Natural Hazards Observer
| March 2006 | Volume XXX | Number 4 |
Free Online Training Courses
Offered by PERI
Delivering effective training on an array of risk management subjects has always been a goal of the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI). But, reaching all the relevant leaders and employees at thousands of small organizations is nearly impossible to accomplish using traditional methods of training delivery.
Now, PERI is rolling out the first of its new collection of e-training courses, which features a range of risk management topics that can be accessed on the PERI Web site. Recognizing the need to expand opportunities for critical training to a broader audience, PERI developed this online initiative to afford greater access to organizations with limited resources. These risk management courses will initially be offered at no charge. PERI plans to offer both free and reasonably-priced online courses in the future.
New training courses will be added throughout 2006 on topics such as risk management for small business, levee vulnerability, and terrorism prevention. For more information about the e-training initiative, contact Claire Reiss at creiss@riskinstitute.org or (703) 352-1846. Access the courses at http://www.riskinstitute.org/test.php?pid=page&tid=88.
Final Report of the 9/11
Public Discourse Project
In early December, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, the nonprofit successor organization to the 9/11 Commission, released its final report assessing the status of the 41 recommendations made by the commission in July 2004 to make the United States safer and more secure. In Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations, the project participants issued final grades for progress made in the areas of homeland security and emergency preparedness and response (see the (see the November 2005 Observer, p. 19), reforming the institutions of government, and foreign policy, public diplomacy, and nonproliferation. Littered with Cs, Ds, and Fs (some of which could be improved upon if pending legislation is passed), the report makes it clear that there is still much to be done. A prepared statement released with the report indicated that the purpose of the report was not to praise or to criticize, but to be constructive.
The culmination of the assessment marked the end of the project, and on December 31, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project ceased operations. The final report is available at http://www.9-11pdp.org/ along with the three initial reports, a one-page summary of the grades, and more information about the project.
Drought Meeting Announcement
and
Call for Posters
This September, the Geological Society of America and partners, including the Natural Hazards Center, will be convening a participatory conference in Boulder, Colorado, titled Managing Drought and Water Scarcity in Vulnerable Environments: Creating a Roadmap for Change in the U.S. The conference goals are to create a forum for improving planning and management of drought and water scarcity in the United States and to stimulate national debate through publication of a science- and policy-based discussion document. The focus of the meeting will be on identifying successful strategies and developing a decisive action plan.
Poster presentations on case studies, innovative research, and outreach efforts are invited on the following topics:
- Hydrologic aspects of drought (past, present, and future)
- Biologic aspects of drought, including quantitative ecosystem impacts
- Economic aspects of drought (historical, contemporary, future)
- Risk-based approaches to drought, including probabilistic risk assessment
- Qualitative and quantitative measures of confidence in drought analyses
- Public policy approaches for managing and mitigating drought impacts
- Facilitating collaboration of multiple stakeholders
- Impact of global climate change on drought management and water scarcity
- Enhanced drought prediction, monitoring, and impact assessment
The conference dates are September 18-20, 2006. Abstracts may be submitted between April 1 and June 26, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/06drought/.