Developing countries in the global south that contribute less to climate change have suffered greater from its impacts, such as extreme climatic events and disasters compared to developed countries, causing climate justice concerns globally. Ho Chi Minh City has experienced increased intensity and frequency of climate change-induced urban floods, causing socio-economic damage that disturbs their livelihoods while urban populations continue to grow. This study aims to establish a citywide flood risk map to inform risk management in the city and address climate justice locally. This study applied a flood risk assessment framework integrating a coupled nature–human approach and examined the spatial distribution of urban flood hazard and urban flood vulnerability. A flood hazard map was generated using selected morphological and hydro-meteorological indicators. A flood vulnerability map was generated based on a literature review and a social survey weighed by experts’ priorities using the Fuzzy Delphi Method and Analytic Network Process. Vulnerability indicators including demographic characteristics, infrastructure, and land use patterns were used to generate a flood vulnerability map. The results illustrate that almost the entire central and northeastern parts of the city are at high flood risk, whereas the western part is at low flood risk. The findings have implications in urban planning via identifying risk hot spots in order to prioritize resources for mitigating hazards and enhancing community resilience to urban floods.
1 December 2021 in Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a public health crisis globally. Against the backdrop of global resilience, studies have demonstrated the therapeutic value of home gardening as a measure to strengthen human health. However, there is a lack of comparative studies on its benefits across countries. Studies need to examine the role of home gardening in improving public health in various societies to understand and encourage this practice broadly and effectively. We chose Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam as case studies, which have suffered substantial pandemic impacts, with millions of infections and thousands of deaths. We explored and compared the perceptions of people on home gardening and its health benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted online surveys in three countries between May 1 and September 30, 2022, with a total of 1172 participants. Data were collated on perceived pandemic stress, challenges and solutions in gardening, home gardening intentions, and mental and physical health benefits. In these countries, we found that perceived pandemic stress positively affects home gardening intentions, whereby the motivation of Vietnamese people is the highest. Challenges hinder gardening intentions, while the solutions only positively affect gardening intentions in Taiwan and Vietnam. Home gardening intentions positively affect mental and physical health, whereby there are higher mental health benefits in Taiwanese people than in Thai people. Our findings potentially support public health recovery and promote healthy lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bird species survival and breeding depend on necessary abiotic and biotic components of farmland habitat. A hybrid model based on expert knowledge using Analytic Network Process (ANP) integrated with empirical data is a capable approach for conservation scientists to determine the habitat suitability for bird species. Our study assessed the suitable distribution in the ranges of farmland habitats for bird richness throughout Taiwan, focusing on the regularly occurring birds on farmlands. We established a framework for analyzing potential habitat indicators developed by expert interviews. Then, ANP was employed to compute the weight‐based priorities. By combining habitat indicators, we assessed and presented the spatial distribution of habitat suitability. The results show that southern and eastern regions of Taiwan with high habitat suitability scores cover 60,576.51 ha (27.98%) and 40,531.42 ha (30.09%), respectively. The model has an overall accuracy of 70.40%, showing a capable and reliable approach to assessing habitat suitability for bird richness on farmland. Our study highlights a valuable tool for the policy‐makers through exploring suitable farmland habitat spots, where further conservative practices and prudent biodiversity management should be applied.
28 May 2025 in Journal of Environmental Management