Slow-onset Disasters Research Articles

URGENSI PENGATURAN PERLINDUNGAN PENGUNGSI LINGKUNGAN AKIBAT PERUBAHAN IKLIM DALAM PERSPEKTIF HUKUM INTERNASIONAL

Climate change refugess is caused by sudden impact disasters and slow onset disasters because of climate change. The climate change refugess is not included as the refugees which are regulated under the Refugees Convention 1951, since the climate refugees are not caused by persecution. Thus, it is necessary to find out a solution based on international law to provide legal protection to the climate change refugees. The aim of the research is to analyse comprehensively the urgency of legal protection to the climate refugees and to find out an appropriate legal protection fo them. The fundings of the research namely : First, there is a legal lacuna to the protection of climate change refugees ; second, The need to regulate the legal protection to the climate change refugees, since they become the victims of climate change.Key Words : Climate change refugees, global warming and urgency

Socioeconomic consequences of climate induced human displacement and migration in Bangladesh

The main objective of this study was to explore the types and nature of climate induced human displacement and migration, and their socioeconomic consequences in the agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh. The study followed a qualitative research design, where six agro-ecological zones were selected purposively from different parts of Bangladesh. A multi-method data collection method was applied, where the study conducted six participatory rural appraisals (PRAs), eight focus group discussions (FGDs), 24 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 in-depth case studies. Data were collected in 2012, and the study used a thematic approach for data analysis. Results showed that the dramatic onset disasters usually caused mass displacement, while the slow onset disasters affected the environment, local ecosystem services and employment opportunities that forced people to undergo routine economic migration at first, followed later by permanent migration. This permanent migration had long-term negative consequences on their livelihoods in terms of poverty, and especially for women, the elderly and those with a disability. It is concluded that while the study focuses on Bangladesh, the implications are international in scope. The findings serve as important guidelines to policy makers, disaster managers and development practitioners.

Economic Recovery after Natural Disasters

Natural disasters shatter lives. I know. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami shattered mine. They also wreck communities and, sometimes, even entire countries. Sudden cataclysmic disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and floods cause devastation on impact. Slow-onset disasters such as droughts inflict persistent damage over time.

Drone Applications for Supporting Disaster Management

Introduction: Besides the military and commercial applications of drones, there is no doubt in their efficiency in case of supporting emergency management. This paper evaluates some experiences and describes some initiatives using drones to support disaster management. Method: This paper focuses mainly on operational and tactical drone application in disaster management using a time-scaled separation of the application, like pre-disaster activity, activity immediately after the occurrence of a disaster and the activity after the primary disaster elimination. Paper faces to 5 disasters, like nuclear accidents, dangerous material releases, floods, earthquakes and forest fires. Author gathered international examples and used own experiences in this field. Results and discussion: An earthquake is a rapid escalating disaster, where, many times, there is no other way for a rapid damage assessment than aerial reconnaissance. For special rescue teams, the drone application can help much in a rapid location selection, where enough place remained to survive for victims. Floods are typical for a slow onset disaster. In contrast, managing floods is a very complex and difficult task. It requires continuous monitoring of dykes, flooded and threatened areas. Drone can help managers largely keeping an area under observation. Forest fires are disasters, where the tactical application of drone is already well developed. Drone can be used for fire detection, intervention monitoring and also for post-fire monitoring. In case of nuclear accident or hazardous material leakage drone is also a very effective or can be the only one tool for supporting disaster management.

Editorial: Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities

Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities. A house is often the most valuable economic and social asset in most communities and its primary function is to provide a safe and secure habitat for its inhabitants. In many disasters, not only rapid onset events such as earthquakes and storms, where housing is usually the most visible component that is damaged or lost, but also in slow onset disasters such as floods and bushfires, people are often forced to abandon their homes. Displacement or loss of housing makes people vulnerable to possible aftershocks, as well as to the climate – rain, snow, heat, etc – thus compounding the effects of the disaster, and significantly impacting household and community health; therefore it is important to safeguard people from these disaster risks through adequate and resilient housing. This has been emphasised in a number of disasters and housing related publications (see for example ADPC, 2002; Coburn et al, 1995; HFHA, undated; IFRC, 2011; Seraj and Ahmed, 2004; UNNATI, 2006).

A meta‐analysis of humanitarian logistics research

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to give an up‐to‐date and structured insight into the most recent literature on humanitarian logistics, and suggest trends for future research based on the gaps identified through structured content analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a quantitative and qualitative content analysis process to analyse the characteristics of the existing literature, identifying the most studied topics in six structural dimensions, and presenting gaps and recommendations for further research.FindingsIt was found that existing humanitarian logistics research shows too little interest in continuous humanitarian aid operations, in slow onset disasters and man‐made catastrophes. While several papers address different phases of disasters, very few focus particularly on the reconstruction following a disaster. Empirical research is underrepresented in the existing literature as well.Research limitations/implicationsWhile five of the authors’ structural dimensions are inspired by previous reviews, the sixth dimension (situational factors) is derived from a theoretical framework which the authors developed and which has never been tested before. The validity of the study could therefore be increased by testing this framework.Originality/valueThe authors analyse the broadest set of papers (174) ever covered in previous literature reviews on humanitarian logistics. A quantitative analysis of the papers was conducted in order to analyse the situational factors which have mostly been studied so far in literature. This paper is also the first in humanitarian logistics to use content analysis as the main methodology to analyse literature in a structured way, which is of particular value to the academic community as well as practitioners.

Looking beyond gender in humanitarian interventions: a study of a drought-stricken region of Kenya

Slow-onset disasters such as droughts usually occur with such frequency that people have no time to recover before the onset of the next drought. All members of the community suffer as a result of recurrent droughts, but the effects are often more severe on vulnerable groups such as children, elderly people, and some women. This paper uses the experiences of the relief organisation Kujenga Maisha East Africa (KUMEA) to understand the importance of looking beyond gender in humanitarian interventions. Here we focus on the importance of understanding the socio-economic and political context surrounding the drought and the associated humanitarian interventions, using a feminist lens to assess power relations. This includes looking into the aspects of vulnerability and resourcefulness in the context of food security, food distribution, nutrition, and livelihood assistance. Such knowledge is vital in improving existing approaches to gender programming in humanitarian organisations.

Prioritizing climate change adaptation and local level resilience in Durban, South Africa

This paper describes the institutional and resource challenges and opportunities in getting different sectors in eThekwini Municipality (the local government responsible for planning and managing the city of Durban) to recognize and respond to their role in climate change adaptation. The Headline Climate Change Adaptation Strategy launched by the municipality in 2006 did not catalyze the development of sectoral plans or significantly influence the Integrated Development Plan, the key document through which the municipal government sets and implements development priorities. Possible causal factors for this include limited human and financial resources and more immediate and urgent development needs. To address the situation, the municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department encouraged and supported three pilot sectors to develop their own municipal adaptation plans. This more sectoral approach encouraged greater interaction among the sectors and provided each with a clearer understanding of their needs and roles from an adaptation perspective. It also highlighted how climate change adaptation could be used as a tool to address development priorities. This work will be extended through research into the cost-benefits of Durban being an “early adapter”. Work has also begun on community-based adaptation (including support for reforestation projects that provide “green jobs”) and on responses to slow onset disasters, food security and water constraints.

Coping with Drought

The slow-onset disasters, like drought, consistently deplete farmers’ resources at a faster rate than they can be replenished. Drought has been a recurring phenomenon in the southern regions of Iran and it has repeatedly been a leading cause of declining production and great human suffering. In view of the fact that poor and small farmers are more vulnerable, it is expected that they would be the main victims of such conditions. Investigation of rural poor strategies in drought conditions and assessing the impact of the governmental interventions to mitigate the drought consequences, especially on the poor state, constituted the main objectives of this study. Case study was the research method and an in-depth interview was used as the main technique of data collection. Findings revealed that farmers’ attitude towards drought was mostly metaphysical rather than physical and environmental. Poor farmers were harshly affected by the drought. It hurt them not only because of their attitude or belief, but also because of their low socio-economical position. Moreover, governmental interventions worsen the poor farmers’ situation because they treated all the farmers’ homogeneously. Much of governmental supportive services were benefited by non-poor farmers. On the contrary, the poor farmers’ who were in dire need, benefited the least. Therefore, governmental interventions fail to support the poor farmers, because it considers all stratums similar and it only focuses on productive policies. Some recommendations are pre-sented at the end of the article based on research findings.

Community‐Level Social Support Responses in a Slow‐Motion Technological Disaster: The Case of Libby, Montana

Social support is an important resource for communities experiencing disasters. However, a disaster's nature (rapid- versus slow-onset, natural versus technological) may influence community-level responses. Disaster research on social support focuses primarily on rapid-onset natural disasters and, to a lesser extent, rapid-onset technological disasters. Little research has addressed slow-onset disasters. This study explores social support processes in Libby, MT, a community experiencing a "slow-motion technological disaster" due to widespread amphibole asbestos exposure. A comprehensive social support coding system was applied to focus-group and in-depth-interview transcripts. Results reveal that, although the community has a history of normative supportiveness during community and individual crises, that norm has been violated in the asbestos disaster context. Results are interpreted as a failure to achieve an "emergent altruistic community." Specifically, community-level conflict appears to interfere with previously established social support patterns. The observed phenomenon can be understood as the deterioration of a previously supportive community.

Empirical forecasting of slow-onset disasters for improved emergency response: An application to Kenya’s arid north

Mitigating the negative welfare consequences of crises such as droughts, floods, and disease outbreaks, is a major challenge in many areas of the world, especially in highly vulnerable areas insufficiently equipped to prevent food and livelihood security crisis in the face of adverse shocks. Given the finite resources allocated for emergency response, and the expected increase in incidences of humanitarian catastrophe due to changing climate patterns, there is a need for rigorous and efficient methods of early warning and emergency needs assessment. In this paper we develop an empirical model, based on a relatively parsimonious set of regularly measured variables from communities in Kenya’s arid north, that generates remarkably accurate forecasts of the likelihood of famine with at least 3 months lead time. Such a forecasting model is a potentially valuable tool for enhancing early warning capacity.

Slow-onset disaster and sustainable livelihoods: the Vaal River in the vicinity of Parys

This article is based on data gathered during a research project commissioned by the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the northern part of South Africa’s Free State Province. The research team (which included the authors) was asked to investigate allegations of pollution of tap water, as well as sewage from the local wastewater treatment plant flowing into the Vaal River in the town of Parys on the banks of the Vaal River. The authors adopt a sustainable livelihoods approach in analysing data gathered by way of unstructured interviews in and around Parys in June–July 2008. They argue that actual and perceived levels of pollution are eroding various local livelihood assets and it is posited that the situation constitutes an unfolding slow-onset disaster. It is imperative that shocks such as sewerage spills and rumours of polluted potable water are addressed to ensure that these do not become long-term negative trends.

Vulnerability and risk perception in the management of HIV/AIDS: Public priorities in a global pandemic

Understanding the way perception of risk is shaped and constructed is crucial in understanding why it has been so difficult to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS. This paper uses the Pressure and Release (PAR) model, used to predict the onset of natural disasters as the conceptual framework. It substitutes vulnerability and risk perception as the trigger factors in the model, in making the case that HIV/AIDS can be characterized as a slow onset disaster. The implications are that vulnerability must be managed and reduced by addressing root causes, dynamic pressures, and unsafe conditions that contribute to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV/AIDS programs must be culturally appropriate and work toward influencing risk perception, while addressing social norms and values that negatively impact vulnerable populations. By impacting cultural and social expectations, individuals will be able to more readily adopt safer sex behaviors. The development of policies and programs addressing the issues in context, as opposed to individual behaviors alone, allows for effective public health intervention. This may have implications for public health measures implemented for combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Place Attachment and Environmental Change in Coastal Louisiana

This article examines how residents of communities frame environmental change. Specifically, how do respondents from Louisiana's coastal communities understand coastal wetland loss? For this article, the authors rely on 47 in-depth interviews from communities in two coastal parishes (counties). Respondents convey the meanings they give to land loss through constructing a narrative of place. The authors use a phenomenological approach that focuses on how stories are told and the subjective interpretations of societal members. Residents' narratives of place reveal a strong degree of place attachment where ideas of fragility and uniqueness are employed to frame the place in which they live. The authors suggest that the slow onset disaster of coastal land loss forces a constant and heightened awareness of place attachment. The data for this study are collected during 2002 and 2003, and although restoration processes are well underway, for the most part, residents felt shut out. Their alienation increases their sense of fragility about place, and they warn of disasters like those of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As major restoration plans are considered, the nature of residents' place attachment can shed light on the role the communities themselves can play in policy and restoration projects. In this regard, the meanings in residents' attachments are important for how and what decisions are made.

Intra-seasonal NDVI change projections in semi-arid Africa

Early warning systems (EWS) tend to focus on the identification of slow onset disasters such famine and epidemic disease. Since hazardous environmental conditions often precede disastrous outcomes by many months, effective monitoring via satellite and in situ observations can successfully guide mitigation activities. Accurate short term forecasts of NDVI could increase lead times, making early warning earlier. This paper presents a simple empirical model for making 1 to 4 month NDVI projections. These statistical projections are based on parameterized satellite rainfall estimates (RFE) and relative humidity demand (RHD). A quasi-global, 1 month ahead, 1° study demonstrates reasonable accuracies in many semi-arid regions. In Africa, a 0.1° cross-validated skill assessment quantifies the technique's applicability at 1 to 4 month forecast intervals. These results suggest that useful projections can be made over many semi-arid, food insecure regions of Africa, with plausible extensions to drought prone areas of Asia, Australia and South America.

Risk factors for pet evacuation failure after a slow-onset disaster.

To determine risk factors for pet evacuation failure during a flood. Cross-sectional survey. 203 pet-owning households in a flooded region. Persons under evacuation notice because of a flood were interviewed by use of a random telephone survey. 102 households evacuated with their pets, whereas 101 households evacuated without their pets. Low pet attachment and commitment scores were significantly associated with a greater chance of pet evacuation failure. Risk of pet evacuation failure and lower attachment and commitment scores were also associated with pet management practices prior to the disaster, such as dogs being kept outdoors most of the time or owners not having carriers for their cats. More than 90% of owners made housing arrangements for their pets without assistance. Predictors of pet evacuation failure are usually present before a disaster strikes and are potentially modifiable. Mitigation of pet evacuation failure should focus on activities that reinforce responsible pet ownership and strengthen the human-animal bond, including socializing dogs, attending dog behavior training classes, transporting cats in nondisaster times, and seeking regular preventive veterinary care. Most pet owners are self-reliant in disasters, and this behavior should be encouraged.

Natural Hazards: Causes and Effects: A Course in Disaster Management

This self-study course will meet the needs of people involved in disaster management for both sudden-onset natural disasters (i.e., earthquakes, floods, hurricanes) and slow-onset disasters (i.e., famine, drought). The course is designed for government personnel, representatives of private, voluntary agencies, and other individuals interested in disaster management.The nine lessons for the course will be published successively in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. Self-assessment tests will accompany each lesson. There also is a final examination offered for those who wish to earn continuing education units (CEUs) through the University of Wisconsin—Disaster Management Center (UW-DMC).

108 Lessons Learned in Health Service Delivery to Victims of Slow-Onset Disaster

108 Lessons Learned in Health Service Delivery to Victims of Slow-Onset Disaster