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Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 10143

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhichao He

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Guest Editor

Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Interests: risk analysis; assessment; and management in multi-hazard chemical accidents including fires; explosions; toxic releases

Dr. Meng Lan

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Fire Science (SKLFS), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Interests: multi-hazard risk; NATECH events; large-scale fire; risk management

Dr. Yiping Bai

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Guest Editor

School of Safety Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Interests: risk assessment; process safety; resilience of critical infrastructures; domino effect
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Ana María Cruz

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Guest Editor

Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan
Interests: environmental engineering; chemical engineering; safety engineering; NATECH events

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change, human health, industry, and infrastructure have been listed as important elements in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the increasing impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization have added new layers of complexity to multi-hazard risks, including natural disasters and industrial accidents. Increasingly frequent and intensive emergencies, including heavy rain, hurricanes/typhoons, heatwaves, and severe convection weather, have increased the likelihood and randomness of multi-hazard scenarios, such as NATECH (natural hazard-triggered technological accidents) events and domino accidents. The emerging multi-hazard risks pose a threat to human health, industrial development, and infrastructure management in urban and rural areas. Also, the advent of new technologies such as hydrogen energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed urban operations and infrastructure management. These innovations also introduce emerging hazards such as hydrogen explosions, automatic system failures, and cybersecurity threats.

Recently, the multi-hazard risks in urban and rural areas have caught the attention of administrators and sparked research interest from scholars worldwide. This Special Issue aims to organize related publications, showing the growing trend of multi-hazard research, and contributing to the sustainable development goals. This Special Issue calls for research articles and review articles focused on the modeling and management of multi-hazard disasters and accidents, as well as other topics surrounding the risk reduction and emergency management.

Dr. Zhichao He
Dr. Meng Lan
Dr. Yiping Bai
Prof. Dr. Ana María Cruz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

multi-hazard risk
NATECH event
domino effect
risk assessment
accident prevention
disaster reduction
emergency management
public safety
infrastructure resilience
urban sustainability

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7927 KB

Open AccessArticle

Gas Leakage and Hazard Area Division in a Converter Fan Room: Based on the Actual Leakage Site

by Zeng Long, Furan Zheng, Qi Wang, Hongqing Zhu, Xianhui Xu, Xiliang Liu and Shunyu Yue

Sustainability 2026, 18(2), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020756 - 12 Jan 2026

Viewed by 311

Abstract

Converter gas is highly susceptible to leakage during the recovery and utilization process, which threatens personnel security and sustainable industrial development. To address this issue, a numerical model was established based on an actual converter fan room, and the accuracy of the simulation was verified through comparison with actual measurement data. In this study, the gas leakage flow field, diffusion trajectories, and hazard zone gradations were analyzed. Results showed that the gas contamination was significantly influenced by the leakage direction, leakage location, and structural boundary. The jet dominated the gas dispersion near the leakage source, with similar initial diffusion characteristics across different scenarios. Then, the diffusion velocity decayed rapidly within a distance of 0.6 m. Obstacles can significantly promote vortex formation, restrict the gas dispersion path, and reduce the extent of the hazardous area. In addition, it can be found that the far-field velocity under downward leakage was the highest, presenting the greatest risk of poisoning. At a height of 1.6 m, a lethal zone with a radius of 0.8 m was formed directly beneath the leakage hole. This work can guide the optimization of the monitoring program and emergency planning for converter gas leakage accidents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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24 pages, 3660 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Resilience Assessment Framework for Cross-Regional Gas Transmission Networks with Application to Case Study

by Yue Zhang and Kaixin Shen

Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 10990; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410990 - 8 Dec 2025

Viewed by 551

Abstract

As critical national energy arteries, long-distance large-scale cross-regional gas transmission networks are characterized by high operating pressures, extensive spatial coverage, and complex topological structures. Thus, the multi-hazard profiles threatening its safety and reliability operation differ significantly from those of local urban gas distribution networks. This research develops a resilience assessment framework capable of quantifying resistance, adaptation, and recovery capacities of such energy systems. The framework establishes performance indicator systems based on design parameters, installation environments, and construction methods for long-distance trunk pipelines and key facilities such as storage facilities. Furthermore, based on complex network theory, the size of the largest connected component and global efficiency of the transmission network are selected as core topological metrics to characterize functional scale retention and transmission efficiency under disturbances, respectively, with corresponding quantification methods proposed. A cross-regional pipeline transmission network within a representative municipal-level administrative region in China is used as a case for empirical analysis. The quantitative assessment results of pipeline and network resilience are analyzed. The research indicates that trunk pipeline resilience is significantly affected by characteristic parameters, the laying environment, and installation methods. It is notably observed that installation methods like jacking and directional drilling, used for road or river crossings, offer greater resistance than direct burial but considerably lower restoration capacity due to the complexity of both the environment and the repair processes, which increases time and cost. Moreover, simulation-based comparison of recovery strategies demonstrates that, in this case, a repair-time-prioritized strategy more effectively enhances overall adaptive capacity and restoration efficiency than a node-degree-prioritized strategy. The findings provide quantitative analytical tools and decision-support references for resilience assessment and optimization of cross-regional energy transmission networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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25 pages, 8008 KB

Open AccessArticle

Safeguarding Gas Pipeline Sustainability: Deep Learning for Precision Identification of Gas Leakage Characteristics

by Yuqian Zeng, Kaixin Shen and Wenguo Weng

Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10323; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210323 - 18 Nov 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 876

Abstract

The growing demand for natural gas and the corresponding expansion of pipeline networks have intensified the need for precise leak detection, particularly due to the increased vulnerability of infrastructure to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, torrential rains, and landslides. This research leverages deep learning to develop two hybrid architectures, the Transformer–LSTM Parallel Network (TLPN) and the Transformer–LSTM Cascaded Network (TLCN), which are rigorously benchmarked against Transformer and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) baselines. Performance evaluations demonstrate TLPN achieves exceptional metrics, including 91.10% accuracy, an 86.35% F₁ score, and a 95.20% AUC value. Similarly, TLCN delivers robust results, achieving 90.95% accuracy, an 85.76% F₁ score, and 93.90% of the Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC). These outcomes confirm the superiority of attention mechanisms and highlight the enhanced capability realized by integrating LSTM with Transformer for time-series classification. The findings of this research significantly enhance the safety, reliability, sustainability, and risk mitigation capabilities of buried infrastructure. By enabling rapid leak detection and response, as well as preventing resource waste, these deep learning-based models offer substantial potential for building more sustainable and reliable urban energy systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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24 pages, 1352 KB

Open AccessArticle

Gas Extraction and Earthquakes in the Netherlands: Drawing Lessons from the Response to Ongoing Social Conflict and Tensions

by Nienke Busscher and Ena Vojvodić

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177612 - 23 Aug 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5046

Abstract

Since the onset of gas extraction in Groningen province, the Netherlands, more than 1700 earthquakes have taken place. This has resulted in damage to properties and safety issues for almost 28,000 buildings. As a result, an extensive reinforcement and damage repair operation started, due to which, many residents were temporarily relocated. Although the need for compensation and restoration was recognized from 2012, recent years are characterized by unclear and shifting responsibilities, bureaucratic complexities, and evolving compensation standards, leading to disparity and a further escalation of social impacts. This paper examines developments in the case from 2015 onwards, when the last overview article on this case was published. We observe that even after a decade of compensation efforts, many residents experience loss of trust in the government and endure chronic stress that impacts their well-being, family dynamics, and overall quality of life. We analyze the government-led mitigation and compensation system that in essence fails to address the grievances of local people. Even after broad recognition of the flawed system, the parliament did not fundamentally change it. In nine lessons, we underscore the global imperative for robust social impact assessments, ongoing social monitoring, and well-coordinated compensation frameworks. This is not only crucial to address socio-ecological distress, but also to build more accountable and sustainable institutional responses to future extraction endeavors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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Review

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25 pages, 1050 KB

Open AccessReview

IoT-Based Approaches to Personnel Health Monitoring in Emergency Response

by Jialin Wu, Yongqi Tang, Feifan He, Zhichao He, Yunting Tsai and Wenguo Weng

Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010365 - 30 Dec 2025

Viewed by 1160

Abstract

The health and operational continuity of emergency responders are fundamental pillars of sustainable and resilient disaster management systems. These personnel operate in high-risk environments, exposed to intense physical, environmental, and psychological stress. This makes it crucial to monitor their health to safeguard their well-being and performance. Traditional methods, which rely on intermittent, voice-based check-ins, are reactive and create a dangerous information gap regarding a responder’s real-time health and safety. To address this sustainability challenge, the convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable biosensors presents a transformative opportunity to shift from reactive to proactive safety monitoring, enabling the continuous capture of high-resolution physiological and environmental data. However, realizing a field-deployable system is a complex “system-of-systems” challenge. This review contributes to the field of sustainable emergency management by analyzing the complete technological chain required to build such a solution, structured along the data workflow from acquisition to action. It examines: (1) foundational health sensing technologies for bioelectrical, biophysical, and biochemical signals; (2) powering strategies, including low-power design and self-powering systems via energy harvesting; (3) ad hoc communication networks (terrestrial, aerial, and space-based) essential for infrastructure-denied disaster zones; (4) data processing architectures, comparing edge, fog, and cloud computing for real-time analytics; and (5) visualization tools, such as augmented reality (AR) and heads-up displays (HUDs), for decision support. The review synthesizes these components by discussing their integrated application in scenarios like firefighting and urban search and rescue. It concludes that a robust system depends not on a single component but on the seamless integration of this entire technological chain, and highlights future research directions crucial for quantifying and maximizing its impact on sustainable development goals (SDGs 3, 9, and 11) related to health, sustainable cities, and resilient infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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19 pages, 513 KB

Open AccessReview

Assessing Human Exposure to Fire Smoke in Underground Spaces: Challenges and Prospects for Protective Technologies

by Jialin Wu, Meijie Liu, Yongqi Tang, Yehui Xu, Feifan He, Jinghong Wang, Yunting Tsai, Yi Yang and Zeng Long

Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 9922; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17229922 - 7 Nov 2025

Viewed by 1506

Abstract

Urban underground spaces, including tunnels, subways, and underground commercial buildings, have grown quickly as urbanization has progressed. Fires frequently break out following industrial accidents and multi-hazard natural disasters, and they can severely damage human health. Fire smoke is a major contributor and a major hazard to public safety. The flow patterns of fire smoke in underground spaces, the risks to human casualties, and engineering and personal protective technologies are all thoroughly reviewed in this work. First, it analyzes the diffusion characteristics of fire smoke in underground spaces and summarizes the coupling effects between human behavior and smoke spread. Then, it examines the risks of casualties caused by toxic gases, particulate matter, and thermal effects in fire smoke from both macroscopic case studies and microscopic toxicological viewpoints. It summarizes engineering protection strategies, such as optimizing ventilation systems, intelligent monitoring and early warning systems, and advances in the application of new materials in personal respiratory protective equipment. Future studies should concentrate on interdisciplinary collaboration, creating more precise models of the interactions between people and fire smoke and putting life-cycle management of underground fires into practice. This review aims to provide theoretical and technical support for improving human safety in urban underground space fires, thereby promoting sustainable urban development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Multi-Hazard Natural Disasters and Industrial Accidents)

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