Towards guidelines for post‐disaster vulnerability reduction in informal settlements

Although the development community has long recognised that securing land tenure and improving housing design can benefit significantly informal settlement residents, there is little research on these issues in communities exposed to natural disasters and hazards. Informal settlements often are located on land left vacant because of inherent risks, such as floodplains, and there is a long history worldwide of disasters affecting informal settlements. This research tackles the following questions: how can informal settlement vulnerabilities be reduced in a post‐disaster setting?; and what are the key issues to address in post‐disaster reconstruction? The main purpose of the paper is to develop a set of initial guidelines for post‐disaster risk reduction in informal settlements, stressing connections to tenure and housing/community design in the reconstruction process. The paper examines disaster and reconstruction responses in two disaster‐affected regions—Jimani, Dominican Republic, and Vargas State, Venezuela—where informal settlements have been hit particularly hard.     

Hazard vulnerability assessment: How well does nature follow our rules?

Vulnerability is a central construct in environmental risk assessment, and a variety of methods have been introduced to facilitate its expression as a planning and decision-making device. The contrasting interpretations generated by these methods of modelling produce dramatic differences in spatial representation that contribute to uncertainty, and no clear connection has been established between vulnerability and the actual consequences resulting from a nature hazard event. In this study, geographic information system-based vulnerability modelling is evaluated, and the association between modelled-produced expressions and the aftermath impact of a natural hazard event on the human landscape is examined. Employing hurricane aftermath data from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina event in New Orleans, Louisiana, this study presents a comparative analysis that can assist in the validation of vulnerability assessment methods and identify limitations in current modelling strategies. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the methods employed to model vulnerability do not necessarily capture the actual consequence of a natural hazard event and suggest that place-specific factors should play a more significant role when assessing hazard vulnerability.     

基于复杂网络理论的轨道交通网络脆弱性分析

城市轨道交通是城市客运体系的重要支撑,而突发事件易使某些轨道交通站点瘫痪,从而影响轨道交通网络全局效率。分析城市交通轨道网络的拓扑特征和脆弱性对于优化路网结构、保障稳定运营有重要意义。以重庆市轨道交通网络为例,使用Space L法构建拓扑网络并用Matlab软件分析节点度、平均路径长度、聚类系数等指标和分布规律,定量计算各个站点对于蓄意攻击的脆弱性,以鉴定对网络效率影响最大的关键站点。模拟攻击实验结果表明:现阶段重庆市轨道交通网络平均路径长度较大,聚集系数较小,网络连通性有待提高。面对蓄意攻击时,红旗河沟站和大坪站作为关键节点对网络效率的影响较大。在加快重庆市轨道交通建设的同时,应在运营中加强保护关键站点。     

煤矿企业脆弱性评估的AHP-RS组合权重法

在阐述脆弱性的研究现状、基本概念和评价模型的基础上,构建了脆弱性评价模型,并针对具体的煤矿企业应急管理体系进行脆弱性评估,列出脆弱性评估的具体指标体系。在综合考虑主、客观因素的影响条件下,运用AHP-RS组合权重法和均等权重法分别确定一级指标和二级指标的权重,得出脆弱性指数。进而分析了该矿区的脆弱性程度及具体指标在系统脆弱性中所占比重大小,为煤矿企业应急管理脆弱性评估提供了一种新的定量评估方法,有利于全面掌握煤矿企业突发事件应急管理能力。     

湖南鼎城农业旱灾脆弱性的变化及原因分析

农业旱灾的形成是降水不足或不均与农业生产系统脆弱性共同作用的结果,承灾体脆弱性的高低会起到“放大”或“缩小”灾情的作用,降低承灾体的脆弱性是抗灾减灾的主要和有效途径。选择湖南省鼎城区为研究区,发现在降水量及其季节分配相似,即致灾强度相似的两个年份（1988年和2001年）,粮食因灾损失量前高后低。通过建立包括作物需水亏缺指数、耕地的灌溉便捷指数、耕地平坦指数、耕地生产投入指数等7个指标的评价指标体系,分别对1988年和2001年该区的农业旱灾承灾体脆弱性进行评价。结果显示该区的承灾体脆弱性明显降低,分析其原因,发现作物结构调整（中稻播种面积比例的适当增加）、耕地条件和生产力的改善、利用灌溉条件能力的提高有效地降低了该区农业旱灾承灾体脆弱性,减小了粮食生产的因灾损失。为致灾因子相似、承灾体脆弱性不同会“放大”或“缩小”灾情提供了实证案例。     

基于AHP-熵权法的石化企业承灾体脆弱性评估

针对石化企业化工事故引发的区域脆弱性研究不足现状,构建脆弱性评估模式。该模式以石化企业承灾体常见事故类型分析为基础构建脆弱性评估指标体系,集成层次分析法和熵权法确定权重并引入多变量Kendall协和系数检验一致性,在此基础上运用模糊综合评价法评估其脆弱性等级。将该模式应用于某石化企业,得到企业内不同区域的脆弱性等级分布。案例应用表明:AHP-熵权法应用于确定指标权重能更好的综合主客观因素的影响,评估结果可指导企业采取事故控制和灾害预防措施,更好的控制区域风险。     

多米诺效应下化工储罐区的脆弱性分析

为有效地减少和控制事故的多米诺效应,对影响事故扩展的关键装置,即脆弱单元的辨识及其有效控制措施进行了研究。根据具体的设计方案,依次选定不同储罐作为初始事故单元,借助ALOHA软件计算各储罐之间热辐射及冲击波相互作用强度的大小,与损伤阈值进行比较,并考虑设备间的协同作用,从而确定可能发生的多米诺事故;运用Probit模型计算事故扩展概率,根据计算结果通过Bayes Server软件建立贝叶斯网络,利用先验概率来进行整体脆弱性分析,从而确定各个方案的安全性;对优选的方案通过后验概率进行单元脆弱性分析,从而确定脆弱单元;在此基础上提出相应的控制措施。通过实例计算验证了该方法的可行性,结果表明,该方法能够在多米诺效应的预防和控制方面有效发挥作用。     

煤矿井下安全系统脆弱性的系统动力学仿真研究

为了深入探讨煤矿井下安全系统脆弱性的影响机理,针对煤矿井下安全环境的复杂性和特殊性,建立了煤矿井下安全系统脆弱性的系统动力学仿真模型,采用变异系数法确定各影响因素的权重系数,通过文献调研和问卷调查,完成了煤矿井下安全系统脆弱性仿真。结果表明:设备系统对安全系统暴露度效果最显著;环境系统对安全系统敏感度效果最显著;员工系统和管理系统对安全系统适应度效果最显著。为了有效提升煤矿井下安全系统水平,煤矿企业需要通过改进设备系统（尤其是员工安全保障品）来降低安全系统暴露度,通过完善环境管理（尤其是尘毒治理情况）来降低安全系统敏感度,通过加强员工系统和管理系统（尤其是员工违规操作和安全监督检查）来提升安全系统适应度。     

Individual relocation decisions after tornadoes: a multi‐level analysis

This study examines how multi‐level factors affected individuals' relocation decisions after EF4 and EF5 (Enhanced Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale) tornadoes struck the United States in 2013. A telephone survey was conducted with 536 respondents, including oversampled older adults, one year after these two disaster events. Respondents' addresses were used to associate individual information with block group‐level variables recorded by the American Community Survey. Logistic regression revealed that residential damage and homeownership are important predictors of relocation. There was also significant interaction between these two variables, indicating less difference between homeowners and renters at higher damage levels. Homeownership diminished the likelihood of relocation among younger respondents. Random effects logistic regression found that the percentage of homeownership and of higher income households in the community buffered the effect of damage on relocation; the percentage of older adults reduced the likelihood of this group relocating. The findings are assessed from the standpoint of age difference, policy implications, and social capital and vulnerability.