From the perspective of studying natural hazards, the peace and tranquillity that might be expected from a literal translation of its name does not always capture the reality of life for communities on the Pacific Rim. This reality is more readily discerned in its alter ego: the Ring of Fire. The latter leaves one in less doubt as to the hazardous circumstances likely to prevail in this region. In addition to the hazards posed by the numerous volcanoes that resulted in the ‘Ring of Fire’ appellation, communities situated around the Pacific Rim also have to contend with earthquakes, tsunami, storms, cyclones/typhoons, flood and bushfire. To this list of acute events can be added hazards of a chronic nature such as salinity, environmental degradation and sea-level rise that represent growing threats to many Pacific Rim countries. The region also faces increased risk from health-related hazards. Sydney, for example, has been identified as a pandemic hotspot as a result of it being a hub linking the airways of Asia and the United States.

Women as a group may be more vulnerable to the impact of hazards, but at an individual level, they also have capacity to adapt to changing circumstances in ways that contribute to their own resilience. This paper provides examples of the ways in which some women adapt to a recurrent natural hazard to which they are exposed, in turn, providing insights on adaptive capacity at a personal level.

This study examines whether disaster experience and awareness, mediated by external locus of control, influence disaster preparedness behavior. Data were collected from 300 people in flood-prone and a further 300 in heat-wave affected areas in Orissa (a state situated in south-eastern part of India). Results reveal that prior experience of hazard events and knowledge of protective actions significantly facilitates flood and heat-wave preparedness. However, locus of control mediates this relationship. Disaster experienced and aware people characterised by having an external control were less prepared. External control partially mediates between experience–behaviour and information–action link. These findings suggest that the effects of personal experience and awareness on self-protective behaviour are weakened by external attribution.

The Five Part Model or Five Areas Model has been a pivotal component of cognitive behavioural therapy and the treatment of various psychological disorders. The Five Part Model consists of five components that represent the interaction of an individual's environment, thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical reactions. To date the Five Part Model has primarily been used to understand what has already happened to an individual; for example, when an individual is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder or is being treated for other psychological difficulties. However, there has been limited application of the Five Part Model to the concept of resilience. Given the effectiveness of the model as an assessment and treatment tool, then it is possible that this model would also be effective in understanding how an individual deals with the aftermath of traumatic events such as disasters. Individual psychological variables are an essential part of whether an individual is resilient to adverse circumstances. However, this model should include as part of the individual's environment wider family, community and societal attributes. It is suggested that the Five Part Model be expanded to include such family, community and societal attributes to account for the influence these have on an individual's psychological resilience. A multidimensional model of resilience is proposed that will need to be scientifically tested; however, it is proposed that this model has application to the variety of disciplines that are involved in the domain of resilience. In addition, this model attempts to address any interdisciplinary barriers that exist, by ensuring that individual, family, community, and societal attributes are considered holistically as part of resilience building.

This article describes the testing of a model that proposes that people's beliefs regarding the effectiveness of hazard preparedness interact with social context factors (community participation, collective efficacy, empowerment and trust) to influence levels of hazard preparedness. Using data obtained from people living in coastal communities in Alaska and Oregon that are susceptible to experiencing tsunami, structural equation modelling analyses confirmed the ability of the model to help account for differences in levels of tsunami preparedness. Analysis revealed that community members and civic agencies influence preparedness in ways that are independent of the information provided per se. The model suggests that, to encourage people to prepare, outreach strategies must (a) encourage community members to discuss tsunami hazard issues and to identify the resources and information they need to deal with the consequences a tsunami would pose for them and (b) ensure that the community-agency relationship is complementary and empowering.