"Disaster management is a multidisciplinary area, covering a wide range of issues such as monitoring, forecasting, evacuation, search and rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. It also requires multi-sectoral governance as scientists, planners, volunteers and communities all have important roles to play. These roles and activities span the pre-, during and post-disaster phases. Besides, shift of emphasis from disaster response to risk reduction has opened up areas of exploratory research in the subject. Vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of a community to a hazard. Vulnerability analysis seeks to predict disasters by ensuring timely preparedness on the part of people and institutions and concerned government agencies. The emerging arena of disaster mitigation is also becoming an integral aspect of development planning, policy formulation and implementation. This is where this book comes in. It contains 22 chapters in the form of conceptual and empirical case studies from India and other developed countries. The blend of theory, research and policy makes this book eminently worthwhile for anyone interested in disaster vulnerability and mitigation together with monitoring and forecasting and policy perspectives. It would be useful for students, researchers and teachers of geography, environmental studies, disaster management, civil engineering and policy science."
This book constitutes a landmark attempt to address, comprehensively and in-depth, a policy-focused approach to the many timely and important issues associated with building a culture of disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction. This book not only provides key insights into the field of natural hazard and disaster studies but also assesses the causes, perspectives, and consequences of natural disasters, as well as providing a global survey of post-recovery policies. The contributions found herein discuss disaster risk reduction strategies and policies for managing the unexpected and cascading impacts of natural disasters. A particular focus is placed on transboundary catastrophes that cross policy domains, geographic, political, and sectoral boundaries. Since the disaster management and natural resources policy research field draws on a diverse range of paradigms and influences, the book includes case histories, empirical studies, conceptual-theoretical investigations, policy perspectives, institutional analysis, and risk analyses. The role of human culture, disaster psychology and environmental monitoring are examined in depth. Deficiencies and inequalities in local, national, and global disaster response are also discussed. Original strategies for reducing disaster risk are put forward and the prospects for a major change in the direction of global policy on disasters. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research.
Building upon presentations given during the conference on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction for Natural Hazards: Putting Research into Practice’, held at University College London in November 2009, the articles collected in this book examine how natural hazards research is accessed and used by practitioners and decision-makers, and conversely, how policy and practice inform research. As with the conference, this book successfully brings together views from humanitarian and development agencies, academia, business, government and funding bodies. It is rare to engage such a wide range of sectors in a discussion relating to the issues of disaster risk reduction from a natural hazards perspective, and the book captures this interaction and the resultant exchange of ideas, thus providing an insight into how stakeholders respectively undertake or engage with natural hazards research. Collectively, the articles highlight the need for greater dialogue, understanding and collaboration between all these sectors if research is to be made relevant and generate significant impact on risk reduction policy and practice. There is an urgent requirement to better understand the respective needs, ways of working, project timescales and funding mechanisms for disaster risk reduction, as well as the challenges posed by institutional and organizational structures and functions. These issues must be overcome to ensure that ultimately, and most significantly, discussions turn into positive practical actions so that research on natural hazards is relevant and applicable. The book represents a step in that journey. This book was published as a special issue of Environmental Hazards.
Integrated Disaster Science and Management: Global Case Studies in Mitigation and Recovery bridges the gap between scientific research on natural disasters and the practice of disaster management. It examines natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis, and uses integrated disaster management techniques, quantitative methods and big data analytics to create early warning models to mitigate impacts of these hazards and reduce the risk of disaster. It also looks at mitigation as part of the recovery process after a disaster, as in the case of the Nepal earthquake. Edited by global experts in disaster management and engineering, the book offers case studies that focus on the critical phases of disaster management. Identifies advanced techniques and models based on natural disaster science for forecasting disasters and analyzing risk Offers a holistic approach to the problem of disaster management, including preparation, recovery, and resilience Includes coverage of social, economic, and environmental impacts on disasters
This book presents a unique, interdisciplinary approach to disaster risk research, combining cutting-edge natural science and social science methodologies. Bringing together leading scientists, policy makers and practitioners from around the world, it presents the risks of global hazards such as volcanoes, seismic events, landslides, hurricanes, precipitation floods and space weather, and provides real-world hazard case studies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific region. Avoiding complex mathematics, the authors provide insight into topics such as the vulnerability of society, disaster risk reduction policy, relations between disaster policy and climate change, adaptation to hazards, and (re)insurance approaches to extreme events. This is a key resource for academic researchers and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines linked to hazard and risk studies, including geophysics, volcanology, hydrology, atmospheric science, geomorphology, oceanography and remote sensing, and for professionals and policy makers working in disaster prevention and mitigation.
These chapters provide valuable and comprehensive information on a variety of hazards, including both scientific and social aspects of disasters. The work introduces the concept of large, medium and small scale hazards, and includes many useful case studies as well as working examples of theoretical concepts. As readers will acknowledge, today the distinction between natural and technological hazards is becoming blurred and a new concept of NATECH hazards is evolving. For permanent hazards (such as tides, wind waves, coastal erosion and climate change) routine predictions are made, whereas for evanescent hazards (including droughts, sea level rise, and coastal subsidence), monitoring of various parameters is the norm. Only for episodic hazards (for example hurricanes, winter storms, tsunamis, and river floods), early warning systems are used, with varying degrees of success. The book explores how, for certain episodic hazards like tornadoes, landslides, forest fires, snow avalanches, and volcanic eruptions, the early warning systems are still in various stages of development. Readers will gain knowledge of theoretical and practical concepts of risk evaluation which assist in better understanding of disaster dynamics, and readers will become better equipped in quantification of disaster risk and vulnerability. The author explains how risk reduction initiatives, taking into account stakeholders’ participation and perception, can provide a roadmap to building resilient communities and cities. This book will be useful not only to practitioners of disaster management but also to research scholars and graduate students. It is highly readable and will appeal more broadly too, to all those who are interested in the very latest thinking on, and expert analysis of, hazards and disasters.
The term 'natural disaster' is often used to refer to natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods. However, the phrase 'natural disaster' suggests an uncritical acceptance of a deeply engrained ideological and cultural myth. At Risk questions this myth and argues that extreme natural events are not disasters until a vulnerable group of people is exposed. The updated new edition confronts a further ten years of ever more expensive and deadly disasters and discusses disaster not as an aberration, but as a signal failure of mainstream 'development'. Two analytical models are provided as tools for understanding vulnerability. One links remote and distant 'root causes' to 'unsafe conditions' in a 'progression of vulnerability'. The other uses the concepts of 'access' and 'livelihood' to understand why some households are more vulnerable than others. Examining key natural events and incorporating strategies to create a safer world, this revised edition is an important resource for those involved in the fields of environment and development studies.
This book provides a wide range of studies on methods of assessing natural disaster risks and reducing those risks in the context of land use. A major benefit of the book is that it presents extensive research and practices from interdisciplinary perspectives through case studies of land use management against various natural disasters. The natural hazards include earthquakes, tsunami, floods, and other disasters, with case studies ranging from urban areas to areas with natural environments such as mountains, coasts, and river systems. By quantitative and qualitative analysis, this work illustrates how interactions between natural and human environments create natural disasters, and how disaster risks can be managed or reduced through methods related to land use. This book also covers a variety of challenges in land use management with sample cases from Asia as well as the United States and Europe. The main purpose is to provide greater insight into studies of natural disaster risks from the perspective of land use and the possibility of non-engineering methods to reduce those risks. This goal can be achieved through management of land use against various natural hazards in diverse environments.
Natural disasters are more common now than they have been ever before. Globally, climates are changing and natural hazards are becoming routine. This book is a study of natural hazards and how they turn into disasters—with a focus on Asian countries. It takes a holistic view of the subject and discusses different concepts of disaster management to understand both theory as well as practice. The book also explains best practices and the most effective tools for alleviating the consequences of such disasters. This study provides insight into the impact of natural disasters on human life, infrastructure, and economy and analyzes mitigation strategies with reference to numerous case studies. It also outlines the policies and laws that govern disaster management in India and abroad.
The Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAMS&T Centre) has brought out a publication entitled Management of Natural Disaster in Developing Countries based on the proceedings of the International Workshop on the above subject held in Asian institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand, 24-27 January, 2000. Natural hazards are naturally occurring processes forming an experience to human being, depending on where one lives. Floods, volcanoes, tornadoes, bushfires and hurricanes are the possible threats, which affect the environment and thus our lives. To find out the outcome of the problem, it requires exploring the reason of its origin and the possible antidotes so that it can dwindle to some extent. Planning, managing and implementing environmentally sound strategies are the supreme measures in this concern. Also, organizing a series of workshops/trainings on Management of Natural Disaster could be an aid in consecutive steps. Hence, the above workshop was organised and the proceedings of the workshop have been arranged in a sequential manner. The volume contents mainly aim at identifying areas of mitigating flood, cyclone and storm surge disaster. The Status Reports from well know experts from different countries namely, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand and Viethnam are also included in this Volume. Contents Chapter 1: Mitigating Cyclone and Storm Surge Disasters by Jamilur R Choudhury; Chapter 2: Management of Natural Disasters by Aminul Kawser Khan; Chapter 3: S&T Initiatives for Natural Hazard Mitigation by K R Gupta and R K Midha; Chapter 4: Improved Understanding About Indian Earthquake Hazard by G D Gupta & H N Srivastava; Chapter 5: R&D for Cyclone Disaster Mitigation by T V S R Appa Rao; Chapter 6: Natural Disaster and its Mitigation by Wisyanto; Chapter 7: The ESCAP-IDNDR Regional Survey on Assessment of Achievements during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (DNDR) by Le Huu Ti; Chapter 8: Overview of Experiences and Responses to Recent Disasters by Cengiz Ertuna; Chapter 9: Accomplishments, Current Activities and Future Requirements for Disaster Reduction by Kamal Bin Hussain; Chapter 10: Management of Natural Disasters by Veersing Boodhna; Chapter 11: Management of Natural Disasters by Krishna Prasad Paraujuli; Chapter 12: Forecasting, Early Warning and Reporting Procedure in Case of Disasters by Muhammad Munir Sheikh; Chapter 13: Manageable Procedures to Encounter the Natural Disasters by Abdul Qader Melhem; Chapter 14: Channel Changes Using Satellite Data for Flood Mitigation, Watershed Degradation the Flood Plain Monitoring by Lal Samnarakoon, Kiyoshi Honda and Akichika Ishibashi; Chapter 15: Cyclone Disasters due to Heavy Rainfall by Suphat Vongvisessomjai; Chapter 16: Cyclone Disasters due to Strong Wind and Surge by Suphat Vongvisessomjai; Chapter 17: Mitigation of Typhoons and Flood by Daong Quang San.
