International Disaster Management Research Articles

Disaster Response and Management: The Integral Role of Rehabilitation.

With the increasing frequency of disasters and the significant upsurge of survivors with severe impairments and long-term disabling conditions, there is a greater focus on the importance of rehabilitation in disaster management. During disasters, rehabilitation services confront a greater load due to the influx of victims, management of persons with pre-existing disabilities and chronic conditions, and longer-term care continuum. Despite robust consensus amongst the international disaster response and management community for the rehabilitation-inclusive disaster management process, rehabilitation is still less prioritised. Evidence supports the early involvement of rehabilitation professionals in disaster response and management for minimising mortality and disability, and improving clinical outcomes and participation in disaster survivors. In the last two decades, there have been substantial developments in disaster response/management processes including the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative, which provides a standardized structured plan to provide effective and coordinated care during disasters. However, rehabilitation-inclusive disaster management plans are yet to be developed and/or implemented in many disaster-prone countries. Strong leadership and effective action from national and international bodies are required to strengthen national rehabilitation capacity (services and skilled workforce) and empower international and local EMTs and health services for comprehensive disaster management in future calamities. This narrative review highlights the role of rehabilitation and current developments in disaster rehabilitation; challenges and key future perspectives in this area.

Resilience as the policing of critique: A pragmatist way forward

AbstractThis article offers a critical review of the main conceptual readings of resilience as a prominent policy paradigm in international development, security, and disaster management. Focusing on neoliberal, biopolitical, cybernetic, and postliberal understandings, it probes the possibilities for engaging in a socially transformative critique of resilience. In particular, the article asks how the resilience discourse polices critique in a way that includes certain forms of knowledge, such as indigenous, local, and everyday knowledge, while excluding abstract theorising. What is considered authoritative knowledge in the resilience discourse? And what are the possibilities for opposing resilience if it ‘metabolizes critique into its internal dynamic’, as Jeremy Walker and Melinda Cooper famously argued? How does critique turn from a tool to undermine dominant knowledge-power regimes into a motor of governance? The article demonstrates that the more seriously we engage with the underlying ontology of resilience, the more difficult it becomes to formulate a critique that is not incorporated into governance. As a possible way forward, the article discusses Luc Boltanski's pragmatist sociology of critique.

Epidemics and the Future of International Disaster Law

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between epidemics and International Disaster Law. In particular the paper addresses some selective examples of legal and operational issues pertaining to International Disaster Law where the increasing concern on health emergencies, dated back to the Ebola crisis, have progressively facilitated the management of tailored initiatives. In particular, in relation to prevention and preparedness, challenges experienced to include biological hazards in universal disaster risk reduction frameworks will be introduced, as well as the dedicated attention to preparedness for epidemics progressively experienced in international coordination disaster management systems. In relation to post-hazard phases, some initiatives aimed at facilitating international relief operations in front of epidemics will be explored, as complemented by international financial instruments factoring epidemics in assistance programs. This overview might thus permit to assess some trends in this area, paving the way for potential further reforms eventually based on developments already introduced in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOW ASEAN PERCEIVE NATURAL DISASTER AS PART OF SECURITY COMMUNITY AGENDA?

As a disaster-prone area, ASEAN had a set of disaster management mechanisms. In 2011 ASEAN established an institution that focuses on regional disaster management, namely the AHA Centre. However, the AHA Center did not show its significant role in some disasters. This article aimed to determine the obstacles faced by the AHA Center in 4 phases of international disaster management, namely mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, and to use the concept of the security community to analyze ASEAN norms, institutions, and collective identity and relation to disaster management through the AHA Centre. The method used is a qualitative research method. The data collection technique collaborated several techniques derived from interviews with Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the AHA Center, and BNPB RI, document-based research, and internet-based research. This research showed how the AHA Center had played a role in the four phases of disaster management. However, there were still shortcomings such as its limited role, lack of resource management, and mechanisms that only focused on government-to-government. In addition, this shortcoming can also be found stemming from the collective identity of ASEAN, which is applied in its regional disaster management. Thus, this study suggested that the ASEAN policymakers increase the role of the AHA Center in regional disaster management, improve mechanisms and resource management, and establish cross-pillar mechanisms of the ASEAN community.

International Disaster Management Cooperation with Space Technology for Sentinel Asia and International Disaster Charter

International Disaster Management Cooperation with Space Technology for Sentinel Asia and International Disaster Charter

Uji Reliabilitas Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Dalam Rehabilitasi Kawasan Ekonomi Khusus Tanjung Lesung

State has the main responsibility in any disaster management process. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDR) is an international disaster management agreement in a country which Indonesia also ratifies. The research objective is to determine how the reliability test of the SFDRR in the rehabilitation of the Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone (KEK) after the 2018 tsunami. This research is an empirical juridical study, primary data as the main data obtained from field research and interviews, as a complement, a literature study was conducted to obtain secondary data. The results of the study concluded that rehabilitation efforts based on the SFDRR had been carried out by the government but there were no direct coordination and communication between the government, KEK managers, local communities, and tourists.

Teaching humanitarian surgery: Filling the gap between NGO needs and subspecialized surgery through a novel inter-university certificate

: Background: Access to surgical care is a global health burden. A broad spectrum of surgical competences is required in the humanitarian context whereas current occidental surgical training is oriented towards subspecialties. We proposed to design a course addressing the specificities of surgery in the humanitarian setting and austere environment. Method: The novelty of the course lies in the implication of academic medical doctors alongside with surgeons working for humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGO). The medical component of the National Defense participated regarding particular topics of war surgery. The course is aimed at trained surgeons and senior residents interested in participating to humanitarian missions. Results: The program includes theoretical teaching on surgical knowledge and skills applied to the austere context. The course also covers non-medical aspects of humanitarian action such as international humanitarian law, logistics, disaster management and psychological support. It comprises a large-scale mass casualty exercise and a practical skills lab on surgical techniques, ultrasonography and resuscitation. Attendance to the four teaching modules, ATLS certification and succeeding final examinations provide an interuniversity certificate. 30 participants originating from 11 different countries joined the course. Various surgical backgrounds, training levels as well as humanitarian experience were represented. Feedback from the participants was solicited after each teaching module and remarks were applied to the following session. Overall participant evaluations of the first course session are presented. Conclusion: Teaching humanitarian surgery joining academic and field actors seems to allow filling the gap between high-income country surgical practice and the needs of the humanitarian context.

Standards-setting and its implementation through the classification system for international urban search and rescue teams.

The network of international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), has started its unique classification system called INSARAG External Classification (IEC) since 2005. In IEC, teams are classified into Heavy or Medium category, and as of the end of 2018, more than 50 teams have been classified. It seems that, through IEC, INSARAG successfully implements the standards such as the IN-SARAG Guidelines although the document is nonbinding. This article analyzes why IEC has got strong support from international USAR teams and what are the keys to successful implementation of standards in international emer-gency management. It concludes that it has been successful because, for example, INSARAG carefully gains a con-sensus from the member states when creating the standards, reiterates the minimum standards instead of the best practices, and sets the clear goal. The endorsement at the UN General Assembly Resolution also contributed to gaining support. Although there are some issues which need to be considered to maintain the system in the future, the lessons of the IEC model can be used for other fields of international disaster and emergency management.

Voluntary Rescue Service in Hungary: The HUSZÁR Team

HUSZÁR, the Hungarian National Organisation for Rescue Services, was founded in 2012 and now has a staff of over 80. HUSZÁR is a special rescue unit that can be deployed in domestic and international disaster management. Based on the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (UN INSARAG) classification, HUSZÁR is a medium level urban search and rescue team and its units are equipped with special skills and technical equipment. A special feature of the team is volunteerism combined with professional interventional skills. Its subunits can manage individual interventions, they have participated in several international disaster relief tasks following earthquakes and tsunamis, and they have also played an active role in the preparation of other nations’ rescue teams.

Spontaneous volunteerism in disasters, managerial inputs and policy implications from Italian case studies

The landscape of the emergency response system is rapidly changing, due also to an increasing frequency of natural and man-made disasters. Nowadays, the involvement of citizens into the whole emergency management is inevitable and indispensable, from preparedness to recovery operations. Drawing on international disaster management literature, this research analyzes and compares the management of spontaneous volunteers during six emergency events that recently occurred in Italy. The research’s aims are to present current tendencies of the Italian emergency volunteerism, to provide operational recommendations for organizations that may be in charge of managing unaffiliated volunteers and to propose some hints for a reform process of the Italian Civil Protection System towards a recognition of the spontaneous volunteerism in emergency. Starting from the research’s findings, the study underlines the latest trends in the field of emergency operations, at a local and international level, and their policy implications, within the Italian context.

Contextualizing Dependency Syndrome in International Disaster Management: Support from Sen's Capability-Based Approach

Contextualizing Dependency Syndrome in International Disaster Management: Support from Sen's Capability-Based Approach

Analysing a disaster management field exercise with SOL‐methodology

Safety through Organisational Learning methodology, as a proven tool for supporting organisational learning from safety relevant events, means that an organisation conducts systematic analyses of accidents, incidents or near misses and feeds the resulting experience back to its members using an appropriate reporting or management system. It was the first time that SOL‐methodology was used for Evaluating an International Disaster Management Field Exercise by European Project Partners. The general purpose of the project was testing SOL as a post‐evaluating procedure for this full‐scale field exercise. It was an important declared goal to provide the European Union with a comprehensive picture about the process of the field exercise. The particular purposes of the event analysis were to identify the main individual, group or organisational reasons for, and key technological factors of, the events that occurred. Analysing with SOL allows the identification of concrete alternative corrective actions/measures by which the probability that similar events occur in the future can radically be reduced. Furthermore, such measures help organisational learning, thereby contributing to the development and maintenance of a long‐term, safe organisational culture.

State-Level Analysis Aspects of Comparative Disaster Management

In international environments numerous different disaster management systems can be found, whose operation can be also varied because of their differences. Nowadays, there is no common, comprehensive analyzing model which could be adopted for describing and analyzing one state’s disaster management system. Through conclusions drawn during the analysis of foreign emergency managements, the different domestic disaster risk management methods can be improved. Hence, the phrase disaster management can be defined in several ways and those approaches determine the analyzation framework of the given country, as well. For a unified interpretation, a model needs to be created which promotes the descriptive analysis. Since the topic is actual, in this paper an analysis model is presented, which can be applied in international environments, and it can also be helpful for domestic research.

Assessment of Urban Disaster Resilience in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Bangladesh

The present study measures the current level of urban disaster resilience of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by assessing the challenges and potentialities in different aspects of urban system using Urban Disaster Resilience Index (UDRI) model. UDRI was developed based on Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) introduced by the International Environment and Disaster Management Laboratory of Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Japan in 2008. UDRI measures urban disaster resilience by considering five dimensions: physical, social, economic, institutional and natural and shows resilience level in scores from 1-5 where 1 representing very poor and 5 the best. UDRI was calculated for the 36 wards under 5 zones of DNCC. Findings show that the utility services such as electricity, water and drainage system, accessibility to roads, housing and land-use, health facilities, social capital, community knowledge and preparedness about disasters and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and environmental conditions are each playing a role in determining the resilience. From the overall resilience analysis, DNCC’s Overall UDRI (all ward average score of the 5 dimensions) scored 2.52, while the physical and social resilience are higher (3.37 and 2.53 respectively) than the other dimensions on average whereas natural and institutional resilience show low scores (2.37 and 2.11 respectively). As compared to an assessment done in 2010 when overall UDRI score of then Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) was 2.35, the city realized a significant improvement in physical and economic resilience, however, scores of social, institutional, and natural resilience dropped. This indicates that holistic and continuous approach is required as risk situation changes constantly and improving infrastructure alone cannot ensure disaster resilience of a city. The analysis suggests that mainstreaming of DRR, allocation of budget for DRR, environmental policy, and community preparedness are key challenges to lead DNCC towards more resilient and safer city.

Sanitation, human rights and disaster management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to link debates around the international law on human rights and disaster management with the evolving debate around the human right to sanitation, in order to explore the extent to which states are obliged to account for sanitation in their disaster management efforts.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on analysis of existing laws and policy relating to human rights, sanitation and disaster management. It further draws upon relevant academic literature.FindingsThe paper concludes that, while limitations exist, states have legal obligations to provide sanitation to persons affected by a disaster. It is further argued that a human rights-based approach to sanitation, if respected, can assist in strengthening disaster management efforts, while focusing on the persons who need it the most.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis in this paper focuses on the obligations of states for people on their territory. Due to space limitations, it does not examine the complex issues relating to enforcement mechanisms available to disaster victims.Originality/valueThis is the first scholarly work directly linking the debates around international human rights law and disaster management, with human rights obligations in relation to sanitation. The clarification of obligation in relation to sanitation can assist in advocacy and planning, as well as in ensuring accountability and responsibility for human rights breaches in the disaster context.

Canadian citizens volunteering in disasters: From emergence to networked governance

How to improve coordination between formal and unaffiliated or spontaneous volunteers after emergencies is currently an international question with a high profile. Drawing on international disaster management literature and experiences and recent crisis events in Canada, our analysis examines four Canadian case studies to show that the inclusion of citizens in EM is becoming indispensable, as simultaneously as the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are seen to be growing due to climate change, and citizens are increasingly presenting their labour and resources as assets to be drawn on in emergency and postemergency situations. In this context, Canadian municipalities are starting to better manage the unpredictability of spontaneous citizen volunteering in emergencies by building anticipatory structures of networked governance for integrating diverse, pre‐existing, and in some cases, pre‐identified groups of citizens as volunteers in emergency management functions. Additionally, as the role of voluntary service organizations is becoming elevated in emergency response and recovery in Canada, these organizations can prospectively play the role of brokers to help emergency management agencies access and manage community‐based networks of voluntary resources.

Towards a standard licensing scheme for the access and use of satellite earth observation data for disaster management

This paper explores from the view of the data recipient and user the complexities of creating a common licensing scheme for the access and use of satellite earth observation (EO) data in international disaster management (DM) activities. EO data contributions in major disaster events often involve numerous data providers with separate licensing mechanisms for controlling the access, uses, and distribution of data by the end users. A lack of standardization among the terminology, wording, and conditions within these licenses creates a complex legal environment for users, and often prevents them from using, sharing and combining datasets in an effective and timely manner. It also creates uncertainty among data providers as to the types of licensing controls that should be applied in disaster scenarios. This paper builds from an ongoing comparative analysis of the common and conflicting conditions among data licenses that must be addressed in order to facilitate easier access and use of EO data within the DM sector and offers recommendations towards the alignment of the structural and technical aspects of licenses among data providers.

The five 'C's': synergies in International Disaster Management and public health and a place for entrepreneurial resilience?

There is a growing awareness of the requirement to reconcile disaster management and public health priorities over the coming decade. Lee Miles, Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management at Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre, outlines the five main challenges involved to integrate public health into any effective disaster management system.

도심지 산사태 취약지역 통합관리시스템 구축방향

과거 급격한 도시화 산업화로 주거지 및 산업단지가 급경사지에 인접하게 되어 토사재해에 의한 도심지 피해는 지속적으로 증가하고 있다. 토사재해에 대한 기존의 접근방법에서 탈피하려는 적극적 노력이 필요하다. 선진국에서는 토지이용 정책과 규제를 통한 재해완화정책과 계획을 적극적으로 채택하고 있다. 대표적으로 미국은 자연재해정책의 단기적 접근에서 미래의 장기적 방향으로 정책을 전환되었고 재해완화 정책을 특히 강조된 로버트 스탠포드 재해 보조법을 개정하여 재해완화법(Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Public Law 106-390)이 시행되었다. 그리고 유럽지역은 제7차 EU 공동기술개발프로그램으로 산사태로 인한 위험기준을 설립하고 사회적 규모(지방, 지역, 유럽)에서 토지이용 관리계획 및 정량적 위험평가에 대해 개발되었다. 이처럼 완화단계를 강조하는 국제 재해관리 흐름을 고려해, 본 연구는 통합관리 시스템의 구축 방향을 논의하고자 한다. 시스템의 기능으로는 도심지 토사재해 예측 3D 시뮬레이션을 구현을 통한 자연재해완화 정책 및 도시계획에 대한 제안을 제공하며, 이를 위해 산지정보, 도심지정보 그리고 도시계획정보를 제공코자 한다. 구축중인 시스템은 장기적으로 지자체들의 도시계획 시 산사태에 취약한 지역의 공간계획단계에서 의사결정의 수준을 크게 높일 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. The residential and industrial complex, due to continuing urbanization and industrialization, is adjacent to how steep the damage caused by landslides downtown continues to rise. Therefore, Aggressive efforts to break the traditional approach is needed to mitigate the landslides. Developed countries are actively adopting disaster mitigation policies and plans with land use policies and regulations. Typically, US natural disaster policy was converted into a long-term policy direction in the short-term approach. The disaster mitigation act (Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Public Law 106-390) was implemented by amending the Robert Stanford Disaster Assistance Act. The Europe is to establish a risk-based due to landslides in the 7th EU joint technology development program. The quantitative risk assessment and management plan for landslides was developed in social scale (local, regional and European). Thus consider the flow of international disaster management, emphasizing the relief phase, this study is to discuss the deployment direction of the integrated management system. The DB construction and predictive models for landslides disaster mitigation has progressed by the basis of historical trends. The foundation to present reasonable standard for landslides disaster risk mitigation and unstructured management will be provide. The systems are built in the long run we expect to increase significantly the level of decision-making in areas vulnerable to landslides spatial planning stages of the urban planning of the city municipality.

Disaster management cooperation in central america: the case of rainfall‐induced natural disasters

Rainfall‐induced natural disasters rank first among all natural disasters in entral merica. Due to the geographical conditions of the entral merican region, it is common that two or more countries are struck by the same rainfall event, for example urricane itch in 1998 affected the entire entral merican region, killing more than 18-000 people. As a consequence, entral merican countries have started to promote regional policies and programs that aim for better preparation and response to these events, including disaster management cooperation. However, cooperation poses several challenges that may hinder its goals. In order to analyse these challenges, we present analysis in this paper of the current policy and legal institutions as well as the main challenges that may hinder international disaster management cooperation in Central America.