Showing papers on "Natural disaster published in 1977"

The Hazards of Scientism: A Review Article

Abstract: The Sahel drought, earthquake in Guatemala, earthquake in Italy, frosts in Brazil, hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico .... Natural disasters hit the headlines of the world with relentless frequency and provoke considerable debate as to locating both ultimate cause and responsibility for them. Through them all, politicians present us with facile technological solutions ("Kissinger proposes war on the Sahara"), while the new nations continue to sedentarize nomads in the interests of economic development and political stabilization, and the affluent of the Western world flock in ever greater numbers to lava flows, flood plains, and unstable shorelines in the quest for exotic homesites. In the circumstances, a book that seeks to summarize the state of knowledge on human adaptation to "extreme geophysical events" is indeed much needed. Whether Gilbert White's Natural Hazards: Local, National, Global meets the need is another matter. In his introductory essay, White outlines a series of concepts which, reinforced by a prescribed methodology, sets the tone of the whole volume if not of disaster research in general, this by virtue of the influence he and his associates have in the major national and international agencies involved in relief work and disaster prevention. Natural hazards are defined as "extreme geophysical events" (for example, avalanches, coastal erosion, drought, earthquakes, floods, fog, frost, hail, landslides, lightning, snow, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and wind), which constitute "hazards" because man's adjustments to them are based on "imperfect knowledge." In his opening statement, White asserts this framework to be an ecological one: "Extreme natural events illuminate one aspect of the complex process by which people interact with biological and physical systems" (p. 3). In fact, the approach is a resolutely deterministic one where the active forces are vested in nature and the passive in man. Catastrophes are presented as being caused by natural phe-

Italy, Japan, And The United States Effects Of Centralization On Disaster Responses 1964-1969

Abstract: Three natural disasters are studied in each of three countries Italy, Japan, and the United States, in this effort to understand the effect of societal context on the manner in which natural disaster response functions are performed. The study of these nations is approached from an institutional/structural perspective in which demographic, economic, political, communication, family, and religious variables are examined as they affect the warning, emergency preparedness, evacuation, inventory, victim care, security, welfare, and emergency restoration of services functions of disaster response. The general nature of the study is exploratory, and, while some attention is given to all the institutional/structural variables listed, there is particular emphasis placed on the degree of political centralization as an independent variable. In terms of the relationships between institutional/structural variables and the performance of disaster functions, the following questions were asked: How were the functions carried out? Where did the functions take place, i.e., the geographical location of the activity? Who were the individuals, groups, and organizations involved in the activities? What difficulties were encountered? The following questions about the impact of political centralization on disaster response, guided the research: At what levels of government are key decisions made? Does the level of decision making vary according to normal times versus disaster periods and/or the area, subject and content of matters being decided, and/or policy decisions versus operational decisions? Is there a different pattern of decision making in disaster response functions in a decentralized nation as contrasted to a centralized nation?

Economic Recovery Following Disaster: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography.

Abstract: : Collects and abstracts literature describing reconstruction efforts following major peacetime and wartime disasters, with emphasis on recovery from war-produced generalized disaster in highly industralized societies, particularly since 1939. Soviet reconstruction literature is analyzed, and abstracts of both Russian- and England-language materials are presented. Another section deals with German and Austrian recovery experiences following World War II, and includes abstracts of both German- and English-language sources. Material on Belgium, Europe, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom is also cited. Literature on a hypothetical disaster (nuclear attack) and on natural disaster is examined, as well as general work and behavioral studies related to various types of disaster.