Study Findings from Victoria University Wellington Broaden Understanding of Applied Sciences

2021 AUG 19 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Science Daily -- Researchers detail new data in applied sciences. According to news originating from Wellington, New Zealand, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Apartment dwelling is on the increase in many cities in Aotearoa New Zealand, including those in earthquake-prone regions.”

Funders for this research include QuakeCoRE; Strategic Science Investment Fund.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Victoria University Wellington: “Hence it is important that people working in disaster management and housing improve their understanding on how the living situations of apartment dwellers influence their disaster management practices. This knowledge is crucial for efforts to promote safety and preparedness. This paper explores what enables and constrains apartment dwellers in their ability to prepare for an earthquake. Eighteen people were interviewed who resided in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) two years after the 2016 7.8 magnitude (Mw) Kaikoura earthquake. Of central concern was people’s ability to prepare for disasters and access knowledge about building and structural safety and how this knowledge mattered to what apartment dwellers were able to prepare for. We found that the agency to prepare was dependent on whether people owned or rented their dwellings.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “We report on participant accounts of dealing with body corporations, landlords, emergency kits, other emergency items, and evacuation plans.”

For more information on this research see: The Impact of Earthquakes on Apartment Owners and Renters in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) Aotearoa New Zealand. Applied Sciences, 2021,11(6818):6818. (Applied Sciences - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci). The publisher for Applied Sciences is MDPI AG.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156818.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Denise Blake, School of Health, Victoria University Wellington Te Herenga Waka, Wellington 6012, New Zealand. Additional authors for this research include Julia S. Becker, Darrin Hodgetts, Kenneth J. Elwood.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)