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Two million people were affected in the floodplains and low-lying areas in Sirajgang in 2012. Seven hundred and fifty families were made homeless and forced to live in small temporary huts on the river protection embankments. Unemployment rose alarmingly and the jobless left their villages to find work in larger cities, leaving behind their vulnerable and insecure families. Consequently, women were increasingly required to take on totally unfamiliar roles. Our research utilised in-depth interviews with women managing without the support of their husbands. Key findings highlighted that community resilience would improve if these women were engaged at the local operational level of disaster management.

This study examines Egyptian managers' perceptions of their hospitals' preparation for crisis management. A total of 259 participants completed a 24-item Strategic Preparation for Crisis Management (SPCM) instrument. The instrument was found to be valid and reliable in a non-Western context. The study detected a positive relationship between long-term strategy and crisis readiness. A significant statistical relationship was also found between external strategic orientation and crisis readiness. Finally, organizational complexity was found to be significantly and negatively associated with perceived crisis readiness.

Objective: To assess the impact of network communications, community participation and elements of vulnerability on the perception of social cohesiveness in the Blue Mountains local government area (Blue Mountains LGA). Design: A questionnaire was administered to residents of the Blue Mountains LGA. Econometric analysis of the resulting data was undertaken. Setting: Blue Mountains LGA, Australia. Participants: One thousand one hundred and three residents of the Blue Mountains LGA responded to the questionnaire. Main outcome measure(s): The responses enabled the construction of variables measuring individual perceptions of community cohesiveness, their network communications and community participation. Demographic data and data on the vulnerabilities of individuals were also collected. Results: The data were used in an econometric model which identified that network communications and community participation impacted positively on perceptions of social cohesiveness while vulnerability factors had a negative impact. Conclusions: Remedial action to build community cohesiveness and network communications can be expected to have a positive impact on social cohesiveness. In developing strategies to build community cohesiveness and network communication, particular care needs to be taken to ensure the inclusion of those members of society who are regarded as the most vulnerable.

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