Natural Hazards Observer
| March 2005 | Volume XXIX | Number 4 |
Below are brief descriptions of a sampling of recent publications on hazards and disasters received by the Natural Hazards Center. Information on how to obtain copies is included.
All Hazards • Earthquakes and Tsunami • Weather and Meteorological Services •
Water Resources • Wildfire • Global Change • Avalanches •
Disaster Mental Health and Public Health
All Hazards
Know Risk. ISBN 92-1-132024-0. 2005. 376 pp. $125.00. Available from Know Risk, Tudor Rose, Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane, Leicester LE1 5RA, UK; +44 116 222 9900; e-mail: subscribe@tudor-rose.co.uk; http://www.know-risk.org/. Published for and on behalf of the United Nations, this publication features 160 authors who describe their work in disaster reduction. Their commentaries draw upon experiences around the world to reflect how people are living with natural, environmental, and technological risks and the efforts they are taking to reduce their exposure to disasters. It reflects the progress in this field over the past 10 years, highlighting good practices and drawing on the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction coordinated review of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World (1994). By focusing on the experiences and livelihoods of people in vulnerable human habitats, this book emphasizes the benefits of experience leading into future actions and institutional commitments to disaster reduction.
Surviving Extreme Events: A Guide to Help Small Businesses and Not-for-Profit Organizations Prepare for and Recover from Extreme Events. Daniel J. Alesch and James N. Holly. 2004. 80 pp. $23.00. Available as a PDF on CD-ROM from the Public Entity Risk Institute, 11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 210, Fairfax, VA 22030; (703) 352-1846; http://www.riskinstitute.org/. Surviving Extreme Events is a guide for business counselors and trainers. It focuses on how owners of small businesses and managers of not-for-profit organizations can increase the chances that they and their organizations will financially survive extreme events, such as natural hazards, willful acts of destruction, and large accidents. The CD-ROM also includes a PowerPoint training presentation (110 slides) and the report Organizations at Risk: What Happens When Small Businesses and Not-for-Profits Encounter Natural Disasters (2001, 108 pp.), which examines what sets apart those small businesses that recover from those that fail after a disaster.
Jane’s Citizen’s Safety Guide. Sonayia Shepherd, John B. Copenhaver, Robert Marston Fanney, Rennie Campbell, Adrian Dwyer, and Jessica Duda. ISBN 0-7106-2661-4. 2004. 213 pp. $27.00. Available from Jane’s Information Group, 110 North Royal Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 683-3700, (800) 824-0768; e-mail: info.us@janes.com; http://www.janes.com/. Intended for citizen emergency response volunteers and emergency volunteer trainers as well as those involved in emergency management, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, law enforcement, public health, and local, state, and federal government, this all-hazards guide features emergency procedures and checklists for before, during, and after incidents such as natural disasters, mechanical accidents, and human-caused emergencies, including terrorism. It also focuses on critical needs, such as communicating with children, dealing with loss, handling the media, and providing volunteer assistance.
Natural Disasters and Sustainable Development. Riccardo Casale and Claudio Margottini, editors. ISBN 3-540-42199-8. 2004. 397 pp. $169.00. Available from Springer New York, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013; (212) 460-1500; e-mail: service-ny@springer-sbm.com; http://www.springeronline.com/. This book reviews the lectures given at the European Commission’s Advances Study Course on natural disasters and sustainable development in September 1998. Through an in-depth discussion of the complexity of natural disasters, it highlights the different aspects and problems related to an all-hazards approach, analyzes and compares practices, elaborates on future strategies, and identifies future needs.
Disaster Readiness and Response. 2004. 140 pp. $40.00. Available from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), PO Box 931897, Atlanta, GA 31193; (770) 442-8631, x377, (800) 745-8780; http://bookstore.icma.org/. This publication is a compilation of articles from ICMA publications about how local government practitioners can work together to prepare and respond to emergencies, natural and human-induced disasters, and security threats. Topics include performing risk assessments, implementing homeland security measures, communicating with citizens during times of crises, leveraging resources, and coordinating with other agencies and jurisdictions.
Disaster Resources Handbook. 2004. $6.00. Available on CD-ROM from Eric Evans, University of Missouri-Columbia, Fire and Rescue Training Institute, 204 Heinkel Building, Columbia, MO 65211; (573) 884-8984, (800) 869-3476; e-mail: evanses@missouri.edu. http://www.mufrti.org/. Paid for by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Extension Disaster Education Network, this CD-ROM features a compilation of disaster information. It contains detailed documents, fact sheets, and Web links from across the United States.
The Economics of Natural Hazards. Howard Kunreuther and Adam Rose, editors. ISBN 1-84064-815-5. 2004. 1,040 pp. $380.00. Available from Edward Elgar Publishing, 136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060; (413) 584-5551; e-mail: kwight@e-elgar.com; http://www.e-elgar.com/. Through previously published papers, this two-volume set investigates the impact of natural disasters on national and regional economies. Volume I considers the effects of the perception of risk and of direct losses and explores the costs of reducing the impact of disasters by, for example, forecasting, self-protection, and the building of physical structures. Volume II deals with mitigating the costs of disaster through insurance, including financial coverage for catastrophic loss, and investigates the development of private–public partnerships for managing disasters and the problems of reconstruction and recovery. A final section addresses the particular problems of disasters in developing countries.
Disaster Dictionary: The Definitive Guide to Related Terms, Acronyms, and Concepts for Emergency Planning and Operations. Daniel J. Biby. ISBN 0-9727134-4-1. 2004. 250 pp. $42.95. Available from K&M Publishers, (918) 499-3959, (800) 831-4210; e-mail: sales@kmpub.com; http://www.kmpub.com/. The purpose of this reference book is to establish a terminology foundation for all types of natural and human-induced emergencies, enabling public safety professionals to speak the same language, regardless of their agency affiliations and backgrounds. Appendices highlight weapons of mass destruction, the Incident Command System, and Web-based resources.
Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations. ISBN 92-75-12529-5. 2004. 190 pp. $28.00. Available from the Pan American Health Organization Sales and Distribution Center, PO Box 27, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701; (301) 617-7806, (800) 472-3046; e-mail: sales@paho.org; http://publications.paho.org/. Download a copy for free at http://www.paho.org/English/DD/PED/DeadBodiesBook.pdf. A diverse group of experts contributed to this manual, which analyzes the role of national governments in coordinating and carrying out a series of processes for the effective management of disaster-related mass fatalities. This manual is directed towards specialists in disasters and in management of human remains, especially national and local authorities who are responsible for ensuring that bodies are treated in a dignified manner and that the human rights of those affected by disasters are respected.
Accident Precursor Analysis and Management: Reducing Technological Risk Through Diligence. James R. Phimister, Vicki M. Bier, and Howard C. Kunreuther, editors. ISBN 0-309-53220-5. 2004. 220 pp. $38.00. A PDF version is $24.00 (may be read online for free). Available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Box 285, Washington, DC 20055; (202) 334-3313, (800) 624-6242; http://www.nap.edu/. In the aftermath of catastrophes it is common to find prior indicators, missed signals, and dismissed alerts that, had they been recognized and appropriately managed before the event, could have resulted in the undesired event being averted. These indicators are typically called “precursors.” This report documents various industrial and academic approaches to detecting, analyzing, and benefiting from accident precursors and examines public- and private-sector roles in the collection and use of precursor information. It includes the analysis, findings, and recommendations of the authoring committee as well as individually authored background papers on precursor analysis and management, risk assessment, risk management, and the linking of risk assessment and management.
Earthquakes and Tsunami
Earthquakes and Animals: From Folk Legends to Science. Motoji Ikeya. ISBN 981-238-591-6. 2004. 316 pp. $78.00. Available from World Scientific Publishing, 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601; (800) 227-7562; e-mail: sales@wspc.com; http://www.worldscientific.com/. Those who survive major earthquakes often report the occurrence of mysterious phenomena beforehand: unusual animal and plant behavior, lightning, strange clouds, and malfunctioning electrical appliances. In fact, these stories are legendary the world over. But are they merely legends? Are the many people who report them just superstitious or suffering from over-active imaginations? Written for both the general public and scientists, this book brings objective science to bear on these old legends, adds to the science of earthquake prediction, and cautiously suggests a new field of study: electromagnetic seismology.
An Assessment of the B.C. Tsunami Warning System and Related Risk Reduction Practices: Tsunamis and Coastal Communities in British Columbia. Peter S. Anderson and Gordon A. Gow. ISBN 0-662-38748-1. 2004. 75 pp. Available free from Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, 340 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8, Canada; (613) 944-4875; e-mail; communications@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca; http://www.ocipep.gc.ca/research/resactivites/CI/2003-D001_e.asp. The threat of tsunami along the west coast of Canada prompted the federal government and the province of British Columbia (BC) to participate with other members of the international community in the Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWS). The BC Tsunami Warning System is a regional component of the PTWS that consists of three functional subsystems for detection, emergency management, and public response. Together these critical links establish a three-stage detection and dissemination network to alert local populations along the BC coast to the threat of a potential or imminent tsunami. This report provides a baseline assessment of the tsunami warning system and related risk reduction practices in BC and offers a series of conclusions that could be used to strengthen them.
Weather and Meteorological Services
2004 Hurricane Response: Initial Impressions Report (IIR) from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan. 2004. 56 pp. Available free online from the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, c/o NAFRI, 3265 East Universal Way, Tucson, AZ 85706; (520) 799-8760; e-mail: pnasiatka@fs.fed.us; http://myfirecommunity.net/documents/Hurricane_Response_IIR_Final.pdf. This report is a collection of lessons learned and initial impressions from the deployed wildland fire resources that participated in the response effort for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan. Conducted by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center at the invitation of the U.S. Forest Service Southern Regional Office, the purpose of the report was to gather information for training, document agreed upon best practices, identify knowledge gaps, and illuminate issues of strategic or organizational significance to better prepare future all-risk response teams.
The Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research Fiscal Year 2005. Frank Estis and Blaine Tsugawa, editors. FCM-P1-2004. 2004. 248 pp. Available free online from the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM), 8455 Colesville Road, Suite 1500, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 427-2002; e-mail: ofcm.mail@noaa.gov; http://www.ofcm.noaa.gov/fp-fy05/fedplan.htm. OFCM’s 2005 federal plan provides a comprehensive compilation of proposed meteorological services and support for meteorological and related research by agencies of the federal government for fiscal year (FY) 2005 and a review of agency programs in FY 2004. Features include an executive summary that provides a high-level view of the federal resources dedicated to meteorological programs and the achievements of those programs; a discussion of meteorological risk management; a summary of the resources requested in the president’s FY 2005 budget, compared with the resources appropriated by Congress for FY 2004; and departmental and agency narratives on programs for providing meteorological services and supporting research and development.
Flash Flood Forecasting Over Complex Terrain: With an Assessment of the Sulphur Mountain NEXRAD in Southern California. National Research Council of the National Academies. ISBN 0-309-09316-3. 2005. 206 pp. $34.25. Available free online from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Box 285, Washington, DC 20055; (202) 334-3313, (800) 624-6242; http://www.nap.edu/. In early 2004, the Committee to Assess NEXRAD Flash Flood Forecasting Capabilities at Sulphur Mountain, California, was formed to assess the effectiveness of Next Generation Radars (NEXRAD) in complex terrain, which support the National Weather Service in its task of forecasting heavy precipitation events and issuing flash flood forecasts, watches, and warnings. The committee conducted a specific analysis of the Sulphur Mountain NEXRAD located in Ventura County, California, and considered how flash flood forecasting could be improved for other NEXRADs sited in complex terrain. This report contains the committee’s findings that there is little basis for concern regarding the operational effectiveness of the radar and makes recommendations for improving flash flood forecasting and warnings throughout the country.
Water Resources
In the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, Congress asked the National Academies to review the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) planning and project review practices. Five panels were convened by the National Research Council, four of which considered different dimensions of Corps planning: peer review, methods of planning and analysis, river basin and coastal systems planning, and adaptive management. The fifth panel served as a coordinating committee to follow the progress of the panels and write a report synthesizing their findings and recommendations. The five reports resulting from this study are listed below and available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Box 285, Washington, DC 20055; (202) 334-3313, (800) 624-6242; http://www.nap.edu/. These reports may be read online for free.
Review Procedures for Water Resources Project Planning. ISBN 0-309-50559-3. 2002. 110 pp. $13.00 ($8.50 in PDF).
Analytical Methods and Approaches for Water Resources Project Planning. ISBN 0-309-53130-6. 2004. 165 pp. $31.00 ($19.50 in PDF).
River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning Within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ISBN 0-309-53238-8. 2004. 184 pp. $42.50 ($26.50 in PDF).
Adaptive Management for Water Resources Project Planning. ISBN 0-309-53154-3. 2004. 138 pp. $27.50 ($17.00 in PDF).
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Planning: A New Opportunity for Service. ISBN 0-309-53244-2. 2004. 122 pp. $19.50 ($12.50 in PDF).
Wildfire
Tending Fire: Coping with America’s Wildland Fires. Stephen J. Pyne. ISBN 1-55963-565-7. 2004. 240 pp. $25.00. Available from Island Press, University of Chicago Distribution Center, 11030 South Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60628; (800) 621-2736; e-mail: custserv@press.uchicago.edu; http://www.islandpress.org/. In order to better manage fires that we do not want and promote those that we do, this author argues the need to begin with context. He provides this context for understanding fire and humanity by recounting the history of ideas about fire during European expansion and the creation of fire-prone public lands, examining the effects wrought by policies such as “letting burn,” suppressing, and prescribing burns, and providing an analysis of the current politics of fire. Once the context is in place, the author calls for wildfire management reform, including a more biological theory of fire, and suggests directions that may be taken to tend fires of the future.
Global Change
Global Change and the Earth System. Will Steffen, Angelina Sanderson, Peter Tyson, Jill Jäger, Pamela Matson, Berrien Moore III, Frank Oldfield, Katherine Richardson, H. John Schellnhuber, B.L. Turner II, and Robert Wasson. ISBN 3-540-40800-2. 2004. 336 pp. $129.00. Available from Springer New York, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013; (212) 460-1500; e-mail: service-ny@springer-sbm.com; http://www.springeronline.com/. The interactions between environmental change and human societies have a long, complex history spanning many millennia, but they have changed fundamentally in the last century. Human activities are now so pervasive and profound that they are altering the Earth in ways that threaten the very life support system upon which humans depend. This book describes what is known about the Earth system and the impact of changes caused by humans. It considers the consequences of these changes with respect to the stability of the Earth system and the well-being of humankind and explores future paths towards Earth system science in support of sustainability.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: The First Ten Years. ISBN 92-9219-010-5. 2004. 99 pp. Available free online from the Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), Martin-Luther-Ling-Strasse 8, 53175 Bonn, Germany; +49 228 815 1000; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.int; http://unfccc.int/essential_background/background_publications_htmlpdf/items/2625.php. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came into force 10 years ago to address the issue of climate change. Since then, climate change and its potential threats have become more visible and the convention and the Kyoto Protocol have laid a foundation for a concerted response. This publication looks at recent emissions trends and prospects, sets the stage for future policies by considering how climate change concerns fit in with strategies for sustainable development, considers ways of both combating climate change and adapting to it, and explains the significance of the Kyoto Protocol and the implications for the next generation of climate change policies.
Avalanches
Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States. ISBN 0-9760118-0-8. 2004. 136 pp. $20.00 (may be read online for free). Available from the American Avalanche Association, PO Box 2831, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147; (970) 946-0822; e-mail: aaa@avalanche.org; http://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/. This document contains a set of guidelines for observing and recording snow, weather, and avalanche phenomena. It was prepared for programs that contain some type of avalanche forecasting operation and is intended to serve as a professional reference for individuals with professional avalanche experience and training. Printable forms and conversion tables used in the document are available for free on the Web site.
Disaster Mental Health and Public Health
Disaster Psychiatry: Intervening When Nightmares Come True. Anand Pandya and Craig Katz, editors. ISBN 0-88163-418-2. 2004. 280 pp. $29.95. Available from The Analytic Press, 101 West Street, Hillsdale, NJ 07642; (201) 358-9477; e-mail: TAP@analyticpress.com; http://www.analyticpress.com/. This book examines the state of disaster psychiatry in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Its editors have compiled first-person narratives from psychiatrists who have encountered disasters at various stages of their career and in widely varying social, political, and personal contexts to illustrate the challenge and promise of disaster psychiatry. The challenges addressed in these essays vary from the intense emotional responses that are part of the aftermath of any disaster to the need to legitimize a psychiatric presence within diverse cultural and medical contexts to the subtle task of providing therapeutic boundaries at a time when all rules seem to be suspended.
Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health in the Age of Bioterrorism. Shelley A. Hearne, Laura M. Segal, Michael J. Earls, and Patti J. Unruh. 2004. 66 pp. Available free online from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), 1707 H Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 223-9870; e-mail: info@tfah.org; http://healthyamericans.org/reports/bioterror04/. TFAH’s second annual study of preparedness for public health emergencies found that, despite incremental progress, preparedness is still lagging behind goals and expectations and, three years after September 11, 2001, there is still a long way to go to protect the American people from a bioterrorism attack. The report examined 10 key indicators to gauge state preparedness and determine America’s overall readiness to respond to bioterrorist attacks and other health emergencies. With most states still in the middle range of the scale, and no states meeting all of the indicators, there are still major areas of vulnerability that leave Americans at risk.
GAO Reports
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports provide background information and insight into key issues and concerns of the U.S. Congress. The office frequently publishes studies regarding hazards and disaster policy. Some recent GAO reports and testimonies that might interest Observer readers are listed below. Summaries and full text are available on the Web at http://www.gao.gov/. Printed copies are also available. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $2.00 each. To order, contact the GAO, 441 G Street NW, Room LM, Washington, DC 20548; (202) 512-6000; TDD: (202) 512-2537; http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/ordtab.pl.
Homeland Security: Further Actions Needed to Coordinate Federal Agencies’ Facility Protection Efforts and Promote Key Practices. GAO-05-49. 2004. 84 pp.
Homeland Security: Agency Plans, Implementation, and Challenges Regarding the National Strategy for Homeland Security. GAO-05-33. 2005. 189 pp.
Wildland Fire Management: Important Progress Has Been Made, but Challenges Remain to Completing a Cohesive Strategy. GAO-05-147. 2005. 32 pp.
Ten Years of ASPEP Journals
The American Society for Professional Emergency Planners (ASPEP) was established in 1972 by the graduating class of the Career Development Program for Civil Defense Directors at the Federal Staff College in Battle Creek, Michigan. When the Federal Training Center moved to the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the annual meetings were conducted during the annual Conference of the U.S. Civil Defense Council, subsequently called the National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) and now called the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).
The primary goal of ASPEP was to foster professionalism and encourage continuing education in emergency management. In 1994, ASPEP initiated the publication of a professional journal, designed to publish practitioners in a professional publication. Over the past several years, the ASPEP leadership has recognized parallels and duplicative efforts between ASPEP and IAEM. The decision was made to gracefully dissolve ASPEP and transfer their activities into IAEM.
A CD-ROM containing all the journals from 1994 through 2004 is now available for $20.00 through the IAEM merchandise Web site at http://iaem.com/about/Merchandise/description.htm. The funds will be used to establish a similar journal through the IAEM Communications Committee. Questions can be directed to Valerie Quigley at vjquigley@lbl.gov.
Gender Broadsheet Released
The Gender and Disaster Network has developed a set of broad principles for promoting gender equality in disaster response and reconstruction. It comes with the knowledge that putting women and girls at the center is not divisive or secondary, but vital to the larger agenda of constructing more just, sustainable, and disaster-resilient communities. It also comes in hopes of sharing some of the hard lessons learned from “small” disaster events, which occur just beyond the camera lens, and from decades of local organizing by women around the world for environmental and social justice. The gender broadsheet, “Gender Equality in Disasters: Six Principles for Engendered Relief and Reconstruction” is available online at http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/geography_research/gdn/resources/genderbroadsheet.doc. For more information about the Gender and Disaster Network and links to other gender and disaster-related resources, visit http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/geography_research/gdn/.
Mary Fran Myers Award
The Gender and Disaster Network and the Natural Hazards Center invite nominations of individuals working in the hazards field who should be recognized for “efforts to advance women’s careers in emergency management and the academy, and for promoting gendered disaster research.” Established in 2002, the Mary Fran Myers Award recognizes that vulnerability to disasters and mass emergencies is influenced by social, cultural, and economic structures that marginalize women and girls. The award was so named to recognize Myers’ sustained efforts to launch a worldwide network among disaster professionals for advancing women’s careers and for promoting research on gender issues, disasters, emergency management, and higher education.
The intent of this award is to recognize people whose program-related activities, advocacy efforts, or research has had a lasting, positive impact on reducing hazards vulnerability for women and girls. The award committee is especially interested in soliciting nominations from countries outside the United States. People whose work adds to the body of knowledge on gender and disasters, is significant for the theory and/or practice of gender and disasters, or has furthered opportunities for women to succeed in the hazards fields are eligible to receive the award. To nominate someone:
- Submit the full name and contact information (mailing address, e-mail, telephone, and fax) of both nominee and nominator.
- Provide a maximum 500-word description of specific examples of how the nominee’s work fits the award criteria mentioned above.
- Provide a resume/CV of the nominee that reflects his/her commitment to gendered research and the promotion of women’s involvement in the field.
- Provide a personal statement from the nominee indicating willingness to be considered.
- Provide no more than one letter of support, not to exceed one page, from another person or organization that supports the nomination.
Direct questions and submit these materials (e-mail attachment preferred) by June 1, 2005, to Betty Hearn Morrow, 8215 SW 140 Avenue, Miami, FL 33183 USA; (305) 385-5953; e-mail: morrowb@fiu.edu.