Evaluation of dimensions, approaches and concepts of resilience in urban societies with an emphasis on natural disasters

Despite the passage of more than three decades from conducting primary researches on resilience of cities, yet this concept lacks a comprehensive and operational understanding in various scientific fields, including disasters  management. Most of existing contradictions on the meaning of urban resilience is resulting from cognitive tendencies, methodological methods, and existing basic conceptual differences, as well as viewpoints focusing on research in ecological, social systems or a combination of both.A city will be considered fully resilient when all indices, components and dimensions of resilience in that city to be placed ina better situation and are in growth and promotion mode. Perhaps an uneven  promotion of different dimensions of turban resilience will not be much led to resilience of totality of a city and its people. Leading social - economic dimension as a dimension that has the most relationship with people and citizens is very important in resilience of cities. The aim of this research is to examine the social and economic dimensions, approaches and concepts of resilient city as one of the new approaches in the field of reducing vulnerability and promoting crisis  management. This research is a review study, which has been collected and investigated and analyzed from various library and documentary resources.Keywords: dimensions, approach, resilience, disasters, urban societie

Resilience from a lived-experience perspective in the regional context of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Within the UK, academics and practitioners’ understanding of resilience have been increasingly nuanced, particularly after the introduction of the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004. However, there remain debates and variations in how resilience is conceptualised that creates confusion in how resilience building is operationalised in practice by stakeholders. To address this concern, this study explores the meaning of resilience from the perspectives of people with a lived experience of flooding, through the lens of adaptive capacity, which is a key dimension of resilience as identified in Scottish policy frameworks. Insight from a literature review combined with empirical data collected from forty-three participants, suggests that resilience to natural hazards is a function of two inter-related aspects: ‘information’ and ‘response’ mechanisms. Further analysis suggests that resilience enhancement begins following receipt of risk information from either experience or other sources that shapes the understanding of a hazard and what protective steps to take. This understanding prompts behavioural responses influenced by ‘risk attitude’, ‘skills’ and ‘access to resources’ to enhance the adaptive capacity of the receiver. The paper engages in the complex debate about how resilience is conceptualized from the social sciences perspective. It presents a simplified account of what resilience means and sets out policy and practical implications of this

Social Capital and Quality of Life among University Students of Yasuj, Iran

Background: Nowadays, quality of life (QOL) is largely associated with social capital and its components such as groups and networks, trust and solidarity, collective action and social cohesion, where social capital can both lead and improve QOL. The aim of this study was to determine the association between social capital and QOL among university students. Methods: A random sample of 338 students from University of Yasuj participated in this cross-sectional study in 2016, during 8 months. Data is collected using demographics checklist, Iranian version of WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and Onyx and Bullen Social Capital Scale. All statistical analysis is performed using STAT 12. Results: Mean age of the participants was 24±3.8 years (boys 24.9±4.6; girls 23.3±2.8). Students scored highest and lowest on physical health (69.2±16.8) and environmental health (51.5±22.3) dimensions of QOL and average score of total social capital scale was 85.5±12.9. A multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the significant association between all four health-related dimensions of QOL and social capital (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, a higher social capital can be indicative of an improved QOL among university students. Therefore, we may seek to build-up social capital by utilizing strategies such as developing social networking, social interactions, security, trust and sharing among university students

Evaluating the components of social and economic resilience: After two large earthquake disasters Rudbar 1990 and Bam 2003

Extensive damages of natural disasters have made resilience a focus of disaster management plans in order to limit damages. The aim of this study was a comparative evaluation of social and economic resilience in Bam and Rudbar. This applied research attempted to quantify and compare different dimensions of social and economic resilience in Bam and Rudbar with a descriptive-analytical method. Cochran’s formula determined the sample size as 330 households from both cities (a total of 660 households). The indicators of social and economic resilience were identified from the literature, and then data were collected through a field study using questionnaires. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression and feedforward multilayer perceptron artificial neural network. Results denoted that several resilientrelated socio-economic features were significantly different for Bam and Rudbar cities, such as the number of earthquakes experienced, length of stay in current neighbourhood and mean individual and household income. Mean social and economic resilience scores were significantly higher for Rudbar (216.3 ± 33.4 and 30.6 ± 7.3) compared to Bam (193 ± 26.5 and 29.4 ± 7.07) ( p < 0.05). In addition, linear regression indicated that an increase in education level of the household head, length of stay in current neighbourhood and household income could result in an increase in social and economic resilience of the households under study. Neural network analysis revealed that social capital and employment recovery are the most and least effective factors, respectively, in both cities. In the population under study, social component, namely, social capital, was the most important determinant of resilience

The Epidemiological Assessment of Lifestyle Impact on Childhood and Adolescence Psychiatric Disorders in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran

Background: Children and adolescents are potentially at risk of different psychiatric disorders, and it is important to consider their health, especially their mental health. Objectives: We aimed to design a cross-sectional study to investigate the association between lifestyle-related components with the psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province (Iran) and to determine its association with different lifestyle-related variables. Methods: In this study, about 1000 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province were selected using stratified cluster random sampling. The reliable Persian version of Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and the Life Style Questionnaire (LSQ) were instructed using interviewing with participants by our clinical psychologists or, if they were under 14 years, with their parents. Besides, demographic data (i.e., gender, age, location, race, nation, and religion) of participants were also collected. Results: The results showed that, except for the physical activity and well-being, other remaining factors have a significant correlation with psychiatric disorders (P < 0.05). The exact p-value for each factor was as follow: physical health (P = 0.007), sports and well-being (P = 0.057), weight control and nutrition (P = 0.001), prevention of diseases (P = 0.04), mental health-cognitive (P = 0.05), spiritual health (P = 0.008), social health (P = 0.05), drug avoidance (P = 0.001), accident prevention (P = 0.02), and environmental health (P = 0.001). Also, we found that the overall effect of lifestyle was significantly associated with children and adolescent mental disorders (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings show a significant role for lifestyle in the children and adolescents psychiatric disorders. So it should be considered in more detail in future studies. © 2020, Author(s)

Statistical model for earthquake economic loss estimation using GDP and DPI: a case study from Iran

As earthquakes can result in multi-dimensional negative consequences such as human loss and building damage, the ability to make accurate economic loss estimations immediately after the occurrence is crucial. Unfortunately, in many earthquake-stricken countries such as Iran, governments are often unable to quickly or accurately assess post-earthquake losses. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to extend the model developed by Chan et al. (Nat Hazards 17:269–283, 1998) to two independent variables to develop an earthquake economic loss estimation method based on the economic and socio-economic indices gross domestic product (GDP) and disposable personal income (DPI) and a seismic hazard probability function. A global cell map is also considered to assess the GDP and DPI based on the population in each cell affected by the earthquake. In the final stage, using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, 18 earthquake damaged areas in Iran are taken as case study to estimate the economic losses using the new model presented in this paper