Gender and Disability Inclusion in Post-Disaster Rebuilding ‘Build Back Better’ Programmes in Sri Lanka: A Literature Review

In the last decade, many South Asian developing countries have suffered natural dis-asters. Severe disaster destruction results in an overwhelming need to rebuild hous-ing and infrastructure within a brief amount of time. United Nation Development Programme has sought to make this reconstruction program a "Build Back Better (BBB)" opportunity, hence gender inequality and marginalisation of people with disa-bilities remain a problem in many countries. Although the international community has sought to promote this resilience and inclusion, the Post-Disaster Rebuilding (PDR) process still overlooks these sectors of society and their needs. Therefore, this paper aims to bring in literature synthesis addressing gender and disability inclusion in PDR ‘BBB’ programmes in Sri Lanka. Besides, involvement in the mitigation of vulnerability and community resilience to disaster risks and relocation was found to play a significant role. Vulnerability and the risk of disasters can be dramatically re-duced by ensuring a culture of disaster prevention and resilience for all segments of populations, particularly rural areas, girls and women, and the disabled. All aspects of socially inclusive, formal, and non-formal commitments are important to take their desires and requirement into consideration

Integrated modeling of nitrate contamination of groundwater in agriculture-dominated watersheds

This paper presents and implements a framework for modeling the impact of land use practices and protection alternatives on nitrate pollution of groundwater in agricultural watersheds. The framework utilizes the national land cover database (NLCD) of the United State Geological Survey (USGS) grid and a geographic information system (GIS) to account for the spatial distribution of on-ground nitrogen sources and corresponding loadings. The framework employs a soil nitrogen dynamic model to estimate nitrate leaching to groundwater. These estimates were used in developing a groundwater nitrate fate and transport model. The framework considers both point and non-point sources of nitrogen across different land use classes. The methodology was applied for the Sumas–Blaine aquifer of Washington State, US, where heavy dairy industry and berry plantations are concentrated. Simulations were carried out using the developed framework to evaluate the overall impacts of current land use practices and the efficiency of proposed protection alternatives on nitrate pollution in the aquifer

Modular neural network to predict the distribution of nitrate in ground water using on-ground nitrogen loading and recharge data

Artificial neural networks have proven to be an attractive mathematical tool to represent complex relationships in many branches of hydrology. Due to this attractive feature, neural networks are increasingly being applied in subsurface modeling where intricate physical processes and lack of detailed field data prevail. In this paper, a methodology using modular neural networks (MNN) is proposed to simulate the nitrate concentrations in an agriculture-dominated aquifer. The methodology relies on geographic information system (GIS) tools in the preparation and processing of the MNN input–output data. The basic premise followed in developing the MNN input–output response patterns is to designate the optimal radius of a specified circular-buffered zone centered by the nitrate receptor so that the input parameters at the upgradient areas correlate with nitrate concentrations in ground water. A three-step approach that integrates the on-ground nitrogen loadings, soil nitrogen dynamics, and fate and transport in ground water is described and the critical parameters to predict nitrate concentration using MNN are selected. The sensitivity of MNN performance to different MNN architecture is assessed. The applicability of MNN is considered for the Sumas-Blaine aquifer of Washington State using two scenarios corresponding to current land use practices and a proposed protection alternative. The results of MNN are further analyzed and compared to those obtained from a physically-based fate and transport model to evaluate the overall applicability of MNN

Risk Rank Analysis Method for Vulnerabilities in a Network System

Prioritizing on most critical weaknesses in a network system at the correct time is a very important role in network security administration. Due to the complexity and high unpredictability of exploitations it is hard to decide which vulnerabilities and which IP s are at the highest risk at a particular time. Present study proposes a new methodology that enables network administrators to rank vulnerabilities based on the probability of being exploited at a given time using the Markovian process. Markovian process allows us to iterate a transition probability matrix for a network system consisting identified or discovered vulnerabilities. This process result in a steady state with probabilities that a vulnerability will be exploited. Similar approach is used here to develop a risk rank model. Well known Google Page Rank Algorithm also uses a similar approach in estimating the probability of a web surfer reaching a particular webpage. Same concept can be used with several modifications to estimate and rank the risk level of each vulnerability in a network system. New methodology is presented with an example of a small network model with three vulnerabilities

The ANDROID Case Study; Venice and its territory: Existing mitigation options and challenges for the future

The Work Package 7 (Research Futures & Special Interest Groups) of the ANDROID project, within a specific working group, selected Venice and its territory as an emblematic case study of a region that could be affected by cross-border disastrous events. The paper provides a general overview on the topic, trying to organise the large amount of available scientific literature in some strategic cores, identifying undoubted milestones, open questions and future research needs, following a holistic approach to risk assessment. This case study is carried out not only as an engaging exercise, but with the purpose to provide a reference point for scientists and teachers interested to translate multifaceted knowledge into specific solutions. In fact, the paper is strongly linked as a whole to other three ones (presented at the 4th International Conference on Building resilience by WP7 group participants), which deepen respectively hazard, vulnerability/resilience, and mitigation about the site taken into consideration. Furthermore, the City of Venice takes part to the UNISDR Program “Making Cities Resilient”, and planned a robust intervention, consisting in the realisation of mobile dikes located at the openings of the lagoon (MOSE project, almost terminated), which has been strongly debated since the beginning, due to possible negative consequences on the environment. At last, the paper analyses drawbacks and benefits of the above said intervention, and suggests further proposals for the global safeguard of Venice and its lagoon

Luteinized Ovarian Thecoma in a Postmenopausal Women Presenting with Virilization

We report a case of luteinizing thecoma in a 58-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with progressive androgenic features and hypertension of one year duration. She did not notice a significant change in her body weight or appetite. Her total serum testosterone level was 4.5 ng/mL. Ultrasound scan revealed a normal-sized uterus and a right-sided solid ovarian mass of 5 cm × 5 cm. Left ovary was normal. She had a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and an omentectomy performed. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of luteinized thecoma. This case illustrates the necessity to consider the rare possibility of luteinized ovarian thecoma as a cause for virilization in a menopausal woman

Inclusion of marginalised communities during post-disaster context in Sri Lanka: what methodology?

Research methodology is a general research strategy that defines how research should be carried out. It includes a system of beliefs and philosophical assumptions that shape the understanding of the research questions and underpins the choice of research methods. Additionally, research methodology is an integral part of any research and helps to ensure consistency between chosen tools, techniques, and underlying philosophy. Therefore, this article shows the perspectives to choose the most effective methodology to increase the inclusion of marginalised communities during the post-disaster phase in Sri Lanka. A systematic literature review comprising of 61 articles adopted as the best-suited methodology for this research. The philosophical position of this research is interpretivism, whereas the abductive approach is utilised for theory development. Hence, more than one qualitative data collection method is used, and this research adopts a multi-method qualitative approach. Furthermore, case study and survey strategies are chosen as the most suitable strategies for this research. Two Grama Niladhari divisions affected by natural disasters in Sri Lanka are selected as the cases. Data collection techniques adopted in this research are literature review, structured interviews, desk study, stakeholder interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and expert validation interviews. Data analysis techniques are literature synthesis, relative importance index, stakeholder analysis, and code-based content analysis. Furthermore, the article discusses how researchers achieve the reliability and validity of research findings and ethical considerations

Educating for Environmental Practices: An Assessment from Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com) Undergraduates in Sri Lankan State Universities

Scholarly attention on environmental literacy has been increased in recent years since the knowledge level and interest in environmental issues are decisive to engage in environmental protection functions. The study aims to investigate the environmental literacy level believing that understanding the level of environmental literacy will lead to influence attitudinal changes and actions of undergraduates towards environment. Total number of 650 Bachelor of Commerce undergraduates in state universities of Sri Lanka were selected as the sample of the study. A self-administered structured questionnaire was administered to collect data on the environmental literacy level, the interest and the activity engagement in environmental activities of the respondents. The regression-based path analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the constructs. Based on the descriptive analysis, there was low level of environmental literacy of the selected undergraduates in this study. The overall level of interest in environmental issues and the level of engagement in environmental activities were moderate. The regression-based path analysis indicated that environmental literacy as well as the environmental interest were significant predictors for environmental engagement. Further, interest in environmental issues mediated the relationship between the environmental literacy and the actual engagement in environmental activities. The study exclusively examined the relationship between the undergraduates' knowledge level of the environment and the interest in environmental issues and also examined the factors that influence undergraduates' participation in activities that promote sustainability of the environment, which has been neglected by prior studies. The results facilitate to recommend that the degree programmes should be integrated with environmental areas where such knowledge could lead to promote the interest and the action towards the environmental activities. Keywords Bachelor of Commerce undergraduates, Comparative study, Environmental literacy, Sustainabilit

Effective Stakeholder Management for Inclusive Post-Flood Management: Sri Lanka as a Case Study

This study aimed to examine post-flood management, with a particular focus on enhancing the inclusivity of marginalised communities through stakeholder analysis. This study was based on an interpretivist mixed method approach, under which 30 semi-structured stakeholder interviews were conducted. Interest versus power versus actual engagement matrix, social network analysis, and thematic analysis techniques were employed under the stakeholder analysis tool to analyse the collected data. The findings highlight the lack of clearly defined responsibilities among key stakeholders. Marginalised communities and community-based organisations have a high level of interests but a low level of power in decision making, resulting in weak engagement and the exclusion of their perceptions. This lack of collaboration and coordination among stakeholders has made marginalised communities more vulnerable in post-flood situations, as their interests are not defended. The findings emphasise the importance of conducting stakeholder analysis in the decision-making process to enhance stakeholder engagement and interaction, as well as promote inclusivity of marginalised communities in the post-flood recovery efforts of the government. Finally, this study recommends developing strategies to improve collaboration among stakeholders, fostering inclusiveness and customising these strategies according to the different types of stakeholders identified through stakeholder analysis

Pressure-induced collapsed-tetragonal phase in SrCo2As2

We present high-energy x-ray diffraction data under applied pressures up to p = 29 GPa, neutron diffraction measurements up to p = 1.1 GPa, and electrical resistance measurements up to p = 5.9 GPa, on SrCo2As2. Our x-ray diffraction data demonstrate that there is a first-order transition between the tetragonal (T) and collapsed-tetragonal (cT) phases, with an onset above approximately 6 GPa at T = 7 K. The pressure for the onset of the cT phase and the range of coexistence between the T and cT phases appears to be nearly temperature independent. The compressibility along the a-axis is the same for the T and cT phases whereas, along the c-axis, the cT phase is significantly stiffer, which may be due to the formation of an As-As bond in the cT phase. Our resistivity measurements found no evidence of superconductivity in SrCo2As2 for p <= 5.9 GPa and T >= 1.8 K. The resistivity data also show signatures consistent with a pressure-induced phase transition for p >= 5.5 GPa. Single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements performed up to 1.1 GPa in the T phase found no evidence of stripe-type or A-type antiferromagnetic ordering down to 10 K. Spin-polarized total-energy calculations demonstrate that the cT phase is the stable phase at high pressure with a c/a ratio of 2.54. Furthermore, these calculations indicate that the cT phase of SrCo2As2 should manifest either A-type antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic order.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure