Beginning in September 1998, the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy (SNSP) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy will offer a one-year Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance degree for mid-career professionals with significant field experience in the areas of famine, conflicts, and complex emergencies. This new degree program fills a real academic need in the United States; it is a unique program with a focus on relief and development that will enable participants to learn and contribute to innovative theory, research, and policy in this expanding field. The program will reflect changes in the traditional ways of looking at relief and development brought about by recent experiences in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burundi, Haiti, Rwanda, Somalia, and Sudan; and it reflects the growing appreciation of humanitarian assistance as a discipline in itself.
The M.A. in Humanitarian Assistance will consist of two semesters of academic work, totaling eight semester courses. Students are expected to complete the following core courses: 1) Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies, 2) Applied Nutrition for Humanitarian Crises, 3) Independent Seminar in Humanitarianism, and 4) one course selected from other core courses offered by the program. The remaining four courses can be chosen from SNSP/Fletcher offerings. Students are required to write a thesis, which would typically apply theory and analytical skills learned in the program to the professional's previous experience.
This program is available to officials from government and professionals from international and private agencies. It expects to attract individuals with varied backgrounds from different countries to enhance cross-discipline and cross-cultural learning.
The program will be administered academically by a joint Fletcher-SNSP Academic Affairs Committee. Prospective students must apply to this committee through the Feinstein International Famine Center, whose director also directs this program. For further information, contact the Admissions Committee for Masters in Humanitarian Assistance, Feinstein International Famine Center, Tufts University, 96 Packard Avenue, Medford, MA 02155; (617) 627-3423; fax: (617) 627-3428; e-mail: jhammock@infonet.tufts.edu.
Subsidized Inequities: The Spatial Patterning of Environmental Risks and Federally
Assisted Housing, Funding agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
$50,000, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Susan Cutter, Michael Hodgson, and Kirstin Dow,
Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208; e-mail:
uschrl@ecotopia.geog.sc.edu.
This research will examine three issues: 1) Are facilities handling toxic materials
disproportionately located in areas with federally assisted housing? 2) Which was located in the
community first--the industrial facility or the federally assisted housing? and 3) What is the
relative risk from these facilities to the health and well-being of subsidized housing residents?
The results of the research will provide a baseline for assessing whether federally assisted
housing is disproportionately located in areas with substantial environmental risks for a selected
number of metropolitan areas. It will also establish criteria for siting affordable housing.
GIS-Based Hazards Assessment for Georgetown County, South Carolina. Funding agency:
South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division, $15,000, four months. Principal Investigator:
Susan Cutter, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208;
e-mail: uschrl@ecotopia.geog.sc.edu.
This project will develop a method for conducting a hazards vulnerability assessment using
geographic processing techniques. It will be tested for Georgetown County, South Carolina, and
will examine seismicity, flood risk, storm surge inundation, and toxic facilities. This information
will be compared to demographic and socioeconomic data to determine social vulnerability.
Following its development, the method will be transferable to other counties in the state.
Below are recent conference announcements received by the Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of hazard/disaster meetings is posted on our World Wide Web site:
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html
Lessons from the 1997 Colorado State University Flood: Emergency Preparedness at Colleges and Universities. Colorado Springs, Colorado: March 20, 1998. On July 28, 1997, Colorado State University (CSU) experienced a disastrous flash flood. All the books ordered for the fall semester were destroyed; 22 buildings were rendered uninhabitable; the lifework of hundreds of people was destroyed; the library suffered immense damage--more than 425,000 books were ruined; and more than $120 million in losses were incurred by CSU. Intending to promote the lessons of this disaster, the organizers of this conference state, "We can anticipate some problems, and if we cannot prevent catastrophes, our preparation will help us cope during and after an emergency." For more information, contact Eve Gruntfest, Department of Geography, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, P.O. Box 7150, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150; e-mail: ecg@mail.uccs.edu; WWW: http://www.uccs.edu/~geogenvs/conference.html.
14th International Meeting on Prevention, Preparedness, and Response to Hazardous Material Spills: "Risk Management: Closing the Loop." Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chicago, Illinois: April 5-9. 1998. Hazardous materials management includes several disciplines: hazards analysis, planning, education regarding response tools, and others. This conference will attempt to explore and integrate all these aspects of risk management and will offer a wide range of sessions on comprehensive plan development, international cooperation, transportation information and management, training, counter-terrorism, accident investigation, emergency response, and other aspects of hazardous materials response. To obtain registration information, contact Tom Crane, Great Lakes Commission, Argus Building, 400 4th Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816l; (313) 665-9135; fax: (313) 665-4370; e-mail: tcrane@gld.org; WWW: http://www.nrt.org/nrt/hazmat98.nsf, or http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/pubs/postcard.html.
Third Harvard Symposium on Complex Humanitarian Disasters: "Disaster Medical Response: Current Challenges and Strategies." Sponsors: Harvard Medical School, Harvard Forum for Disasters, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Boston, Massachusetts: April 6-7, 1998. Disasters follow few rules. In many cases, no one can predict their time, place, or magnitude, and many are now complex humanitarian emergencies occurring within austere environments and/or conflicts affecting large populations. This course will present a multidisciplinary approach to the difficult medical and public health challenges of natural and human-caused disasters and conflicts and will emphasize the unique demands of disasters involving weapons of mass destruction or terrorist attacks. The course will focus on practical approaches to disaster medicine, disaster management, and pertinent public health issues. A conference brochure is available from Harvard MED-CME, P.O. Box 825, Boston, MA 02117-0825; (617) 432-1525; fax: (617) 432-1562; e-mail: hms-cme@warren.med.harvard.edu; WWW: http://www.feltco.com/hmscme/.
Effective Disaster Recovery Techniques--American Public Works Association (APWA) Video Conference. April 15, 1998. APWA's educational programs include a series of video conferences that sometimes address disaster management. These satellite programs enable large audiences to share concrete ideas and practical information with highly knowledgeable speakers, while requiring minimal travel and time away from work. For information on this and other upcoming video conferences, contact APWA, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 500, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625; (816) 472-6100, ext. 3511; fax: (816) 472-1610; WWW: http://www.pubworks.org.
North American Snow Conference. Sponsors: American Public Works Association (APWA) and others. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: April 19-22, 1998. The North American Snow Conference is an annual meeting of professionals seeking opportunities to gather information and improve their management plans for meeting the challenges of severe winter weather. The conference features three days of educational and technical sessions as well as opportunities to discuss innovative and efficient solutions to common challenges. Details are available from APWA, P.O. Box 27-296, Kansas City, MO 64180-0296; (816) 472-6100; fax: (816) 472-1610; e-mail: snow@mail.pubworks.org; WWW: http://www.pubworks.org.
Hazards and Sustainability: "Contemporary Issues in Risk Management." Sponsor: Centre for Risk and Crisis Management, Durham University Business School. Durham, U.K.: May 26-27, 1998. This is the fourth in a series of conferences intended to promote a multidisciplinary approach to risk and to consider the implications for risk management. This new conference will seek to raise managerial awareness of risk and environmental sustainability and explore issues involved in risk perception and hazard identification, the management of risk, and crisis/disaster prevention and recovery. For further information, contact Eve Coles, Centre for Risk and Crisis Management, Durham University Business School, Mill Hill Lane, Durham City, DH1 3LB, U.K.; tel: +44 (0)191 374 1220/7326; fax: +44 (0)191 374 3386; e-mail: EveColes@durham.ac.uk.
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) 26th Annual Meeting: "Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery." Arlington, Virginia: June 1-7, 1998. This AIC annual meeting will address preparedness for disasters affecting cultural property and historic structures. It will cover the latest information regarding what can be done to safeguard and recover irreplaceable cultural artifacts; resources available to save and restore damaged archival records, products, or heirlooms; the protection and restoration of paintings, sculpture, documents, and other important historical artifacts; and other issues concerning the protection of cultural property from disasters. For registration materials or other information, contact AIC, 1717 K Street, N.W., Suite 301, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 452-9545; fax: (202) 452-9328; e-mail: infoaic@aol.com; WWW: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/aic/.
Space Technologies for Disaster Mitigation and Global Health. Sponsor: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers--United States of America (IEEE-USA). Washington, D.C.: June 2-3, 1998. Use of communications, broadcasting, remote sensing, and global positioning satellites offers great potential to improve our response to natural disasters and global health crises. Hence, national and international disaster and health organizations need to understand better how these technologies can benefit their missions. The goal of this two-day symposium is to explore the applicability of space technologies to disaster mitigation and global health advancement, examine the government's role and policies affecting the useful application of these technologies, and investigate private-sector opportunities to promote and provide these applications. The symposium will include demonstrations of pertinent technologies and products. Persons interested in attending should contact Bernadette Concepcion, IEEE-USA, 1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202, Washington, DC 20036-5104; (202) 785-0017, ext. 335; fax: (202) 785-0835 e-mail: b.concepcion@ieee.org; WWW: http://www.ieee.org/usab/CONFERENCES/techpol98.html.
The ABCs of Business Continuity Planning. Offered by: Survive! Business Continuity Group. Oxfordshire, England: June 15-17, 1998. This three-day residential course provides a solid background to those new to business continuity planning and a thorough review for experienced professionals. For a conference brochure, contact the Survive! Secretariat, The Chapel, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, Fitzhugh Grove, London SW18 3SX, U.K.; tel: 0181-874 6266; fax: 0181-874 6446; e-mail: surviveuk@cityscape.co.uk; WWW: http://www.survive.com.
Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications (ICET-98). Sponsors: Government of Finland and others. Tampere, Finland: June 16-18, 1998. Delegates from all United Nations and International Telecommunication Union member states, as well as other representatives of international, national, local, and nongovernmental organizations, are invited to participate in ICET-98. The conference is expected to adopt a "Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations"--a follow-up to the Tampere Declaration of 1991, which will promote the use of telecommunications in delivering humanitarian assistance and supporting the safety and security of relief workers in the field. The complete text of the proposed document is available at http://www.unog.ch/freq. A brochure on ICET-98 is available from the Secretariat of the Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications, United Nations (OCHA), Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; tel: (41 22) 917-1455/3516; fax: (41 22) 917-0208/0023; e-mail: goli.farrell@itu.int; WWW: http://www.itu.int/newsroom/projects/ICET/index.html.
Western United States Earthquake Insurance Summit. Sponsors: Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC) and Council of State Governments-West. Sacramento, California: June 25-26, 1998. The role of hazard insurance is currently a major concern among legislators, industry representatives, consumer advocates, hazards professionals, homeowners, and others concerned about the consequences of disasters. This conference will attempt to clarify the issues and develop comprehensive public policy options to address the role of insurance in mitigating earthquake hazards. The organizers anticipate preparing a volume of policy session papers to be distributed to participants before the meeting to serve as a basis for discussion. More information is available from WSSPC, 121 Second Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 974-6435; fax: (415) 974-1747; e-mail: wsspc@wsspc.org.
Second Annual Search and Rescue/Disaster Response Conference and Expo--SR/DR 98. Nashville, Tennessee: June 25-28, 1998. The 1998 SR/DR conference will include 110 sessions on diverse aspects of search and rescue and disaster management. The program also includes live demonstrations, a large exhibit hall, and other hands-on training. For a conference brochure, contact SR/DR 98, 2413 West Algonquin Road, Suite 411, Algonquin, IL 60102; (888) 633-6674; fax: (847) 458-0421; e-mail: support@srdr.com; WWW: http://srdr.com.
National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) Mid-Year Meeting and Scientific Assembly. Incline Village, Nevada: July 8-10, 1998. The National Association of EMS Physicians is now accepting abstracts for review for oral and poster presentations at the NAEMSP mid-year meeting. The full spectrum of out-of-hospital and resuscitation research will be considered, including basic science, clinical and health services research, as well as epidemiological, operational, economic, and educational studies. Physicians, research scientists, out-of-hospital care providers, and administrators are all encouraged to submit their work. All selected abstracts will be published in Prehospital Emergency Care, the official journal of NAEMSP. Abstracts are due March 16. Questions and requests for abstract submission forms should be directed to the NAEMSP Executive Office, (800) 228-3677. Abstract forms and complete submission rules can also be found in the January 1998 issue of Prehospital Emergency Care, while additional information is available via the NAEMSP Web site: http://www.naemsp.org.
Summer Colloquium on Hurricanes at Landfall. Offered by: The Advanced Study Program and Mesoscale, Microscale Meteorology Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and the Hurricane Research Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Boulder, Colorado, and Miami, Florida: July 13-24, 1998. This two-week colloquium, intended for graduate students and recent Ph.D. recipients, will examine the structure, dynamics, and predictability of hurricanes as they make landfall. The first week of the course will be held in Boulder, the second in Miami. The program will include lectures and exercises involving use of the extensive data sets maintained by NCAR and NOAA. The lectures will cover such topics as theoretical and numerical modeling; observation of hurricane structure, including wind, rainfall, and storm surge; hurricane interaction with land and sea environments; hurricane landfall forecasting; and societal impacts of hurricanes and hurricane forecasts. Applications are due March 16. For complete details, contact Barbara Hansford, Advanced Study Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000; e-mail: barbm@ucar.edu.
FEMA 1998 Technology Partnerships for Emergency Management Workshop and Exhibition. Sponsors: Federal Emergency Management Agency and others. Chicago, Illinois: July 20-23, 1998. With the theme "Technology Solutions for Emergency Management Challenges," this workshop will include presentations, discussions, and demonstrations of new, innovative products, services, and training that support emergency management. Additional information is available from the FEMA Workshop Information Line: (800) 752-6367; WWW: http://fema.dis.anl.gov/; or http://fema.dis.anl.gov/infhttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/.
Eleventh International Disaster Management Course. Offered by: The Disaster Management Centre (formerly, Disaster Preparedness Centre), Cranfield University. Faringdon, Oxfordshire, U.K.: July 28-September 3, 1998. The 1998 Cranfield Disaster Management Course will reflect current and future needs in disaster management by providing state-of-the-art training in the discipline through the direct transfer of current knowledge, the examination of case studies, practical student involvement in fact-based exercises, and "hands-on" training. The course increasingly emphasizes the importance of disaster reduction and the close relationship between disaster management and the processes of development. For a course brochure, contact the Disaster Management Centre, Cranfield University, RMCS, Shrivenham, Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 8LA, U.K.; tel: +44 1793 785287; fax: +44 1793 785883; e-mail: disprep@rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk.
Climate and History: Past and Present Variability--A Context for the Future. Norwich, U.K.: September 7-11, 1998. This Second International Conference on Climate and History will cover climate variability over the last few millennia, human adjustments to those changes, and the prospects for the future. For more information, contact Susan Boland, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.; tel: 01603 456161; fax: 01603 507784; e-mail: s.boland@uea.ac.uk; WWW: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/conf.
American Public Works Association (APWA) Annual Congress and Exposition. Las Vegas, Nevada: September 14-17, 1998. To fulfill its mission, APWA provides education to its members through a wide variety of programs (see the April 15 video conference and April 19 snow conference above). At its annual congress and exposition, for example, APWA offers more than 100 seminars on a variety of topics, including emergency management. For complete information, contact APWA, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 500, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625; (816) 472-6100; fax: (816) 472-1610; e-mail: apwa@mail.pubworks.org; WWW: http://www.pubworks.org.
Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC) 20th Annual Conference. Pasadena, California: September 15-18, 1998. The mission of WSSPC is to provide a forum to advance earthquake hazard reduction programs throughout the West and to develop, recommend, and present seismic policies and programs through information exchange, research, and education. The council promotes regional cooperation among emergency management and geoscience agencies; attempts to raise overall awareness of earthquake hazards and mitigation techniques; serves as a resource for earthquake-related materials, information, and activities; and provides advice to all policy-implementing bodies on issues related to earthquake hazards. This year's WSSPC conference will focus on issues surrounding the development of seismic policy and will feature a field trip to seismic sites in the Los Angeles area. More information is available from WSSPC, 121 Second Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 974-6435; fax: (415) 974-1747; e-mail: wsspc@wsspc.org.
DMIT'98--International Conference on Information Technology and Disaster Management. Sponsors: University College London and others. London, England: September 21-24, 1998. This conference will focus on the relationship between disaster management and information technology. Its aim is to forge cross-disciplinary links among people working on various aspects of natural hazard prediction, disaster mitigation, and catastrophe management, and it will address the entire spectrum of information provision--from forecasting through decision support to public education. Two parallel tutorial sessions on the impact of rare and frequent hazards will be offered in conjunction with the conference. For a conference brochure, contact C.R.J. Kilburn, Benfield Grieg Hazard Research Centre, Department of Geological Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.; WWW: http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/S.Sorensen/DMIT98.htm.
1998 Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Annual Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada: October 11-14, 1998. The ASDSO invites all persons involved in ensuring dam safety to attend this year's annual conference and share their experiences. More information about the conference is available from ASDSO, 450 Old Vine Street, Second Floor, Lexington, KY 40507; (606) 257-5140; fax: (606) 323-1958; e-mail: damsafety@aol.com.
Society for Risk Analysis-Europe (SRA-E) 1998 Annual Conference: "Risk Analysis: Opening the Process." Organizers: Institut de Protection et de Sureté Nucléaire. Paris, France: October 11-14, 1998. Despite the maturation of the field of risk analysis in the last three decades, recent events have challenged the discipline's constructs, revealing how a deficit in stakeholder involvement and democratic procedures can undermine risk management decisions. The process of risk analysis itself may be radically questioned. With major political and institutional changes underway in Europe, the creation of new structures to address newly defined risks is important; however, equally important is the evolution of risk analysis so that stakeholders can have better insight and more involvement in the process. This conference will address this central issue for European risk analysis. Details are available from Philippe Hubert, Conference Director, IPSN DPHD SEGR "SRA Paris Conference," BP 6 92265 Fontenay aux Roses Cedex-France; tel: +33 (0)1 46 54 79 11; fax: +33 (0)1 46 54 88 29.
National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) 1998 Annual Conference and Exhibit. Norfolk, Virginia: November 7-10, 1998. NCCEM, a professional organization of emergency managers, hosts an annual conference that addresses cutting-edge issues in the profession. The organizers invite interested persons to submit presentation proposals on any issues in general administration, response, planning, or recovery currently facing emergency managers. For a copy of the call for presentations or additional information about the conference, contact NCCEM Annual Conference, 111 Park Place, Falls Church, VA 22046-4513; (703) 538-1795; fax: (703) 241-5603; e-mail: nccem@aol.com; WWW: http://www.nccem.org.
First China-Japan Conference on Risk Assessment and Management (CJCRAM'98). Organizers: Beijing Normal University, Society for Risk Analysis-Japan, and others. Beijing, China: November 23-26, 1998. This conference will include sessions on risk analysis of natural disasters. The abstract submission deadline is April 30. Further information is available from Huang Chongfu, CJCRAM'98 Secretary General, Institute of Resource Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; tel: +86-10-62208144 or +86-10-62207656; fax: +86-10-62208178; e-mail: cjcram98@bnu.edu.cn; or Saburo Ikeda, CJCRAM'98 Secretary of Japan Section, Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan; tel: +81-298-53-5380; fax: +81-298-55-3849; e-mail: srajapan@ecopolis.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp.
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California: December 6-10, 1998. AGU conferences offer a wide array of programs, providing an opportunity for researchers and students to share their latest research. AGU's spring and fall meetings are unique in their interdisciplinary structure and typically involve numerous sessions on various natural hazards. For a conference brochure, contact AGU, Meetings Department, 1998 Fall Meeting, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009; (800) 966-2481 or (202) 462-6900; fax: (202) 328-0566; e-mail: meetinginfo@kosmos.agu.org; WWW: http://www.agu.org.
Third International Conference on Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. Sponsor: International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES). Tehran, Iran: May 17-19, 1999. As the world's urban structures and population have increased, the global seismic risk has grown correspondingly. At the same time, trade and technological interdependency among nations has also grown, and protecting our common interests against natural hazards requires all nations to share knowledge, skills, and experience. The aim of this conference is to bring together scientists and engineers from around the world to share their knowledge regarding seismology, earthquake engineering, and other aspects of earthquake risk mitigation. The organizers have issued a call for proposals, with abstracts due June 15, 1998. For a conference brochure, contact the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, P.O. Box 19395/3913, Tehran, I.R. Iran; tel: (98 21) 229 5085; fax: (98 21) 229 9479; e-mail: see3@dena.iiees.ac.ir.
Restless Earth: Disasters of Nature. H.J. de Blij, Michael H. Glantz, Stephen L. Harris, Patrick
Hughes, Richard Lipkin, Jeff Rosenfeld, and Richard S. Williams, Jr. 1997. 300 pp. For price
and ordering information, contact the National Geographic Society, Online Store, P.O. Box
11303, Des Moines, IA 50340; (800) 437-5521; fax: (813) 979-6831. Copies can also be ordered
on-line: WWW: http://ngsstore.nationalgeographic.com.
As populations grow, risks increase because humans are moving into marginal lands and are
more densely packed into regions prone to floods, droughts, severe storms, and other natural
hazards. The first section of Restless Earth provides an overview of the types of forces that affect
our planet, including severe weather of all kinds, mass earth movements, and volcanoes, then
discusses briefly human habitation of at-risk areas and our response to disasters. The second
section, Severe Storms: Rain, Snow, and Wind, provides a more detailed look at severe
weather, explaining storm fronts, storm movement, superstorms, lake-effect snows,
thunderstorms, flash floods, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. The next section, Unstable
Lands: The Terror of Temblors and Volcanoes, discusses seismic, volcanic, and other geologic
phenomena. The final section, Climatic Shifts: Omens of Global Warming? looks at climate
variability, El Niño, and other climate changes, then examines the natural and human causes of
these phenomena.
Perils of a Restless Planet: Scientific Perspectives on Natural Disasters. Ernest Zebrowski, Jr.
1997. 320 pp. $24.95, plus $4.00 shipping. Purchase from the Customer Services Department,
Cambridge University Press, 110 Midland Avenue, Port Chester, NY 10573-4930; (800) 872-7423; fax: (914) 937-4712; e-mail: orders@cup.org; WWW: http://www.cup.org.
Drawing on actual disasters from ancient to present times, Perils of a Restless Planet examines
basic scientific inquiry, technological innovation, and public policy as determinants of how we
view natural disasters. Noting that science is not technology, but rather a process of seeking
answers to questions, Zebrowski presents his perspectives on a selection of historical natural
disasters, the scientific progress that has been made in understanding them, the scientific
challenges that remain, the socioeconomic factors that influence what scientific questions may be
pursued in the future, and the prospects for achieving a level of scientific understanding that may
someday permit us to predict, and ideally mitigate, natural disasters. The chapters cover life on
earth's crust, the evolution of science, hazards of shelter, death and life, restless seas, mass earth
movements, volcanoes and asteroid impacts, deadly winds, and science and the irreproducible
phenomenon. Appendices provide information on notable tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and
killer tornadoes as well as scientific measurement units.
Disasters: The Journal of Disaster Studies, Policy and Management, Vol. 21, No. 4 (December
1997). Published four times a year. Subscriptions: $50.00, individuals; $209.00, institutions.
Purchase from Journals Marketing Department, Blackwell Publishers Limited, 108 Cowley
Road, Oxford, OX4 1JF, U.K.; tel: +44 (0)1865 791100; fax: +44 (0)1865 791347; WWW:
http://www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk.
For 21 years, Disasters has provided peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of disaster research,
policy, and management. To mark this anniversary, the editors commissioned a series of papers
and reviews on developments and changes over the lifetime of the journal. The first three of these
papers and reviews are included in this issue. They are: The Study of Natural Disasters, 1977-1997: Some Reflections on a Changing Field of Knowledge, by David Alexander; Disasters
and the Information Technology Revolution, by Robin Stephenson and Peter S. Anderson; and
The Historical Development of Public Health Responses to Disasters, by Eric K. Noji and
Michael J. Toole. These articles are joined by Uncertainty and Information Flows in
Humanitarian Agencies, by Aldo Benini and Household Behavior in Response to Earthquake
Risk: An Assessment of Alternative Theories, by Ali Asgary and K.G. Willis.
International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Vol. 15, No. 3 (November 1997).
Individual subscriptions to Mass Emergencies cost $20.00/year; library and organizational
subscriptions are $48.00. For subscription information, contact David Neal, Department of
Sociology, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 13438, Denton, TX 76203.
The entire November 1997 Mass Emergencies is a special issue devoted to a review of
Adoption and Implementation of Hazards Adjustments--one section of the Second
Assessment of Research and Applications for Natural Hazards, a massive NSF-funded study
currently nearing completion (see the Observer,
Vol. XXII, No. 1, p. 1). The
hazards adjustments
portion of the assessment involved 16 academic researchers and leading disaster professionals,
who here offer both an exhaustive review of existing research and an assessment of current
mitigation strategies--including a comparison of adjustments based on hazard awareness
programs and adjustments based on sanctions. The 20 pages of findings and recommendations
are intended to help define the hazards research agenda for the next several decades.
Responding to Domestic Violence and Disaster: Guidelines for Women's Services and Disaster
Practitioners. Elaine Enarson. 1997. 26 pp. Free. Copies can be requested from the author,
Disaster Preparedness Resources Centre, University of British Columbia, 4225 Glenhaven
Crescent, North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7G 1B8; (604) 929-6062; fax: (604) 929-4535;
e-mail: enarson@unixg.ubc.ca.
This paper discusses emergency planning and response in 77 Canadian and U.S. domestic
violence programs that responded to such disasters as the cross-border flooding in the Red River
Valley in 1997, floods in Quebec, the floods along the Mississippi in 1993, and the Northridge
earthquake in California in 1994. The study found that women experiencing violence are
particularly vulnerable during disasters and that domestic violence programs affected by major
disasters experienced diminished resources and increased demand for services for six months to a
year following these events. The study also found that many of these grassroots women's
services were generally poorly prepared for disasters but showed a high interest in increasing
their disaster readiness. The report includes two sets of standards: Disaster Planning Guidelines
for Shelters and Women, Disaster and Domestic Violence: Planning Guidelines for Programs,
Coalitions and Disaster Practitioners.
Emergency Planning on the Internet. Rick Tobin and Ryan Tobin. 1997. 230 pp. $49.00, plus
$6.00 shipping. Copies can be purchased from Government Institutes, Inc., 4 Research Place,
Suite 200, Rockville, MD 20850; (301) 921-2355; fax: (301) 921-0373; e-mail:
giinfo@govinst.com; WWW: http://www.govinst.com.
Emergency Planning on the Internet was written to assist emergency professionals in locating
and learning to use the vast resources available on the Internet. It also describes how they can
benefit from information on these sites in their day-to-day work. Chapters look at available
information, tools of choice, Internet emergency databases, how to locate information, using the
Internet for exercises, creating a Web site, and the future of emergency management on the
Internet. The authors have compiled, evaluated, and categorized emergency management sites
that address such diverse issues as business recovery, climate change, emergency
communications, warnings, emergency management in general, insurance, and transportation.
Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages. 1998. 320 pp. $98.00, plus $3.00 shipping. An update is also
available six months after purchase for $24.95, plus $2.95 shipping. Purchase from the Order
Department, Systems Audit Group, Inc., 25 Ellison Road, Newton, MA 02159; (617) 332-3496;
fax: (617) 332-4358.
The Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages is a directory of recovery services throughout the United
States and Canada, including over 3,000 vendors in 350 categories of service. The directory is
divided into six sections: Services and Consulting; Hotsites, Mobile Sites and Teller
Facilities; Emergency Equipment Sources; Software for Planning, Data Recovery, etc.;
Training, Publications, Supplies, Associations; and Alphabetic Listing. It also includes a
tutorial on preparing disaster recovery plans.
Ready to Respond: A Disaster Preparedness Manual for Volunteer Centers. 34 pp. $10.00.
Ready to Respond: Volunteer Centers--Partners in Disaster Response. 33 pp. $10.00.
Both documents can be purchased as a set for $14.95 from the Points of Light Foundation, 1737
H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006; (800) 272-8306 or (703) 803-8171; e-mail: volnet@aol.com; WWW: http://www.pointsoflight.org.
The Points of Light Foundation works with over 500 volunteer centers nationwide that address
various social problems. The first document, which notes that these centers will always have a
role whenever disaster strikes, was created to share recent lessons learned by these centers and to
offer guidance on preparing for and responding to disasters. Underwritten by funding from the
Allstate Foundation, it contains sections on determining level of preparedness for both a center
and a community, strengthening relationships with other organizations, arranging mutual
assistance with neighboring volunteer centers, preparing in advance, recruiting and supporting
volunteers, understanding what to do during a disaster, and implementing long-term disaster recovery.
The companion volume, also underwritten by the Allstate Foundation, outlines steps for creating
a collaborative disaster response effort among volunteer centers and local agencies and for
creating a disaster response plan, including designating a disaster response coordinator, becoming
part of the community disaster response plan, developing a response activation checklist, creating
a disaster preparation and evacuation plan, developing a public information plan, establishing a
volunteer referral plan, and maintaining a disaster preparedness training program.
The 30-Minute Quick-Response Guide to Managing Walk-In Disaster Volunteers. 1995. 48 pp.
$5.50 (Canadian), plus shipping; $4.00 per copy if 20 copies or more are ordered. Available
from the Canadian Red Cross, 400-4710 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5H 4M2; (800) 565-8000; fax: (605) 431-4275.
The 30-Minute Guide is an operations manual for volunteer coordinators who must organize
large numbers of walk-in volunteers during a disaster. Some disasters, such as a flood that is
predicted several days in advance, allow time to organize. Others, such as a sudden earthquake,
tornado, or flash flood, give little or no warning. Each incident requires a different management
strategy. The first section of this book deals with sudden events and outlines strategies for getting
started, conducting a needs assessment, screening and placing volunteers, and providing
orientation. The second section deals with slow-onset events and includes information on
recruitment as well as the activities in the first section. The third section, entitled Staying on
Track, provides strategies for training, scheduling, providing orientation to service supervisors,
recognizing the work of volunteers, conducting evaluations, and keeping records.
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