• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.788-805
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to verify the impact of Habitat for Humanity Korea's disaster risk reduction intervention on the mental health and satisfaction with life among residents of southern Bangladesh who had constantly suffered from disaster stress due to perennial flooding. Method: The target group was 138 residents who were pre-surveyed in August 2020 and post-surveyed in November 2021. The interventions consisted of individual incremental housing, public facilities for evacuation, and disaster response training for capacity development. The data were analysed using paired sample t-tests for pre-post changes and one-way analysis of variance to identify differences between treatment groups. Result: The results showed significant improvements in residents' depression, anxiety, somatisation and satisfaction with life after the intervention, with significant differences in mental health levels between the intervention treatments. Specifically, relatively higher disaster mitigation effects were found for individual infrastructure improvements and employment facilities compared to disaster response drills. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the positive role of Habitat for Humanity Korea's disaster risk reduction interventions on the mental health recovery of disaster victims and suggest practical approaches that can be applied in disaster risk areas.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.103-112
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• 2013

The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal(Nepal) is one of the poorest country in the world. People in Nepal are having lots of housing problems including the lack of housing provision. Even Habitat for Humanity Nepal (HfH_Nepal) has developed various programs to diffuse ecological housing, still there are many problems due to financial and technological shortage. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of suggestion of performance improvement for HfH_Nepal eco house with introduction of the housing situation and efforts to provide sustainable housing by HfH_Nepal in Terai plain. Ideas on CGI sheet roof with poor insulation, double panel bamboo wall and adobe brick wall which can overcome structural and waterproof flaws of the thin single panel bamboo wall. The experiment result shows that both ideas adapted to adobe brick house reduces daily temperature range 50.8% and humidity adjust effect. For the effective provision of adobe brick house, compressive strength was tested for the bricks made with locally available fiber materials. Brick with jute displayed 41.1% betterment than plain brick with closest packing condition while coconut and straw showed 25.1% and 7.9% improvement respectively. Technical and economic problems brought up during the building and experiment process were listed and countermeasures established. This kinds of building prototype houses and experiments can improve the living conditions of people in developing countries with little supplement of resources. Furthermore, consideration of locally available and affordable material can help the social and ecological sustainability in the world.