Search Results (254)

Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact on Puerto Rico in 2017 exposed critical vulnerabilities in the island’s centralized infrastructure, particularly its energy grid and housing stock. This case study evaluates Earthship architecture as a sustainable solution for post-disaster resilience and energy independence through systematic analysis of existing projects and documented implementation challenges. Earthships are self-sufficient structures characterized by passive solar design, on-site renewable energy generation, rainwater harvesting, contained sewage treatment, and integrated food production using natural and recycled materials. Through analysis of the Earthship PR at Tainasoy Apiario in Aguada and comparative examination of global implementation challenges, this study examines both the potential benefits and significant barriers to Earthship adoption in Puerto Rico. While Earthship principles align theoretically with post-disaster resilience needs, documented problems, including moisture management failures in humid climates, regulatory barriers, and financing challenges, present substantial implementation obstacles that require careful consideration for Caribbean applications. Full article

In complex 3D maneuvering tasks (e.g., post-disaster rescue, urban operations, and infrastructure inspection), the trajectories that quadrotors need to track are often complex—containing both gentle flight phases and highly maneuverable trajectory segments. Under such trajectory tracking tasks with the composite characteristics of “gentle-high maneuvering”, quadrotors face challenges of limited onboard computing resources and short endurance, requiring a balance between trajectory tracking accuracy, computational efficiency, and energy consumption. To address this problem, this paper proposes a lightweight trajectory tracking control method based on hierarchical decision-making and dual-threshold adaptive switching. Inspired by the biological “prediction–reflection” mechanism, this method designs a dual-threshold collaborative early warning switching architecture of “prediction layer–confirmation layer”: The prediction layer dynamically assesses potential risks based on trajectory curvature and jerk, while the confirmation layer confirms in real time the stability risks through an attitude-angular velocity composite index. Only when both exceed the thresholds, it switches from low-energy-consuming Euler angle control to high-precision geometric control. Simulation experiments show that in four typical trajectories (straight-line rapid turn, high-speed S-shaped, anti-interference composite, and narrow space figure-eight), compared with pure geometric control, this method reduces position error by 19.5%, decreases energy consumption by 45.9%, and shortens CPU time by 28%. This study not only optimizes device performance by improving trajectory tracking accuracy while reducing onboard computational load, but also reduces energy consumption to extend UAV endurance, and simultaneously enhances anti-disturbance capability, thereby improving its operational capability to respond to emergencies in complex environments. Overall, this study provides a feasible solution for the efficient and safe flight of resource-constrained onboard platforms in multi-scenario complex environments in the future and has broad application and expansion potential. Full article

In many disaster-prone regions, lower-income communities face disproportionate impacts due to the prevalence of informal housing. Informal housing, characterized by substandard construction and lack of adherence to building codes, exacerbates vulnerabilities during disasters, leading to widespread destruction and hampered recovery efforts. This study examines the multifaceted causes of informal housing in Puerto Rico using a qualitative content analysis of applicable literature. Seven interdisciplinary factors were derived from 42 relevant manuscripts with identifiable factors linked to informal housing in Puerto Rico: Knowledge, Perception, Government Dynamics, Institutional Support, Enforcement, Culture, and Resources. Despite post-disaster efforts advocating for building back better, systemic challenges perpetuate informal housing practices, reinforcing cycles of vulnerability. This research underscores the need for integrated decision making in pre-disaster preparation and post-disaster reconstruction efforts. This research presents a detailed understanding of the Informal Housing Cycle, demonstrates how interdisciplinary factors are barriers to safe and sustainable housing, and explores the complex relationships between these factors. This study aims to guide policy and practice to reduce future disaster impacts on Puerto Rico housing, thus breaking the cycle of vulnerability, empowering communities, and fostering sustainable resilience in post-disaster reconstruction efforts. Full article

Post-wildfire reconstruction processes offer an opportunity to implement structural risk reduction measures and develop wildfire resilience; however, these efforts often lack comprehensiveness. Focusing on Chile, this research addresses the need for increased and nuanced understanding of the implementation and subsequent modifications in wildfire risk reduction actions in the built environment during post-wildfire reconstruction processes. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the physical changes associated with implementing structural wildfire risk reduction measures in Chile’s reconstruction efforts from their establishment to the present, organized based on two secondary objectives: (1) document the physical changes that have occurred following the disaster, and (2) distinguish and categorize the reconstruction interventions. A mixed-methods multiple case study approach was employed, analyzing four post-wildfire reconstruction processes (Valparaiso, 2014; Santa Olga, 2017; Castro, 2021; and Punta Lavapie, 2023) through spatial analysis of physical changes and qualitative content analysis of documents to identify and categorize interventions. The research found that structural wildfire risk reduction measures and wider settlement improvements have been implemented in all case studies with varying emphasis and comprehensiveness. However, the results also suggest that these reconstruction efforts have not improved settlements’ long-term wildfire resilience. This study contributes to the theory and practice of reconstruction and risk reduction by showing that the post-disaster period often fails to lead to lasting systemic change. Full article

Recovery from disasters is the complex process requiring coordinated measures to restore infrastructure, services and quality of life. While remote sensing is a well-established means for damage assessment, so far very few studies have shown how satellite imagery can be used by technical officers of affected countries to provide crucial, up-to-date information to monitor the reconstruction progress and natural restoration. To address this gap, the present study proposes a multi-temporal observatory method relying on GIS, change detection techniques and open and free multi-sensor satellite imagery to generate thematic maps documenting, over time, the impact and recovery from hydrological disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms and induced flooding. The demonstration is carried out with regard to Hurricane Matthew, which struck Haiti in October 2016 and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Sud and Grand’Anse regions. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) amplitude change detection techniques were applied to pre-, cross- and post-disaster Sentinel-1 image pairs from August 2016 to September 2020, while optical Sentinel-2 images were used for verification and land cover classification. With regard to inundated areas, the analysis allowed us to determine the needed time for water recession and rural plain areas to be reclaimed for agricultural exploitation. With regard to buildings, the cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes were not only the most impacted areas, but also were those where most reconstruction efforts were made. However, some instances of new settlements located in at-risk zones, and thus being susceptible to future hurricanes, were found. This result suggests that the thematic maps can support policy-makers and regulators in reducing risk and making the reconstruction more resilient. Finally, to evaluate the replicability of the proposed method, an example at a country-scale is discussed with regard to the June 2023 flooding event. Full article

Emergency medical services confront significant challenges in delivering timely patient assessments within geographically isolated or disaster-impacted regions. While drones (unmanned aircraft systems, UAS) show transformative potential in healthcare, standardized protocols for drone-assisted patient evaluations remain underdeveloped. This study introduces the ABCD-IN-BARS protocol, a 9-step telemedicine checklist integrating patient-assisted maneuvers and drone technology to systematize remote emergency assessments. A wait-list randomized controlled trial with 68 first-aid-trained volunteers evaluated the protocol’s feasibility. Participants underwent web-based modules and in-person simulations and were randomized into immediate training or waitlist control groups. The ABCD-IN-BARS protocol was developed via a content validity approach, incorporating expert-rated items from the telemedicine literature. Outcomes included time-to-assessment, provider confidence (Modified Cooper–Harper Scale), measured at baseline, post-training, and 3-month follow-up. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Most of the participants can complete the assessment with a cue card within 4 min. A mixed-design repeated measures ANOVA assessed the effects of Time (baseline, post-test, 3-month follow-up within subject) on assessment durations. Assessment times improved significantly over three time points (p = 0.008), improving with standardized protocols, while patterns were similar across groups (p = 0.101), reflecting skill retention at 3 months and not affected by injury or not. Protocol adherence in simulated injury identification increased from 63.3% pre-training to 100% post-training. Provider confidence remained high (MCH scores: 2.4–2.7/10), and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) ratings emphasized strong Perceived Usefulness (PU2: M = 4.48) despite moderate ease-of-use challenges (EU2: M = 4.03). Qualitative feedback highlighted workflow benefits but noted challenges in drone maneuvering. The ABCD-IN-BARS protocol effectively standardizes drone-assisted emergency assessments, demonstrating retained proficiency and high usability. While sensory limitations persist, its modular design and alignment with ABCDE principles offer a scalable solution for prehospital care in underserved regions. Further multicenter validation is needed to generalize findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescents aged 13–18 are exposed to traumatic content even without direct experience, owing to the increasing media coverage of disasters. Such indirect exposure can result in post-traumatic stress symptoms, including intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, as well as associated emotions such as sadness, anger, and guilt. These effects may persist for months, reflecting the vulnerability of adolescents during cognitive and emotional development. This study examined resilience and social support as protective predictors against indirect trauma. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was employed, with middle- and high-school students aged 13–18 years in Seoul, South Korea, as participants. Indirect trauma, resilience, and perceived social support were assessed using validated self-report instruments. Correlation analyses were conducted, followed by stepwise regression. Owing to multicollinearity, resilience was retained as the sole predictor in the final model. Results: The average indirect trauma score was 1.20 out of 4, and 59.2% of participants exhibited partial or full post-traumatic stress disorder. The mean resilience and social support scores were 3.47 and 3.82 out of 5, respectively. Resilience was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.60, p = 0.001). The regression analysis indicated that resilience significantly predicted indirect trauma (β = 0.82, p < 0.001), accounting for 66.4% of the variance, whereas social support showed no direct effect. Conclusions: Resilience emerged as a key predictor of indirect trauma, underscoring its importance in mitigating distress. Although social support did not directly predict trauma, its positive correlation with resilience suggests potential indirect effects. These findings highlight the need to strengthen resilience and expand school-based counseling and support systems to help adolescents deal with indirect trauma. Full article

In recent years, helicopters have shown stronger advantages than ground transportation in post-disaster emergency response due to their strengths of rapid response and cross-domain maneuverability. Especially against the backdrop of the increasing frequency of extreme weather and natural disasters, the issues of power supply guarantee and power grid security caused by extreme events have become increasingly severe. Making full use of helicopter resources can better meet the needs of repairing inaccessible faulty facilities in power systems after disasters and quickly restoring power supply. This paper studies the behavioral mechanism and application basis of helicopters participating in the post-disaster emergency response of power systems. It obtains route planning that reflects the maneuvering characteristics of helicopters by constructing a spatial route-planning model, and proposes a post-disaster restoration method for power systems with the joint action of helicopters and energy storage to verify its feasibility and superiority. Finally, the restoration model is supplemented from the perspectives of a cost consumption and benefit analysis of helicopter application, and verified in the improved IEEE 30-bus system. The results show that helicopters greatly reduce the loss of emergency load curtailment after disasters and have good economic benefits in the applied scenarios. The proposed analysis method can help balance the improvement in resilience and economic feasibility in helicopter deployment. Full article

The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters—such as floods, storms, droughts, and earthquakes—have created a growing demand for temporary housing. These facilities must be rapidly deployed to provide safe, functional living environments for displaced individuals. This study proposes a design methodology for temporary housing exteriors using the text-to-image capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to address urgent post-disaster housing needs. The approach aims to improve both the efficiency and practicality of early-stage design processes. The study reviews global trends in temporary housing and the architectural applications of GenAI, identifying five key environmental factors that influence design: type of disaster, location and climate, duration of residence, materials and structure, and housing design. Based on these factors, hypothetical disaster scenarios were developed using ChatGPT, and corresponding exterior designs were generated using Stable Diffusion. The results show that diverse, scenario-specific design alternatives can be effectively produced using GenAI, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool in architectural planning for disaster response. Expert evaluation of the generated designs confirmed their ability to adhere to text prompts but revealed a significant gap in terms of architectural plausibility and practical feasibility, highlighting the essential role of expert oversight. This study offers a foundation for expanding GenAI applications in emergency housing systems and supports the development of faster, more adaptable design solutions for communities affected by natural disasters. Full article

Cloud cover can delay landslide detection in optical satellite imagery for weeks, complicating disaster response. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) backscatter imagery, which is widely used for monitoring floods and avalanches, remains underutilised for landslide detection due to a limited understanding of landslide signatures in SAR data. We developed a conceptual model of landslide expression in SAR backscatter (σ°) change images through iterative investigation of over 1000 landslides across 30 diverse study areas. Using multi-temporal composites and dense time series Sentinel-1 C-band SAR data, we identified characteristic patterns linked to land cover, terrain, and landslide material. The results showed either increased or decreased backscatter depending on environmental conditions, with reduced visibility in urban or mixed vegetation areas. Detection was also hindered by geometric distortions and snow cover. The diversity of landslide expression illustrates the need to consider local variability and multi-track (ascending and descending) satellite data in designing representative training datasets for automated detection models. The conceptual model was applied to three recent disaster events using the first post-event Sentinel-1 image, successfully identifying previously unknown landslides before optical imagery became available in two cases. This study provides a theoretical foundation for interpreting landslides in SAR imagery and demonstrates its utility for rapid landslide detection. The findings support further exploration of rapid landslides in SAR backscatter data and future development of automated detection models, offering a valuable tool for disaster response. Full article

Urban metro systems (UMSs) primarily consist of underground structures and are therefore highly susceptible to disasters, such as rainstorms and waterlogging. The damages caused by such events are often substantial and difficult to recover from, highlighting the urgent need to enhance the resilience of metro networks against waterlogging. Based on the principles of urban hydrology, this paper constructs scenarios to analyze the risk of waterlogging under varying rainstorm recurrence intervals and intensities. The ArcGIS geographic information system was employed to improve the existing passive inundation algorithm, enabling more accurate identification of flood-prone areas during heavy rainfall, which supports the topological modeling of UMSs. Structural connectivity was used as an external indicator of network resilience, and tools such as Gephi and NetworkX were applied to evaluate network performance. Using the Nanjing Metro as a case study, the resilience of the UMS under different risk scenarios was assessed by analyzing the impact of waterlogging events. Subsequently, recovery sequences following disruptions were prioritized to optimize post-disaster restoration, and targeted strategies for improving network resilience were proposed. The calculation results indicate that the overall resilience of the Nanjing UMS network is at a relatively high level. When connectivity is used as the performance indicator, the operating network resilience value is between 0.78 and 0.952, while the planned network resilience value is between 0.887 and 0.939. Full article

This study reviews the role of Child-Friendly Green Spaces (CFGS) in supporting children’s psychological, physical, and educational recovery following natural disasters. The main research question guiding this review is the following: how do CFGS contribute to holistic child well-being and resilience in disaster-affected contexts, and what barriers and strategies influence their effective integration into recovery frameworks? Employing a rigorous literature review methodology, we synthesized interdisciplinary evidence from environmental psychology, urban planning, public health, and education, encompassing studies published between 2000 and 2024. Findings demonstrate that CFGS significantly reduce trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress, promotes physical health through active play, and foster educational engagement by improving concentration, attendance, and informal learning opportunities. Furthermore, CFGS contribute directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Despite these advantages, CFGS are often overlooked in formal disaster recovery planning due to prioritization of immediate relief, financial and logistical challenges, and socio-cultural factors. To address these challenges, this study proposes a participatory, culturally sensitive framework for CFGS implementation, which integrates inclusive design, multi-sector collaboration, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Grounded in theoretical perspectives such as the Biophilia Hypothesis, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, and restorative environments, CFGS are reframed as critical infrastructures for children’s holistic recovery and resilience. The findings underscore the urgent need to embed CFGS within disaster recovery and urban planning policies to promote child-centered, sustainable community development. Full article

Millimeter-wave multiple-input multiple-output synthetic aperture radar (MIMO-SAR) has been widely used in many scenarios such as geological exploration, post-disaster rescue, and security inspection. When faced with large complex scenes, the signal suffers from distortion problems due to amplitude-phase nonlinear aberrations, resulting in undesired artifacts. Many previous studies eliminate artifacts but result in missing target structures. In this paper, we propose to use chunked nonlinear normalized weights in conjunction with signal-to-noise ratio-based (SNR-based) multichannel fusion to address the above-mentioned problems. The chunked nonlinear normalized weights make use of the scene’s characteristics to separately perform the optimization of different regions of the scene. This approach significantly mitigates the effects of amplitude-phase distortion on signal quality, thereby facilitating the effective suppression of noise and artifacts. Applying SNR-based multichannel fusion solves the problem of missing target structures caused by the chunked weights. With the proposed techniques, we can effectively suppress artifacts and noise while maintaining the target structures to enhance the robustness of system. Based on practical experiments, the proposed techniques achieve the image entropy (IE) value, which reduces by approximately 1, and the image contrast (IC) value is increased by approximately 2~4. Furthermore, the computational time is only about 1.3 times that needed by the latest reported algorithm. Consequently, imaging resolution and system robustness are improved by implementing these techniques. Full article

Deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) continues to expand rapidly across a wide range of applications, including environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and disaster response. Despite their increasing ubiquity, UAVs remain inherently vulnerable to security threats due to resource-constrained hardware, energy limitations, and reliance on open wireless communication channels. These factors render traditional cryptographic solutions impractical, thereby necessitating the development of lightweight, UAV-specific security mechanisms. This review article presents a comprehensive analysis of lightweight encryption techniques and key management strategies designed for energy-efficient and secure UAV communication. Special emphasis is placed on recent cryptographic advancements, including the adoption of the ASCON family of ciphers and the emergence of post-quantum algorithms that can secure UAV networks against future quantum threats. Key management techniques such as blockchain-based decentralized key exchange, Physical Unclonable Function (PUF)-based authentication, and hierarchical clustering schemes are evaluated for their performance and scalability. To ensure comprehensive protection, this review introduces a multilayer security framework addressing vulnerabilities from the physical to the application layer. Comparative analysis of lightweight cryptographic algorithms and multiple key distribution approaches is conducted based on energy consumption, latency, memory usage, and deployment feasibility in dynamic aerial environments. Unlike design- or implementation-focused studies, this work synthesizes existing literature across six interconnected security dimensions to provide an integrative foundation. Our review also identifies key research challenges, including secure and efficient rekeying during flight, resilience to cross-layer attacks, and the need for standardized frameworks supporting post-quantum cryptography in UAV swarms. By highlighting current advancements and research gaps, this study aims to guide future efforts in developing secure communication architectures tailored to the unique operational constraints of UAV networks. Full article

Pre-disaster and post-disaster allocation strategies are widely investigated as the single optimization problem in humanitarian supply chain management, while integrated decisions including the above two problems are seldom discussed in the existing literature. Here, this paper proposes a mixed-integer programming model to determine these decisions, including the location of central warehouses and emergency storage points and the quantities of relief items pre-deployed and distributed. Specially, two preferences regarding costs and cost-resilience are considered, and a comparison of two models concerning the above preferences is performed. The results are as follows: (i) When the impact of disasters is at a relatively low or moderate level, the cost-oriented model can reduce the government’s financial burden and increase the coverage of relief items. However, when the severity of the disaster is high, the cost resilience-oriented model can respond to the needs of victims within the shortest time, although these needs cannot be completely met. (ii) Increasing the initial inventory level of emergency storage points and enhancing the victims’ tolerance time through social support can effectively reduce the total costs, while increasing the transportation speed can effectively reduce the response delay time. (iii) Adjusting the unit penalty cost can make the total penalty costs and transportation costs decline within a certain range, but such an adjustment has no influence on the response delay time. This paper not only proposes an integrated framework for pre- and post-disaster allocation decisions but also highlights the importance of incorporating resilience into relief item allocation in disaster contexts. Full article