Inclusion

Researchers at the University of Missouri have identified a framework to help victims of domestic violence before, during and after a disaster. The framework does so by building upon the four phases of emergency management: response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness. The aim is for the framework to help communities better address domestic violence.

Mumbai has experienced heavy monsoon rainfall and floods, similar to the floods in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh. The flawed urban infrastructure, unchecked urbanisation, depletion of water bodies, and destruction of mangroves and wetlands have made the city unable to cope. India must regulate urban sprawl to protect its cities from future floods.

The 100-year floodplain is often misunderstood as an area that would flood once every century. The actual meaning is a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year, or a 26 percent chance of being flooded at least once during a typical 30-year mortgage period. As the government fails to communicate the actual risks, home owners underestimate their own risk.

Flood risk management can be improved by integrating disaster risk reduction into rebuilding, as part of the repair process. But several challenges to increasing investment in risk reduction remain in the U.S., including the lack of long-term infrastructure planning and the construction of low-standard houses.

Older people with smaller social networks and those who are less well off are more likely to stay put in the event of a storm. Past storm experiences determine whether people choose to leave or not, though veterans tend to assume that new storms don't get any worse than the previous ones.

Indian cities are unable to cope with the increasing intensity of extreme weather events. Factors such as inadequate stormwater networks, garbage obstructing stormwater drains, and changing urban land use, result in infrastructure that is incapable of dealing with heavy precipitation and flooding.

Women are more likely to be negatively affected by disasters like Hurricane Harvey, a study shows. Disasters exacerbate existing inequalities, meaning marginalized groups tend to get hit the hardest, by reinforcing raced, classed and gendered experiences. To tackle the issue, violence against women needs to be addressed more seriously before and in between disasters.

City engineers are working with the Dutch government on a long-term plan to let the water into New Orleans, drawing inspiration from Amsterdam. New Orleans has already invested in green infrastructure and has ambitions to include permeable ground materials and Dutch-style canals in the future.