Links

A Humanitarian Disaster Unfolds in Eastern DRC

In a mist-shrouded valley between the Mount Nyiragongo volcano and a pair of its dormant cousins looming in Rwanda to the east, nearly 3,000 souls wait in limbo, having fled a conflict that has succeeded in making this lush corner in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo nothing less than hell on earth for its people. (IPS, 2008)

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41426

(Added: Mon Mar 17 2008   Hits: 38)

Head-to-head: Africa's food crisis

An official from the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), Nicholas Crawford, and Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, a pan-Africanist and Director of Justice Africa, debate what is causing Africa's deepening food crisis and what the solutions might be.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4670744.stm

(Added: Tue Feb 07 2006   Hits: 457)

'Measuring Mitigation' Methodologies for assessing natural hazard risks and the net benefits of mitigation: A scoping study [PDF]

By Charlotte Benson and John Twigg December 2004. "As the human and financial costs of disasters rise, there are increasing demands for evidence that mitigation 'pays'. Until this proof exists, however, many aid agencies remain reluctant to pursue risk reduction as a key objective, or even to protect their own projects against potential hazards. This report presents the results of the first, survey or 'scoping' phase of the study. It reviews agency project documentation and related guidelines and procedures, organised around the different stages of the project cycle. It draws conclusions and makes policy recommendations on how risks emanating from natural hazards are currently handled in project appraisal and evaluation, and the scope and need for an improvement in practices. The report is based on an analysis of documentation supported by interviews with selected agencies."

http://www.proventionconsortium.org/?pageid=37&publicationid=34#34

(Added: Mon May 02 2005   Modified: Thu Jan 11 2007   Hits: 404)

A Tale of 4 Diagrams: Disaster Risk Reduction in an Increasingly Complex World [PDF]

Produced by Torqaid of Australia, this article, which is built around 4 diagrams, shows how effective disaster risk management (DRM) ideally can take place in both developing and developed countries. The initial diagram (the Disaster Risk Management Cycle = DRMC), shows that for most medium to fast onset disasters (such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar), these normally go through recognizable Normal/Risk Reduction, Emergency Response and Recovery Stages. The second diagram (Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction) shows that effect Risk Reduction ideally depends upon four complementary parameters, namely Security & Good Governance; Economic & Social Development (with a strong emphasis on Poverty Reduction); Environmental Sustainability/Climate Change Adaptation (CCA); and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The third diagram (Disaster Risk Management Planning), shows that effective planning needs to be carried out by governments at national, state/provincial, and district levels, with all this being complemented at sub-district level by Risk Reduced Development Projects (RRDPS) - often called Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), which tends to be the focus of NGOs. The final diagram (the Project Management Cycle = PMC), shows that in addition to development projects, this diagram can be a useful basis for planning, implementing and evaluation projects in the Recovery and Risk Reduction stages of a humanitarian disaster.

http://www.torqaid.com/images/stories/4_diagrams__3.pdf

(Added: Thu May 08 2008   Hits: 17)

AFGHANISTAN : Severe Winter Conditions in Western Regions (pdf)

The winter conditions have reportedly claimed over 800 lives. Snow clearance is ongoing from provincial capitals to the villages, however many villages remain inaccessible. Due to the expected scale and severity of the flooding in spring, the assistance of international donors is requested. (OCHA Situation Report No. 7, 15 February 2008)

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2008.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/THOU-7BU2DK-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf

(Added: Mon Feb 18 2008   Hits: 30)

After the Tsunami: Human Rights of Vulnerable Populations

After the Tsunami: Human Rights of Vulnerable Populations is based on interviews conducted by research teams in March and April 2005 with hundreds of tsunami survivors, government officials, human rights activists, and aid workers in five tsunami-affected countries-India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Thailand.

http://www.eastwestcenter.org/res-rp-publicationdetails.asp?pub_ID=1961

(Added: Mon Nov 28 2005   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 323)

Center for International Disaster Information

Since 1988 VITA's Center for International Disaster information has handled hundreds of thousands of public inquiries related to international emergencies. The Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the public, as well as US government agencies, foreign embassies and international corporations.

http://www.cidi.org/

(Added: Fri Mar 08 2002   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 553)

Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool (NOAA)

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US) site provides an informational aid designed to assist communities in their efforts to reduce hazard vulnerability.

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/startup.htm

(Added: Thu Nov 01 2001   Modified: Mon Sep 12 2005   Hits: 368)

Disasters, Development and Vulnerability

By John Twigg. "It is clear, then, that natural hazards are an important factor in development, and that, by making people more or less vulnerable, the process of development itself contributes to the impact of the disasters that are triggered by such hazards. Indeed, it can be argued that such 'natural' disasters are often not acts of God but acts of man."

http://www.benfieldhrc.org/activities/misc_papers/DEVRISK/TWIGG.HTM

(Added: Thu Jun 03 2004   Modified: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 324)

Drought Discourse and Vulnerability

by T. Downing & K. Bakker. This paper reviews frameworks of drought vulnerability.

http://www.sei.se/dload/2002/Vulnerability%20report2.PDF

(Added: Thu Sep 06 2001   Hits: 457)

Duryog Nivaran

Duryog Nivaran net is a network of individuals and organizations working in South Asia who are committed to promoting the alternative perspectives on disaster and vulnerability as a basis for disaster mitigation in the region.

http://www.duryognivaran.org/

(Added: Mon Aug 20 2001   Modified: Mon Sep 12 2005   Hits: 553)

Event And Consequence Vulnerability: Effects On The Disaster Recovery Process

By Kristen Miller and Joanne Nigg Disaster Research Center and Department of Sociology University of Delaware. This paper develops the concepts of "event vulnerability" and "consequence vulnerability" and explores the relationships between them in order to better understand the recovery process for disaster victims, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. To date, there have been no efforts to disaggregate these two types of vulnerability or to predict what effects either has on victims' ability to recover from a disaster event.

http://www.udel.edu/DRC/preliminary/217.pdf

(Added: Wed Jun 12 2002   Hits: 427)

Gender and Natural Disasters [PDF]

PAHO. A Fact sheet looking at why Women are more vulnerable to disasters, Women responding to disasters and looking at natural disasters from a gender perspective.

http://www.paho.org/English/DPM/GPP/GH/genderdisasters.PDF

(Added: Fri Apr 22 2005   Modified: Tue Aug 29 2006   Hits: 310)

Hurricanes and Global Warming - Is There a Connection?

Following on from the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, this article from RealClimate investigates whether climate change is influencing the nature of hurricanes and tropical cyclones.

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=181

(Added: Mon Oct 17 2005   Modified: Tue Aug 29 2006   Hits: 256)

Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters (HFA)

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held from 18 to 22 January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, and adopted the present Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The Conference provided a unique opportunity to promote a strategic and systematic approach to reducing vulnerabilities and risks to hazards. It underscored the need for, and identified ways of, building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm

(Added: Thu Jan 19 2006   Hits: 392)

Natural Disaster Mitigation in Drinking Water and Sewerage Systems: Guidelines for Vulnerability An

from PAHO. These guidelines are meant to be used as an analytical tool for those working with drinking water and sewerage services to diagnose the behavior of these systems in the event of a natural disaster. Vulnerability analysis -the topic of this publication -provides a simple approach for assessing the vulnerability of system components to the impact of hazards in a particular area.

http://www.paho.org/English/PED/natureng.htm

(Added: Mon Nov 05 2001   Hits: 360)

Natural disasters and adaptive capacity (PDF)

(Eldis) By Dayton-Johnson, J. OECD Development Centre, 2004. The ability of countries to manage risks associated with natural disasters - their vulnerability before disaster strikes and their resilience after the fact - is a pressing concern for development agencies and developing-country governments. Indeed, the extent to which resources are effectively applied to mitigating and coping with disasters has immediate consequences for growth and development. This report explores the inter-relationship between this adaptive capacity and economic and social conditions pointing out that poverty and weak governance can render a society much more vulnerable and less resilient to any given shock. The authors argue that, given the limited scope for diversifying against such risks at the household or community level, there is a strong case for public action.

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC17269&Resource=f1

(Added: Tue Jan 11 2005   Modified: Wed Oct 25 2006   Hits: 251)

Natural disasters in South East Asia and Bangladesh - Vulnerability Risks and Consequences

by Robert D'Ercole and Patrick Pigeon. A useful study of natural disaster vulnerability in South East Asia and Bangladesh.

http://www.caribank.org/downloads/wkgppr_1_natural_disasters.pdf

(Added: Thu Oct 04 2001   Modified: Mon Mar 14 2005   Hits: 521)

Once Burned, Twice Shy? Lessons Learned from the 1997-98 El Niño

This 19-month, 16-country team assessment reviewed forecasts and impacts of the 1997-98 El Niño, as well as the climate-related early warning and natural disaster preparedness systems in 15 countries (Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines and Vietnam) and the Panama Canal Zone. (UNU, 2000)

http://www.ccb.ucar.edu/un/index.html

(Added: Mon Nov 05 2001   Modified: Wed Oct 11 2006   Hits: 570)

Pacific Disaster Center's Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas

This Hazards Atlas provides a dynamic geospatial framework through which information may be accessed and viewed over the Internet by the disaster management and humanitarian assistance communities. A principal objective of the Hazards Atlas is to provide decision makers with greater awareness of the risks of natural hazards in their area of concern and will provide a venue for exploring regional and national level issues related to risk and vulnerability and for assessing impacts of natural hazard events.

http://www.pdc.org/atlas/html/atlas-init.jsp

(Added: Mon Nov 03 2003   Modified: Fri Jun 02 2006   Hits: 437)

Reducing the Risk of Disasters - Helping to Achieve Sustainable Poverty Reduction in a Vulnerable World [pdf]

The links between disaster and poverty are clear. It is the poorest who are worst affected and suffer most.The capacity to cope and to reduce risk is much more limited in poorer countries. Disasters damage infrastructure and affect productivity and growth. Rarely do disasters just happen - they often result from failures of development which increase vulnerability. This paper summarises DFID's policy on disaster risk reduction as it applies to natural and technological disasters; it shows examples of disaster impacts on efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); as well as examples of good practice in disaster risk reduction. (Department For International Development, March 2006)

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/disaster-risk-reduction-policy.pdf

(Added: Tue May 23 2006   Modified: Mon Jul 02 2007   Hits: 250)

Reducing Vulnerability: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Mitch

A look at Hurricane Mitch with the aim of reducing future vulnerability to such events

http://www.iadb.org/regions/re2/consultative_group/groups/ecology_workshop_1.htm

(Added: Thu Aug 16 2001   Modified: Thu Oct 02 2003   Hits: 558)

The End of Development? Global warming, disasters and the great reversal of human progress

Publishers: NEF, Author(s): Jonathan Walter and Andrew Simms, Publication Date: 2002. This report by the editor of the World Disasters Report and the New Economics Foundation's Policy Director argues that human development faces potentially the biggest u-turn in its history. After decades of painfully slow human advancement, global warming and bad development threaten a great reversal of human progress. A new model is needed, in which every policy decision must answer one key question: will this increase or decrease vulnerability in the face of an increasingly unstable world?

http://www.neweconomics.org/default.asp?strRequest=pubs&strContext=pubdetails&intPubID=119

(Added: Mon Dec 02 2002   Modified: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 406)