Massey Research Online - Browsing by Author "Johnston D"

Browsing by Author "Johnston D"

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A cross-sectional online survey of depression symptoms among New Zealand’s Asian community in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-09-03) Siegert RJ; Zhu A; Jia X; Ran GJ; French N; Johnston D; Lu J; Liu LS
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated levels of distress and resulted in anti-Asian discrimination in many countries. We aimed to determine the 10-month prevalence of depression symptoms in Asian adults in New Zealand during the pandemic and to see if this was related to experience of racism. An online survey was conducted and a stratified sample of 402 respondents completed the brief Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Analyses included: descriptive statistics, depression scores by age/gender, factor analysis of the 10 item CES-D and partial correlation network analysis of CES-D items together with questions about experience of racism. Results show that half of the sample reported clinically significant symptoms of depression. Depression was higher among younger participants but there was no gender difference. Internal consistency was high (α = 0.85) for the CES-D which revealed a clear two-factor structure. Network analysis suggested that sleeping problems might be the bridge between experiences of racism and depression. The prevalence of low mood was high with clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms. Depression was higher in younger people and had a modest positive correlation with personal experience of racism.
A new mapping tool to visualise critical infrastructure levels of service following a major earthquake
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-01) Mowll R; Anderson MJ; Logan TM; Becker JS; Wotherspoon LM; Stewart C; Johnston D; Neely D
How can emergency management teams communicate to potentially impacted communities what a major event causing infrastructure outages might mean for them, and what they can do to prepare? In this paper we describe the process of creating a webtool for end users to visualise infrastructure outages that the Wellington region of New Zealand would face following a rupture of the Wellington fault. This webtool creates insight for three key groups: critical infrastructure owners, communities, and the emergency management sector itself. Critical infrastructure entities can use the tool to understand where they might consider infrastructure upgrades to mitigate gaps of delivery following a fault rupture, and to consider their emergency response plans for delivery in an emergency (leading to their consideration of ‘planning emergency levels of service’). Communities can use the tool to understand what infrastructure outages will mean at the household level in an emergency, including the considerable distances that some community members will have to walk to access services such as food and water and prepare for prolonged outages. Finally, with a greater knowledge of the gaps in delivery and of those community members that might need assistance with food and water collection, the emergency management sector can be better prepared. The methodology for creating the webtool is described, along with the insights that the completed webtool provides for emergency planning.
A research update on the demography and injury burden of victims of New Zealand earthquakes between 2010 and 2014
(Massey University Press, 2020-06-01) Basharati S; Ardagh M; Deely J; Horspool N; Johnston D; Feldmann-Jensen S; Dierckx A; Than M
This study compared the populations exposed to different shaking intensities of recent New Zealand earthquakes with injury burden, demography, and scene of injury. The population exposed to each earthquake was approximated by overlaying estimates of ground shaking with a model of population distribution for day and night populations. Injury data from all earthquakes and their aftershock periods were analysed for patient age and sex, location, scene of injury, and date of injury. An association was found between population exposed to shaking intensity and injury burden. The total injury burdens for each earthquake were: 2,815 (Darfield, 2010); 9,048 (Christchurch, February 2011); 2,057 (Christchurch, June 2011); 1,385 (Christchurch, December 2011),;106 (Cook Strait, 2013); 166 (Grassmere, 2013); and 49 (Eketahuna, 2014). All earthquakes injured approximately twice as many females as males. Most people who were injured were in the age range of 40-59 years. Two-thirds of injuries occurred at home, followed by 14% in commercial locations and 6.5% on roads and streets. This pattern was repeated within the data for each sex. The results suggest that the total injury burden was positively associated with both the intensity of shaking and size and density of the exposed population. The localities where most injuries occurred suggest that where people were at the time of shaking influenced their risk of injury. Potential explanations for the sex disparity in number of injuries are discussed.
Behavior of bats at wind turbines
(National Academy of Sciences, 2014) Cryan PM; Gorresen PM; Hein CD; Schirmacher M; Diehl R; Huso M; Hayman DTS; Fricker P; Bonaccorso F; Johnston D; Heist K; Dalton D
Wind turbines are causing unprecedented numbers of bat fatalities. Many fatalities involve tree-roosting bats, but reasons for this higher susceptibility remain unknown. To better understand behaviors associated with risk, we monitored bats at three experimentally manipulated wind turbines in Indiana, United States, from July 29 to October 1, 2012, using thermal cameras and other methods. We observed bats on 993 occasions and saw many behaviors, including close approaches, flight loops and dives, hovering, and chases. Most bats altered course toward turbines during observation. Based on these new observations, we tested the hypotheses that wind speed and blade rotation speed influenced the way that bats interacted with turbines. We found that bats were detected more frequently at lower wind speeds and typically approached turbines on the leeward (downwind) side. The proportion of leeward approaches increased with wind speed when blades were prevented from turning, yet decreased when blades could turn. Bats were observed more frequently at turbines on moonlit nights. Taken together, these observations suggest that bats may orient toward turbines by sensing air currents and using vision, and that air turbulence caused by fast-moving blades creates conditions that are less attractive to bats passing in close proximity. Tree bats may respond to streams of air flowing downwind from trees at night while searching for roosts, conspecifics, and nocturnal insect prey that could accumulate in such flows. Fatalities of tree bats at turbines may be the consequence of behaviors that evolved to provide selective advantages when elicited by tall trees, but are now maladaptive when elicited by wind turbines.ines.
Citizen science as a catalyst for community resilience building: A two-phase tsunami case study
(Massey University, 2020-06) Doyle EEH; Lambie E; Orchiston C; Becker JS; McLaren L; Johnston D; Leonard G
The role of citizen science in natural hazard risk awareness, assessment, mitigation, and preparedness is being recognised as an important element of disaster risk reduction. Citizen science has potential as a collaborative resilience building activity that can help build the capacity of, and relationships between, individuals, communities, and institutions to prepare and respond to disaster. Specifically, citizen science can increase resilience by building the collective and self-efficacy of individuals, organisations, and communities as well as other factors such as enhancing planning, coping mechanisms, social capital, community participation, leadership, empowerment, trust, and a sense of community. We present a case study of a two-phased citizen science initiative related to tsunami preparedness and response, undertaken between 2015 and 2016 in Orewa, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. The activities of the first phase acted as a catalyst for the second phase and thus contributed directly to resilience building. Phase One was a citizen-initiated, co-developed survey on tsunami preparedness and intended response. The results from the survey, showing that participants had a low understanding of appropriate response to a potential tsunami threat, were used by community leaders to develop a community preparedness and awareness-building exercise: Phase Two. Phase Two was a joint citizen and agency-facilitated tsunami evacuation exercise “Ahead of the Wave”, with science-led data collection on evacuation numbers and timing. This initiative was aimed at improving the response capacity of a coastal community at risk of tsunami and was initiated by the community itself with support from other agencies. We present an overview of the methodological approaches taken to understand community resilience to tsunami risk in Orewa. Further, we highlight the importance that researchers working in the citizen science space must recognise the time required to invest in co-production and the importance of understanding the different motivations of organisations and individuals.
Community engagement post-disaster: Case studies of the 2006 Matata debris flow and 2010 Darfield earthquake, New Zealand
(The New Zealand Psychological Society, 2011) Collins S; Glavovic B; Johal S; Johnston D; Fitzgerald, J; O'Connor, F; Evans, IM
Engagement and participation are terms used to describe important processes in a democratic society. However, the definition and understanding of these terms is broad and varied. In a disaster context, community engagement and participation are recognised as important processes to support individual and community recovery. What these terms mean, who is responsible for leading engagement, and the processes that are to be used, are important issues that need to be clarified at the onset of recovery, if not before. Despite this, there are often barriers to community members being involved in the recovery process as active and valued participants. These include governance structures that do not adequately recognise the spectrum of community engagement and the power dynamics of information sharing and decision-making. This article discusses two New Zealand case studies where engagement activities were put in place to contribute to the communities’ post disaster recovery.
Creating a ‘planning emergency levels of service’ framework – a silver bullet, or something useful for target practice?
(Elsevier B.V., 2023-06-01) Mowll R; Becker J; Wotherspoon L; Stewart C; Johnston D; Neely D
‘Planning Emergency Levels of Service’ (PELOS) are service delivery goals for infrastructure providers during and after an emergency event. These goals could be delivered through the existing infrastructure (e.g., pipes, lines, cables), or through other means (trucked water or the provision of generators). This paper describes how an operationalised framework of PELOS for the Wellington region, New Zealand was created, alongside the key stakeholders. We undertook interviews and workshops with critical infrastructure entities to create the framework. Through this process we found five themes that informed the context and development of the PELOS framework: interdependencies between critical infrastructure, the need to consider the vulnerabilities of some community members, emergency planning considerations, stakeholders’ willingness to collaborate on this research/project and the flexibility/adaptability of the delivery of infrastructure services following a major event. These themes are all explored in this paper. This research finds that the understanding of the hazardscape and potential outages from hazards is critical and that co-ordination between key stakeholders is essential to create such a framework. This paper may be used to inform the production of PELOS frameworks in other localities.
Evidence-based guidelines for protective actions and earthquake early warning systems
(Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 2022-01-01) McBride SK; Smith H; Morgoch M; Sumy D; Jenkins M; Peek L; Bostrom A; Baldwin D; Reddy E; De Groot R; Becker J; Johnston D; Wood M
Earthquake early warning (EEW) systems are becoming increasingly available or are in development throughout the world. As these systems develop, it is important to provide evidence-based recommendations for protective action so people know how to protect themselves when they receive an alert. However, many factors need to be considered when developing contextually relevant and appropriate recommendations. We have reviewed earthquake injury reports, protective action and communication theories, and behavioral research to determine what factors can guide inquiry and decision making when developing protective action guidelines. Factors that emerge from relevant literature include: (1) social, cultural, and environmental context, such as which people are present, what their social roles are, and in what type of building they are located when an earthquake happens, (2) demographic and experiential variables, such as gender and age as well as previous history with earthquakes; and (3) magnitude and intensity that influence the duration and impacts of the earthquake itself. Although we examine data from around the world, we focus largely on evidence-based recommendations for the U.S. system, ShakeAlert, because it provides a timely case study for understanding how people receive and respond to EEW messages. In addition to synthesizing relevant literature, we recommend pathways forward for this interdisciplinary research community that explores EEW and its application around the world. Consistency in collecting and reporting injury data globally may assist in aligning this fragmented literature to develop a richer understanding of how demographic, cultural, seismic, engineering, and technological issues can be addressed to reduce human suffering due to earthquakes.
Exploring the potential role of citizen science in the warning value chain for high impact weather
(Frontiers Media S.A, 27/09/2022) Tan ML; Hoffmann D; Ebert E; Cui A; Johnston D
Preparing and delivering warnings to the public involves a chain of processes spanning different organizations and stakeholders from numerous disciplines. At each stage of this warning chain, relevant groups apply their expertise, but sharing information and transmission of data between groups is often imperfect. In diverse research fields, citizen science has been valuable in filling gaps through contributing local data. However, there is limited understanding of citizen science's role in bridging gaps in the warning value chain. Citizen science research projects could help improve the various aspects of the warning value chain by providing observations and evaluation, data verification and quality control, engagement and education on warnings, and improvement of accessibility for warnings. This paper explores the research question: How can citizen science contribute to the warning value chain? Two workshops were held with 29 experts on citizen science and the warning value chain to answer this question from a high impact weather perspective. The results from this study have shown that citizens, at individual or collective capacity, interact throughout the chain, and there are many prospects for citizen science projects for observations, weather, hazard, and impact forecasting, to warning communication and decision making. The study also revealed that data quality control is a main challenge for citizen science. Despite having limitations, the findings have shown that citizen science can be a platform for increasing awareness and creating a sense of community that adds value and helps bridge gaps in the warning value chain.
For the greater good? Data and disasters in a post-COVID world
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2021-01-01) O’Connor H; Hopkins WJ; Johnston D
The use of information technology during the COVID-19 pandemic raises significant questions around the protection of personal data in a disaster. This paper considers how the clear benefits of using and sharing such data in disaster scenarios can be achieved while recognising an individual’s right to privacy through examining the experiences of Taiwan and New Zealand. These states represent two successful COVID-19 response strategies which utilised different approaches to the use of technology. In Taiwan, the response made significant use of personal data and information technology. New Zealand, by contrast, has relied upon stringent lockdowns and extreme limits upon personal freedoms. The paper considers the different approaches to data and privacy that underpinned these responses and considers whether New Zealand can learn from the Taiwanese experience in future disaster planning. In doing so, the paper concludes by examining the wider question of when and if the community’s expectation of a safe environment should trump the rights of individuals to retain personal data both in the context of pandemics and in other emergency or disaster scenarios. It also raises deeper questions, exposed by the COVID-19 response, about whether our current approach to privacy is sustainable in the digital age.
Get prepared: Discourse for the privileged?
(Elsevier, 6/09/2017) Blake DD; Marlowe J; Johnston D
Being prepared for a disaster is an important strategy for reducing physical, social, psychological and cultural harm. Preparedness practices mitigate the immediate impacts of a disaster while also enabling people to respond to and cope with any ongoing consequences. However, not all people have the ability to prepare. This paper queries how preparedness discourses impact on people without financial means, capacity or support to prepare. The work situates preparedness within a neoliberal system that is preoccupied with risk management as an economic cost reducing exercise. It highlights that without the ability to feel safe and achieve ontological security in a disaster, people can experience instability and mental health is compromised. It questions disaster preparedness texts that produce a form of structural violence, preventing the ability to have needs meet, while privileging agency to some and denying it to others. Government documents and preparedness websites from Aotearoa/New Zealand are outlined to highlight the frequently ignored preparedness needs of vulnerable groups. The role of research in preparedness activities is also discussed. People working in the emergency management space should contest the socio-political conditions that produce increased risk for disadvantaged groups.
Getting through: Children's effective coping and adaptation in the context of the Canterbury, New Zealand earthquakes of 2010-2012
(Massey University, 1/06/2017) Tarrant RA; Mooney M; Paton D; Johal S; Johnston D
Children may experience distress and can become vulnerable as the result of a disaster. However, recent research suggests that children experiencing such adversity can address adversity by employing their capacities to adapt. The present study investigates how children coped effectively with a disaster, the Canterbury, New Zealand earthquakes of 2010-2102, and identifies strategies, processes, and resources that promoted effective coping and adaptation. Semistructured interviews took place with 38 children from three different age groups, with 31 parents, and with 11 teachers and principals from five Canterbury schools. Children were interviewed twenty months after the first earthquake, during an ongoing aftershock sequence, and six selected children were interviewed again sixteen months later. Thematic analysis of interview data identified multiple, inter-connected coping strategies and resources in the children that were fundamental to their post-disaster adaptation. Children coping effectively employed a repertoire of diverse coping strategies in a flexible and pertinent manner. Three key strategies employed by the children were emotional regulation, positive reframing, and problem-solving. Sixteen months later, the children had shifted their focus away from coping with earthquakes to coping with everyday problems. It is expected that findings from this study will contribute to future interventions for promoting effective coping and adaptation by children.
Hawke's Bay Regional Alerting Systems Review
(2021-12-15) Tan M; Leonard G; Johnston D
Infrastructure planning emergency levels of service for the Wellington region, Aotearoa New Zealand – A preliminary framework
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-04-01) Mowll R; Becker JS; Wotherspoon L; Stewart C; Johnston D; Neeley D; Rovins J; Ripley S
Elements of a potential emergency response to a major hazard event can be identified early in the response planning process. Having goals for emergency provision of services, particularly infrastructure, would provide clear planning goals and actions for emergency responders. Agreed goals would also help residents more fully understand the likely nature of the service provisions following a major hazard event, allowing them to plan for events and resulting infrastructure outages. This paper proposes a set of ‘planning emergency levels of service’ based in literature and developed by practitioners that could be used to understand post-event planning and actions, across the critical infrastructure sectors. The resulting framework contains proposed planning emergency levels of service for the energy, telecommunications, transport, and water sectors. With potential local adjustment, this framework may be more widely applicable for other high-income regions. Limitations of the framework include that it has been developed based on literature and emergency management professionals' opinions and requires more research to ascertain its operational applicability.
Monitoring wellbeing during recovery from the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes: The CERA wellbeing survey
(Elsevier Ltd, 10/03/2015) Morgan J; Begg A; Beaven S; Schluter P; Jamieson K; Johal S; Johnston D; Sparrow M
In this paper we outline the process and outcomes of a multi-agency, multi-sector research collaboration, led by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA). The CERA Wellbeing Survey (CWS) is a serial, cross-sectional survey that is to be repeated six-monthly (in April and September) into the foreseeable future. The survey gathers self-reported wellbeing data to supplement the monitoring of the social recovery undertaken through CERA's Canterbury Wellbeing Index. Thereby informing a range of relevant agency decision-making, the CWS was also intended to provide the community and other sectors with a broad indication of how the population is tracking in the recovery. The primary objective was to ensure that decision-making was appropriately informed, with the concurrent aim of compiling a robust dataset that is of value to future researchers, and to the wider, global hazard and disaster research endeavor. The paper begins with an outline of both the Canterbury earthquake sequence, and the research context informing this collaborative project, before reporting on the methodology and significant results to date. It concludes with a discussion of both the survey results, and the collaborative process through which it was developed.
Multi-source Multimodal Data and Deep Learning for Disaster Response: A Systematic Review
(Springer Nature, 2022-01) Algiriyage N; Prasanna R; Stock K; Doyle EEH; Johnston D
Mechanisms for sharing information in a disaster situation have drastically changed due to new technological innovations throughout the world. The use of social media applications and collaborative technologies for information sharing have become increasingly popular. With these advancements, the amount of data collected increases daily in different modalities, such as text, audio, video, and images. However, to date, practical Disaster Response (DR) activities are mostly depended on textual information, such as situation reports and email content, and the benefit of other media is often not realised. Deep Learning (DL) algorithms have recently demonstrated promising results in extracting knowledge from multiple modalities of data, but the use of DL approaches for DR tasks has thus far mostly been pursued in an academic context. This paper conducts a systematic review of 83 articles to identify the successes, current and future challenges, and opportunities in using DL for DR tasks. Our analysis is centred around the components of learning, a set of aspects that govern the application of Machine learning (ML) for a given problem domain. A flowchart and guidance for future research are developed as an outcome of the analysis to ensure the benefits of DL for DR activities are utilized.
Nurturing partnerships to support data access for impact forecasts and warnings: Theoretical integration and synthesis
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-04-15) Harrison SE; Potter SH; Prasanna R; Doyle EEH; Johnston D
This paper presents a synthesis and theoretical integration of findings from a research project that explored the data needs and sources for implementing impact forecasts and warnings for hydrometeorological hazards. Impact forecasts and warnings (IFW) have received global attention in recent years as they offer a novel way of improving the communication of hazards and risks. The fundamental idea behind IFWs is to enable warning services to meaningfully communicate the anticipated outcomes, consequences, or impacts of the hazard interacting with society or the environment by incorporating knowledge about the underlying and dynamic exposure and vulnerability of people and assets. One key question for IFW implementation is about data needs and sources to inform IFWs.Using the Grounded Theory Methodology, we address the question “How can partnerships and collaboration better facilitate the collection, creation, and access to hazard, impact, vulnerability, and exposure data for IFWs?” Our findings point to partnerships and collaboration as a necessary strategy for implementing IFWs. Implementation requires accessing various types and sources of hazard, impact, vulnerability, and exposure data to assess and communicate the potential impacts of hydrometeorological hazards. Partnerships and collaboration facilitate the sharing of and access to required data and knowledge. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations to increase interagency communication and partnerships for IFWs and disaster risk reduction, such as making cohabitation arrangements between agencies, running joint training scenarios, and encouraging meteorological services and emergency responders to co-define tailored warning thresholds.
Psychosocial recovery from disasters: A framework informed by evidence
(The New Zealand Psychological Society, 2011) Mooney MF; Paton D; de Terte I; Johal S; Karanci AN; Gardner D; Collins S; Glavovic B; Huggins TJ; Johnston L; Chambers R; Johnston D; Fitzgerald, J; O'Connor, F; Evans, IM
Following the Canterbury earthquakes, The Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR), a Massey University and Geological and Nuclear Science (GNS Science) collaboration, formed a Psychosocial Recovery Advisory Group to help support organisations involved in the recovery process. This advisory group reviews and summarises evidence-based research findings for those who make requests for such information. Extensive experience within the group adds a practitioner perspective to this advice. This article discusses the definition of psychosocial recovery used by the group to date, and the group’s view that psychosocial recovery involves easing psychological difficulties for individuals, families/whānau and communities, as well as building and bolstering social and psychological well-being. The authors draw on a brief discussion of this literature to make practical suggestions for psychosocial recovery.
Recovery Capitals: a collaborative approach to post-disaster guidance
(Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 2022-04) Quinn P; Gibbs L; Blake D; Campbell E; Johnston D; Richardson J; Coghlan A
Knowledge from past disasters can inform and support recovery, yet these insights are not always readily accessible to recovery practitioners. To bridge this gap, effective collaboration is needed to produce practical, evidence-based resources. This was the focus of the Recovery Capitals (ReCap) project, a collaboration between researchers and practitioners across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. This paper presents a critical case study of the participatory processes involved in developing a recovery capitals framework and associated resources. The framework is based on an existing Community Capitals Framework that emphasises the social, natural, political, built, human, financial and cultural strengths and resources within communities. The Recovery Capitals Framework arose through applying the Community Capitals Framework to disaster recovery, with conceptual adaptations to reflect shared values, diverse perspectives and collective knowledge of recovery. The lessons learnt from this international and researcher-practitioner collaboration are analysed, and the application of principles of equity, inclusion and community-led recovery is evaluated. Shortcomings and innovations are examined in how resources were tailored to the cultural contexts of each country, and reflections are presented from the perspectives Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors. These lessons can inform future collaborations that support inclusive, holistic and evidence-informed recovery efforts.
‘Sharing is caring’: A socio-technical analysis of the sharing and governing of hydrometeorological hazard, impact, vulnerability, and exposure data in Aotearoa New Zealand
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-01) Harrison SE; Potter SH; Prasanna R; Doyle EEH; Johnston D
There has been a growing recognition of the need to collect disaster and risk data over the last two decades. Accordingly, better collection and management of disaster data was identified as a priority of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The introduction and implementation of Impact Forecasts and Warnings (IFWs) have further highlighted this need to collect and access hazard, impact, vulnerability, and exposure (HIVE) data. However, challenges have been met with reporting and using disaster data, which have resulted in an identified need to establish principles for data collection, recording, reporting, exchange/sharing, and comparability. This introduces the concept of data governance and management for disaster data, particularly with regards to data custodianship, stewardship, and sharing. Using Grounded Theory, a series of interviews were conducted with users and creators of HIVE data to develop further understanding around managing and accessing it for severe weather hazards in New Zealand. A socio-technical lens guided the analysis to identify the organisational and technical intervening conditions and action/interaction strategies for accessing and sharing HIVE data in NZ. Findings indicated that there is a need to establish data governance principles for HIVE data in New Zealand. An additional need was identified for nurturing partnerships to continue building trust between stakeholders for sharing data. Furthermore, integration challenges continue to interfere with the use of various sources of HIVE data for effective risk and impact assessments for IFWs and beyond. Systematic and standardised data collection approaches using GIS-based tools can support integration.

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