Governments, researchers, and humanitarian agencies have increasingly focused on reducing disaster impacts and enhancing the resilience of individuals, households, and communities, as the human and economic costs of natural disaster events have dramatically increased over the past century. Achieving resilience in a disaster context means the ability to survive future natural disasters with minimum loss of life and property as well as the ability to create a greater sense of place among residents, a stronger, more diverse economy, and a more economically integrated and diverse population. However, less attention has been paid to the significance of social capital in a post-disaster context and its contribution in building community resilience. It is very obvious that the contribution of social capital to post-disaster resilience in a Middle Eastern/Saudi Arabian context is virtually unknown. With a focus on the Saudi Arabian context, this research paper develops a social capital framework centered on resilience and post-disaster recovery. To conduct this study, a holistic approach to data collection is followed through questionnaire surveys, structured and non-structured interviews with citizens, and informal discussions with government and major stakeholders related to flash flood disaster management in the City of Jeddah. It is interesting to note that several religious institutions have played important roles in evacuating people and providing help for a quick recovery. In addition, government organizations are taking the recovery process seriously by providing necessary help in the flood-stricken areas. Within the scope of the given framework, the research explores and evaluates the role of social capital in post-disaster recovery efforts through a case study of the 2009 and 2011 Jeddah flash floods.

Soil contamination with indium (In) oxide nanoparticles (In₂O₃-NPs) threatens plant growth and development. However, their toxicity in plants under ambient (aCO₂) and elevated (eCO₂) conditions is scarcely studied. To this end, this study was conducted to investigate In₂O₃-NPs toxicity in the young and old leaves of C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants and to understand the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating impact of eCO₂. Treatment of C3 and C4 plants with In₂O₃-NPs significantly reduced growth and photosynthesis, induced oxidative damage (H₂O₂, lipid peroxidation), and impaired P and Fe homeostasis, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. On the other hand, this phytotoxic hazard was mitigated by eCO₂ which improved both C3 and C4 growth, decreased In accumulation and increased phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) uptake, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. Moreover, the improved photosynthesis by eCO₂ accordingly enhanced carbon availability under the challenge of In₂O₃-NPs that were directed to the elevated production of metabolites involved in antioxidant and detoxification systems. Our physiological and biochemical analyses implicated the role of the antioxidant defenses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) in stress mitigation under eCO₂. This was validated by studying the effect of In₂O₃-stress on a transgenic maize line (TG) constitutively overexpressing the AtFeSOD gene and its wild type (WT). Although it did not alter In accumulation, the TG plants showed improved growth and photosynthesis and reduced oxidative damage. Overall, this work demonstrated that C3 was more sensitive to In₂O₃-NPs stress; however, C4 plants were more responsive to eCO₂. Moreover, it demonstrated the role of SOD in determining the hazardous effect of In₂O₃-NPs.

The devastating effect of COVID-19 has impacted global citizens for the past three years. More than six hundred and forty-six million people have been infected and there have been almost seven million casualties. Consequently, new variants have been discovered in quick succession around the world. Global communities have witnessed cruel fatalities and lost properties and businesses, and experienced the usual activities of service sectors being hampered, including those of post-secondary educational institutions, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately damaged family life and society in general. Emergency management strategies were adopted by educational institutions around the world, including in the Middle East, in order to manage the ongoing pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the emergency response mechanisms to COVID-19 at the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) by interviewing major stakeholders to ascertain their opinions through a cross-sectional survey. A total of 350 responses were recorded from students (64.28%), faculty members (21.42), and staff (14.28). The collected data were analyzed using statistical methods and illustrated using different schemes, graphs, and diagrams. Interestingly, the KAU emergency response plan for COVID-19 was appreciated by the respondents and it has emerged as a success story at a post-secondary educational institution in the KSA.