Showing papers on "Natural disaster published in 2001"

The potential impacts of climate variability and change on health impacts of extreme weather events in the United States.

Abstract: Extreme weather events such as precipitation extremes and severe storms cause hundreds of deaths and injuries annually in the United States. Climate change may alter the frequency, timing, intensity, and duration of these events. Increases in heavy precipitation have occurred over the past century. Future climate scenarios show likely increases in the frequency of extreme precipitation events, including precipitation during hurricanes, raising the risk of floods. Frequencies of tornadoes and hurricanes cannot reliably be projected. Injury and death are the direct health impacts most often associated with natural disasters. Secondary effects, mediated by changes in ecologic systems and public health infrastructure, also occur. The health impacts of extreme weather events hinge on the vulnerabilities and recovery capacities of the natural environment and the local population. Relevant variables include building codes, warning systems, disaster policies, evacuation plans, and relief efforts. There are many federal, state, and local government agencies and nongovernmental organizations involved in planning for and responding to natural disasters in the United States. Future research on health impacts of extreme weather events should focus on improving climate models to project any trends in regional extreme events and as a result improve public health preparedness and mitigation. Epidemiologic studies of health effects beyond the direct impacts of disaster will provide a more accurate measure of the full health impacts and will assist in planning and resource allocation.

World Map of Natural Hazards - A Global View of the Distribution and Intensity of Significant Exposures

Abstract: Natural hazards are becoming increasingly significant these days. There is a need for documentation that concisely presents the type and magnitude of natural hazards as an aid to political and economic decision making.With the aim of presenting the global distribution of exposure to the most significant natural hazards as objectively as possible, Munich Re's Geoscience Research Group published its first World Map of Natural Hazards in 1978. After being revised in 1988, the map was completely reworked and extensively expanded in 1998. The results of earlier work and the latest findings in scientific literature were drawn together and presented in a form that practitioners find both accessible and – bearing in mind the needs of the insurance technicians in particular – readily usable. In the production of this third edition, all the basic data were for the first time recorded, adjusted, and analysed with the aid of geographic information systems (GIS). The resulting map in DIN A0 format (841×: 1189mm) and the30-cm globe were produced exclusively with the techniques of digital cartography. A main map and four auxiliary maps present the following types of hazards together with background information: • Earthquake and vulcanism (shaking risk, Mexico-City-effect, tsunami,volcanic activity, plate tectonics). • Windstorm (tropical cyclone, extratropical storm, regional storm, tornado, hail, and lightning). • Flood (storm surge, severe rainfall). • Marine hazards (high waves, pack ice, and iceberg drift). • Effects of El Nino and climate change. In particular, hazard information has been stated, as far as possible,as numbers which can be checked and be used directly in insurance calculations.Hazard is often understood as a quantity that relates the occurrence/frequency and intensity of an event to a specific time interval and so is usually expressed in terms of a probability. Whenever possible, therefore,the hazard information on the world map has three essential components – intensity, frequency and reference period. The map comes with an accompanying brochure, which contains a description ofthe methods and scales used as well as a comprehensive catalogue of major natural catastrophes throughout the world. A considerably extended CD-ROM version of the World Map of Natural Hazardswith numerous additional functionalities is also available now.

Disaster mitigation and preparedness: the case of NGOs in the Philippines.

Abstract: The Philippines is very vulnerable to natural disasters because of its natural setting, as well as its socio-economic, political and environmental context--especially its widespread poverty. The Philippines has a well-established institutional and legal framework for disaster management, including built-in mechanisms for participation of the people and NGOs in decision-making and programme implementation. The nature and extent of collaboration with government in disaster preparedness and mitigation issues varies greatly according to their roots, either in past confrontation and political struggles or traditional charity activities. The growing NGO involvement in disaster management has been influenced by this history. Some agencies work well with local government and there is an increasing trend for collaborative work in disaster mitigation and preparedness. Some NGOs, however, retain critical positions. These organisations tend to engage more in advocacy and legal support for communities facing increased risk because of development projects and environmental destruction. Entry points into disaster mitigation and preparedness vary as well. Development-oriented agencies are drawn into these issues when the community members with whom they work face disaster. Relief organisations, too, realise the need for community mobilisation, and are thus drawn towards development roles.

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake

Abstract: Affecting an area of ca. 800 000 km 2 and killing up to 100 000 people, the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 is probably the greatest seismic disaster to have struck western Europe. The shock waves of the earthquake placed a temporary brake on the emerging rationalism of the European Enlightenment and attempts to explain the disaster in terms of human sinfulness coloured many contemporary accounts. Notwithstanding these difficulties, through careful archival research it has proved possible to obtain relatively value-free accounts of most aspects of the earthquake and to use these not only to model the physical characteristics of and damage caused by the earthquake, but also to consider the implications for present day hazard assessment and urban planning. This paper reviews the progress that has been made in: identifying source and faulting mechanisms; the processes involved in the generation and impact of tsunamis; damage caused to different types of building and the use being made of historical earthquakes of different sizes - of which the 1755 event is the largest - in defining future hazard scenarios for Lisbon and other areas of Iberia.

Corporate social responsibility and disaster reduction: a global overview.

Abstract: Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID): ESCOR award no. R7893. DFID supports policies, programmes and projects to promote international development. DFID provided funds for this study as part of that objective but the views and opinions expressed are those of the author alone.

'vulnerability': a matter of perception 1

Abstract: Disaster response agencies increasingly use the concept of ‘vulnerability’ to analyze processes and conditions that lead to disasters, and to identify disaster responses. Because no common definition of ‘vulnerability’ exists, agencies use the concept in the way that best fits their usual practice. Ironically, ‘vulnerability’ is not a concept that grassroots communities use. They approach recurrent ‘adverse events’ as part of ‘normal life’, while rare or new disasters are dealt with from a perspective of survival. People take risk-related decisions from a range of alternatives based on local knowledge, past experience, experiments, opportunities and existing coping mechanisms. While outsiders might label two households as equally vulnerable – because they live in apparent similar conditions – the two households might still perceive risk differently and, as a consequence, prefer different risk reduction measures. The degree of perceived risk varies greatly among households and depends on class, gender, location, and other particular conditions shaped by economic, social and political processes. Communities at risk would benefit from a framework that links poverty, disaster risk reduction and development efforts. People’s participation is essential and should be empowering to address the root causes of their vulnerability. Various views on ‘vulnerability’ and its users Concerned by the increasing number and impact of disasters, the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) was initiated in 1990 to serve as catalyst for disaster reduction. One of its major goals was reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, “requiring concerted and coordinated efforts of government, UN-system organizations, the world’s scientific and technical community, volunteer organizations and educational institutions, the private sector, the media, and individuals at risk. Vulnerability assessment…..[is] essential” (United Nations IDNDR, 1992). The international community was alerted to the fact that if we ever want to control and prevent disasters, we must be able to assess and identify vulnerabilities in order to design timely, affordable and effective strategies for reducing the negative effects of disasters (Anderson, 1995). Most disaster response agencies now use the concept of ‘vulnerability’ to analyze the various factors and processes underlying the impact of disasters on society. Most of the agencies further recognize that vulnerability is a bigger concern for the poor, and that the most vulnerable sectors in society need special attention. This does not mean, however, that disaster agencies share a common understanding or definition of ‘vulnerability’. It largely depends on the user and its role in society, what definition is acceptable and attached to ‘vulnerability’. Various authors have come up with historical overviews on how understanding of vulnerability has shifted and enlarged, or how different actors perceive disasters and vul

Calculating climate: ‘advanced liberalism’ and the governing of risk in Australian drought policy

Abstract: For most of last century, governments in Australia treated drought as a ‘natural disaster’, an event that could best be dealt with through public forms of financial assistance. However, following a...

The World Trade Center Attack Disaster preparedness: health care is ready, but is the bureaucracy?

Abstract: When a disaster occurs, it is for governments to provide the leadership, civil defense, security, evacuation, and public welfare. The medical aspects of a disaster account for less than 10% of resource and personnel expenditure. Hospitals and health care provider teams respond to unexpected occurrences such as explosions, earthquakes, floods, fires, war, or the outbreak of an infectious epidemic. In some geographic locations where natural disasters are common, such as earthquakes in Japan, such disaster practice drills are common. In other locations, disaster drills become pro forma and have no similarity to real or even projected and predicted disasters. The World Trade Center disaster on 11 September 2001 provides new information, and points out new threats, new information systems, new communication opportunities, and new detection methodologies. It is time for leaders of medicine to re-examine their approaches to disaster preparedness.

A cross-cultural analysis of natural disaster response: the Northwest Italy floods of 1994 compared to the U.S. midwest floods of 1993

Abstract: The observation that similar types of natural disasters produce different reactions based on a particular culture and location demands a thorough and detailed analysis, because the reasons are likely to be numerous and complex. Although the economic situation, political organization, and technological infrastructure of communities are fundamental factors, they do not offer a complete explanation of people's behavior in the face of risk and disasters. This article uses a cross-cultural perspective to clarify the relationship between two cultures and their different patterns of response to extreme flood events. The research was carried out in two Western societies, the United States and Italy, both of which have similar socioeconomic characteristics, but distinctly different historical and cultural traditions. The disasters studied were the Po River Valley floods of November 1994 in northwest Italy and the Mississippi River-Missouri River floods in the U.S. upper Midwest during the summer of 1993. These two extreme floods were analyzed with respect to the pattern of human response during the preparation, rescue, recovery, and reconstruction phases. The study includes both human-response and cross-cultural analyses. A questionnaire was employed to gauge the perception of the flood disasters by the Italian and American disaster managers. The cross-cultural analysis was performed using an etic-emic contrast. The results showed that the different human responses observed in the floods of northwestern Italy and of the United States Midwest were linked to basic differences in four cultural elements: (1) experience with floods, (2) socio-political traditions and organization, (3) level of integration within the community, and (4) perception of the physical environment.

Doing more for those made homeless by natural disasters

Abstract: This study responds to growing borrower demand for Bank's assistance with housing reconstruction following natural disasters events such as floods, windstorms, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions It reviews the Bank's experience since 1980 in helping finance housing reconstruction projects throughout the world, and suggests how constrains upon housing reconstruction assistance can be overcome, thereby stimulating and guiding further Bank involvement in this field The paper aims to help task teams and sector managers do more to provide assistance to those made homeless by these natural disasters within the framework of existing Bank policies and guidelines It does not seek major changes in those policies, but rather encourages a more agile Bank response within the policy and operational parameters as they stand today

Hazard management. Taming Africa's killer lake.

Abstract: An international team of scientists and engineers is in Cameroon to begin 'degassing' Lake Nyos, scene of a 1986 natural disaster in which a cloud of carbon dioxide killed more than 1,700 people. Tom Clarke assesses the risks and benefits.

The Mass Media and Disaster Awareness in Puerto Rico A Case Study of the Floods in Barrio Tortugo

Abstract: Most of the literature about disasters assumes that the media are the most important mitigation tool for manager officials because its content creates disaster and risk awareness. This assumption proposes only three actors in the process of effective disaster management: the government officials that generate disaster information, the media that transmit it, and the public, who receives the information and acts accordingly. A case study of a flood in a rural community in Puerto Rico suggests that this model is inefficient in explaining how disaster awareness is created and how this relates to effective disaster mitigation. The data suggest that the literature fails to recognize important factors that increase or even create vulnerability to hazards. It also neglects other important actors, such as community leaders, and the actions of other groups and institutions that have indirect impact in generating the disaster situation.

Environmental values, valuation methods, and natural disaster damage assessment

Abstract: It is largely agreed that successful development depends on the rational use of natural capital (World Bank, 1998). In recent years, advances have been made to measuring progress toward 'sustainable development' (Kunte et al., 1998), and in applying valuation techniques to the analysis of the environmental impacts of investment projects and public policies, both in developed and developing countries (Barbier, 1998). Natural capital is not exclusively endangered by human actions (or inactions). Environmental (quantity or quality) changes may also be induced by natural hazards which, besides altering the natural capital's intrinsic 'productivity', may negatively affect People's 'ability to exploit' environmental attributes. In 1999, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has published a Manual for Estimating the Socio-Economic Effects of Natural Disasters (ECLAC, 1991) which intends to be a tool aimed at professionals engaged in the valuation of natural disasters' socio-economic impacts. ECLAC has recently undertaken a revision process, aimed at expanding the scope of the Manual. One of the objectives of this interdisciplinary upgrading process is to incorporate 'environmental values' into disaster damage assessment. The aim of this paper is to contribute to this process, by (i) illustrating the concept of environmental values from an economic perspective, (ii) providing an overview of valuation methods aimed at quantifying these values in monetary terms, and (iii) making a preliminary attempt to identify a strategy for integrating environmental damages into natural disaster impact assessment.

Disaster preparedness: is your unit ready?

Abstract: This article brings attention to the need for disaster preparedness by individual dialysis facilities It is recommended that each facility develop a specific plan for each type of disaster that might occur in the particular geographic location It is also recommended that the community's disaster plan(s) be reviewed and incorporated in the planning process This article addresses all aspects related to a natural disaster, including planning, drills, basic services, personnel, and the aftermath Adequate preparation may lessen the destruction and negative consequences of a natural disaster

The Tragedy of Khait: A Natural Disaster in Tajikistan

Abstract: sustainable mountain development and to many initiatives in a variety of sectors that are already underway. The traditional good spirit within the Mountain Agenda is alive and has received further impetus from the scope of the forthcoming IYM. • There was clear consensus on 6 overall thematic clusters within which activities in the framework of the IYM should preferably take place: sustainable livelihoods; culture; education and public awareness; biophysical environment; sustainable use; and governance, policy, and peace. • A huge number of meetings have been announced from all over the world. There is no doubt that all these meetings will make a significant contribution to raising awareness about mountains. However, there is an urgent need to map out these events, put them in a coherent framework, identify overlaps, and facilitate synergies. • During a very fruitful session on resource mobilization, important thoughts on issues related to funding were shared and discussed among the participants, indicating how progress can be made. • It is being increasingly recognized that national committees or similar structures are very important in the implementation of the IYM. Presentations by Madagascar, Peru, Italy, and Kyrgyzstan on the structure of their committees and their agenda for the IYM were a highlight of the Geneva meeting. This session provided many ideas about how the establishment of national committees can be further promoted and facilitated. • Links with the International Year of Ecotourism 2002 were established through the presence of a member of the World Tourism Organization, who also made a presentation. • Last but not least, participants clearly agreed that FAO should continue to play a strong leading role in coordinating and facilitating preparations and observance of the IYM.

Alternative approaches to flood mitigation: a case study of Bangladesh

Abstract: Floods were by far the most damaging type of natural disasters during the 1990s, in terms of both human impacts and socio-economic losses. Vulnerability to flooding disasters around the world is almost always differentiated by the socio-economic conditions of different income groups in the disaster area. In general, the poorer the income group (or the country) the more vulnerable it is likely to be to the adverse impacts of floods. The article argues that Bangladesh is the world's most flood-prone developing country in terms of the relative socio-economic impacts of floods. While conventional flood control strategies tend to be based on structural engineering approaches—such as the construction of large-scale embankments, diversion canals and dams—this article argues that more emphasis should be given to alternative, non-structural measures. The main lesson from recent flooding disasters in Bangladesh is that, in the absence of expensive structural measures, many non-structural ones can go a long way towards reducing vulnerability to and mitigating the impacts of floods.

Can This Town Survive? Case Study of a Buried Philippine Town

Abstract: Since the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines, the surrounding communities have incurred recurrent threats to life, livelihood, and property when heavy monsoon and typhoon rains trigger flowing mixtures of volcanic debris and water called lahars. The extreme costs of such natural disasters have highlighted the need for hazard mitigation strategies to minimize the disruptive effects on human settlements. Based on the concepts of sustainable hazard mitigation, the disaster resistance community, and civic capital, the author considers the experience, recovery process, and prospects for sustainability of a town, Bacolor, that has been severely affected by the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo volcano and its aftermath. A discussion of street and highway repair projects is included. Lahars have buried almost the entire town at least once in deposits up to 9 m thick. Most of the residents have abandoned their homes, but several hundred families, whose homes have been buried up to the second-story level or higher, have stayed in the town proper. Attempting recovery without outside assistance and learning from their experience with lahars, residents made several adaptations that may enhance the sustainability of the town. Elevation of ground level by lahar deposition has made Bacolor less vulnerable than nearby towns to flooding and lahars. The town needs support from the national government to engage in comprehensive planning to guide further reconstruction as a disaster resistant community.

A Practitioner's View of Disaster Management in Nepal: Organisation, System, Problems and Prospects

Abstract: Nepal is one of the world's disaster-prone countries. Geophysical and socio-economic conditions in the country have made her vulnerable to various types of natural disasters—flooding, landslides, fire, earthquakes, gales, hailstorms, lightning, the bursting of glacier lakes, drought, epidemics, avalanches, and so on. However, flood, landslide and fire hazards are particular and recurrent natural disasters in Nepal.

Spatial data requirements and infrastructure for geologic risk assessment

Abstract: Natural disasters are extreme events within the earth's system that result in death or injury to humans, and damage or loss of valuable goods, such as buildings, communication systems, agricultural land, forest, natural environment etc. The economic losses due to natural disasters have shown an increase by a factor of eight over the past four decades, caused by the increased vulnerability of the global society, but also due to an increase in the number of weather-related disasters. For the management of natural disasters a large amount of multi-temporal spatial data is required. Satellite remote sensing is an ideal tool for disaster management, since it offers information over large areas, and at short time intervals. It can be utilised in the various phases of disaster management, such as prevention, preparedness, relief, and reconstruction. During the last decades remote sensing has become an operational tool in the disaster preparedness and warning phases for different types of disasters, such as cyclones, droughts and floods. The use of remote sensing data is not possible without a proper tool to handle the large amounts of data and combine it with data coming from other sources, such as maps or measurement stations. Therefore, together with the growth of the remote sensing applications, Geographic Information Systems have become increasingly important for disaster management. This chapter gives an overview of the different processes involved in the use of geoinformation and earth observation for disaster management, and a review of the data requirements, focusing on geological disasters. The paper discusses several important elements related to geospatial data infrastructures for disaster management, pertinent advances of geo-ICT technologies as well as capacity building models.

Military and Disaster Psychiatry

Abstract: Property destruction, loss of life or limb, fear, confusion, and the threat of still greater loss are among the stressors that result from both natural disasters such as earthquakes and human-made acts of war or terrorism. The neurobehavioral and emotional consequences for persons caught in the destructive wake of human-made and natural disasters encompass the broad range of human response to trauma. Psychiatric interventions in military operations and in other disasters seek to prevent and mitigate the psychological consequences of trauma. Medical management and mental healthcare strategies applicable in theaters of war, like those applicable in cities destroyed by earthquakes, have been derived from experience in chaotic and austere operational environments far removed from traditional hospital or office-based psychiatric medicine. This chapter examines the operational environments of military and disaster psychiatry, and the emotional and behavioral responses associated with the events that create these environments. The principles of prevention, treatment and mitigation of post-traumatic illness on the battlefield and in the aftermath of disaster are outlined. Finally, emerging cultural, ethical and technological challenges to the practice of military and disaster psychiatry are discussed.

Highlights of Drought Policy and Related Science in Australia and the U.S.A.

Abstract: Patterns of water supply and use in Australia and the U.S.A. differ in many ways. This results in different perceptions concerning the nature of drought and policy approaches to its management. This paper discusses the differences and similarities and explores lessons that policy makers in both countries can learn from one another. A key difference between the two countries is that whereas drought is perceived in Australia essentially in terms of its impact on agriculture, in the U.S. both perceptions and policy are also heavily influenced by the impact of drought on urban communities. This has led to different policy emphases. In 1992 Australia established its National Drought Policy; the U.S. is presently considering the adoption of a national drought policy. These policies highlight drought being accepted as part of natural climate variability, rather than as a natural disaster. They also emphasize the protection of the natural resource base.

Effectiveness of DoD Humanitarian Relief Efforts in Response to Hurricanes Georges and Mitch

Abstract: : This paper describes two large natural disasters that occurred in the Caribbean and Central America during 1998, Hurricanes Georges and Mitch, and the U.S. Government's response to each event. These two extensive disasters were used as case studies to assess the overall capacity of the Department of Defense to respond to large-scale natural disasters as part of an international effort. The study identifies areas within the DoD that need improvement, and recommends specific measures to enhance the U.S. Government response capabilities for future humanitarian assistance operations.

Natural disasters mitigation in the world and sustainable development: a Risk Analisys approach

Abstract: The problem of natural disasters in the world is analysed, not from the common approach, that of Hazard Assessment, but from the Risk Analysis approach, risk being the expected loss, to achieve a Sustainable Development. During the period 1990-1999, these natural phenomena have produced, in events with at least ten mortal casualties, more than 407.682 dead & missing, with an annual mean 28% lower than that for the period 1965-1999. Cyclones, earthquakes and floods, in this order, have produced more than 90% of the casualties. The interannual coefficient of variation of casualties 1990-1995 was 1,02, almost double the one for economic losses, 0,55. For the same period, these losses reached an annual average of 65.099 USD million, 0,33% of Gross World Product. Most of casualties have been in undeveloped countries, contrary to the economic losses, of which the Kobe (Japan) 1995 earthquake, stands out as the biggest economic disaster of the century, resulting in a for 100 billion USD loss. At a world level, 20% of losses were insured. In GNP terms, economic impacts were much higher in undeveloped countries. It is shown that the real significance of natural disasters comes from the fact that they are the main disasters at societal and economic levels, not from the absolute figures of losses. This fact focuses mitigation efforts on the Preparedness: the identification and Risk Analysis of potential scenarios of disasters and the postdisaster research with Multidisciplinary Commissions of Investigation in order to better learn the lessons of Nature. To apply Risk Analysis, it is necessary to differentiate Societal and Economic Risk, because they do not coincide in different hazards and environments, and priority in government action might focus, in application of the Subsidiary Principle, more on protection of human life than on minimization of economic losses. For the latter there are tools such as insurance with penalties for risk exposure, from hazard maps, the best and first investment in any mitigation strategy. It is shown also how to rationally design Mitigation Strategies by using Societal Risk Acceptability Criteria and cost-benefit analysis. A general Technical-Administrative Procedure of Population Risk Assessment, similar to the Environmental Impact Assessment, is proposed. This procedure might be the best tool to achieve a higher level of human development measured according the UN Human Development Index.