International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

H. Kit Miyamoto; Amir S.J. Gilani; Akira Wada

2011 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

doi: 10.1108/17595901111108344

Purpose – School buildings have suffered disproportionate damage during past and recent earthquakes. For example, during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, many school buildings collapsed, resulting in loss of life. School buildings in many other parts of the world are also susceptible to this type of widespread damage because of inadequate design, detailing, or poor construction quality. The purpose of this paper is to show how these fatal flaws can be mitigated prior to future catastrophe by using good engineering practice to retrofit vulnerable schools. Design/methodology/approach – Conventional and innovative, cost‐effective, and reliable tools are available to prevent damage to schools. It is often necessary to examine a group of buildings or all structures in a locality and develop a comprehensive risk management plan for the vulnerable buildings. As an example, a comprehensive evaluation and retrofit project, under the auspices of the World Bank, is currently under way in Istanbul, Turkey, to address vulnerable school and hospital buildings as discussed in the paper. As part of this effort in Turkey, a guideline that relies on state‐of‐the‐art evaluation and retrofit methods has been developed to assist the local engineers. Findings – Implementation of the program based on the uniform standards developed in the retrofit guidelines, has significantly reduced the seismic risk to schools in Istanbul. Practical implications – The proposed evaluation and implementation technique can be utilized by governments worldwide to prevent further damage to key infrastructure and save millions of lives. Originality/value – Innovative retrofits can be used to provide enhanced performance and provide seismic resiliency for cluster of school buildings.

Seki Hirano; Eudes Kayumba; Annika Grafweg; Ilan Kelman

2011 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

doi: 10.1108/17595901111108353

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to share the experience of those directly involved in drafting the new national school infrastructure standards and guidelines for Rwanda. Design/methodology/approach – The process that was followed in Rwanda, the successes, and the challenges to overcome are reported from the field experience of those involved in the process. Findings – Despite a devastating genocide in 1994 and faced with continual underdevelopment and resource challenges, the commitment of Rwandans to safe and quality education illustrates how much can be achieved. Research limitations/implications – The focus of the work in Rwanda was practical, yet this paper reports fundamental data from the field which are analysed within wider contexts. Practical implications – Rwanda is making progress towards its medium‐term education goals, based on international standards and agreements. The lessons can apply to other locations to avoid some of the pitfalls that Rwanda experienced. Social implications – If progress towards safe and quality education in Rwanda continues at the same pace for the next several years, then the country will have a baseline educated population from which to continue the efforts towards development. Originality/value – The case study of Rwanda is relatively unique in the literature. The process followed is fairly standard for development work, but has value in indicating that it can be successful, especially with regards to inclusiveness, in a post‐political violence context.

Joe Kipling; Rita Newton; Marcus Ormerod

2011 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

doi: 10.1108/17595901111108362

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine access for disabled people to emergency rest centres (ERCs) provision in the UK. ERCs are premises used for the temporary accommodation of evacuees during an emergency situation. They form an important part of emergency response, by providing a focal point for receiving people and providing food, shelter, information and support. Design/methodology/approach – Three case studies of ERCs that were established in different local authority areas within the Yorkshire and Humber region in the UK, during a flooding event on 25 June 2007, were used to determine the level of accessibility and inclusion of disabled people at these centres. Findings – While uncovering many instances of good practise, the results from the research identified lessons to be learnt, in particular the main barriers to access were: facilities and elements that did not comprise part of the building's normal operation, such as the provision of bedding, medical assistance and effective communication; and facilities that would not normally be expected to be used to the extent, or duration, whilst the ERC was in operation, such as the adequate welfare facilities. The research found that the civil protection legislation within the UK contains limited guidance for those with responsibility for ERC provision, and little impetus for emergency planners to consider the needs of disabled people. Practical implications – The paper has broad implications for local authorities and national government representatives. It identifies a need for those with responsibility for emergency planning and response to strengthen their knowledge of disabled people, and to adopt a more holistic approach to the provision of emergency planning and response. Originality/value – The study of access issues in ERC situations, as far as the authors are aware, has not been studied previously.

Maximiliano E. Korstanje

2011 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

doi: 10.1108/17595901111108371

Purpose – Throughout April/May of 2009 a new type of virus surfaced in Mexico and the USA, denominated H1N1 or swine flu, that has been immediately disseminated worldwide. Even though the mortality of this virus has been slow, comparing with other antecedents, the mass‐media articulated a troublesome discourse that put the world in tenterhooks waiting for the evolution of the symptoms. Emulating the mythical archetype of what we knew as Spanish flu, which affected more than 50 million people during 1918 and 1920, journalism triggered panic in the four corners of the world. Under such a context, the purpose of this paper is to explore the connection between the coverage of mass‐media and press of swine flu in Buenos Aires (Argentina), and how the principle of resilience in this conjuncture works. Design/methodology/approach – In order to understand this issue in an all‐encompassed manner, the author conducted ethnography in Buenos Aires during April to June of 2009 combining informal with formal interviews and analysis of contents extracted of press coverage. It is important to mention that the role of observer was hidden to capture vividly the social behaviour as long as a context of health emergency. Findings – The findings of this research reveal that fear becomes an efficient instrument to keep the status quo in context of disasters. In addition, it is important to clarify that virtual disasters do not permit societies to learn of their tragedies and affects considerably their abilities for resilience. Research limitations/implications – Unfortunately, there is no abundant literature to support the outcomes of the present paper in respect to swine flu. Beyond ethical boundaries of journalism, the point of discussion, here, seems to be whether news should be edited or transmitted in rough during a moment of uncertainty. As a whole, the debate is circumscribed to non‐edited news which can result in uncontrollable society response, while edited news jeopardizes the freedom of the press. Originality/value – This paper provides an original point of view that contrasts the thesis of Baudrillard in respect to the spectacle of disaster. The panic disseminated by media blurs the boundaries between culprit and innocence presenting to the poorest sectors as the main concerns of society. That way, the earlier imbalances that allowed the disasters are replicated once again. In contrast with Baudrillard, this paper considers that Swine flu really took place and was something other than a show. An event like this, elaborated and commercialized is of course, aimed at reinforcing the legitimacy of privileged groups.

Mahmood Fayazi

2011 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

doi: 10.1108/17595901111108380

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare rural houses reconstructed by core housing method after the Manjil earthquake in 1990 and traditional housing. Also, other factors such as residential space needs of residents, the role of the used structure in building the core units and the role of climatic conditions in the expansion of residential units have been investigated. Design/methodology/approach – Some rural houses which were reconstructed by using core housing method – 86 rural houses – in 20 different villages were investigated using quantity and quality method. Also, the rate of satisfaction of inhabitants with their reconstructed houses was evaluated. Findings – Although rural houses were reconstructed with inhabitants' participation and with use of local technology and materials, those houses had some characteristics contrary to traditional houses. Another problem was in the gradual expansion of spaces, which led to disharmonious and unbalanced growth and converted the houses into a complex and closed entity. It caused trouble in privacy and connections of family members and in the use of spaces. Originality/value – The paper reports research generally done on rural houses which were reconstructed after the Manjil earthquake in 1990 and shows that this reconstruction experience was done by using core housing method. Also, how the core units were expanded was analyzed and advantages and disadvantages of this reconstruction experience were extracted. These results can be useful in planning and designing shelters for survivors of future disasters.