Download or read book A Safer Future written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1991-02-01 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Initial priorities for U.S. participation in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, declared by the United Nations, are contained in this volume. It focuses on seven issues: hazard and risk assessment; awareness and education; mitigation; preparedness for emergency response; recovery and reconstruction; prediction and warning; learning from disasters; and U.S. participation internationally. The committee presents its philosophy of calls for broad public and private participation to reduce the toll of disasters.

Download or read book Loss and Damage from Climate Change written by Reinhard Mechler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-11-28 with total page 557 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an authoritative insight on the Loss and Damage discourse by highlighting state-of-the-art research and policy linked to this discourse and articulating its multiple concepts, principles and methods. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, it identifies practical and evidence-based policy options to inform the discourse and climate negotiations. With climate-related risks on the rise and impacts being felt around the globe has come the recognition that climate mitigation and adaptation may not be enough to manage the effects from anthropogenic climate change. This recognition led to the creation of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage in 2013, a climate policy mechanism dedicated to dealing with climate-related effects in highly vulnerable countries that face severe constraints and limits to adaptation. Endorsed in 2015 by the Paris Agreement and effectively considered a third pillar of international climate policy, debate and research on Loss and Damage continues to gain enormous traction. Yet, concepts, methods and tools as well as directions for policy and implementation have remained contested and vague. Suitable for researchers, policy-advisors, practitioners and the interested public, the book furthermore: • discusses the political, legal, economic and institutional dimensions of the issue• highlights normative questions central to the discourse • provides a focus on climate risks and climate risk management. • presents salient case studies from around the world.

Download or read book Reducing Disaster Losses Through Better Information written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-01-22 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Losses of life and property from natural disasters in the United States-and throughout the world-have been enormous and the potential for substantially greater future losses looms. It is clearly in the public interest to reduce these impacts and to encourage the development of communities that are resilient to disasters. This goal can be achieved through wise and sustained efforts involving mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Implementing such efforts, particularly in the face of limited resources and competing priorities, requires accurate information that is presented in a timely and appropriate manner to facilitate informed decisions. Substantial information already exists that could be used to this end, but there are numerous obstacles to accessing this information, and methods for integrating information from a variety of sources for decision-making are presently inadequate. Implementation of an improved national or international network for making better information available in a more timely manner could substantially improve the situation. As noted in the Preface, a federal transition team is considering the issues and needs associated with implementing a global or national disaster information network as described in the report by the Disaster Information Task Force (1997). This National Research Council report was commissioned by the transition team to provide advice on how a disaster information network could best make information available to improve decision making, with the ultimate goal of reducing losses from natural disasters. The report is intended to provide the basis for a better appreciation of which types of data and information should be generated in an information program and how this information could best be disseminated to decision makers.

Download or read book Disaster s Impact on Livelihood and Cultural Survival written by Michele Companion and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-03-16 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many facets of disasters generate interest among scholars and practitioners. However, a vital area of disaster research is consistently underemphasized. Little is written about the immediate and long-term impacts on a community‘s livelihood systems and the customs and practices of the culture affected. Disaster‘s Impact on Livelihood and Cultural S

Download or read book The Impacts of Natural Disasters written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-05-06 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We in the United States have almost come to accept natural disasters as part of our nation's social fabric. News of property damage, economic and social disruption, and injuries follow earthquakes, fires, floods and hurricanes. Surprisingly, however, the total losses that follow these natural disasters are not consistently calculated. We have no formal system in either the public or private sector for compiling this information. The National Academies recommends what types of data should be assembled and tracked.

Download or read book Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries written by Dean T. Jamison and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2006-04-02 with total page 1449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.

Download or read book Natural Disasters written by Ms.Nicole Laframboise and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2012-10-09 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews the literature on the macroeconomic impact of natural disasters and presents the IMF’s role in assisting countries coping with natural catastrophes. Focusing on seven country cases, the paper describes the emergency financing, policy support, and technical assistance provided by the Fund to help governments put together a policy response or build a macro framework to lay the foundation for recovery and/or unlock other external financing. The literature and experience suggests there are ways to strengthen policy frameworks to increase resilience to natural disaster shocks, including identifying the risks and probability of natural disasters and integrating them more explicitly into macro frame-works, increasing flexibility within fiscal frameworks, and improving coordination amongst international partners ex post and ex ante.

Download or read book Disasters by Design written by Dennis Mileti and published by Joseph Henry Press. This book was released on 1999-06-18 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disasters by Design provides an alternative and sustainable way to view, study, and manage hazards in the United States that would result in disaster-resilient communities, higher environmental quality, inter- and intragenerational equity, economic sustainability, and improved quality of life. This volume provides an overview of what is known about natural hazards, disasters, recovery, and mitigation, how research findings have been translated into policies and programs; and a sustainable hazard mitigation research agenda. Also provided is an examination of past disaster losses and hazards management over the past 20 years, including factorsâ€"demographic, climate, socialâ€"that influence loss. This volume summarizes and sets the stage for the more detailed books in the series.

Download or read book The Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters written by Debarati Guha-Sapir and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-23 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work combines research and empirical evidence on the economic costs of disasters with theoretical approaches. It provides new insights on how to assess and manage the costs and impacts of disaster prevention, mitigation, recovery and adaption, and much more.

Download or read book Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-11-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognizing the importance of wetland protection, the Bush administration in 1988 endorsed the goal of "no net loss" of wetlands. Specifically, it directed that filling of wetlands should be avoided, and minimized when it cannot be avoided. When filling is permitted, compensatory mitigation must be undertaken; that is, wetlands must be restored, created, enhanced, and, in exceptional cases, preserved, to replace the permitted loss of wetland area and function, such as water quality improvement within the watershed. After more than a dozen years, the national commitment to "no net loss" of wetlands has been evaluated. This new book explores the adequacy of science and technology for replacing wetland function and the effectiveness of the federal program of compensatory mitigation in accomplishing the nation's goal of clean water. It examines the regulatory framework for permitting wetland filling and requiring mitigation, compares the mitigation institutions that are in use, and addresses the problems that agencies face in ensuring sustainability of mitigated wetlands over the long term. Gleaning lessons from the mixed results of mitigation efforts to date, the book offers 10 practical guidelines for establishing and monitoring mitigated wetlands. It also recommends that federal, state, and local agencies undertake specific institutional reforms. This book will be important to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the "no net loss" issue: policy makers, regulators, environmental scientists, educators, and wetland advocates.

Download or read book National Mitigation Strategy written by James L. Witt and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1997-06 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In response to the unacceptable loss of life and property from recent natural disasters, and the awesome prospect of even greater, catastrophic loss in the future, the National Mitigation Strategy (NMS) was developed to provide a conceptual framework to reduce these losses. Hazard mitigation involves recognizing and adapting to natural forces and is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property. Contents: why a NMS? designing the strategy; basic principles and goals of the NMS; major elements and strategic objectives of the NMS; mitigation action plan. Tables.

Download or read book Report on Costs and Benefits of Natural Hazard Mitigation written by Federal Emergency Management Agency and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-02-09 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last decade, the overall cost of disasters to the United States has grown significantly. From 1989 to 1993, the average annual losses from disasters were $3.3 billion. Over the last 4 years, the average annual losses have increased to $13 billion. On the Federal side alone, disasters have cost over $20 billion over the last four years. The disaster losses are equally as staggering for the American public. Since 1993, over 1.4 million Americans have been impacted by Presidentially declared disasters, resulting in the loss of their homes, property, communities, jobs, and in some cases their lives. This figure does not include the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by natural hazard events that were managed entirely at the State and local levels, and involved the personal savings and private resources of property owners. Indeed, the impacts of major disasters on Americans go well beyond those damages that are directly sustained. Recovery from disasters requires resources to be diverted from other important public and private programs, and adversely impacts the productivity of economic systems. To many, the rising costs associated with natural disasters have become unacceptable. To address this growing problem, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under Director James L. Witt, has encouraged the emergency management community to become more proactive in reducing the potential for losses before an event occurs. This proactive strategy is commonly known as mitigation. Hazard mitigation is defined as sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects. This distinguishes mitigation from other major emergency management functions such as preparedness and training, response, and short-term recovery. This emphasis on mitigation led FEMA to introduce a National Mitigation Strategy in December of 1995 to encourage a national focus on hazard mitigation. The strategy is based on the objective of strengthening the partnership among all levels of government and the private sector and to empower all Americans to fulfill their responsibilities for ensuring safer communities. The strategy was developed with input from State and local officials, as well as individuals and organizations with expertise in hazard mitigation. The strategy has two goals: to substantially increase the public awareness of natural hazard risk so that the public demands safer communities in which to live and work; and to significantly reduce the risk of loss of life, injury, economic costs, and destruction of natural and cultural resources that result from natural hazards. The reason for the emphasis on mitigation is clear. Experience at the Federal, State, and local levels during natural disasters, and a growing body of associated research, have demonstrated that the losses from such events (in terms of life, property, and community resources) can be substantially reduced when mitigation techniques and technologies are applied. This paper was prepared to illustrate the comparative benefits and costs associated with the implementation of a variety of mitigation measures by Federal, State, and local government, and private sector entities. To accomplish this, this paper will identify, through a series of case studies, the mitigation tools used to achieve cost-effective hazard mitigation benefits. The case studies are representative of the types of mitigation measures that are, or could be, performed elsewhere in the nation under similar conditions.

Download or read book Natural Disasters and Extreme Events in Agriculture written by Mannava VK Sivakumar and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-06 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agricultural production is highly sensitive to weather and climate-related disasters such as drought, storm and flood. While it is not possible to prevent the occurrence of natural disasters, the resultant disastrous effects can be reduced mitigated through proper planning and effective preparation. This book, based on a gathering of experts in Beijing, discusses ways to reduce the vulnerability of agriculture to disaster and extreme events, both by accurate and timely warning, and by impact-reducing countermeasures.

Download or read book Distributional Impacts of Climate Change and Disasters written by Matthias Ruth and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change tends to increase the frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters, which puts many people at risk. Economic, social and environmental impacts further increase vulnerability to disasters and tend to set back development, destroy livelihoods, and increase disparity nationally and worldwide. This book addresses the differential vulnerability of people and places, introducing concepts and methods for analysis and illustrating the impact on local, regional, national, and global scales. The chapters in the first section set the stage by focusing on the relationship between climate change and disasters and by broadly exploring their economic and social aftermaths. Further chapters explore particular impacts of climate change, including the social, political and even military conflicts that may arise over scarce natural resources, as well as the effects on biodiversity and thus the natural environment. Chapters in the last section discuss responses to climate change in terms of information sharing and preparedness, adaptation and mitigation particularly the relevance of improving the role of markets, through investment and insurance, to face these challenges. Researchers and policymakers involved in the study of climate change and disaster prevention will find this comprehensive volume of great interest.

Download or read book Natural Hazards Analysis written by John Pine and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2008-10-22 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emphasizes Resilient Policies, Rather Than Rigid PhilosophyEconomic and environmental consequences of natural and man-made disasters have grown exponentially during the past few decades. Whether from hurricanes, chemical spills, terrorist incidents, or other catastrophes, the negative impacts can often be felt on a global scale. Natural Hazards Ana

Download or read book Principles of Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities written by and published by Pan American Health Org. This book was released on 2000 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on problems encountered in areas of high risk for seismic events. It introduces the essential aspects of carrying out vulnerability assessments and applying practical measures to mitigate damage in hospitals addressing structural and nonstructural aspects as well as administrative and internal organization. In a period of only 15 years between 1981 and 1996 93 hospitals and 538 health care centers in Latin America and the Caribbean were damaged as a consequence of natural disasters. The direct cost of these disasters has been enormous; just as devastating has been the social impact of the loss of these critical facilities at a time when they were most needed. For these reasons special consideration must be given to disaster planning for these facilities. Assessing and reducing their vulnerability to natural hazards is indispensable. Principles of Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities is an updated compilation of various documents on the topic already published by PAHO/WHO. Sections of previous publications have been revised to address the needs of professionals from a variety of disciplines particularly those involved in health facility planning operation and maintenance. Figures and photographs illustrate situations that can increase disaster vulnerability in health facilities. Examples are given of how countries in Latin America have conducted vulnerability assessments and applied specific disaster mitigation measures in their hospitals and health centers.

Download or read book Mitigation of Natural Hazards and Disasters written by C. Emdad Haque and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-11-07 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practitioners in natural hazards reduction and policy makers in climatic change and natural hazards management