Understanding water-related multi-hazards in a sustainable development context

Docherty, Julia, Mary (2024). Understanding water-related multi-hazards in a sustainable development context. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Abstract
Water-related multi-hazards have devastating impacts on people around the world. Interdisciplinary research is required, especially in data limited lower- and middle-income countries, on multiple hazards to improve our understanding of space-time patterns and controlling processes. In this thesis, a novel framework for studying water related multi-hazards in a sustainable development context is proposed which provides a powerful tool for analysis and knowledge advancement. Using Nepal as a case study, the framework is applied to investigate the patterns of (co-)occurrence and potential drivers of water-related multi-hazards. In addition, a narrative review is used to conceptualise social vulnerability and recognise the importance of a place-based approach to multi-hazard research. It was found that there is space-time variation in the occurrence and co-occurrence of water-related multi-hazards that appears to be driven by a combination of factors, including large-scale climate, local hydrometeorology, landscape characteristics, and anthropogenic activity. An evaluation of social vulnerability revealed that it is shaped by place-based issues, including coping strategies, and propagates from the intertwining of social and physical processes that arise from multiple scales. This new understanding has potential transferability to a range of multi-hazard contexts and settings worldwide and for use by stakeholders to reduce disaster risk and promote sustainable development.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):