Driving Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction: A Rapid Review of the Policies and Strategies in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive rapid review of the current disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts in Saudi Arabia, a country exposed to a variety of hazards such as extreme heat, droughts, floods, dust, and sandstorms, along with threats from terrorism and violence. Employing a rapid review approach, our aim was to provide timely insights into DRR strategies, with an emphasis on the unique geographical and socio-political context of Saudi Arabia. This study serves as a valuable reference for similar hazard-prone regions worldwide. Our review encompasses Saudi Arabia’s progress in key areas, such as improving building codes and infrastructure, developing early warning systems, raising public awareness, and strengthening emergency response capabilities. While Saudi Arabia has made commendable strides in implementing international best practices for DRR, our review also identified specific areas where further development and enhancement are needed. These include the need for more sophisticated early warning systems, expanded public awareness campaigns, and continual enhancements in emergency response capabilities. This review offers key insights into the challenges and opportunities within Saudi Arabia’s DRR efforts, highlighting the steps that Saudi Arabia has taken towards resilience. Drawing from specific examples of past disasters, our findings shed light on practical considerations for improving disaster risk management, with the potential to inform policy, enhance public awareness, and contribute to building a safer and more resilient future in Saudi Arabia.

Evaluating the societal implications of combining visual communication with emerging digital platforms

“…On the other hand, healthcare providers leverage digital platforms to facilitate remote monitoring and consultations, a practice accelerated by the global health crisis (Al-Wathinani et al, 2023). For example, telemedicine services utilize visual direction to guide patients through self-examinations or illustrate treatment procedures, bridging the gap between accessibility and expertise (Hyman, 2020).…”

Optimization Strategies of Sustainable Urban Land Use Planning Using a Hybridized Technique Based on SWOT-AHP, and GIS in Ibb City, Yemen

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