Partnership approach to disaster management in Bangladesh: a critical policy assessment

The geographic location of Bangladesh at the confluence of the three mighty river systems of the world renders her one of the most vulnerable places to natural disasters. Human-induced climate change exacerbates the problem. This study shows that the Government of Bangladesh has already established a multi-layered institutional mechanism for disaster management, with formal recognition of the role of various stakeholders. Historically, NGOs and other informal support mechanisms in the country also have made significant contributions during and after disaster recovery. Despite the presence of some strengths, such as long experience in disaster response and recovery, the people’s resilience, and donor support, the current management strategies suffer from a host of policy and institutional weaknesses. Most prominent is the absence of a functioning partnership among the stakeholders within these formal set-ups. What is lacking is the development and embodiment of a culture of collective decision-making in planning, in resource sharing, and in implementing disaster management policies and programs in an integrated and transparent way. The paper suggests a partnership framework to implement prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases of disaster management.     

Stakeholder perspectives on barriers to landslide risk governance

European Union directives as well as national legislation are placing great emphasis on the inclusion of stakeholder perspectives in the governance of risks from natural hazards. This should help decision makers formulate better policies. However, to date, there is little information on stakeholders’ perspectives with respect to landslide risk governance. This paper addresses the gap by reporting on research in Nocera Inferiore, Italy. The research is based on a documentary analysis, 43 semi-structured interviews and a survey submitted to 373 residents. The political instability, the unfairness of national funding allocation across municipalities and the residents’ lack of knowledge about risk assessment and emergency planning are some of the main barriers to effective risk governance. Moreover, there are divergent, sometimes even opposite, stakeholders’ views on several issues, such as the relevance of illegal development in risky areas. The results highlight the importance of addressing these divergent views and including the plurality of voices as a prerequisite for inclusive risk governance. The research provided essential background information for a participatory process, which was designed to support decisions on landslide risk mitigation measures in Nocera Inferiore (Linnerooth-Bayer et al. this issue). The methodology will be of more general interest to researchers and policymakers intent upon including stakeholder perspectives in natural risk governance.

     

生态系统可持续管理的对策

简要介绍了千年生态系统评估(MA)项目对策工作组的报告《生态系统与人类福祉:政策响应》的核心内容.MA的评估结果显示,在过去的50年里,60%的生态系统服务已经出现下降或不可持续利用的状况,而且许多生态系统服务在未来50年内仍会急剧下降,这将严重威胁联合国千年发展目标的实现.但是,MA认为通过对当前的政策、制度和行为习惯进行重大调整,仍然可望在满足对生态系统服务不断增长的需求的同时,减缓和扭转生态系统的退化趋势.基于这一认识,MA的对策工作组通过分析过去和当前用于生态系统管理的各种对策的优点与缺点,指出了生态系统可持续管理的障碍;确定了制度与管理对策、经济与激励对策、社会与行为对策、技术对策以及知识与认知对策方面可望改善生态系统管理状况的一系列干预措施;并提出了设计生态系统可持续管理的决策的基本原则以及有助于制定生态系统管理决策的有效手段.     

The role of groundwater governance in emergencies during different phases of natural disasters

The establishment of water governance in emergency situations supports timely and effective reaction with regard to the risk and impact of natural disasters on drinking-water supplies and populations. Under such governance, emergency activities of governmental authorities, rescue and aid teams, water stakeholders, local communities and individuals are coordinated with the objective to prevent and/or mitigate disaster impact on water supplies, to reduce human suffering due to drinking-water failure during and in the post-disaster period, and to manage drinking-water services in emergency situations in an equitable manner. The availability of low-vulnerability groundwater resources that have been proven safe and protected by geological features, and with long residence time, can make water-related relief and rehabilitation activities during and after an emergency more rapid and effective. Such groundwater resources have to be included in water governance and their exploration must be coordinated with overall management of drinking-water services in emergencies. This paper discusses institutional and technical capacities needed for building effective groundwater governance policy and drinking-water risk and demand management in emergencies. Disaster-risk mitigation plans are described, along with relief measures and post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction activities, which support gradual renewal of drinking-water services on the level prior to the disaster. The role of groundwater governance in emergencies differs in individual phases of disaster (preparedness, warning, impact/relief, rehabilitation). Suggested activities and actions associated with these phases are summarized and analysed, and a mode of their implementation is proposed.     

Contextualizing vulnerability assessment: a support to geo-risk management in central Africa

European Union directives as well as national legislation are placing great emphasis on the inclusion of stakeholder perspectives in the governance of risks from natural hazards. This should help decision makers formulate better policies. However, to date, there is little information on stakeholders’ perspectives with respect to landslide risk governance. This paper addresses the gap by reporting on research in Nocera Inferiore, Italy. The research is based on a documentary analysis, 43 semi-structured interviews and a survey submitted to 373 residents. The political instability, the unfairness of national funding allocation across municipalities and the residents’ lack of knowledge about risk assessment and emergency planning are some of the main barriers to effective risk governance. Moreover, there are divergent, sometimes even opposite, stakeholders’ views on several issues, such as the relevance of illegal development in risky areas. The results highlight the importance of addressing these divergent views and including the plurality of voices as a prerequisite for inclusive risk governance. The research provided essential background information for a participatory process, which was designed to support decisions on landslide risk mitigation measures in Nocera Inferiore (Linnerooth-Bayer et al. this issue). The methodology will be of more general interest to researchers and policymakers intent upon including stakeholder perspectives in natural risk governance.     

Land-use planning for natural hazards in New Zealand: the setting,barriers, ‘burning issues’ and priority actions

Land-use planners have a critical role to play in building vibrant, sustainable and hazard resilient communities in New Zealand. The policy and legal setting for natural hazards planning provides a solid foundation for good practice. But there are many examples of ‘bad practice’ that result in unnecessary risks and, in some cases, exposure to repeat events and potentially devastating impacts. Much, therefore, remains to be done to improve hazards planning policy and practice in New Zealand. This article explores the questions: What role does land-use planning play in managing hazard risks in New Zealand; and what needs to be done to reduce hazard risks and build community resilience? The article starts by describing the milieu within which natural hazards planning takes place. It goes onto outline the stakeholders and institutional and legal setting for natural hazards planning in New Zealand, including barriers to realising the potential of natural hazards planning. This synthesis reveals a number of ‘burning issues’, including the need to: (a) Improve understanding about the nature of hazards; (b) Prioritise risk avoidance (reduction) measures; (c) Provide national guidance for communities exposed to repeat events and address the relocation issue and (d) Mainstream climate change adaptation. Each ‘burning issue’ is discussed, and priority actions are recommended to realise the potential of land-use planning to reduce natural hazard risks and build community resilience in New Zealand. Ultimately, the challenge is to develop a cooperative hazards governance approach that is founded on coordinated policies, laws and institutions, cooperative professional practice and collaborative communities.     

Isotopic composition of rain- and groundwater at Mt. Vesuvius: environmental and volcanological implications

The present work reports on the isotopic characterization of rainfall and groundwater at Mt. Vesuvius. Values of δ ¹⁸O, monthly measured on rain samples collected during the period 2002–2004 in a rain-gauge network composed of 10 stations, were compared with meteorological and DEM data. Air temperature, controlled by the local orographic structure, was identified as the main factor influencing rain isotopic composition. Another important role is played by orographic clouds, whose condensation over the top of Mt. Vesuvius is responsible for anomalously high δ ¹⁸O values recorded in rain samples from the summit area of the volcanic edifice. A spatial model of rain isotopic composition, based on a 3D distribution of temperature derived by a 1 × 1 km DEM, was implemented and used for calculating the theoretical isotopic signature of seepage, further compared with data measured in the groundwater monitoring network. The analysis evidenced the role of local meteoric recharge as the main source feeding Mt. Vesuvius aquifers. The unique exception is the Olivella drainage gallery, located on the north-eastern flank of the volcanic edifice, whose isotopic composition is slightly more positive than the one expected for its altitude, likely caused by both evaporation processes and mixing with condensed hydrothermal vapor.     

Assessing livelihood status of migrants from northern Ghana resident in the Obuasi Municipality

In Ghana, studies on migration and livelihoods are mostly limited to migrants’ places of origin. This paper therefore assesses livelihood status of permanent migrants resident in the Obuasi Municipality who hail from the northern parts of Ghana. The instrument used was a survey questionnaire and the respondents were both migrants and indigenes aged 18 years and above. The findings showed no significant differences between migrants and indigenes in ownership of assets and consumer durable goods and housing quality. However, the indigenes earned relatively higher than the migrants due to access to various forms of capital and the influence of institutional structures and processes. But to the migrants, their livelihood status has improved since they have built houses, educated their children, remitted relations at home and have acquired some consumer durable goods. Improvement in the livelihood status of migrants could induce further north–south migration. There is therefore the need for government and other stakeholders to bridge the gap of unequal socio-economic development between the northern and southern parts of the country.     

The six capacities of community resilience: evidence from three small Texas communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey

This article builds upon disaster scholarship that suggests community resilience is driven by six capacities: social, economic, physical, human, institutional, and environmental. Together, these capacities constitute a conceptual framework that can be used to investigate and assess community resilience. While recent scholarship has provided insights into how resilience operates in large communities, there remain questions about whether this conceptual framework is appropriate for the study of resilience in small communities. To narrow this knowledge gap, we conducted interviews with twenty-six subjects from three small Texas communities affected by Hurricane Harvey: City of Dickinson; City of Port Aransas; and Town of Refugio. Analysis of the interview data confirms that the six capacities of resilience provide an appropriate framework for the investigation of resilience in small communities. Given the complex and dynamic nature of community resilience, the findings also suggest that it is unlikely policymakers will be able to develop a unified policy solution for hazard events that is appropriate for all communities. Rather, policymakers need to consider community-based resilience solutions, driven by local strengths and weaknesses, that facilitate the reduction of risks associated with hazard events.

     

A general account of Karoo vulcanicity in southern Africa

Volcanic rocks of late Triassic to early Cretaceous age which today cover more than 140 000 km² of the southern African sub-continent are discussed. The rocks occur as scattered outliers and represent small eroded remnants of an originally more extensive volcanic province. The rocks are best preserved in three main areas of southern Africa, in Namibia, in central South Africa, Transkei and Lesotho and in the southeastern areas of the sub-continent including South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. A history of previous work done on Karoo volcanism is presented and accounts of the geological relationships of the main, and some subsidiary, areas as well as events preceding the major phase of extrusive vulcanism are discussed. Relationships between dolerite dykes and basaltic lavas are noted. Volcano-stratigraphic and geochemical mapping have been used to subdivide the volcanic successions found in the different areas, and recently adopted nomenclature is presented. Considerable more variability has been recognised in the volcanic succession than was previously recognised, the flood basalt pile being more complex than was originally thought. Rocks from the central Karoo areas are primarily of basaltic composition whereas those from the western and eastern marginal areas include basic, and felsic types. Age relationships of the volcanics based on recent studies are outlined and geochemical variations within the entire province discussed. The classification system adopted for the Karoo volcanics is described briefly and chemical relationships of extrusive and intrusive rocks are included. In concluding some new ideas concerning the overall development of the Karoo volcanic province and related fragmentation of Gondwanaland are presented.     

Iceland and the ocean floor. Comparison of chemical characteristics of the magmatic rocks and some volcanic features

The volcanism in Iceland occurs on both rift zones and non-rifting zones. The rift zone volcanism produces rock suites of the tholeiitic series, ranging from primitive tholeiites (MORB) to highly silicic rocks. The non-rifting volcanic zones produce rock suites of transitional to mildly alkaline or even calc-alkaline composition, the basalts typically being FETI-basalts. Over 50 per cent of the rift zone production in Iceland is of the primitive MORB-type. The relative amount of the evolved rock types, as well as the total volcanic production increases inland along the rift zones. The rock types of the Icelandic rift zones are identical to those of the submerged oceanic rift zones, but the Icelandic production is somewhat offset towards a more voluminous evolved end. The skewness in volume relations of rock types, as compared to the oceanic rifts in general, is mainly caused by the products of the non-rifting volcanic zones of Iceland and only to a small degree by the rift zone products.     

Assessing multifaceted vulnerability and resilience in order to design risk-mitigation strategies

Vulnerability studies have evolved significantly in recent decades. Although not overly theoretical compared with some other fields of science, some important conceptual progress has been made. At the practical level, vulnerability indicators have been used either at a generic level or for particular hazard contexts. However, these indicators are often predictably too narrow in their coverage of aspects of vulnerability. An important need remains to produce more conceptually informed vulnerability indicators or parameters and more satisfactory operational tools to assess weaknesses and resilience in coping with natural risks. In this paper, we present the methodology developed in the context of a recently concluded EU funded project, ENSURE (Enhancing resilience of communities and territories facing natural and na-tech hazards). The resulting vulnerability and resilience assessment framework tool adopts a systemic approach embedding and integrating as much as possible the multifaceted and articulated nature of concepts such as vulnerability and resilience. The tool guides evaluators towards a comprehensive and context-related understanding of strengths and fragilities of a given territory and community with respect to natural extremes. In this paper, both the framework tool and its application to Sondrio in Italy, which is exposed to flash floods, are presented and discussed. The merits and demerits of the new tool are discussed, and the results of the application to Sondrio indicate where data are currently missing, suggesting the kind of data, which will need to be gathered in future to achieve more complete assessments. The results also suggest vulnerability reduction policies and actions and further ways of revising the existing framework tool in the future.     

The problem of rock assimilation by Somma-Vesuvius magma

Mineralogical and chemical compositions of ejected carbonate inclusions of Vesuvian gaseous phase are compared with those of carbonate sediments of the Somma-Vesuvius area. The basement of Vesuvius mainly consists of Mesozoic limestones. Most of these are characterized by extremely low insoluble residues. In this area thick dolomite beds occur in the Triassic system only. A calcareous layer of approximately 100 to 150 meters thickness characterized by high Sr contents (0.19% Sr in the average) is to be found within the Triassic dolostones. Several carbonate ejecta also show high Sr contents (0.1% Sr) but chemical composition of some of these ejecta differs somewhat from that of the Triassic layer high in Sr. Contact with the volcanic volatile phase and melt has produced some alterations in the composition of many ejecta. Magnesian calcites are abundant and periclase, brucite, tremolite, phlogopite and magnesite were found in the ejecta examined. Silicon, manganese, iron, zinc and, to a smaller extent, potassium and copper have been most probably transported from the volcanic gas phase into ejected carbonate inclusions. Owing to metasomatic actions of the volcanic volatile components, rearrangement and alteration of Ca and Mg contents occurred in the carbonate minerals of several ejecta. Under the influence of volcanic pressure and temperature, magnesium content originally in dolomite might be transformed into the calcite structure. \(\frac{{{\text{MgO}}}}{{{\text{CaO + MgO}}}}\) molar ratios of several carbonate ejecta do not correspond with those found in sedimentary limestones and dolostones. It cannot be proved whether the Mg of the mixed calcite-dolomite ejecta has been partially introduced from the volatiles or lost from the carbonate phases.     

生态模型在河口管理中的应用研究综述

河口作为河流和海洋的交汇地,具有生态交错带特性,其在自然和人类活动双重压力下发生着演变.生态模型是研究生态系统结构、功能及其时空演变规律以及生物过程对于生态系统的影响及其反馈机制的重要手段.采用不同方法对生态模型进行分类,综述各类生态模型的特性、优缺点及应用领域.讨论建模过程中模型变量与函数、模型整合及时空尺度、模型参数取值及不确定等关键技术问题.分析各类生态模型在河口生态工程设计、生态系统修复、生态系统评价、系统决策支持等管理领域的应用.尽管中国河口生态模型构建及应用已有一些成果,但与国外相比,在理论生态学及数据积累方面仍有一定差距.     

The socioeconomic and environmental effects of the 2003 landslides in the Rumphi and Ntcheu Districts (Malawi)

Despite the occurrence of fatal landslides in Malawi, literature is not available on their socio-economic and environmental effects. Limited or no research is being carried out in this area except for technical reports commissioned by the government. Landsliding does not appear on the ten environmental concerns affecting the nation. This paper attempts to examine the socio-economic and environmental effects of landslides that struck parts of Ntcheu district of central Malawi and Rumphi district of northern Malawi in 2003. This paper asserts that poor rural people are more vulnerable to landslides and their resilience is low. Unsustainable production systems, inappropriate location of settlements, low incomes coupled with lack of government support aggravates the situation. Mitigation measures, which were in conflict with people’s production systems, prevented them from participating in the rehabilitation of the areas. Lack of support from government for the reconstruction and regeneration of local production had economic effects such as loss of livelihood, unemployment, decreased productivity and out migration to urban centers. The study recommends the participation of all stakeholders in reducing the impacts of landslides and the development of disaster management plans to achieve timely response to landslide hazards.     

Understanding experts’ views and risk perceptions on carbon capture and storage in three European countries

The challenge of making the transition to a sustainable energy regime is not limited to engineering; it has important social and political dimensions. Therefore, implementation of new technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), requires not only economic and technical capacities but also an understanding of social factors. These factors include experts’ views and risk perceptions. Understanding them will contribute to the risk governance of CCS by demonstrating who is concerned about what and why with respect to CCS and how risk perception and stakeholders’ concerns vary in different countries. This research is based on analysis and mapping of data collected from case studies of three countries: Germany, Norway and Finland. Our analysis shows that in countries where opposition to CCS is the strongest, like Germany, risk perceptions can be driven by such factors such as the lack of trust and doubts about the need of the project. At the same time as in countries with moderate opposition, such as Norway or Finland, risk perceptions are more connected with the risk for investment. We also conclude that the strongest polarization in risk perceptions is among NGOs in different countries, followed by scientists. The positions of private sector stakeholders and government are more homogenous. Such large variation in risk perceptions of experts could be influenced by several factors, including cultural orientation, attitudes and views of stakeholders, and the social, political and technical settings for deployment of technology in each country.     

Rock slope stability and design in Arafat–Muzdalifa area,Saudi Arabia

The present contribution is a complete study extending before, during, and after the excavation of the mountain side that lying north of road 7. It includes slope stability analysis, rock cut design, and rockfall modeling for natural slope and rock cut face. Neoproterozoic granodiorite and biotite granite forming the slope body have medium to very high strengths. Mineral compositions and textures of these intact rocks control the strength values. These rocks are intensively dissected by fractures that are filled with montmorillonite and chlorite. The high plasticity and slippery nature of these filling materials represent the main problem that may face a rock cut designer because they damage the mechanical properties of these fractures. The problem begins with the selection of the rock mass classification that deals with the fracture fillings and extends during the stability analysis and the suggestion of mitigation and supporting measures. The rock masses building the natural slope are suffered by plane, wedge, and toppling failures. Therefore, two rock cut designs are suggested to avoid the hazards related to these failures and considering the construction cost as well. Rockfall modeling for the natural slope and rock cut designs was done to assess the hazards related to these falling of the blocks. The kinetic energy of falling blocks is represented on the roadway by the coverage distance and block rebound amplitude. Slope height has a positive effect on the values of these distance and amplitude, whereas the steepness of berm height has a negative effect on them. Coverage distance is a function to the location of rockfall barrier and to the width of road ditch, while the amplitude controls the barrier height.     

Experimental study of the physico-chemical conditions of skarn formation

Experimental results show that skarns can—800°C and 500–1,000 bars. Starting materials include intermediate-acidic igneous rocks, volcanic rocks, metamorphic rocks, carbonates of various purities and chemical reagents of analytical purity-grade. Experimental media are: NaCl, NaCl+CaCl₂, NaCl+CaCl₂+MgCl₂, Na₂CO₃ and Na₂SiO₃ solutions. Experimental results show that skarns can be formed under wide physico-chemical conditions:T=400°–800°C,P=500–1,000 bars,pH=4–11, and \(f_{O_2 } = 10^{ - 23} - 10^{ - 11} \) bar. The mineralogy of skarns and the chemical compositions of skarn minerals are generally controlled by the combined factors: the chemical composition of the original rocks, pH values, redox conditions, temperatures and pressures. Isomorphous substitution may have agreat effect on the temperature of formation andfo ₂ of some major skarn minerals. It is found that skarnization occurs preferentially in NaCl and NaCl+CaCl₂ solutions and subortinately in MaCO₃ and Na₂SiO₃ soiutions.     

Measurements of volcanic SO2 and CO2 fluxes by combined DOAS,Multi-GAS and FTIR observations: a case study from Turrialba and Telica volcanoes

Over the past few decades, substantial progress has been made to overcome the technical difficulties of continuously measuring volcanic SO₂ emissions. However, measurements of CO₂ emissions still present many difficulties, partly due to the lack of instruments that can directly measure CO₂ emissions and partly due to its strong atmospheric background. In order to overcome these difficulties, a commonly taken approach is to combine differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) by using NOVAC scan-DOAS instruments for continuous measurements of crateric SO₂ emissions, and electrochemical/NDIR multi-component gas analyser system (multi-GAS) instruments for measuring CO₂/SO₂ ratios of excerpts of the volcanic plume. This study aims to quantify the representativeness of excerpts of CO₂/SO₂ ratios measured by Multi-GAS as a fraction of the whole plume composition, by comparison with simultaneously measured CO₂/SO₂ ratios using cross-crater Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two study cases are presented: Telica volcano (Nicaragua), with a homogenous plume, quiescent degassing from a deep source and ambient temperature, and Turrialba volcano (Costa Rica), which has a non-homogeneous plume from three main sources with different compositions and temperatures. Our comparison shows that in our “easier case” (Telica), FTIR and Multi-GAS CO₂/SO₂ ratios agree within a factor about 3 %. In our “complicated case” (Turrialba), Multi-GAS and FTIR yield CO₂/SO₂ ratios differing by approximately 13–25 % at most. These results suggest that a fair estimation of volcanic CO₂ emissions can be provided by the combination of DOAS and Multi-GAS instruments for volcanoes with similar degassing conditions as Telica or Turrialba. Based on the results of this comparison, we report that by the time our measurements were made, Telica and Turrialba were emitting approximately 100 and 1,000 t day^?1 of CO₂, respectively.