Gender equity in disaster early warning systems

Capacities of societies, communities and individuals or a social-ecological system to deal with adverse consequences and the impacts of hazard events define the resilience. New and innovative Emergency Communications, Warning Systems (ECWS) technologies and solutions improve resilience of the nations. Research shows that different types of systems (e.g. decision support, resource management, early warning, communications, and inter-agency) are highly valued in emergency and disaster events reducing live losses. As many individuals have online access today and young women have increased their online communication and young men tend to explore technology resources, the potential of using user friendly third revolution digital technology such as semantic features and devices (e.g. SMART phones) have the potential to improve the access to early warning/risk in-formation supporting community decision making saving lives. These personal and social relations that reflect gender dimensions can certainly be examined improving resilience making communities more prepared for disasters with proactive decision making for early warning. Fostering awareness about gender equity which is the recognition of women and men as active participants in development can tailor made within the context of resilience and more specifically within early warning systems saving lives of the people at immediate risk including the dependence of mother’s care (children and older people). In this context, this paper attempts to synthesis literature on the topic of gender equity within disaster early warning systems

Third Revolution Digital Technology in Disaster Early Warning

Networking societies with electronic based technologies can change social morphology, where key social structures and activities are organized around electronically processed information networks. The application of information and communications technologies (ICT) has been shown to have a positive impact across the emergency or disaster lifecycle. For example, utility of mobile, internet and social network technology, commercial and amateur radio networks, television and video networks and open access technologies for processing data and distributing information can be highlighted. Early warning is the key function during an emergency. Early warning system is an interrelated set of hazard warning, risk assessment, communication and preparedness activities that enable individuals, communities, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce their risks. Third revolution digital technology with semantic features such as standard protocols can facilitate standard data exchange therefore proactive decision making. As a result, people belong to any given hierarchy can access the information simultaneously and make decisions on their own challenging the traditional power relations. Within this context, this paper attempts to explore the use of third revolution digital technology for improving early warning

Internet-Enabled Digital Technology in Tsunami Early Warning (TEW): Gender Equity in Perspective

Despite the scientific and technological progress made in coping with disasters, many lives are still lost due to gaps in warning communication. There is an overrepresentation of women in the disaster death toll, particularly in the tsunami death toll, which highlights women’s poor capacity for response and lack of access to Tsunami Early Warning (TEW). For instance, according to the latest tsunami statistics, in the tsunami in Central Sulawesi in Indonesia on Friday 28 September 2018, 2,077 casualties were recorded, with women being overrepresented. The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 killed more women than men in the worst affected areas, including the Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima regions. Consequently, 8,363 female and 7,360 male casualties were recorded. In the Indian Oceanic tsunami of 2004, in the tsunami-affected areas of Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka, approximately two-thirds of the dead were confirmed as being female. The lack of access to TEW and women’s poor ability to respond resulted in the overrepresentation of women in tsunami death tolls. This is despite the Sendai Framework for Action (SFDRR) emphasising the importance of Early Warning Systems (EWS) in meeting the needs of the end-user considering the gender aspects. Another aspect in TEW is the gender-based internet interaction that also provides space for rescuing gender-based potentials. For example, social media facilitates online interaction for women, which transforms them into informed decision-makers in TEW. Therefore, in the present research, the research problem was identified as the need to improve gender equity within TEW using the internet. The overall research aim was established as the critical examination of the impact of internet-enabled digital technology on gender equity within TEW. In this research, multiple case studies were conducted in Sri Lanka, where an overall TEW framework with gender equity and internet interaction aspects is absent. The case studies were conducted in three tsunami-affected municipal council areas, namely Galle, Batticaloa, and Hambantota. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 experts. Consequently, 38 semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted with 290 respondents. Thematic analysis and computer software N Vivo 11 and SPSS 24 were adopted to organise and analyse the data. A triangulation technique was used to validate the findings. As per the findings, four critical components were identified in a gender-sensitive, internet-enabled, people-centred TEW system, such as risk knowledge for preparedness, monitoring and warning service for preparedness, dissemination and communication using the internet, and community responding capacity with the gender equity perspective. It is in this context that a framework of strategies was developed as the main research outcome. In conclusion, the identification of women as key actors in TEW at the strategic level – catering to men’s and women’s strategic and practical needs in TEW and recognising the usefulness of social media networks, smartphones, mobile internet, and digital risk information for non-hierarchical decision-making – has become important and instrumental in making the TEW system effective. The present research will have a vital impact on the national, regional, and global scale, enabling policymakers, academics, researchers and practitioners, and the communities at risk to make informed decisions for saving lives. The present thesis is organised into eight chapters: introduction, literature review, conceptual framework, methodology, case study analysis and discussion, expert interview analysis and discussion, findings, and conclusions

Creeper legume, in conjunction with biochar, is a potential tool to minimize soil erosion

Accelerated soil erosion and landslides are destructive consequences of road development and intensive agriculture in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Properly designed vegetation covers can play a vital role in erosion control. Identifying a plant that can adapt to eroded land with a low-nutrient supply is critical for natural erosion management. A perennial creeper legume, Vigna marina, adaptable for marginal lands and used to control soil erosion in Australia, was introduced to Sri Lanka via the 2004 tsunami. The objective of this study was to assess V. marina under five different soil substrates, including a reference treatment (RT) recommended for optimal legume growth and subsoil (SS) and decomposing parent materials (DPM) without or with 20% Pinus wood biochar (SSb, DPMb). The growth parameters of V. marina were in the order RT \u3e SSb = DPMb \u3e SS = DPM. Following V. marina growth, nitrogen (N) content in DPM and DPMb increased from non-detectable to 1.83 and 0.99 mg g−1, respectively. The SSb and SS recorded an increase in N by 1.38 and 0.77 mg g−1, respectively. The RT lost soil N by 3.31 mg g−1. Compared to the RT, root nodules were 3× in SSb and DPMb, 2× in SS, and \u3e2× in DPM. Amending SS and DPM with biochar enhanced the growth of V. marina. The V. marina, in conjunction with biochar, can be an effective tool to provide vegetative cover to exposed soils and, thus, minimize soil erosion on road cuts and other land resources

Creeper legume, in conjunction with biochar, is a potential tool to minimize soil erosion

Abstract Accelerated soil erosion and landslides are destructive consequences of road development and intensive agriculture in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Properly designed vegetation covers can play a vital role in erosion control. Identifying a plant that can adapt to eroded land with a low‐nutrient supply is critical for natural erosion management. A perennial creeper legume, Vigna marina, adaptable for marginal lands and used to control soil erosion in Australia, was introduced to Sri Lanka via the 2004 tsunami. The objective of this study was to assess V. marina under five different soil substrates, including a reference treatment (RT) recommended for optimal legume growth and subsoil (SS) and decomposing parent materials (DPM) without or with 20% Pinus wood biochar (SSb, DPMb). The growth parameters of V. marina were in the order RT > SSb = DPMb > SS = DPM. Following V. marina growth, nitrogen (N) content in DPM and DPMb increased from non‐detectable to 1.83 and 0.99 mg g−1, respectively. The SSb and SS recorded an increase in N by 1.38 and 0.77 mg g−1, respectively. The RT lost soil N by 3.31 mg g−1. Compared to the RT, root nodules were 3× in SSb and DPMb, 2× in SS, and >2× in DPM. Amending SS and DPM with biochar enhanced the growth of V. marina. The V. marina, in conjunction with biochar, can be an effective tool to provide vegetative cover to exposed soils and, thus, minimize soil erosion on road cuts and other land resources