Disaster Management Issues Research Articles

Immediate and long‐term assistance following the bombing of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania

On 7 August 1998 truck bombs destroyed the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.(1) The response in both countries was characterised by an absence of incident command, limited pre-hospital care, a disorganised hospital response and a lack of transportation for those injured. In the next five years USD 50 million was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to alleviate the resulting suffering, support reconstruction and strengthen disaster preparedness capacity in the two countries. These two programmes have enhanced awareness of disaster management issues, improved training capacity, built response structures and provided material resources. Their design and implementation provide lessons for future disasters in developing countries. The assistance programmes evolved very differently. In Kenya the programme largely excluded the public sector and the potential for government coordination, while the Tanzanian programme concentrated heavily on central government and regional hospital structures-largely omitting the non-governmental or civil society sector. Excluding key stakeholders raises concerns about programme sustainability and the ability to respond effectively to future emergencies.

Tsunamis

Purpose – Tsunamis are a rare but devastating form of natural disaster that has been documented since early civilization. Throughout history, many major tsunamis have impacted on the world's coastlines, causing heavy loss of lives and damage to properties. While the Sumatran tsunami in December 2004 demonstrated the sheer scale of destruction, there remains little understanding of the implications such obliteration have for disaster planning and management in the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to raise the awareness of these implications and address some of the pertinent issues. Design/methodology/approach – The threat from tsunamis for an island state like Singapore cannot be ignored. A general study of tsunami dynamics is carried out and applied to model the worst scenario if tsunamis were to hit Singapore. Unique problems relating to such a scenario are subsequently highlighted to extrapolate an understanding of how the construction industry should now react even before the disaster strikes. Findings – There appear to be some potential danger and immense uncertainties to the immediate coastline of Singapore in the event of a tsunami. Faced with these uncertainties, the local construction industry needs to recognise such challenges and develop appropriate policies and strategies way ahead to account for disaster planning and management. Practical implications – While tsunami warning systems have been put in place, tsunamis cannot be stopped. The construction industry has a significant role to play in minimising destruction through appropriate building codes, materials, designs, enforcement and preventive maintenance of infrastructure. Originality/value – The paper raises the issues of disaster planning and management caused by tsunamis and prompts the construction industry into taking appropriate and timely action to ward off what can be an extremely threatening event to both lives and properties.

Modelling and simulation of inter- and intra-organisational communication and coordination in emergency response

This paper presents the modelling and simulation of the organisational behaviour of emergency response in disasters, with the aim of using them for the design and assessment of emergency response systems. We identified and categorised various rules, protocols and procedures for emergency response through task analyses, observations and records of emergency exercises, in addition to interviews with emergency responders of various organisations. We assumed one organisation or group to be a single entity with a cognitive process and then constructed a normative model of emergency response with a conventional human model incorporating the input-decision-action cycle. Based on the model, we developed a multi-agent simulator of organisational behaviour in emergency response. We carried out test simulations using a scenario of actual emergency exercises and obtained some suggestions for the current emergency response system. This paper also discusses the possible applications of this simulation to various issues of disaster management, such as disaster education, training and exercises.

A Review of Introduction to Homeland Security

Introduction to Homeland Security, by George Haddow and Jane Bullock, documents the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and examines related issues of terrorism, disasters, and disaster management. David Simpson takes a critical look at this text highlighting its strengths, including extensive appendices, and weaknesses.

Some Contemporary Issues in Disaster Management

In this paper I want to set out some of my views on a number of contemporary issues confronting disaster management but I do not have the space to address all the issues I think are critical nor do I doubt that there are numerous other issues that have not occurred to me. My assessment of some salient current issues derives from two perspectives; until recently I had responsibility for policy development and program management of disaster recovery services in Victoria, Australia and now I have added the perspective of the academic and researcher at Cranfield Disaster Management Center in England and formerly at RMIT University, Australia; research into social impacts and community responses is an activity that links these two positions. While I am generally pessimistic about how well disaster management can keep pace with a changing global risk environment I acknowledge that our thinking has changed significantly in the past decade. In particular we have been—or were—moving away from a hazard-centric and reductionist approach to disaster management to an approach that accepted the reality of social, cultural, political and economic drivers of hazard generation, risk and vulnerability.

Disaster Management - Approach and Emerging Strategies in India

In India, the colossal loss of life and property, the social and economic disruptions caused by the increasing frequencies and severity of natural disasters has increased awareness on natural disaster management at all levels including political circles. However, the terrorist attack over World Trade Centre in USA and the spread of anthrax fear in its aftermath has shifted our attention towards potential danger of the biological and other manmade disasters. It is in this context that disaster management as an important issue draws attention of various stakeholders in the disaster management community to introspect how prepared we are to tackle this type of disasters. The present paper aims at giving a comprehenvsive account of the disaster management mechanism in our country. It also briefly discusses the efforts made and major challenges and various issues of disaster management in our country. In addition, it gives an account of the emerging strategies in managing future disasters - both natural and manmade. The various aspects covered in this paper will provide valuable inputs to the planners, policy makers, administrators, scholars and other stakeholders.

The Mount Parnitha (Athens) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: A Disaster Management Perspective

Strong earthquakes in the proximity of densely inhabited urban areas pose one ofthe most complicated disaster management situations faced by societies today. Herethe experience and principal disaster management lessons learned from the earthquakenear Athens, Greece, in September 1999, are presented. A review of the earthquakeaffected region reveals that Athens continues to expand in area, thus becoming moreexposed to seismic activity from neighbouring seismogenic areas. The earthquake of7 September 1999 became Greece's costliest natural disaster, despite its moderatemagnitude, and occurred in an area of low seismic activity, only 18 kilometres fromthe city centre. What were the effects of the earthquake on the building stock of Athens in statistical terms? How can a society with relatively modest financial means react when close to 100,000 properties are suddenly rendered uninhabitable or need costly repairs? What were the relief actions taken by a government that is experienced in dealing with frequent earthquake disasters in other parts of the country? What needs to be done to improve earthquake safety and preparedness?Has the recovery process two years after the earthquake reached a satisfactory level? What were the effects on the insurance industry? These are some of the issues discussed in this paper, which forms an initial study of the disaster management aspects of this event. The official information sources in this paper are from various Greek sources. It was thought useful to include some of these (e.g., theresults of the damage surveys; the government's estimates of the cost of the recovery; the measures for relief assistance; the data about the recovery process) for the benefit of international and local readers interested in earthquake disaster management issues.

Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation in Gujarat: Issues in Disaster Management

Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation in Gujarat: Issues in Disaster Management

Gender Issues in Disaster Management: The Latur Earthquake

This study maintains that the impact of disasters depends on the nature and intensity of the event, but in all cases the impact varies according to the degree of vulnerability of the social groups that constitute the affected population. Women, being more socially and economically vulnerable than men in most societies, are more severely affected than men. This article highlights the gendered impact of the earthquake and the bias against women in the management of the earthquake in Latur, India.

Gender Issues in Disaster Management: The Latur Earthquake

This study maintains that the impact of disasters depends on the nature and intensity of the event, but in all cases the impact varies according to the degree of vulnerability of the social groups that constitute the affected population. Women, being more socially and economically vulnerable than men in most societies, are more severely affected than men. This article highlights the gendered impact of the earthquake and the bias against women in the management of the earthquake in Latur, India.

Issues in Natural Disaster Management: Community Response to the Threat of Tropical Cyclones in Australia

Aims to discuss issues relevant to two aspects of research into the effects of cyclones on the north‐east coast of Queensland: personal responses to the experience of cyclones; and organizational and management features of the preparation for, and response to, natural hazards and disasters. Suggests that an understanding of responses at both levels is necessary for effective counter‐disaster action.

Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies

The good news about this book is that chapter 31 provides instruction for the emergency care of your sick or injured mule (or llama). The bad news is that you will need a pack animal if you want to take it along on your wilderness experience. In fact, this book is not designed to be a field manual for emergency care. It is intended to be the definitive text on wilderness and environmental medicine, and it is my opinion that the editors have done an outstanding job in achieving this goal. In addition to the expected presentations on the various toxic flora, fauna, and environmental extremes encountered in the outdoors, I was delighted to find chapters on search and rescue, disaster management, aeromedical transport, infectious diseases, veterinary medicine, and medical-legal issues. The discussions are detailed and topical, but in a style that is clear and accessible. The chapter organization is