INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE METRICS: APPLICATION OF THE HOLISTIC METHOD WITHIN THE LATVIAN CONTEXT

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maksims Feofilovs ◽  
Francesco Romagnoli ◽  
Rasa Vaiškūnaitė
Keyword(s):  
Community Resilience ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Quantitative Metrics ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Resilience Index ◽  
Total List ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Open Issues

Enhancing and building resilient cities represent a contemporary approach on which scientists and policy makers are strengthening cooperation; however, so far quantitative metrics and standards for measuring resilience are still open issues. This must be aimed toward diminishing society’s vulnerability and reducing the likelihood of disasters (both manmade and natural) and their possible effects. The evaluation of metrics within the crisis management should be able to provide a useful tool and enable stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of resilience strategies and their added value is a key factor for building resilient sound communities and infrastructures. Several frameworks and models have been created and proposed to assess and evaluate the resilience of critical infrastructures (CIs) as well as the evaluation of community resilience. Nevertheless, their application is limited to specific case studies, thus showing lack of a robust link with the decision making dimensions. This study examines infrastructure and community resilience to natural hazards in six regions of Latvia: Riga, around Riga region, Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Latgale and Zemgale. The aim of this study is to create a Community disaster resilience index (CDRI) with the application of a holistic indicatorbased model. Based on the literature-based research an initial total list of 86 indicators has been selected for a model representing social, economic, physical, human and environment capital (or resources to be potentially mobilized) and linked by their relevance to the main phases of the disaster resilience dynamics: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

scholarly journals GIS-based approach for evaluating a community intrinsic resilience index

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firas Gerges ◽  
Hani Nassif ◽  
Xiaolong Geng ◽  
Holly A. Michael ◽  
Michel C. Boufadel
Keyword(s):  
Community Resilience ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Transportation Energy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Political Boundaries ◽  
Resilience Index ◽  
Post Disaster

AbstractCommunity resilience refers to the degree to which a community can survive and recover following a disaster. While resilience itself is well understood, decisions that would enhance resilience are interdependent and involve various stakeholders. There are indices for evaluating community resilience, but these have the shortcoming that they compare between political entities, such as counties. Therefore, one cannot ascertain that a county is truly resilient. In addition, natural disasters depend on the landscape and thus have no relation to the political boundaries. Our metric aims to capture the information into a Community Intrinsic Resilience Index (CIRI), which embodies the resilience level of four critical sectors: transportation, energy, health and socio-economic. As a case study, we computed CIRI for the counties within New Jersey. Results showed that within NJ, CIRI ranged from 63 to 80%. A post-disaster CIRI, following a scenario of flooding, revealed that two coastal counties would have low CIRI values due to the reduction in the road area and/or the GDP (local economy shut down) to below minimum values. We believe that our platform would further advance the efforts to fill the gap between resilience research and applications and would help decision and policy makers to integrate resilience within the planning and design phases of disaster management.

scholarly journals Implementing Disaster Policy: Exploring Scale and Measurement Schemes for Disaster Resilience

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L. Cutter ◽  
Sahar Derakhshan
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Disaster Policy ◽  
Data Resolution ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Resilience Indicators

Abstract Resilience measurement continues to be a meeting ground between policy makers and academics. However, there are inherent limitations in measuring disaster resilience. For example, resilience indicators produced by FEMA and one produced by an independent academic group (BRIC) measure community resilience by defining and quantifying community resilience at a national level, but they each have a different conceptual model of the resilience concept. The FEMA approach focuses on measuring resilience capacity based on preparedness capabilities embodied in the National Preparedness Goals at state and county scales. BRIC examines community (spatially defined as county) components (or capitals) that influence resilience and provides a baseline of pre-existing resilience in places to enable periodic updates to measure resilience improvements. Using these two approaches as examples, this paper examines the differences and similarities in these two approaches in terms of the conceptual framing, data resolution, and representation and the resultant statistical and spatial differences in outcomes. Users of resilience measurement tools need to be keenly aware of the conceptual framing, input data, and geographic scale of any schema before implementation as these parameters can and do make a difference in the outcome even when they claim to be measuring the same concept.

scholarly journals Twitter Use in Hurricane Isaac and Its Implications for Disaster Resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Kejin Wang ◽  
Nina S. N. Lam ◽  
Lei Zou ◽  
Volodymyr Mihunov
Keyword(s):  
Census Data ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Resilience Indicators ◽  
Three Phases

Disaster resilience is the capacity of a community to “bounce back” from disastrous events. Most studies rely on traditional data such as census data to study community resilience. With increasing use of social media, new data sources such as Twitter could be utilized to monitor human response during different phases of disasters to better understand resilience. An important research question is: Does Twitter use correlate with disaster resilience? Specifically, will communities with more disaster-related Twitter uses be more resilient to disasters, presumably because they have better situational awareness? The underlying issue is that if there are social and geographical disparities in Twitter use, how will such disparities affect communities’ resilience to disasters? This study examines the relationship between Twitter use and community resilience during Hurricane Isaac, which hit Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2012. First, we applied the resilience inference measurement (RIM) model to calculate the resilience indices of 146 affected counties. Second, we analyzed Twitter use and their sentiment patterns through the three phases of Hurricane Isaac—preparedness, response, and recovery. Third, we correlated Twitter use density and sentiment scores with the resilience scores and major social–environmental variables to test whether significant geographical and social disparities in Twitter use existed through the three phases of disaster management. Significant positive correlations were found between Twitter use density and resilience indicators, confirming that communities with higher resilience capacity, which are characterized by better social–environmental conditions, tend to have higher Twitter use. These results imply that Twitter use during disasters could be improved to increase the resilience of affected communities. On the other hand, no significant correlations were found between sentiment scores and resilience indicators, suggesting that further research on sentiment analysis may be needed.

scholarly journals A more comprehensive approach offering instruments in one portal to facilitate higher uptake

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Rossmann ◽  
F De Bock
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Activity Promotion

Abstract The good practice portal of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) consists of a nationwide collection of projects and interventions to promote the health of socially disadvantaged groups at community/setting level. An exchange platform (inforo) is also offered via the operating agency, although its use is still limited. The results of the evaluation of the platform suggest that the provision of practical projects and exchange of knowledge alone is not sufficient to support policy makers and practitioners who want to promote health in the community/setting. There is a need for advice on needs assessment, selection and appropriate implementation of health promotion measures. A comprehensive approach currently being tested in the field of activity promotion for older people is the provision of a web-based “toolbox” comprising the following tools: assessment instruments for analysing the need for health promotion measures, a user-friendly intervention/project database and broader evidence synthesis documents, as well as information on project management (organisational, legal, financial). Following the example of other best practice portals, a ranking methodology was developed to make the level of effectiveness of interventions visible and the evaluation requirements transparent. Evidence synthesis documents provide an entry point to learn more generally what works in a particular area of health promotion. In order to make the “toolbox” accessible to policy-makers and practitioners, information from previous studies was used in the development with regard to content and graphical presentation. BZgA is currently working on integrating evidence into the good practice portal. The evaluation of the toolbox in a small area of health promotion will provide initial insights into the inclusion of evidence and its added value. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of possibilities for improvement, challenges and limitations of this approach.

scholarly journals Charting the Rough Journey to ‘Home’: The Contribution of Qualitative Longitudinal Research to Understandings of Homelessness in Austerity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Emma Davidson ◽  
Briege Nugent ◽  
Sarah Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Analytical Potential ◽  
Longitudinal Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

This article reflects on the contribution of qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to understandings of homeless peoples’ experiences of support service interventions in an era of austerity in the UK. It brings into ‘analytic conversation’ data from qualitative longitudinal evaluations of homeless support projects operated by voluntary sector organisations in Scotland. With fieldwork spanning 2014-2019, the analysis expands the analytical potential of pooling small-scale studies through an interrogation of individuals’ ‘journeys’ through homelessness services and their rough path to ‘home’. By reflecting on our substantive findings, the article explores the added value and challenges of a longitudinal approach. It concludes that while QLR can deliver deep insight into lives lived by vulnerable populations and potentially reduce the distance between policy makers and those affected, its benefits must be balanced against pragmatism and the ethical responsibilities associated with the method.

Design workshops in the age of climate change

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen De Waegemaeker ◽  
Eva Kerselaers ◽  
Maarten Van Acker ◽  
Elke Rogge
Keyword(s):  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Water System ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Project ◽  
Design Workshop ◽  
Specific Barriers

Purpose As policy makers address the issue of climate adaptation, they are confronted with climate-specific barriers: a long-term horizon and a high degree of uncertainty. These barriers also hamper the development of spatial planning for climate adaptation. So how can spatial planners encompass these barriers and steer the general debate on climate adaptation? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This research analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of an international design workshop on climate adaptation, and drought issues in particular. Design workshops are originally an educational setting but they are increasingly employed as a tool to explore alternative futures on a complex, real-life design problem. The case study illustrates how climate-specific barriers emerged throughout the design workshop and clarifies how they were encompassed by the participating design students. Findings The research clarifies the added value of a design workshop on climate adaptation. The paper highlights specific promising characteristics of the design workshop: the visualization of future adaptation challenges and the current water system, the focus on a regional project instead of sectoral adjustments and the integration of the adaptation challenge with other socio-economic goals. In the case study Flanders, however, the necessary participation of climate experts and policy makers of other domains proved challenging. Originality/value The paper argues that a design workshop has the potential to enrich the debate and policy work on climate adaptation. In many countries with low-planning tradition, however, additional tools are needed to help set the “adaptation agenda.”

SERVICEABILITY OF NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS AFTER EARTHQUAKES

2013 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 1350005 ◽  
Author(s):  
GIAN PAOLO CIMELLARO ◽  
ALESSANDRO DE STEFANO ◽  
OMAR VILLA
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Gas Distribution ◽  
Gas Network ◽  
Resilience Index ◽  
Entire Network

The concept of disaster resilience has received considerable attention in recent years and it is increasingly used as an approach for understanding the dynamics of natural disaster systems. No models are available in literature to measure the performance of natural gas network, therefore, in this paper, a new performance index measuring functionality of gas distribution network have been proposed to evaluate the resilience index of the entire network. It can be used for any type of natural or manmade hazard which might lead to the disruption of the system. The gas distribution network of the municipalities of Introdacqua and Sulmona, two small towns in the center of Italy which were affected by 2009 earthquake have been used as case study. Together the pipeline network covers an area of 136 km2, with 3 M/R stations and 16 regulation groups. The software SynerGEE has been used to simulate different scenario events. The numerical results showed that, during emergency, to ensure an acceptable delivery service, it is crucial to guarantee the functionality of the medium pressure gas distribution network. Instead to improve resilience of the entire network the best retrofit strategy is to include emergency shutoff valves along the pipes.

scholarly journals Competitiveness of the Sugarcane Cluster in Goianesia-GO, Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 255
Author(s):  
Jhon Sebastian Castiblanco ◽  
Alcido Elenor Wander
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Firm Strategy ◽  
Cane Sugar ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Adoption Of Technology ◽  
Physical Constraints ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
A Company

The present study aims to analyze the competitiveness of the chain of sugarcane cluster that is located in Goianesia (Goiás state, Brazil) and in nearby municipalities like Barro Alto, Santa Rita and Vila Propicio. It was used Michael Porter’s Diamond of Competitiveness, which lets to study the competitiveness of a company, cluster or country, by four factors: demand conditions, factor conditions, context for firm strategy and rivalry and related and supporting industries. To build the Diamond of Competitiveness was used secondary and primary information, where the latter was collected by interviewing the key actors inside and outside the Jalles Machado, central company of the cluster analyzed. In terms of results they were found several interesting aspects that affect (positively and negatively) competitiveness of the cluster. It was identified, for instance, how investment in research and development, as well as the adoption of technology, are key for the central company of the cluster to facing the physical constraints of the Goianesian soil, and how this contribute to the cluster competitiveness against other actors that are in better conditions. In addition, the cooperation between cluster’s stakeholders - which makes the central company and its partners identify together the cluster's weaknesses and work on a solution- was identified as a key factor in creating competitive advantage. The paper presents the factors that affect both positively and negatively the competitiveness of Goianésia’s cane sugar cluster, leaving available the necessary inputs for policy makers drawing strategies for improving the competitiveness of this cluster.

Overcoming Intersectional Barriers

2018 ◽  
pp. 971-993
Author(s):  
Sara L. Parker ◽  
Kay Standing
Keyword(s):  
Life Experiences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
Just Society ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Research And Policy

This chapter discusses the complexity and challenges of exploring the impact of gender on women's ability to realise their potential in Nepal. It demonstrates the limitations of using binary divisions to exploring ‘gender' as a key factor that impacts upon women's lives. By analysing interviews with ‘inspirational' women in Nepal conducted between 2009 and 2012 the chapter highlights the importance of exploring intersectional factors that also influenced women's life experiences. Based on interviews with 34 ‘inspirational' women in Nepal the chapter explores how the term ‘inspirational' is defines and discusses the range of work being done by so many women in Nepal that is truly inspiring. Through a discourse analysis of their stories of childhood and education we can see what key factors have played a role in enabling these women to realise their potential and to overcome intersectional barriers to work in a range of diverse positions, from the first female District Development Officer to the first women to gain her doctorate from overseas, to women who have set up NGOS working towards a more equitable and just society to others who have set up their own businesses or becoming leading academics. The conclusion draws together some key recommendations for future research and policy makers as well as those seeking to promote more equitable sustainable development that truly includes women in the process as autonomous, heterogeneous actors in the development process

Exploring Entrepreneurs' Perceptions of Venture Capitalists' Added Value

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv Vaidyanathan ◽  
Vijay Vaidyanathan ◽  
Vivek Wadhwa
Keyword(s):  
Added Value ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Venture Capitalists ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Strategic Direction ◽  
Practical Implications

Recent research on the marketing-entrepreneurship interface has highlighted the importance of understanding the relationships between various actors that enable entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurs often depend on VCs not just for funding, but also for their expertise in environmental scanning, innovation, and strategic direction. This study takes the perspective of entrepreneurs as consumers of the value offered by VC firms and uses a broad survey of entrepreneurs to understand the factors that could affect long term relationships between these actors. The results show that entrepreneurs select VCs primarily on their perceptions of the fairness of the contract, reputation, and startup valuation. We also find evidence that entrepreneurs are uniformly disappointed in their experiences with VCs when comparing their pre- and post-financing views. Our findings contain important implications for a creating a balanced macromarketing view of the VC-entrepreneur relationship and holds practical implications for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and policy makers.

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