scholarly journals Homes and Other Buildings Abound in Natural Hazard Hot Spots

Eos ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Kornei
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Natural Hazard

Researchers mined maps of natural hazards and land use to show that nearly 60% of structures are built in regions at high risk of earthquakes, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and/or tornadoes.

Inventory and preliminary assessment of natural hazards in Kigezi highlands, South Western Uganda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violet Kanyiginya ◽  
Ronald Twongyirwe ◽  
Grace Kagoro ◽  
David Mubiru ◽  
Matthieu Kervyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Satellite Image ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Western Uganda ◽  
The Impact

<p>Uganda is regularly affected by multiple natural hazards, including floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides and windstorms. This is due to a combination of natural biophysical factors such as steep topography, intense rainfall, variability of dry and rain seasons and high weathering rates. In addition, high population density, deforestation and other human-induced land use changes, and high poverty levels are believed to have an influence on the patterns of natural hazards and their impacts in the region. Despite this, there are limited studies that assess where and when natural hazards occur in Uganda, and a dearth of information on the processes involved. In addition, drivers and earth/landscape characteristics controlling the occurrence of natural hazards in the country remain poorly understood despite the high need for effective disaster risk reduction. Here, we present the ongoing methodological research framework and the first results of a study whose main objective is to understand the spatial and temporal occurrence of natural hazards that affect the Kigezi Highlands of south western Uganda and their interactions. To this end, the study is undertaking a comprehensive regional hazard inventory consisting of satellite image analysis, field surveys and exploration of literature and archives. Historical aerial photos and interviews with the elderly are important tools to analyze the impact of multi-decadal human-induced land use changes on natural hazard occurrences. Meanwhile, a network of 15 geo-observers, i.e. citizens of local communities distributed across representative landscapes of the study area, was established in December 2019. Trained at using smartphone technology, they collect information (processes and impacts) on seven different natural hazards (droughts, earthquakes, floods, hailstorms, landslides, lightning, and windstorms) whenever they occur.  During the first 12 months, 204 natural hazard events with accurate timing information have been reported by the geo-observers. Combined to field survey, these recent events have been associated mainly with the occurrence of > 3000 shallow landslides and 30 floods, frequently in co-occurrence and triggered by heavy rainfall. Additional inventory from Google Earth and Planet imagery covering a region much larger than that of the geo-observer network and a time window of more than 10 years shows an extra 230 landslide and flood occurrences, while archives and literature indicate 226 natural hazard events over the last 30 years. The preliminary results already demonstrate the value of citizen-science in producing highly detailed natural hazard inventory. A combination of different inventory methods improves the level of accuracy in understanding the spatial-temporal distribution of natural hazards.</p>

California’s Natural Hazard Zonation Policies for Land-Use Planning and Development

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Real ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Emergency Operation ◽  
Critical Function ◽  
General Plan ◽  
The Impact

California has established state-level policies that utilize knowledge of where natural hazards are more likely to occur to enhance the effectiveness of landuse planning as a tool for risk mitigation. These policies set minimum standards for local government, and range from State designation of regulatory natural hazard zones to requirements that cities and counties include a Safety Element in their General Plan that evaluates their exposure to earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and other natural hazards, and to prepare a federal Local Mitigation Plan to reduce the risk. Such requirements placed on local government are enforced by potential liability for losses for failure to act, and the potential ineligibility for disaster relief funds should a catastrophic event occur. Building codes have been the primary means of mitigating the impact of natural hazards, but continued growth into high-risk terrain and repetitive losses have focused attention to the merits of avoiding harm’s way by means of prudent land-use decisions. Restricting land use can be difficult under the pressures of growth and development. California code exploits knowledge that the cost to adequately protect public safety can influence the type of development that is feasible when considering occupancy (high/low density residential, manufacturing, parkland, etc.) and critical function, such as the need to maintain essential services (police, fire, hospitals, emergency operation centers, etc.). Experience in California demonstrates that a combination of education, outreach, and mutually supporting policies that are linked to state-designated natural hazard zones can form an effective framework for enhancing the role of land-use planning in reducing future losses from natural disasters.

scholarly journals Prediction of Hourly Effect of Land Use on Crime

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Matijosaitiene ◽  
Peng Zhao ◽  
Sylvain Jaume ◽  
Joseph Gilkey Jr
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Police Departments

Predicting the exact urban places where crime is most likely to occur is one of the greatest interests for Police Departments. Therefore, the goal of the research presented in this paper is to identify specific urban areas where a crime could happen in Manhattan, NY for every hour of a day. The outputs from this research are the following: (i) predicted land uses that generates the top three most committed crimes in Manhattan, by using machine learning (random forest and logistic regression), (ii) identifying the exact hours when most of the assaults are committed, together with hot spots during these hours, by applying time series and hot spot analysis, (iii) built hourly prediction models for assaults based on the land use, by deploying logistic regression. Assault, as a physical attack on someone, according to criminal law, is identified as the third most committed crime in Manhattan. Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, mixed use etc.) is assigned to every area or lot in Manhattan, determining the actual use or activities within each particular lot. While plotting assaults on the map for every hour, this investigation has identified that the hot spots where assaults occur were ‘moving’ and not confined to specific lots within Manhattan. This raises a number of questions: Why are hot spots of assaults not static in an urban environment? What makes them ‘move’—is it a particular urban pattern? Is the ‘movement’ of hot spots related to human activities during the day and night? Answering these questions helps to build the initial frame for assault prediction within every hour of a day. Knowing a specific land use vulnerability to assault during each exact hour can assist the police departments to allocate forces during those hours in risky areas. For the analysis, the study is using two datasets: a crime dataset with geographical locations of crime, date and time, and a geographic dataset about land uses with land use codes for every lot, each obtained from open databases. The study joins two datasets based on the spatial location and classifies data into 24 classes, based on the time range when the assault occurred. Machine learning methods reveal the effect of land uses on larceny, harassment and assault, the three most committed crimes in Manhattan. Finally, logistic regression provides hourly prediction models and unveils the type of land use where assaults could occur during each hour for both day and night.

The Risk of Coal Fires And Land Subsidence in Jharia Coalfields, India, Analysed Using Remote Sensing Techniques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vamshi Karanam ◽  
Shagun Garg ◽  
Mahdi Motagh ◽  
Kamal Jain
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Land Subsidence ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Persistent Scatterer Interferometry ◽  
Coal Fire ◽  
Coal Fires

<p>Coal fires, land subsidence, roof collapse, and other life-threatening risks are a predictable phenomenon for the mineworkers and the neighbourhood population in coalfields. Jharia Coalfields in India are suffered heavily from land subsidence and coal fires for over a century. In addition to the loss of precious coal reserves, this has led to severe damage to the environment, livelihood, transportation, and precious lives.</p><p>Such incidents highlight the dire need for a well-defined methodology for risk analysis for the coalfield. In this study, we regenerated a Land Use Land Cover map prepared using Indian Remote Sensing satellite imagery and ground survey. Persistent Scatterer Interferometry analysis using Sentinel -1 images was carried out to study the land subsidence phenomenon between Nov 2018 and Apr 2019. For the same study period, coal fire zones were identified with Landsat – 8 thermal band imagery. Integration of coal fire maps, subsidence velocity maps, and land use maps was further implemented in a geographical information background environment to extract the high-risk zones. These high-risk areas include residential areas, railways, and mining sites, requiring immediate attention.</p><p>The results show that the coal mines are affected by subsidence of up to 20 cm/yr and a temperature anomaly of nearly 20<sup>o</sup>C is noticed. A high-risk zone of almost 18 sq. km. was demarcated with Kusunda, Gaslitand, and West Mudidih collieries being the most critically affected zones in the Coal mines. The study demonstrates the potential to combine data from multiple satellite sensors to build a safer ecosystem around the coal mines.  </p>

Pipeline Vulnerability to Natural Hazards

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Vicente Amórtegui
Keyword(s):  
Stress State ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
System Vulnerability ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Strength And Stiffness ◽  
External Forces

The strength and stiffness of the pipelines allow them to tolerate the effects of natural hazards for some period of time. The amount of time depends on the strength and deformability, the stress state, the age, the conditions of installation and operation of the pipeline and their geometric arrangement with regard to the hazardous process. Accordingly, some of the hazards due to weather conditions and external forces would not be time independent. In consequence the designing of monitoring systems to predict the behavior of the pipelines against natural hazards is required in order to carry out the preventive actions which are necessary to avoid failure of the pipes due to the exposition to those hazards. In this paper a method for assessing the transport system vulnerability is developed, a function for risk analysis is proposed (which is determined by the probability of the natural hazard, the pipeline’s vulnerability to the hazard and the consequences of the pipe rupture). The elements that are part of that evaluation are presented and illustrated by means of examples.

scholarly journals Landscape analysis for multi-hazard prevention in Orco and Soana valleys, Northwest Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1963-1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Turconi ◽  
D. Tropeano ◽  
G. Savio ◽  
S. K. De ◽  
P. J. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Italian Alps ◽  
Alpine Environment ◽  
Natural Risk ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Field Evidence ◽  
Different Types

Abstract. The study area (600 km2), consisting of Orco and Soana valleys in the Western Italian Alps, experienced different types of natural hazards, typical of the whole Alpine environment. Some of the authors have been requested to draw a civil protection plan for such mountainous regions. This offered the special opportunity (1) to draw a lot of unpublished historical data, dating back several centuries mostly concerning natural hazard processes and related damages, (2) to develop original detailed geo-morphological studies in a region still poorly known, (3) to prepare detailed thematic maps illustrating landscape components related to natural conditions and hazards, (4) to thoroughly check present-day situations in the area compared to the effects of past events and (5) to find adequate natural hazard scenarios for all sites exposed to risk. The method of work has been essentially to compare archival findings with field evidence in order to assess natural hazard processes, their occurrence and magnitude, and to arrange all such elements in a database for GIS-supported thematic maps. Several types of natural hazards, such as landslides, rockfalls, debris flows, stream floods and snow avalanches cause huge damage to lives and properties (housings, roads, tourist sites). We aim to obtain newly acquired knowledge in this large, still poorly understood area as well as develop easy-to-interpret products such as natural risk maps.

scholarly journals Assessing the risk posed by natural hazards to infrastructures

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Unni Marie Kolderup Eidsvig ◽  
Krister Kristensen ◽  
Bjørn Vidar Vangelsten
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Natural Event ◽  
Ranking Criteria ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Restoration Effort

Abstract. This paper proposes a model for assessing the risk posed by natural hazards to infrastructures. The model prescribes a three level analysis with increasing level of detail, moving from qualitative to quantitative analysis. The focus is on a methodology for semi-quantitative analysis to be performed at the second level. The purpose of this type of analysis is to perform a screening of the scenarios of natural hazards threatening the infrastructures, identifying the most critical scenarios and investigating the need for further analyses (third level). The proposed semi-quantitative methodology considers the frequency of the natural hazard, different aspects of vulnerability including the physical vulnerability of the infrastructure itself and the societal dependency on the infrastructure. An indicator-based approach is applied, ranking the indicators on a relative scale according to pre-defined ranking criteria. The proposed indicators, which characterize conditions that influence the probability of an infrastructure break-down caused by a natural event, are defined as 1) Robustness and buffer capacity, 2) Level of protection, 3) Quality/Level of maintenance and renewal, 4) Adaptability and quality in operational procedures and 5) Transparency/complexity/degree of coupling. Further indicators describe the societal consequences of the infrastructure failure, such as Redundancy and/or substitution, Restoration effort/duration, Preparedness, early warning and emergency response and Dependencies and cascading effects. The aggregated risk estimate is a combination of the semi-quantitative vulnerability indicators, as well as quantitative estimates of the frequency of the natural hazard, the potential duration of the infrastructure malfunctioning (depending e.g. on the required restoration effort) and the number of users of the infrastructure. Case studies for two Norwegian municipalities are presented where risk posed by adverse weather and natural hazards to primary road, water supply and power network is assessed. The application examples show that the proposed model provides a useful tool for screening of potential undesirable events, contributing to a targeted reduction of the risk.

scholarly journals The Swiss joint information platform for natural hazards

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Philipp Angehrn ◽  
Sabina Steiner ◽  
Christophe Lienert
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
User Feedback ◽  
Acceptance Testing ◽  
Spatial Density ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Information Platform

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The Swiss Joint Information Platform for Natural Hazards (GIN) has been realized from 2008 to 2010 as part of the Swiss federal government’s OWARNA project, which aimed at optimizing warning and alerting procedures against natural hazard. The first online-version of the platform went productive in 2011 with the primary goal of providing measured and forecast natural hazard data in form of processed cartographic, graphic and other multimedia products to professional users &amp;ndash; before, during and after natural hazard events. In Switzerland water-, weather-, snow- and earthquake-related hazards are the most relevant ones.</p><p>In 2013, an online survey showed that the platform does not fully meet user expectations, particularly as to user experience and usability of its cartographic, web-based user interface. Revaluation and redesign of the overall platform were necessary in order to improve map legibility, caused by the complexity of data, large data amounts, and high spatial density of online, real-time measurement data locations. A new web design and user interaction concept have been developed in 2014 and eventually put online in June 2017. User acceptance testing by means of surveys and direct user feedback sessions were key factors in this perennial redesign process. The GIN platform now features important novel technical and graphical elements: The starting page is based on a dashboard containing virtual dossiers (Fig. 1), with which users configure their desired information, data, and map bundles individually, or use predefined adaptable views on various existing data sets. In addition, there is a new overall spatial search function to query data parameters. A responsive approach further improves the usability of the platform. The focus of these new features is on multi-views involving maps, diagrams, tables, text products, as well as selected geographical areas on maps, and fast data queries (Fig. 2). Current user feedback suggests that the new GIN platform design is well received, and that it is moving closer to its very goal: online monitoring and management of natural hazard events by enhanced usability, more targeted and higher personalization.</p><p>Several Swiss Cantons (i.e., the political entities in Switzerland below the federation) actively participated, and still participate, in the conceptual GIN platform development process through advisory board meetings and consultations. On the operational level, Cantons actively provide and contribute further natural hazard information and measurement data from their own natural hazard monitoring networks. These additional Cantonal regional-scale data sets help to fill spatial data gaps, where no Federal data is available. GIN thusly integrates natural hazard data from Federal and Cantonal levels (and partly even private level), which adds value to all stakeholders on various political levels involved in natural hazard management (Federal, Cantonal, Regional, Communal crisis committees). Stakeholders not only use GIN’s ample database and cartographic product portfolio to accomplish their early warning and crisis management tasks, but also benefit from seamless, secure and reliable IT-services, provided by the Swiss Federal Government. With the new GIN platform, Switzerland has a powerful, integrative, and comprehensive tool for monitoring and responding to natural hazard events.</p>

Multiple-hazards and their interactions in urban low-to-middle income countries: a case study from Nairobi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce D. Malamud ◽  
Emmah Mwangi ◽  
Joel Gill ◽  
Ekbal Hussain ◽  
Faith Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Soil Subsidence ◽  
Ground Collapse

&lt;p&gt;Global policy frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, increasingly advocate for multi-hazard approaches across different spatial scales. However, management approaches on the ground are still informed by siloed approaches based on one single natural hazard (e.g. flood, earthquake, snowstorm). However, locations are rarely subjected to a single natural hazard but rather prone to more than one. These different hazards and their interactions (e.g. one natural hazard triggering or increasing the probability of one or more natural hazards), together with exposure and vulnerability, shape the disaster landscape of a given region and associated disaster impact. &amp;#160;Here, as part of the UK GCRF funded research grant &amp;#8220;Tomorrow&amp;#8217;s Cities&amp;#8221; we first map out the single natural hazardscape for Nairobi using evidence collected through peer-reviewed literature, grey literature, social media and newspapers. We find the following hazard groups and hazard types present in Nairobi: (i) geophysical (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides), (ii) hydrological (floods and droughts), (iii) shallow earth processes (regional subsidence, ground collapse, soil subsidence, ground heave), (iv) atmospheric hazards (storm, hail, lightning, extreme heat, extreme cold), (v) biophysical (urban fires), and vi) space hazards (geomatic storms, and impact events). The breadth of single natural hazards that can potentially impact Nairobi is much larger than normally considered by individual hazard managers that work in Nairobi. We then use a global hazard matrix to identify possible hazard interactions, focusing on the following interaction mechanisms: (i) hazard triggering secondary hazard, (ii) hazards amplifying the possibility of the secondary hazard occurring.&amp;#160; We identify 67 possible interactions, as well as some of the interaction cascade typologies that are typical for Nairobi (e.g. a storm triggers and increases the probability of a flood which in turn increases the probability of a flood). Our results indicate a breadth of natural hazards and their interactions in Nairobi, and emphasise a need for a multi-hazard approach to disaster risk reduction.&lt;/p&gt;

A comparative literature review of the methodologies to evaluate risk of NaTech disasters and Critical Infrastructure affected by natural hazard

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita D'Ayala ◽  
Riccardo Giusti ◽  
Marcello Arosio ◽  
Mario Martina
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Critical Infrastructure ◽  
Critical Infrastructures ◽  
Industrial Accident ◽  
Technological Disasters ◽  
Natural Event ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Change Framework ◽  
Oil Gas

&lt;p&gt;In a climate change framework extreme natural events are going to occur more frequently and intensively as a result of global warming. Therefore, the effects and consequences of climate-related natural hazards, such as flooding, heatwaves, drought, landslides and others, have the potential to become more disastrous and extensive. Consequences of such events are of particular concern considering that today&amp;#8217;s societies are interconnected in complex and dynamic socio-technological networks and, hence, dependent more than before on Critical Infrastructures (CI) systems (such as transport, energy, water, ICT systems, etc.). Furthermore, there are also events of Natural Hazards Trigger Technological Disasters (also known as NaTech events), whereby an industrial accident caused by a natural event could affect people, the environment, and other facilities and systems. This work reviews studies in the fields of risk assessment of CI systems affected by natural hazards and NaTech events.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study identifies and classifies: the methodologies applied (qualitative or quantitative), the type of infrastructures exposed (transport, electricity, oil, gas, water and waste water and telecommunications systems, industrial or nuclear plant) and hazard considered (flood, earthquake, lighting, landslide, avalanche, storm surge, heat and cold waves, wind), the scale of application and the level of spatial resolution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The work provides a comparison of the scientific studies, the objectives and analysis methods to assess risk employed in the fields of CI systems and NaTech events in order to highlight similarities and differences and to guide the most suitable approach for each application case.&lt;/p&gt;

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