All Hazards

Citation

(2001), "All Hazards", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 10 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2001.07310dag.002

All Hazards

All Hazards

FEMA Mitigation Directoratewww.fema.gov/mit/planning.htm

On January 17, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Mitigation Directorate unveiled a new Web site for hazard mitigation planning. In launching the site, the agency said: "We believe that the information contained here will be a critical resource for all who are involved in establishing disaster resilient communities throughout our nation. Hazard mitigation planning is a collaborative process, whereby hazards affecting the community are identified, vulnerability to the hazards assessed, and consensus reached on how to minimize or eliminate the effects of these hazards. … Based on the lessons of the 1990s, it became apparent that the nation needed to shift its approach from a disaster-response driven system to a system based on pre-disaster or ongoing risk analysis, so that we could become proactive rather than reactive to hazard events. … As a result … a unit for Hazard Mitigation Planning was established within the Directorate in 1998 to provide guidance and resources to States and local communities to promote and support the mitigation planning process. FEMA therefore places much value on the planning process as an approach to mitigation that must be promoted and supported in order to build sustainable, disaster resilient communities!" The site's information is organized into three sections: What's Currently on the Shelf; What's New; and On the Horizon. The developers welcome comments and recommendations. Suggestions should be directed to Gil Jamieson, Chief, Planning Branch, Mitigation Directorate, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472. Tel: (202) 646 4090; E-mail: gil.jamieson@fema.gov

"Radical Interpretations of Disasters"www.anglia.ac.uk/geography/radix

Provoked by the January El Salvador earthquake (and subsequently by the disaster in India), a group of disaster scholars launched this "Radical Interpretations of Disasters" Web site, which addresses the fundamental question: Given our extensive knowledge concerning natural hazards, recent historical disasters that should have provided object lessons and opportunities for change, our increasing understanding of the direct link between disaster vulnerability and unsustainable development practices, and the fundamental human value that suffering should be averted whenever possible, why is it that catastrophes like the El Salvador 'quake continue? As the site developers explain, "The word 'radical' is used in the sense of radix or 'root' – the root causes of vulnerability and what to do about it." The essays are intended to prompt discussion and stimulate further debate, and the developers invite all persons interested in these questions to participate. The site also offers online background material and resources and useful links regarding the recent earthquakes.

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)www.esig.ucar.edu/sourcebook

Our ever-toiling colleagues of the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in cooperation with the Atmospheric Policy Program of the American Meteorological Society, have recently released their 2001 Extreme Weather Sourcebook, a compilation of statistics regarding Economic and Other Societal Impacts Related to Hurricanes, Floods, Tornadoes, Lightning, and Other US Weather Phenomena. The goal of this report is to educate and stimulate interest in the societal impacts of weather in the USA. The wealth of information is too great to present here, but a few highlights include:

• •

  The annual national loss due to floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes from 1955 to 1999 was $11.4 billion (in 1999 dollars).

• •

  Florida easily led all other states with annual losses of $1.67 billion.

• •

  The Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Texas were the next most severe-weather-prone states, with annual losses of over $900 million;

• •

  Total losses due to hurricanes over the 45-year period were $510 billion; annual losses due to tornadoes were $1.1 billion.

• •

  Annual losses due to floods were $5.9 billion.

For more information or to comment on the Sourcebook, contact Roger Pielke Jr, NGAR, PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000. Tel: (303) 497 8111; Fax: (303) 497 8125; E-mail: rogerp@ucar.edu

Center for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO)www.cspo.orgwww.cspo.org/projects/extremeevents/framework.htmlwww.esig.ucar.edu/extremes

The Center for Science, Policy, and Outcomes (CSPO), a project of Columbia University, is dedicated to rethinking the role of science in society. In June 2000, CSPO and the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of NCAR (see above) sponsored a multidisciplinary workshop to consider an emerging theme in recent scientific research: the role of extreme events in complex natural and social systems. The goal of the workshop was to examine those events through as many disciplinary and societal lenses as possible and to use these diverse perspectives to build a comprehensive framework to guide research. An extensive summary of the workshop is available from the second URL above; the complete report from the third.

The Blue Sky Foundation of North Carolinawww.bluesky-foundation.com

The Blue Sky Foundation of North Carolina is a non-profit corporation chartered to encourage hazard-resistant construction.

The foundation provides information, public education, and professional training to promote safe construction (see the "Conferences and Training" section of this Observer), wise land use, disaster mitigation, and sustainable development. Its primary focus is on measures to reduce losses due to flooding, hurricanes, nor'easters, and other high-wind events.

Blue Sky's Web site describes the foundation's programs in detail and offers several documents on hazard-resistant construction as well as a bibliography and numerous other resources.

Gender and Disaster Networkwww.anglia.ac.uk/geography/gdnwww.anglia.ac.uk/geography/gdn/whatsoutthere.html

The Gender and Disaster Network Web site has added several papers and much additional information on gender issues in disaster management, including a complete World Bank draft report on gender impacts during Hurricane Mitch (Delaney and Shrader, 2000), and proceedings from last June's conference, "Reaching Women and Children in Disasters."

Disaster Diplomacywww.arct.cam.ac.uk/disasterdiplomacy/

"Disaster diplomacy" refers to the occurrence or threat of disaster facilitating cooperation among states in conflict. This Web site has been created "to foster discussion on applying disaster diplomacy to improving all disaster management activities when confronted with international political barriers and to recognizing the true role of disaster in international affairs. The goal is to determine if, how, and when disaster diplomacy could bring about advantageous change." The site provides abstracts from a special issue of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs (Vol. XIV No.1, 2000) focusing on disaster diplomacy. The articles include:

• •

  James Ker-Lindsay on the 1999 earthquakes in Greece and Turkey.

• •

  Michael Glantz on climate-related disasters and relations between the USA and Cub

• •

  Ailsa Holloway on the 1991 to 1993 drought situation in southern Africa.

• •

  Louise Comfort on a complex adaptive systems analysis model applied to disaster diplomacy.

• •

  Vincent Gawronski and Richard Olson on Mexican attitudes toward disaster response.

Copies of this issue are available for $20.00 (includes postage) from the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Centre of International Studies, Fitzwilliam House, 32 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QY, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 74 1311; Fax: +44 (0) 1223 74 1313; E-mail: intstudiescria@lists.cam.ac.uk

For further information about the new Web site, contact the site administrator, Ilan Kelman. E-mail: disasterdiplomacy@hotmail.com

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)www.reliefweb.int/vacancies

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ReliefWeb site is designed (and frequently updated) to "serve the information needs of the [world's] humanitarian relief community." The site includes dispatches on the latest world emergencies and disasters; other news regarding international assistance; and extensive background information on both complex emergencies and natural disasters – by country, if desired. The site provides information on appeals, donations, and donation management; a large map collection; a directory of humanitarian organizations; numerous reference documents; as well as information on emergency telecommunications, early warning, and humanitarian training. Interested persons can sign up for e-mail notices of new ReliefWeb information, and the "Humanitarian Vacancies Section" now allows users both to post new positions and to peruse employment opportunities.

Provincial Emergency program (PEP)www.pep.bc.ca

The function of the British Columbia (Canada) Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) (administered through the BC Attorney-General's office) is to "maintain effective awareness, preparedness, response and recovery programs to reduce the human and financial costs of emergencies and disasters." The PEP Web site provides background information about the program as well as hazards management and mitigation in the Pacific Northwest generally. The site encompasses sections on hazard preparedness and response and provides many of the enabling laws, policies, manuals, guides, plans, and other documents in full text. It also includes incident summaries, media releases, a special section for children, a list of coming events, and an online forum for discussion of hazard issues.

US Army Corps of Engineerswww.images.usace.army.mil

Need a picture of flood, hurricane, or earthquake damage? Emergency responders in action? Flood mitigation structures? Take a look at the US Army Corps of Engineers' "Digital Visual Library," which includes both a photo library and a graphic library.

The images are provided to communicate visually the programs and projects of the Corps, as well as the hazards and events with which it must contend. The searchable library includes photographs, illustrations, artwork, clipart, logos, maps, and posters from around the world. New images are added frequently.

Online Map Creationwww.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/omc-intro.html

Or perhaps you need a map? Why not create your own? It's easy on this "Online Map Creation (OMC)" site – a great resource for students, geographers, geologists, geophysicists, seismologists, or anyone else needing a quick map for a talk or paper. The site allows a person to create an online or downloadable map (in any of several different projections) by simply entering the coordinates and defining the qualities he or she would like to see, such as political boundaries, rivers and lakes, cities, topography, tectonic features, seismic faults, etc.