Assessing Evacuation Pattern of Elderly in Residential Facilities : A Case of Pune City India

The degree and severity to which old persons are affected in emergencies and disasters depend on the specific characteristics of the person, the type and severity of the hazard as well as the character of built environment and the disaster management systems in place. Ageing causes limitations in movement which in turn increases vulnerability of elderly in several ways. This research focus on analysing complex problems encountered during evacuation with reference to elderly people on occurrence of a disaster. The objective is to find out the architectural features which affect evacuation of elderly occupants of residential buildings in city of Pune India. The role of selected socio-economic and demographic variables and architectural features are explored on evacuation response behaviour of elderly. Spatial characteristics are examined with reference to building typology commonly found in the city in question. The methodology included a questionnaire survey, structured interview and observations. The findings are based on data analysis with use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. It has been argued that evacuation should be considered in architectural and planning as a proactive measure rather than a reaction to disaster occurrence. It is stressed that adequate architectural and planning of residential facilities can facilitate efficient evacuation of elderly and save them from a potential disaster threat.