Date of Award

Summer 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Graduate Program in International Studies

Committee Director

Jesse Richman

Committee Member

Felicia Grey

Committee Member

Nicole Hutton Shannon

Committee Member

Jennifer Whytlaw

Abstract

The lack of early warning systems for half of the countries worldwide and poor investments in regulatory frameworks to link early warnings to emergency plans exacerbates the exposure of populations at risk of natural hazards in livable urban environments. This study hypothesizes that the level of democracy, trade openness, economic prosperity, per capita public aid, hazard exposure, lack of coping and adaptive capacities, classification as least developed countries (LDC), landlocked developing countries (LLDC), and small island developing States (SIDS), population in urban areas, cellular mobile, state fragility index, and regional vulnerability impact the efficiency of a country’s early warning system. To check on the truth of this conjecture, the study is designed as quantitative research with the objective of exploring the factors which cause variations in multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) for countries in different regions. The situs comprises 195 countries which are signatories to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). The selection criteria include countries which positively engaged with the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) for the period between 2015-2022. The COM-B behavioral framework and bounded rationality establish that the variables affecting MHEWS quality and coverage present a complex interplay of factors and cannot be interpreted in isolation. Panel logit and linear regression models are used to assess these multiple longitudinal relationships simultaneously. The findings reveal that trade openness, exposure to coastal floods and tropical cyclones, population in urban areas, state fragility index, and regional disparities are significant predictors of global early warning variations. To improve risk knowledge, emergency readiness, and coverage, recommendations are made in the study for prioritization of technology sharing, utilization of mobile-based early warnings, support for weak States, and equitable financial investment and global disaster-aid allocation.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25776/e84c-4d21

ISBN

9798384444305

ORCID

0009-0004-4112-4664

Available for download on Wednesday, October 07, 2026

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