Disaster Resilience

Disaster Resilience

Author: National Academies

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2012-12-29

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0309261503

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No person or place is immune from disasters or disaster-related losses. Infectious disease outbreaks, acts of terrorism, social unrest, or financial disasters in addition to natural hazards can all lead to large-scale consequences for the nation and its communities. Communities and the nation thus face difficult fiscal, social, cultural, and environmental choices about the best ways to ensure basic security and quality of life against hazards, deliberate attacks, and disasters. Beyond the unquantifiable costs of injury and loss of life from disasters, statistics for 2011 alone indicate economic damages from natural disasters in the United States exceeded $55 billion, with 14 events costing more than a billion dollars in damages each. One way to reduce the impacts of disasters on the nation and its communities is to invest in enhancing resilience-the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from and more successfully adapt to adverse events. Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative addresses the broad issue of increasing the nation's resilience to disasters. This book defines "national resilience", describes the state of knowledge about resilience to hazards and disasters, and frames the main issues related to increasing resilience in the United States. It also provide goals, baseline conditions, or performance metrics for national resilience and outlines additional information, data, gaps, and/or obstacles that need to be addressed to increase the nation's resilience to disasters. Additionally, the book's authoring committee makes recommendations about the necessary approaches to elevate national resilience to disasters in the United States. Enhanced resilience allows better anticipation of disasters and better planning to reduce disaster losses-rather than waiting for an event to occur and paying for it afterward. Disaster Resilience confronts the topic of how to increase the nation's resilience to disasters through a vision of the characteristics of a resilient nation in the year 2030. Increasing disaster resilience is an imperative that requires the collective will of the nation and its communities. Although disasters will continue to occur, actions that move the nation from reactive approaches to disasters to a proactive stance where communities actively engage in enhancing resilience will reduce many of the broad societal and economic burdens that disasters can cause.


Towards the “Perfect” Weather Warning

Towards the “Perfect” Weather Warning

Author: Brian Golding

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-06-20

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 3030989895

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This book is about making weather warnings more effective in saving lives, property, infrastructure and livelihoods, but the underlying theme of the book is partnership. The book represents the warning process as a pathway linking observations to weather forecasts to hazard forecasts to socio-economic impact forecasts to warning messages to the protective decision, via a set of five bridges that cross the divides between the relevant organisations and areas of expertise. Each bridge represents the communication, translation and interpretation of information as it passes from one area of expertise to another and ultimately to the decision maker, who may be a professional or a member of the public. The authors explore the partnerships upon which each bridge is built, assess the expertise and skills that each partner brings and the challenges of communication between them, and discuss the structures and methods of working that build effective partnerships. The book is ordered according to the “first mile” paradigm in which the decision maker comes first, and then the production chain through the warning and forecast to the observations is considered second. This approach emphasizes the importance of co-design and co-production throughout the warning process. The book is targeted at professionals and trainee professionals with a role in the warning chain, i.e. in weather services, emergency management agencies, disaster risk reduction agencies, risk management sections of infrastructure agencies. This is an open access book.


Advances in Natural Hazards and Hydrological Risks: Meeting the Challenge

Advances in Natural Hazards and Hydrological Risks: Meeting the Challenge

Author: Francisco Fernandes

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-01-02

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 3030343979

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This book gathers the proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Natural Hazards (NATHAZ'19), held in Lajes do Pico, Pico Island, Azores in 2019. Natural hazards constitute the threat of a naturally occurring event having a negative effect on human beings. These effects are often called natural disasters. Among the natural hazards and potential disasters to be considered are: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, subsidence, floods, droughts and coastal erosion. In addition, there are anthropogenic hazards that occur as a result of human interactions with the environment. They include technological hazards, which occur due to exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Grasping the behaviour of natural systems requires a comprehensive understanding of climatology, geology and hydrology data and dynamics. Thus, it is important to conduct hazard and risk assessment studies for meaningful hazard mitigation. Further, the book demonstrates that an accurate understanding of natural systems and interactions between engineering and natural resources is of vital significance to the entire socio-economic sector. This volume offers an overview of natural hazards in model regions in Europe, America, and Atlantic islands. Providing new insights on the characterisation, assessment, protection and modelling of geological hazards, water systems, urban areas and coastal zones, it represents a valuable resource for all researchers and practitioners in the fields of Geosciences, Hydrology, Water Resources, Natural Hazards, Environments and Engineering. Main topics include:1. Natural Hazards and Disasters2. Sustainable Water Systems and Climate Change3. Technological Hazards and Engineering Design


Disaster Resilience and Sustainability

Disaster Resilience and Sustainability

Author: Sangam Shrestha

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2021-06-24

Total Pages: 836

ISBN-13: 0323851967

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Disasters undermine societal well-being, causing loss of lives and damage to social and economic infrastructures. Disaster resilience is central to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially in regions where extreme inequality combines with the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Disaster risk reduction and resilience requires participation of wide array of stakeholders ranging from academicians to policy makers to disaster managers. Disaster Resilient Cities: Adaptation for Sustainable Development offers evidence-based, problem-solving techniques from social, natural, engineering and other disciplinary perspectives. It connects data, research, conceptual work with practical cases on disaster risk management, capturing the multi-sectoral aspects of disaster resilience, adaptation strategy and sustainability. The book links disaster risk management with sustainable development under a common umbrella, showing that effective disaster resilience strategies and practices lead to achieving broader sustainable development goals. - Provides foundational knowledge on integrated disaster risk reduction and management to show how resilience and its associated concept such as adaptive and transformative strategies can foster sustainable development - Brings together disaster risk reduction and resilience scientists, policy-makers and practitioners from different disciplines - Case studies on disaster risk management from natural science, social science, engineering and other relevant disciplinary perspectives


Sustainable Development and Disaster Risk Reduction

Sustainable Development and Disaster Risk Reduction

Author: Juha I. Uitto

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-11-05

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 443155078X

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This book focuses on exploring the linkages between natural disasters and sustainable development at the global, regional, and national levels. Disasters and development are closely related, yet the disciplinary silos prevail and there is little communication and cooperation between the disaster management, environment, and development communities. One catastrophic event, such as an earthquake, tsunami, or cyclone, can destroy infrastructure, people’s lives and livelihoods, and set back development. Similarly, slow onset disasters—often associated with global climate change—pose threats to development, livelihoods, food security, and long-term sustainable development. This book is uniquely aimed at bridging the gaps between the environmental, development, and disaster management communities. It traces the evolution of concepts and practice and highlights the linkages between natural disasters and sustainable development in key sectors, including food security, health, and water. The book includes case studies from the field highlighting the complex issues that challenge sustainable development and disaster risk management in practice. It draws policy conclusions for the global community based on state-of-the art knowledge from research and practice. The primary target groups for the book are researchers, including graduate students, in the fields of environment and sustainable development, geography, disaster risk reduction, and climate change studies. The second target group comprises practitioners and policymakers working in national and international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.


Handbook of Flood Risk Management in Developing Countries

Handbook of Flood Risk Management in Developing Countries

Author: Victor Oladokun

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-03-31

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 1000847764

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This new handbook brings together various views and experiences of the impacts of flooding and its management in Africa, Asia and Latin America by drawing from traditional and modern approaches adopted by communities, homeowners, academics, project managers, institutions and policy makers. Key stakeholders provide insights and perspectives on flood hazards, flood impacts, flood control and adaptation strategies across these regions. The inclusion of policy makers, emergency responders, leaders of key organizations and managers of flood defence projects makes this volume a unique addition to the flood management literature. The chapters are organized to reveal various impacts and challenges associated with the management of flooding, including response and recovery. The chapter contributions bring together the different impacts of flooding and propose various mitigation approaches. They describe procedures for managing flooding and reducing the impacts from the perspectives of policy makers, environmental planners and restorers of flood-affected communities. Also, the book considers some of the related aspects including land use, waste management, drainage systems, security challenges, urban planning and development and their contributions to flooding. The book's primary target is experienced researchers and practitioners in flood risk management. It would also serve as a key text for postgraduate students studying related programmes. Inhabitants of flood prone communities in such developing countries will also find the text an important resource for guidance and understanding. This multi-disciplinary book represents a valuable contribution for a wide range of professionals (e.g. in engineering, built environment, health, retail, etc) who are interested in flood control and management and/or faced with flood-related challenges in the course of their work.


Proceedings of the 4th Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction

Proceedings of the 4th Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction

Author: Hirokazu Tatano

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-01-01

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 9811955662

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This book presents selected papers by the keynote speakers and other presenters from various disciplines and includes their opinions and evaluations. The Fourth Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction (4th GSRIDRR, 2019): Increasing the Effectiveness and Relevance of our Institutes, sponsored by the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) and Kyoto University, was hosted by and held at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Uji Campus, Kyoto, Japan, 13–15 March 2019.. The Global Summit series provided a platform for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and other stakeholders in both government and non-governmental institutes involved in disaster risk reduction and resilience to come together to discuss, share, and exchange ideas. It focuses specifically on contributing input to the contextualization and revision of the goals of the 2016 Science and Technology Roadmap to implementation of the Priority Areas of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Agenda 2015–2030, with input for GADRI to move forward in its contributions to the worldwide science community. The conference comprised an impressive array of global stakeholders whose expertise and experience encompassed the management of knowledge and its application for governments and industries, with shared outcomes to bridge science and decision making. It enhanced a process to confront new scientific challenges in disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management. The conference accomplished the following major goals, among others: (1) engagement in dialogue on issues related to disaster prevention and contributions to the Science and Technology Roadmap adopted to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework Agenda 2015–2030; (2) evaluation of current efforts on global and national involvement in the field of disaster prevention research in relation to the implementation of the Priority Areas of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030; (3) assessment of the status of current research knowledge and efforts, and research results at the institutional level in each country.


Environmental Education

Environmental Education

Author: Er. Parveen Kumar

Publisher: Expert Notes, Publisher

Published: 2024-05-22

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 9334062851

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"Exploring Environmental Issues from Local to Global Perspectives" offers a comprehensive examination of the critical environmental challenges of our time. This book delves into the intricate relationships between humans and the environment, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development. It addresses key topics such as natural resource management, local and global environmental issues, biodiversity conservation, pollution and health, climate change, and environmental management. By exploring the impacts of human activities on ecosystems and resources, the book underscores the necessity of balancing economic growth with environmental protection. It highlights the interconnectedness of local, regional, and global environmental problems, illustrating how actions in one area can have far-reaching effects. With a focus on conservation strategies, pollution mitigation, climate adaptation, and international environmental legislation, this book provides valuable insights and practical solutions. Ideal for students, researchers, and policymakers, it aims to inspire informed action and foster a sustainable future. Through its thorough analysis, the book empowers readers to contribute to environmental resilience and the well-being of future generations. Er. Parveen Kumar Dr. Siddhartha Sharma