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Environment and disasters have a close relationship. Environmental change causes disasters or enhances the frequency or intensity of disasters. Climate change is often regarded as an environmental phenomenon; however, when we see changes in the typhoon path, or repeated occurrences of heavy rainfall or strong typhoons, it is often attributed to climatic changes. In that case, environmental change (climate change) is the cause and disaster (typhoon or flood) is considered as the impact. On the other hand, when a disaster like typhoon, earthquake, or tsunami occurs, it produces a huge amount of debris. Disaster debris or disaster waste becomes an environmental problem. In many cases, the disaster also causes significant impacts on the ecology. Therefore, disaster becomes a cause, and environmental degradation becomes the impact.

Although gender dimensions have been widely discussed in social research, many disaster relief and recovery programs still ignore gender needs and gender discrepancies. Specially, in a disaster situation, certain cultures and governments have a lack of mind-set and skills to focus on women's needs adequately although it requires much more investigation. During natural disasters, females face unprecedented challenges than men, because they are vulnerable and marginalized – socially, culturally, economically, and politically. To overcome these challenges, it is strongly suggested that a multifaceted decision-making process is practiced.

This chapter explains challenges for women in a natural disaster situation and discusses how to overcome difficulties and rebuild livelihoods of a vulnerable population in Sri Lankan society. The 2004 tsunami claimed over 40,000 lives, displaced about 1.0 million from their homes, and caused severe damage to the physical infrastructure and the damage estimated was well over US $1.5 billion. As the female population face unprecedented challenges, it is suggested that gender needs and gender discrepancies require thorough investigation. This chapter presents a study based on needs assessment carried out in tsunami impact communities in East and South Sri Lanka in 2005 and outlines the lessons learned on how women and men operate and anticipate post-disaster relief and recovery. Using participatory mapping methodology (e.g., narratives, ethnographic observations, community mappings, key informant interviews, focus group interviews, and other qualitative methods) this study suggests effective techniques to incorporate gender needs in a natural disaster situation.

This article focuses on the representations of natural hazards, disasters, gender roles and norms in Makoto Shinkai’s disaster-themed anime films Your Name (2016) and Weathering with You (2019).

This article commences with a literature review on disasters, disaster films, gender in disasters and gender in disaster films; then, this article thoroughly investigates the portrayal of disasters and gender in the two films, drawing data from their narratives and plots.

This article finds that the two films’ depictions of disasters and gender adhere to the traditional patterns observed in Hollywood and Japanese disaster films. The natural hazards and disasters in the two films reflect real-world disasters that occurred in Japan’s recent decades, especially the 3.11 Tohoku earthquake in 2011. Traditional gender figures and prevalent heterosexual expectations in Japanese culture and society deeply influence the two films’ portrayal of gender roles and norms.

Numerous academic works explored Hollywood disaster films, their representations of gender roles and norms in disaster themes. However, few focus on recent Japanese anime films such as Your Name and Weathering with You. This article aims to fill this gap.

Disasters are occurring worldwide, and Sri Lanka has also become a victim of multiple disasters. Though there is a disaster management mechanism from the national level to the local level in Sri Lanka, several gaps are identified in pre- and postdisaster management activities. Among them, the responsibilities of local-level stakeholders in flood management activities are not performing at a satisfactory level. Therefore, the flood damage from the previous events was too great. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to assess the roles, responsibilities and performance of stakeholders involved in local-level flood risk management activities.

The Deduru Oya basin in Sri Lanka was selected as the study area. The study hypothesized that “ineffective roles, responsibilities and performance of local level stakeholders have weakened the flood risk management in the Deduru Oya basin.” The stratified random sampling method selected the sample (n = 425) from the flood-vulnerable population. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and field observations. Secondary data were collected from reports, work plans, journal papers and published maps. Descriptive data analysis methods and thematic data analysis methods were used in the study.

About 69% of the respondents state that they are not satisfied with the involvement of government agencies in local-level flood risk management activities, while 10% of the respondents state that they are satisfied. The thematic analysis reveals several gaps, such as the lack of reservations in the Deduru Oya, improper land use practices, no inundation areas are identified and mapped out and the effects of illegal sand mining in the Deduru Oya. In addition to that, the lack of legal power vested in local governments in disaster management and the weaknesses of current legislation on flood risk management are the other major courses of local-level ineffectiveness.

The current research was limited to studying the involvement of local-level stakeholders in flood risk management, but the involvement of subnational and national-level stakeholders should be studied in future research.

This paper examines the involvement of local-level stakeholders in flood risk management. The results of the study confirm that the roles and responsibilities of local-level stakeholders are not well-defined and mandated, and therefore, the performance of stakeholders involved is minimal. Therefore, the results highlight the need for a well-established community-based flood risk management mechanism.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of smart systems and emerging technologies for disaster risk management (DRM) in Nepal. This delves into specific technologies, including advanced connection and communication technologies, AI, big data analytics, autonomous vehicles and advanced robotics, examining their capabilities and potential contributions to DRM. Further, it discusses the possibility of implementing these technologies in Nepal, considering the existing policies and regulations, as well as the challenges that need to be addressed for successful integration.

For this review journal series of search strategy for identifying relevant journals, the initial examination of results, a manual assessment, geographical refinement, establishment of criteria for the final selection, quality assessment and data management, along with a discussion of limitations. Before delving into the relevant literature within the field of research interest, the authors identified guiding keywords. Further, the authors refined the list by filtering for articles specifically related to Nepal, resulting in a final selection. The final selection of these 95 articles was based on their direct relevance to the research topics and their specific connection in the context of Nepal.

The way technology is used to reduce disaster risk has changed significantly in Nepal over the past few years. Every catastrophe has given us a chance to shift to something innovative. The use of new emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics and advanced connection and communication technologies are increasing for the purpose of generating risk knowledge, reducing disaster risk and saving the loss of lives and properties. The authors conclude that the successful implementation of smart systems and emerging technologies for disaster risk management in Nepal has the potential to significantly improve the country's resilience and minimize the impact of future disasters. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, enhanced connectivity and automation, Nepal can build a more proactive, adaptive and efficient disaster management ecosystem.

Studies on the application of smart systems in Nepal are limited and scattered across different database. This work collects together such literatures to understand the current status of the application of the smart system and technologies and highlights the challenges and way forward for effective disaster risk management in Nepal. Therefore, this work is an original one and adds value to the existing literatures.

The purpose of this study is to understand the potential of serious gaming as an imaginative and creative method to collect data in disaster studies that address key concerns such as extractive research, power inequalities, and bridging the theory-practice gap in exploring post-disaster recovery.

Novel serious gaming approach deployed to connect theory-practice by identifying and co-analysing post-disaster recovery gaps in a workshop setting.

The serious game has value in bridging theory-practice divides, identifying and exploring gaps/solutions in post-flood recovery, and serving as a novel social science research approach for disaster studies.

Outlining a dialogic approach to knowledge construction between academics, practitioners, policymakers and community voices on post-disaster recovery.

Fostering collaboration and knowledge construction on post-disaster recovery gaps across stakeholders is valuable in improving disaster resilience strategies that benefit communities affected by disasters.

The paper proposes a creative and co-developed serious game method of data collection for disaster studies.

Environmental disasters are preventable, but this remains a complicated and elusive prospect. This article discusses factors that combine to limit and undermine environmental disaster prevention efforts and explores directions for improved theory and practice.

The challenge of integrating root cause analysis of environmental disasters with interventions and preventive measures at later stages of disaster incubation is outlined. The prospect of learning and transferring lessons from past environmental disasters is discussed. Eighteen environmental disaster cases are summarized and analyzed.

A range of factors, including complexity, lack of lesson transfer, perceived lack of incentives and inaction, limits advances in environmental disaster prevention. Theoretical challenges involve better bridging of root cause and incubation analyses, enhanced understanding of the nature and discipline of foresight and greater documentation of alternative approaches to prevention, including post–normal techniques. Although a transformative breakthrough in environmental disaster prevention is unlikely, substantial progress could be made through better lesson transfer and application of alternative approaches.

This article draws attention to problems and opportunities surrounding the challenge of environmental disaster prevention and proposes directions for improved theory and practice.

The paper aims to address the gap in literature on effective disaster governance in Southeast Asia, with a focus on COVID-19 management in Malaysia. It explores the intersection of localized hazard understandings, disaster governance and policy implications, emphasizing systemic vulnerability, resilience enhancement and improving risk communication and resource management. The goal is to offer insights and frameworks for policymakers, researchers and practitioners to navigate disaster governance complexities in Southeast Asia, marked by unique challenges and vulnerabilities.

The study employs an analytical descriptive methodology, involving a comprehensive literature review of academic articles, official reports and case studies related to disaster governance in Malaysia. It focuses on evaluating Malaysia's disaster governance's adaptability, inclusivity and coordination, considering policy implementation, stakeholder engagement and resource allocation. This approach facilitates a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of Malaysia's strategies in integrating environmental and health disaster management systems.

The findings reveal that Malaysia's disaster governance, particularly during COVID-19, has been challenged by the need for rapid adaptation and coordination. While early lockdowns and a robust vaccination program were effective, they also highlighted issues in healthcare system capacity and socioeconomic impacts. The study emphasizes the importance of integrated, resilient disaster management strategies that consider public health, environmental risks and socio-economic factors. It underscores the need for improved stakeholder collaboration, infrastructure resilience and climate change mitigation in disaster governance.

The research is limited by a lack of specific data on Malaysia's unique socio-cultural, economic and political dynamics in disaster response. This gap hinders the development of nuanced, context-specific policies and practices for effective disaster governance, emphasizing the need for more region-focused studies.

The study highlights the need for Malaysia to develop more resilient, integrated disaster governance frameworks, emphasizing local community empowerment, sustainable infrastructure and climate change mitigation. It calls for enhanced regional cooperation in Southeast Asia for effective disaster preparedness and response.

The research suggests that disaster governance should prioritize social resilience and inclusivity, addressing the varying impacts on different societal segments. Emphasis on mental health, community engagement and equitable resource distribution is vital for comprehensive disaster management and societal well-being in Southeast Asia.

This paper uniquely contributes to the understanding of disaster governance in Southeast Asia by combining empirical research and systematic reviews focused on Malaysia. It offers a novel perspective on integrating environmental and health disaster management, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities and resilience strategies. The study's value lies in its emphasis on the region's unique challenges, providing valuable insights for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in developing effective, context-specific disaster governance frameworks in Southeast Asia.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in offering care to the community during a disaster.

A correlational descriptive design was used to assess nurses’ competencies in offering care for the community during a disaster.

A total of 370 nurses (55 % males) aged 25−55 agreed to participate. The mean score of competencies of nurses who offer care to the community during the disaster was 2.11 (SD = 0.59) points. The results of correlation coefficient tests revealed a significant positive correlation between stated competencies level and nurses’ sex, receiving disaster education and training with rpb (371) = 0.13, p < 0.01; rpb (598) = 0.15, p = 0.004; rpb (598) = 0.21, p < 0.001, respectively. Furthermore, the “care of communities” subscale had a weak positive correlation with the.

Nurses play a critical role in disaster response. However, there was a gap in nurses’ competencies for disaster, which shows there is a crucial need to include disaster management courses in the nursing curriculum and update disaster management courses in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their competencies during disasters.

The cumulative impact of accidents not considered as disasters far surpasses the impact of disasters. Accidents taking toll of human lives and economy are often underreported and go unnoticed and the victims of these incidences are also ill compensated. It is therefore necessary to pay adequate attention to accidents and formulate appropriate policies for giving equal treatment to the victims of these events and also to make efforts for mitigating these. This paper aims to discuss this.

The paper discusses the impact of accidents and attempts to assert that these are a cause of major concern. The database of the disasters (EM‐DAT) of Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Belgium has been utilised for ascertaining the toll of disasters, while for assessing the cumulative toll of the accidents and disasters database available at departmental web sites (Department of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Government of India (www.morth.nic.in) and Railway Ministry, Government of India (www.indianrailways.gov.in) together with some other web sites have been used. The two databases have been correlated to establish that the cumulative toll is far more than what is generally perceived to be the toll of the disasters.

Based on the correlation of one event each under the category of natural and man made disasters (landslides, transport accidents) it is concluded that these correlations establish that the toll of accidents is many times more than the disaster events and there exists a pressing need to pay adequate attention towards managing accidents that take heavy toll of the global resources.

At present there exists no formal and comprehensive database recording the toll of accidents and the study is based on the database compiled from different sources. The paper establishes beyond doubt that the magnitude of the toll of accidents is far more than that of disasters and there exists pressing need for managing accidents.

This paper would bring forth the importance of managing accidents before the policy makers and initiate advocacy for putting in more resources for managing these events. In the long run the victims would not be differentiated on the basis of the magnitude of the incidents they have faced.

The paper shows the importance of managing major accidents and provides guidance for appropriate changes to be made.