Scientific Journal of Rescue Relief
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Winter 2019

Natural disasters in rural settlements are responsible for a broad range of financial and human losses. In this regard, the resilience approach has gained renewed attention to minimize the disruptive impacts of natural catastrophes. Therefore, adequate knowledge about the status of resilience enables us to take efficient measures to reduce resultant injuries and destructive effects. With this background in mind, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between economic and socio-cultural resilience of rural settlements in Silakhor rural district in Dorud.

This practical study was conducted based on an analytical-descriptive design. The statistical population included 1539 earthquake-stricken households of Silakhor village (according to household information from the 2016 Census).  Out of this population, 308 families were selected as the sample size using the Cochran's formula. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts, and its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha method rendering the coefficients of 0.910 and 0.854 for the economic and socio-cultural dimension, respectively. One-Sample T-Test and Pearson correlation were used to examine the status of resilience and the relationship between economic resilience and socio-cultural resilience.

As evidenced by the obtained results, rural settlements were socio-culturally resilient with the mean score of >3, while they were somewhat resilient in the economic dimension with the mean score of nearly 3.

The results of the Pearson correlation pointed to a positive and significant relationship between economic and social resilience with a correlation coefficient of 0.420 and a significance level of P<0.00.

Iran is one of the 10 most disaster-prone countries in the world and out of the 42 known types of disasters, at least 31 of them have occurred in this country. Recent disaster experiences have taught us that warnings must be taken seriously and preparedness is necessary. Family readiness is considered as one of the most important pillars of public readiness and community readiness. Achievement of this goal requires a thorough program and various packages to build the culture of preparedness and education is one of its most important parts.

The present cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 18100 families who participated in all the stages of training of the KHADEM National Program (Disaster Preparedness Program Serving Families and Communities) in Khorasan Razavi province. These families were selected based on the regional divisions of the implementation of the project and in the first stage, 18100 families were trained throughout the province. The participating families completed the Household Disaster Preparedness Index questionnaire before and after face-to-face training.

Assessment of the level of family readiness after the training showed an increase in this score. However, it was clear is that the distribution of the scores is not normal, and needs analysis and interpretation.

The analysis of data and statistical model revealed that the training program was more effective in cities with a population of fewer than 50,000 people compared to cities with a population of more than 50,000 people.

The occurrence of natural disasters leads to economic, social, and personal infrastructure damage. Moreover, the government capacities increase rapidly following a direct and major demand for assistance. In these situations, timely communication, information gathering, and coordination to respond to the needs are of critical importance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of new technologies on dealing with natural disasters in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran.

This practical study was conducted based on a descriptive-survey method. The population included 100 experts and key members of the Sistan and Baluchistan Crisis Management Coordination Council. In total 80 cases were selected using Cochran's formula and purposive (snowball) sampling method. The data were collected through a 46-item researcher-made questionnaire. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts, and the reliability of the questionnaire was estimated at 0.94 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which indicated acceptable reliability of this scale. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) through multiple regression to evaluate the research hypotheses.

According to the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the data distribution was normal. Moreover, the results of the multiple regression test showed the effectiveness of new technologies in dealing with natural disasters. Furthermore, operational equipment had the most significant effects on dealing with natural disasters.

New information technologies play a significant role in crisis and disaster management. Therefore, they can be beneficial in terms of informing and reducing costs as well as losses during crises and unexpected events

It is an indisputable fact that people who live in societies will always need each other. In this regard, the members of a society should try to decrease the problems and difficulties of the community by participating in voluntary services. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of self-efficacy with mindfulness and empathy in volunteers of the Red Crescent society in Saveh, Iran.

This practical study was conducted based on a descriptive-survey method. The population included 100 experts and key members of the Sistan and Baluchistan Crisis Management Coordination Council. In total 80 cases were selected using Cochran's formula and purposive (snowball) sampling method. The data were collected through a 46-item researcher-made questionnaire. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts, and the reliability of the questionnaire was estimated at 0.94 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which indicated acceptable reliability of this scale. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) through multiple regression to evaluate the research hypotheses.

Based on the results, mindfulness (P<0.05, r=0.468) and expressive empathy (P<0.01, r=0.207) had a positive and significant relationship with self-efficacy; however, empathy did not have a relationship with other variables. Moreover, out of the subscales of empathy, empathy for others (P<0.05, r=-0.138) and control (P<0.01, r=-0.210) had a negative relationship with self-efficacy. The mindfulness variable was significant in the prediction of self-efficacy (F=25.353) which explains about 21.8% of the variance of the criterion variable. Moreover, the component of emotional stability was significant in the prediction of self-efficacy (F=16.379) which explains about 5% of the variance of the criterion variable. Therefore, with a coefficient of determination of 51.7% the changes in self-efficacy are explained by mindfulness and the component of emotional stability.

According to the findings, the variables of mindfulness and the component of emotional stability can significantly predict self-efficacy. Furthermore, mindfulness with a beta of 0.467 had the greatest effect on self-efficacy.

Iran has always been prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, which are followed by heavy financial and bodily harms. In this regard, it is crucial to have disaster management in the schools of Iran to protect the significant number of young people studying in schools. Therefore, school principals must be constantly prepared for disasters and develop disaster management plans.

The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the factors that affect the natural disaster preparedness of schools using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method. Moreover, another objective of this research was to rank the elementary schools in District 6 of Mashhad regarding their disaster preparedness with the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS). In this research, first, the criteria and sub-criteria for disaster preparedness were obtained using the Delphi method and according to the opinions of experts. Afterward, the collected criteria and sub-criteria were ranked using the FAHP method. The statistical population of this research consisted of experts, including principals and experts in the studied schools (schools in District 6 of Mashhad) who were familiar with disaster management issues. In total, 10 experts were selected as the sample using the purposive sampling method.

Based on the results, the most important disaster preparedness factors in schools were building retrofit, adherence to basic standards, and committee formation, in that order.

Finally, the elementary schools of District 6 of Mashhad were ranked in terms of disaster preparedness using the obtained model and the FTOPSIS. This ranking can help the managers in making decisions to prioritize the conduction of building retrofit of the schools in the studied area.

Crisis management is of critical importance in the oil and gas industries due to the increasing occurrence of accidents in these areas. One of the most important issues regarding crisis management in such industries is the identification of safety assembly points where employees should gather in emergencies. This study aimed to identify the safe points in a refinery using geographic information system (GIS) and fuzzy logic for emergency assembly.

Regarding the aim of the study purpose, the required data were collected, and a focus group meeting was held with experts to determine the criteria influencing the safety point zoning as well as high-risk units using the HAZOP method. After the identification of the criteria and sub-criteria affecting the zoning, the weight of each zoning parameter was calculated, and the safety zones were determined using the fuzzy logic model and its operators in the GIS environment.

According to the results of the risk assessment, the criteria and sub-criteria affecting zoning were divided into three categories of inconsistent (layer weight: 0.740), consistent (layer weight: 0.094), and access to exit routes (layer weight: 0.167). Moreover, the map results based on the fuzzy logic model revealed three safe points, including the vicinity of the fire station, clinic, and wastewater treatment plant in this refinery where the employees should gather in the event of emergencies.

The results of this study showed that the selection of appropriate criteria in safe point zoning is of great importance in the emergencies in the industries. Moreover, an initial risk assessment can be effective in determining these criteria and sub-criteria. In addition, the fuzzy logic model has high accuracy and precision in determining the appropriate safe places.

Comprehensive healthcare centers should be able to provide primary healthcare services during disasters; therefore, it is necessary to assess their safety and preparedness to ensure that they can have acceptable functionality in critical situations. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the level of safety and disaster preparedness of comprehensive healthcare centers in Babol, Iran.

The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 to investigate the safety level and disaster preparedness of 232 comprehensive healthcare centers in Babol, using observation and checklists. The used checklist consisted of three parts, namely functional, structural, and non-structural safety assessment. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Based on the data analysis, the studied centers were more prone to weather hazards than other types of disasters. Moreover, the evaluation of the different aspects of the functionality of the centers showed that the best functionality was observed in firefighting, provision of the environmental health services, organization and structure, and provision of infectious disease management services, in that order.  The non-structural safety obtained the highest average score (37.49) while the scores of functional and structural safety were 21.76 and 9.27, respectively.

Based on the results, all the studied comprehensive healthcare centers had a moderate level of structure and functional safety, while no center had a completely desirable level. Therefore, it is recommended to develop proper plans and monitor the comprehensive healthcare centers to eliminate their defects and improve the level of their safety.

Nowadays, the management of marine hazards has been taken into consideration by the authorities of marine organizations. This issue is important for preventing accidents, reducing costs, controlling socioeconomic harms, and maintaining professional human resources. 

This exploratory descriptive study was performed as a survey with applied objectives. Library research was used to gather information and data collection was completed through the field method. To this aim, a researcher-made questionnaire was applied following the presence of the researcher in the target population. The validity was confirmed according to the ideas of professionals in this field and the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha using the SPSS software (version 22).

The results of the research demonstrated that the highest frequency was for the age group of 31 to 40 years. In terms of experience, we observed that the highest frequency was for the age group of 6 to 10 years. In addition, the highest frequency of educational level was found for the associate degree with 141 people. Regarding the employment location, 58 individuals were center staff and 176 people were operational. In addition, data analysis showed that management factors, human error, training, inspection, and monitoring, in addition to physical, and environmental variables, information system, guidelines, specialized technologies, facilities, and support affect the management of marine hazards in the Makran coast.

The results of ranking and prioritizing of effective factors in marine hazards management utilizing the Friedman test showed that guidelines, training, management, human errors, specialized technologies and facilities, support, inspection and monitoring, information system, and physical and environmental variables were reported as the first to eighth ranks, respectively.