Application of the "water flow decision pattern" to Asian disaster response

Area of Science:

• Disaster Management and Public Policy
• Decision Science
• Asian Studies

Background:

• Effective disaster management in Asia is crucial due to the region's vulnerability to various catastrophic events.
• Existing decision-making frameworks may not adequately address the complexities of Asian disaster scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a new decision-making model, termed the "water flow decision pattern," for enhancing disaster management in Asia.
• To provide a theoretical framework that facilitates smoother and more effective decision-making processes for disaster response.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative text document analysis was employed to examine disaster response failures.
• Five significant case studies from Asia were analyzed: the MV Sewol ferry sinking (South Korea), an Indian drought, the SARS outbreak (China), the Fukushima nuclear incident (Japan), and Typhoon Haiyan (Philippines).

Main Results:

• The proposed "water flow decision pattern" integrates five critical decision-making factors: weight, availability, timeliness, emplacement, and roundabout.
• Analysis of failure cases highlighted the need for a comprehensive decision pattern that accounts for these interconnected elements.

Conclusions:

• The "water flow decision pattern" offers a promising theoretical framework for improving disaster management strategies in Asian nations.
• Implementation requires appropriate training and practical exercises to ensure effective application by decision-makers.