Impact of Natural Disasters on Sustainability and Well-being: A Research Report

This research report delves into the profound impact of natural disasters on the sustainability and well-being of individuals and economies. It examines the multifaceted consequences of these events, exploring their effects on environmental, social, and economic aspects. The report draws upon a comprehensive literature review, utilizing both primary and secondary data sources to provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges posed by natural disasters. It further analyzes the role of government initiatives and community engagement in mitigating the impact of these events, highlighting the importance of preparedness and resilience in disaster-prone regions.

ASSESSMENT 2 S118: RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
IN GLOBAL LEARNING
Impact of natural disaster on sustainability and well being
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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
The Problem...............................................................................................................................3
The clarity of goals and objectives of the research and appropriateness...................................4
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................5
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework.......................................................................................8
Research Variables.....................................................................................................................9
Research Aims...........................................................................................................................9
Hypotheses.................................................................................................................................9
Research Methodology.............................................................................................................10
Research Design.......................................................................................................................10
Sampling Methods...................................................................................................................10
Role of the researcher in the study and appropriateness..........................................................10
Data Collection Methods..........................................................................................................11
Data analysis methods..............................................................................................................11
Interpretation and Discussion of Findings...............................................................................12
Issues related to validity, reliability and trustworthiness.........................................................12
Recommendations for future research.....................................................................................12
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................14
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Introduction
The research report provided below majorly aims at identification and analysis of the pact
that is levied by the natural disasters on the sustainability and wellbeing of the individuals. In
order to resent the information, the research has been crucially based on the information
which has been extracted from valid and published sources. It should be noted that the
research is based on the secondary as well as primary sources. The impact of the disasters in
the economy are multidimensional and it should be noticed that even after occurrence of
these disasters the economy required time to recover from the same which is not only a
wastage of resources of the country but this also impacts the wellbeing of the environment
(Selmi et. al., 2015). The research is inclusive of literature review which will help the reader
to gain deeper insights on the topic. The literature review is based on secondary sources of
data collection.
The Problem
The natural disasters are caused due to varied reasons which are inclusive of hydro-
meteorological, geophysical, climatological and biological phenomena that have an adverse
impact on the naturally built environment as well as the wellbeing of the individuals
surrounding the place where the disasters occur. At times it has been found that when the
disasters are adverse, in such cases the impact of these disasters and the amount of toll they
imply on the sustainable development of an economy or individuals is generally high. In this
research report, the issue is the impact of these disasters on the wellbeing and sustainability
and the researcher will also identify the issues that are being faced by the communities due to
the natural disasters. In order to identify the same the research will be inclusive of the
primary as well as secondary sources of research that would be presented taking into
consideration the qualitative and quantitative data sources.
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The clarity of goals and objectives of the research and appropriateness
In order to ensure that the research is valid and appropriate, it has been ensured by the
researcher that the data sources and information have been collected through valid sources
and the data is also latest. It has also been ensured that the data is realistic in nature and is
based on the incidents that have occurred in the past. Apart from this, it has also been made
sure that the research is mainly based on published and validated articles and case studies.
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Literature Review
As per Rogers et. al., (2012), the disasters can be categorised in many forms which are
entirely depending upon the nature of the disaster that takes place. It should be noted and it
has been identified that the disasters that take place in the economy are majorly based upon
the situation and thus can be stated as an expression of the vulnerability of the humans and
other resources. It can also be said that the disasters are the state of uncertainty in which the
consequences at times may be such that they might be hard to ignore and the full
responsibility of these disasters falls on the shoulders of the government of the country where
the disasters have taken its toll upon. The disasters can be of various kinds and activities. The
nature of disasters it entirely dependent upon the origin of these disasters such as the disasters
due to natural forces are earthquakes, extreme temperature, fires, cyclones and environmental
hazards. Apart from this, there are various man-made disasters as well which may occur due
to technical failures in a factory, plant etc. Nowadays it has been found that the sustainability
of the environment and the economy along with the wellbeing of humans is at a global risk
due to occurrence of these disasters which makes it even more important for the government
to take essential and necessary steps such that these issues can be resolved in an effective and
efficient manner. This can be well understood by taking into consideration the flood that hit
Chicago on April 13, 1992, which almost 230 buildings were destroyed with severe damage
to many more along with a bad impact on the power supply in the country. Apart from this,
the earthquake that took its toll in San Francisco in the year 1993 on 26 February, resulted in
the collapse of Bay Bridge due to which the business in the city was stopped and affected
badly as this was one of the major routes connecting the city (Rogers et. al., 2012). Thus it
can be said that the disasters may occur from various sources and no matter what their origin
is, their impact is highly destructive and levies huge toll on the wellbeing and sustainability.
As stated by Howitt et. al., (2012), the natural disasters can be further stated as the inevitable
event in which the environment is affected in a harmful manner. These disasters not only
result in the loss of human lives in a large amount but also affect the economy of region in a
manner in which it has been found that the time required to overcome the issues that have
hampered the sustainable development might be more. The major issue with the occurrence
of natural disasters is that they are not predictable nor it can be avoided which is one of the
major reasons for the government not being prepared for these disasters and this is the reason
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why the destruction caused by natural disasters is seen on the mass levels (Howitt et. al.,
2012).
Patton & Johnston (2017), states that in order to analyse the impact of the disaster and
prepare the mitigation strategies for the same, it is important that the magnitude of the
disasters should be well understood. Here it is important to identify and determine that if the
area is affected directly or indirectly. The direct impacts are the impacts on the place where
the disasters have actually happened while on the contrary, the indirect places a1re the
surroundings of the eyeball of the disaster. It is important that at the time of the occurrence of
a disaster, the citizens of the country should move towards a safer place such that they might
be able to avoid the harmful impacts of the disaster (Patton & Johnston, 2017). In general
cases, it has been found that in the case of occurrence of the disasters the people move
towards another city in order to find the basic amenities such as food, shelter and other
essential facilities.
According to Hall et. al. (2016), in order to cope up with these situations, it has been found
that the government of the countries try their best such that the impact of the disasters can be
reduced to a significant amount and the wellbeing and sustainable development of the
economy and environment is not affected. It has been found that in some disaster-prone
countries such as America, South Asian nations, Australia etc. there is disaster management
cell which is in full function while on some counties it is evident that the laws and regulations
have been set up which comes into force as soon as the disasters occur. The main aim of the
laws and regulations is to reduce the impact of these disasters as soon as they occur. It has
also been found that there are certain examples where the plans are made in order to recover
from the disasters in an effective and efficient manner but these plans were made in earlier
times and in accordance with the current scenario, these pans have been found outdated and
obsolete. The number of people that are working in the disaster management force is not
effectively trained which is another major issue to be addressed. Also, it has been found that
these plans after the occurrence of the disasters take too much time to be implemented and
thus it can be said that this is not an easy task. Mostly it has been found that the short-term
plans have been made in case any disaster occurs and immediately after the disaster has
finished its toll, these plans go into vain and dismantled. In order to ensure that the disaster
management plans work in an effective and efficient manner, it is the duty of the community
that surrounds the disaster to take effective and efficient measures such that the
implementation of the plans in an enhanced manner can be ensured (Hall et. al., 2016). This
can help the disaster management teams to come up the practical potentials such that the
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worst outcomes can be resolved and avoided for the betterment of the society and wellbeing
of the individuals.
Thus it can be stated that the toll that is implied by the natural disasters on the sustainability
of the environment and the economy of the country is rather huge and they imply a
significant economic, environmental and social impacts which may cause a huge loss to the
country. This makes important to be prepared for the disasters in an effective and efficient
manner. The major issue that increased the impact of these disasters is the unpredictable and
unavoidable nature. This makes it important for the government of the country and the
community to make sure that the strategies have been developed and implemented in advance
such that the impact can be reduced.
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Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
The research is based on the theoretical framework which is created by the researcher himself
such that the research can be completed in a structured manner. In order to gain the insights
on this theoretical framework the insights from “The 10 Steps and relative questions outlined
by Leedy and Ormrod” have been taken into consideration. It should be noted that the
research is effectively based on qualitative as well as quantitative data (Morris et. al., 2016).
The framework of the research has been presented below as follows:
Image: The 10 Steps and relative questions outlined by Leedy and Ormrod
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Research Variables
The research variables can be defined as the constraints on which the research is based. The
research variables can be further divided into then independent and the dependent variables.
Independent variables can also be stated as the primary or the main variables which do not
need any other constraint to be defined. On the other hand, the dependent variables are the
secondary variables which are a vase on the independent variables to be defined. The
research variables in this research have been stated below as follows:
 Independent variable: The impact of disasters on an economy in financial terms
 Dependent variable: the impact of disasters on sustainability and wellbeing of
environment and humans
Research Aims
The main goals and aims of the research have been provided below as follows
 The main aim of the research is to identify the impact that is implied by the natural
disasters on the sustainability and well-being of the economy as well as of the
individuals.
 The secondary aim of the research is to identify the reoccurrence of the disasters in
the certain areas.
 The research also aims at identifying and analysing the steps taken by the government
of certain countries in order to reduce the impact of disasters on the economy.
Hypotheses
Null Hypotheses: The prevention measures taken by the government of the country would
not have helped in the reducing the impact of disasters and also avoiding the harmful
consequences.
Alternate Hypotheses: The prevention measured taken by the government of the country can
effectively and efficiently help in the reducing the impact of the natural disasters and also
help in the recovery of the economy.
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Research Methodology
In order to collect the data to complete the research the research methodology that was
carried is the use of secondary analysis of data. In the secondary data analysis methodology,
the data was collected from various qualitative and quantitative sources. In order to collect
the data from the quantitative sources the old data from the government website and
published journals were used. It should be noted that the qualitative data for this research
have also been collected through the secondary sources such as books, journals and articles.
Apart from this, it has further been identified that the research methods in this research are
based on latest sources which have helped in ensuring the validity and reliability of the data
used (Taylor et. al., 2015).
Research Design
The research has been completed and designed on the basis of the qualitative data that has
been collected from various secondary sources. In order to complete this research, it has been
identified that the research is completed on the theoretical framework which has been
provided by Leedy and Ormrod. This theoretical framework has 10 bifurcations to the
research and this has presented the basic structure for the research to be completed. Apart
from this, it should also be noted that the research is inclusive of various quantitative and
qualitative data sources both of which have been collected through the secondary sources
which have been included in this research (Mackey & Gass, 2015).
Sampling Methods
In order to collect the data the sampling method that was used in order to gather the resources
is the method of random sampling. In this sampling method, the sources are collected from
random sources such that the biases from the data can be reduced in an effective and efficient
manner. It should also be noted that this method has helped the researcher in avoiding any
kind of duplication that might be present in the sources of information (Emerson, 2015).
Role of the researcher in the study and appropriateness
The role that has been played by the researcher in ensuring the appropriateness of the study is
majorly affected by the researcher and it should also be noted that in this research it has been
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made sure that there is no duplicity of the data. Apart from this, the researcher has also made
sure that the sources that have been collected in order to extract the information are valid and
latest which have further increased the appropriateness of the research.
Data Collection Methods
In order to complete this research, the data have been collected from the secondary sources of
data which are the pre-existing sources of information. The data has been collected in the
form of qualitative as well as quantitative manner.
Data analysis methods
In order to analyse the data, the method of content reading has been used. In this method, the
researcher has given a thorough reading of the data to ensure that the data collected is not
biased and also the data is in accordance with the latest reports and statistics. Apart from this,
the analysis of the quantitative data has been done through various analysis tools such as
regression, correlation, t-test, ANOVA etc. (Silverman, 2016).
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Interpretation and Discussion of Findings
The findings of this assignment have been presented below as follows:
 The impact of natural disasters on the economy is huge which is also dependent on
the magnitude of the disasters that have taken place.
 It is important for the government of the country to make sure that precautionary
measures should be taken.
 It is also essential that the government of the country should take initiatives and
measured to reduce the impact of these disasters.
 Engagement of the local community with the disaster management team can help in
prevention and reduction in the disaster impacts (Blaikie et. al., 2014).
Issues related to validity, reliability and trustworthiness
It should be noted that when the data is collected from the secondary sources the issues of
duplicity arises which at times may give rise to problems related to validity, reliability and
trustworthiness. In order to eradicate the same, the researcher has induced the personal
experiences in the research.
Recommendations for future research
The recommendations for the future research have been stated below as follows:
 The data collected should be both primary and secondary.
 There is need of including more quantitative data.
 It should be made sure that the research is completed in time.
 It should also be made sure that there is no amount of duplicity available in the data.
Conclusion
From the research paper provided above, it can further be concluded from the research that
the toll that is implied by the natural disasters on the sustainability and well-being of the
economy and the humans is not only disturbing but have other after effects as well. In order
to ensure that the economy is prepared to face the disasters, it is the duty of the government
of the country to make sure that strategies have been implemented and are effective in nature.
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Apart from this, it is also important to ensure that effective application of the framework has
been implemented in order to complete the research.
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References
 Aitsi-Selmi, A., Egawa, S., Sasaki, H., Wannous, C., & Murray, V. (2015). The
Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction: Renewing the global commitment to
people’s resilience, health, and well-being. International Journal of Disaster Risk
Science, 6(2), 164-176.
 Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., Davis, I., & Wisner, B. (2014). At risk: natural hazards,
people's vulnerability and disasters. Routledge.
 Emerson, R. W. (2015). Convenience sampling, random sampling, and snowball
sampling: How does sampling affect the validity of research?. Journal of Visual
Impairment & Blindness (Online), 109(2), 164.
 Hall, C. M., Malinen, S., & Vosslamber, R. (2016). Introduction: The business,
organisational and destination impacts of natural disasters–the Christchurch
earthquakes 2010–2011. In Business and Post-disaster Management (pp. 17-34).
Routledge.
 Howitt, R., Havnen, O., & Veland, S. (2012). Natural and unnatural disasters:
Responding with respect for indigenous rights and knowledge. Geographical
Research, 50(1), 47-59.
 Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2015). Second language research: Methodology and
design. Routledge.
 Morris, B. A., Harvey, D., Robinson, K. P., & Cook, S. C. (2016, July). Issues in
Conceptual Design and MBSE Successes: Insights from the Model‐Based Conceptual
Design Surveys. In INCOSE International Symposium (Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 269-282).
 Paton, D., & Johnston, D. (2017). Disaster resilience: an integrated approach.
Charles C Thomas Publisher.
 Rogers, D. S., Duraiappah, A. K., Antons, D. C., Munoz, P., Bai, X., Fragkias, M., &
Gutscher, H. (2012). A vision for human well-being: transition to social
sustainability. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 4(1), 61-73.
 Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage.
 Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research
methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
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