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    Community vulnerability and resilience to mobility-related disruptions caused by floods : a systems-based approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED to 10 March 2027.
    (Massey University, 2024-09-12) Ranabahu Mudiyanselage, Shashini Saumya Sanjeewani
    Some communities in developing countries experience flood impacts repeatedly despite different measures taken to reduce disaster risk, leaving us with a critical question of why they could not build back better after one major hazard. This research aims to investigate the complexity of the community’s vulnerability to mobility-related disruptions and their resilience using a systems approach as a framework to guide how communities can build back better, taking the Western Province of Sri Lanka as a case study. The study spatially assesses the community’s vulnerability to mobility-related flood disruptions in the Western Province using an indicator-based GIS approach. The spatial assessment reveals that vulnerability to mobility disruptions is clustered, highlighting patterns of exposure. Focusing on the Kaduwela Grama Niladhari Division, identified as part of a high-vulnerability cluster from the spatial assessment, the thesis employs fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) to identify the factors determining mobility-related disruptions and the community's capacity to cope, as well as their interdependencies. The analysis found that (im)mobility largely depends on where people choose to stay during a flood, which, in turn, affects their coping mechanisms. The third objective focuses on studying the interdependencies of mobility recovery using a systems thinking approach, specifically through causal loop diagrams (CLDs). This analysis shows that mobility recovery is interdependent on other recoveries, including flood level reduction, road restoration, household recovery, and transit service restoration. It also uncovers the cause-and-effect relationships between pre-existing vulnerabilities and current temporary recovery efforts, demonstrating how sustainable recovery initiatives can potentially reduce the impact of future floods. Lastly, stock-flow models developed based on the causal loop diagrams are presented as a potential framework to guide to build back better. These models allow for testing various scenarios, offering insights into potential interventions and their consequences before implementation. Based on these findings, the thesis offers several recommendations to policymakers: to consider cluster-oriented solutions for reducing vulnerability to mobility disruptions; to account for place-based interdependencies during emergency management; to adopt a systems thinking approach to design sustainable recovery actions that reduce system vulnerability in future hazards; and to use system dynamics as a tool to understand how recovery time can be shortened and disruptions minimized in subsequent disasters.
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    Enhancing multi-hazard resilience to tsunami through evacuation simulation : a case study of Napier City : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management, School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand. EMBARGOED to 11 July 2026.
    (Massey University, 2023-09-12) Fathianpour, Azin
    Climate change has intensified the risk of natural hazards, especially tsunamis. This fact has led emergency management decision-makers to question their emergency planning and make coastal cities resilient. Evacuation has been identified as the best course of action in response to tsunamis. Regarding tsunamis, a resilient city must have a resilient evacuation plan. An evacuation plan can be called resilient once all the related infrastructures are resilient and people know how to use them. Based on the literature, simulation has been identified as a reliable source of assessing the resiliency level of infrastructure. Therefore, this doctoral thesis aims to create an evacuation simulation tool that evaluates the resilience of evacuation infrastructure. Recognising the importance of understanding the resilience of the evacuation process in terms of disaster management, current research and practice continually highlight the significance of simulation outputs concerning tsunami responses. Previous evacuation simulation tools primarily focused on monitoring pedestrian movements, neglecting interactions between pedestrians and vehicles. Furthermore, many studies did not consider factors related to human behaviour and decision-making during crises. This study aims to provide fresh insights into evacuation management by incorporating multiple behavioural and spatial factors into the simulation. The outcomes of this research generated realistic evacuation simulation results and translated them into policy and planning protocols.
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    Mapping waiata koroua (traditional prose) of the Tarawera Eruption, 1886; and its relevance to contemporary natural hazards preparedness and response : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Emergency Management at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Tapuke, Sylvia Hiriwa
    This qualitative study maps two waiata koroua about the Tarawera Eruption, 1886, through the experience of Ngāti Haka-Patuheuheu, and directly affected tribes. This research includes a two-day wānanga (cultural learning programme), hui (traditional meeting), whakawhiti kōrero (informal discussions) and semi-structured interviews with Tūhoe, Ngāti Haka-Patuheuheu, and Te Arawa tribal members.