand and interlink regional early warning cooperation mechanisms and partnerships to enhance capacities through cooperation and international assistance and mobilize resources necessary to maintain the TEWS in the Indian Ocean region. The enhanced capacity of the TEWS certainly improves the resilience of Indian Ocean coastal communities and infrastructures.
Originality/value
The study is original research and useful for policy planning and regional cooperation on data interlinkages for effective TEWS in the Indian Ocean region.
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Mahar Lagmay and Bernard Alan Racoma
Tropical storms Urduja and Vinta battered the Philippines in December 2017. Despite advances in disaster risk reduction efforts of the country, the twin December storms caused…
Abstract
Purpose
Tropical storms Urduja and Vinta battered the Philippines in December 2017. Despite advances in disaster risk reduction efforts of the country, the twin December storms caused numerous deaths in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Analysis of these events shows that alerts raised during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) for both storms were largely ineffective because they were too broad and general calling for forced evacuations in too many provinces. Repeated multiple and general warnings that usually do not end up in floods or landslides, desensitize people and result in the cry-wolf effect where communities do not respond with urgency when needed. It was unlike the previous execution of PDRA from 2014 to early 2017 by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which averted mass loss of lives in many severely impacted areas because of hazard-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. PDRA must reinstate specific calls, where mayors of communities are informed by phone hours in advance of imminent danger to prompt and ensure immediate action. Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction information using probabilistic (multi-scenario) hazard maps is also necessary for an effective early warning system to elicit appropriate response from the community. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Methods of early warning through the PDRA of the National Disaster Mitigation and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines during tropical storm Urduja and Typhoon Vinta were assessed in this study and compared to the previous PDRA system from 2014 to early 2017.
Findings
It was found out that the numerous casualties were due to inadequate warning issued during the approach of the tropical cyclones. During an impending hazard, warnings must be accurate, reliable, understandable and timely. Despite the availability of maps that identified safe zones for different communities, warnings raised during the PDRA for both tropical cyclones were deemed too general calling for evacuations of whole provinces. As such, not all communities were evacuated in a timely manner because of failure in the key elements of an effective early warning system.
Originality/value
To avoid future disasters from happening, it is recommended that the PDRA reinstate its hazards-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. Similarly, to increase the resilience of communities, more work on mainstreaming of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Reduction systems for communities must be done as well. Learning from the lessons of these previous disasters will enable communities, their leaders and every stakeholder, not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.
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Rishiraj Dutta and Senaka Basnayake
This paper aims to focus on the gap assessment carried out in the existing early warning systems (EWSs) in Southeast Asia as a means to address such gaps in terms of communication…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the gap assessment carried out in the existing early warning systems (EWSs) in Southeast Asia as a means to address such gaps in terms of communication and information dissemination.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper was based on the surveys conducted in some of the Southeast Asian countries through interviews, group discussions and consultation to get an understanding about people’s knowledge towards EWSs and their awareness towards warning information.
Findings
The conclusions showed that there exist gaps in the existing systems which need to be strengthened to increase its efficiency for providing reliable, timely and accurate information.
Research limitations/implications
Limitation of finding more references to support the work.
Originality/value
This paper is based on the gap assessment carried out in different countries of Southeast Asia for strengthening EWSs. This paper is the original research and has never been published in any other journal.
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Laura Radford, Jason C. Senkbeil and Meganne Rockman
The cone of uncertainty (COU) warning graphic has created confusion for people trying to make evacuation and safety decisions. The purpose of this research was to create several…
Abstract
Purpose
The cone of uncertainty (COU) warning graphic has created confusion for people trying to make evacuation and safety decisions. The purpose of this research was to create several alternative tropical cyclone graphics and present them to the public and college students via face‐to‐face surveys and polling.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys depicting hypothetical landfall scenarios were administered in Pensacola and Jacksonville, FL. Respondents ranked five graphics in order of preference, and were encouraged to discuss their rankings. Following this initial field research, the most popular graphic of these five was compared to a graphic resembling the one used by The Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Comments were recorded for respondents favoring or disliking the Australian graphic in two separate analyses. A final graphic emphasizing post‐landfall hazards was also created as a suggestion for future research and evaluated directly against the most popular graphics from field research.
Findings
A graphic called the color‐probability‐cone was the most popular graphic in field research. There were subtle differences in graphic preference resulting from age and gender influences, with only one significant result. Comments from subsequent analyses reveal that the Australian graphic causes mixed reactions. A final analysis with a larger sample of college students revealed that the color‐probability‐cone was the most popular choice; however, comments reveal that many respondents who had used hurricane graphics before liked the specificity presented by the Australian graphic and the hazards graphic.
Originality/value
This research represents a possible initial step in the process of establishing a tropical cyclone warning graphic that is informative, visually appealing, and effective.
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Ilan Kelman, Bayes Ahmed, Md Esraz-Ul-Zannat, Md Mustafa Saroar, Maureen Fordham and Mohammad Shamsudduha
The purpose of this paper is to connect the theoretical idea of warning systems as social processes with empirical data of people’s perceptions of and actions for warning for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to connect the theoretical idea of warning systems as social processes with empirical data of people’s perceptions of and actions for warning for cyclones in Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach is used in two villages of Khulna district in southwest Bangladesh: Kalabogi and Kamarkhola. In total, 60 households in each village were surveyed with structured questionnaires regarding how they receive their cyclone warning information as well as their experiences of warnings for Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Cyclone Aila in 2009.
Findings
People in the two villages had a high rate of receiving cyclone warnings and accepted them as being credible. They also experienced high impacts from the cyclones. Yet evacuation rates to cyclone shelters were low. They did not believe that significant cyclone damage would affect them and they also highlighted the difficulty of getting to cyclone shelters due to poor roads, leading them to prefer other evacuation options which were implemented if needed.
Originality/value
Theoretical constructs of warning systems, such as the First Mile and late warning, are rarely examined empirically according to people’s perceptions of warnings. The case study villages have not before been researched with respect to warning systems. The findings provide empirical evidence for long-established principles of warning systems as social processes, usually involving but not relying on technical components.
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Ruben Paul Borg, Glorianne Borg Axisa, Taufika Ophiyandri and Abdul Hakam
This paper aims to provide a framework for building resilience to coastal hazards with reference to Asian nations at the local, intra-regional and inter-regional levels. This…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a framework for building resilience to coastal hazards with reference to Asian nations at the local, intra-regional and inter-regional levels. This framework provides a roadmap that will enable higher education institutions in the region to play a significant role in educating and training new leaders for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and in working directly with local communities to implement plans.
Design/methodology/approach
Events such as the 2004 tsunami highlighted the transboundary nature of coastal hazard and the importance of regional cooperation. A framework for inter- and intra-regional cooperation was developed through focus groups organised with community participants in five Asian nations exposed to coastal risks: Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Findings
Different stakeholders assessed inter- and intra-regional cooperation at different levels as a means to provide a baseline scenario to develop a capacity-building roadmap for such cooperation. The discussions organised through structured face-to-face encounters considered cooperation at different scales: international, regional, national and local. The framework key areas were developed and included knowledge databases, data and resource sharing and exchange education programmes.
Originality/value
Multi-hazard early warning for more resilient coastal communities is increasingly complex in view of the discourse related to the wider economic and social environments. The research proposes a framework for inter- and intra-regional cooperation at different scales; from local to regional and to the inter-continental dimensions and even through a bottom-up approach, together with the experts’ and managing authorities’ top-down positions.
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Zeeshan Aziz, Ebrahim Alzaabi and Mohamad Syazli Fathi
This paper aims to develop a crisis readiness framework for road traffic crisis response for law enforcement agencies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a crisis readiness framework for road traffic crisis response for law enforcement agencies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Design/methodology/approach
A Delphi method was used that combined questionnaire-based survey and the analytical hierarchy process to collect quantitative and qualitative data from an expert panel of crisis readiness professionals on how they prioritise and weigh the different strategic criteria, sub-criteria and performance indicators in the context of law enforcement agencies’ traffic response.
Findings
The findings of this paper resulted in the identification, ranking and validation of ten key dimensions of crisis readiness clustered into three distinct sets of priority rankings: response planning, resources, training and coordination; information management and communication and risk and hazard assessment; and early warning, legal and institutional frameworks, recovery initiation and property protection. The results additionally established the relative priority of sub-criteria for each criterion and validated a broad set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the top six ranked criteria.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are based on a single case study focused on a specific area of operation within crisis response and one group of organisations of the UAE police sector. This potentially places a constraint on the wider generalisation of the findings to different operational areas and agencies, as they may have different priorities or organisational conditions that have implications for the framework application and the relative importance of certain criteria and sub-criteria.
Practical implications
This paper provides strategic guidance in the form of a prioritised list of criteria, sub-criteria and KPIs that can direct efforts to optimise different dimensions of crisis readiness at a strategic and operational level.
Originality/value
This paper makes an original contribution in identifying the key criteria and performance indicators of crisis readiness for road traffic situations. The findings contribute a comprehensive strategic readiness framework that supports planning and decision-making for the development of organisational capacities that can enhance response times of police to road traffic crises. This framework ranks dimensions of crisis readiness and key sub-criteria in order of priority and validates the key components of crisis readiness that can support practitioners to structure, standardise and benchmark key processes and elements of crisis response.
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