Viewing entries posted in August 2011
Global tsunami monitoring could follow from discovery
A scientist's chance glimpse of a reflection in the atmosphere of the tsunami that
devastated Japan earlier this year could lead to the first global tsunami monitoring system — which
could also be faster and more efficient than the current systems.
Managing risk now a priority in the Pacific
Pacific Island nations can now access information that could change their response to the threat of natural hazards, and indicate options for managing the financial burden of disasters.
World cities come up with a five-point action plan to work together for sustainable development and DRR
Date:16 Aug 2011
Source(s):United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat (UNISDR)
Latest on the Horn of Africa from the Humanitarian Policy Group
Disasters Virtual Issue on Famine
Edited by Sara Pantuliano and Helen Young
Disasters publishes high-quality topical research to inform current debates, and has produced three supplementary special issues and two virtual issues on particular themes throughout 2010 and 2011.
Following the famine in Somalia, this virtual issue of Disasters brings together a number of seminal articles on previous famines in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere. The collection includes articles by world class scholars on early warning systems, targeting of emergency food aid, effectiveness of famine response, interface between war and famine, malnutrition, disease and mortality in times of famine and discussion of the definition of 'famine'. It is hoped that this rich literature, spanning almost 30 years, can be of help in informing the current response.
Technology not key in disaster warnings
Source: CIO
The role of technology in emergency warnings and procedures is not key to their success, the chief executive of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) has said.
At a public hearing into the capacity of communication networks and emergency warning systems to deal with emergencies and natural disasters, AFAC CEO, Naomi Brown, said that while technology played a part in warnings and the dissemination of information, the system was made up of many elements including community participation and education, without which the warnings “aren’t particularly useful”.
“We have obviously a huge interest in the criticality of warnings and issuing information, it’s now a major feature of managing emergencies and it’s very much because community expectation has risen exponentially and the access to the technology that everybody has enables that,” Brown said.
Despite this, Brown said there is much hope that the National Broadband Network (NBN) will make data more accessible for emergency agencies to improve warning systems.
BangladeshBeef up disaster management, say aid workers
Aid workers in Bangladesh have called for the immediate enactment of a national disaster management act (DMA) expected before parliament next month. The 1998 draft DMA [ http://www.cdmp.org.bd/cdmp_old/reports/Draft%20Disaster%20Mgt%20Act%20E... ] has faced repeated bureaucratic hurdles.
More than a dozen international and local NGOs, led by the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Bangladesh Consortium [ http://www.ecbproject.org/ ] and the Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, [ http://www.csrlbd.org/ ] have joined the appeal.
Ghana Floods - Jul 2011
The eastern region of Ghana experienced heavy flooding between 21 - 25 July, 2011. At least five people were killed and more than 10,000 were displaced.
UN- SPIDER successfully conducted International Expert Meeting on "Crowdsource Mapping for Preparedness and Emergency Response"
On the 5th and 6th of July 2011 UN-SPIDER successfully conducted an International Expert Meeting on "Crowdsource Mapping for Preparedness and Emergency Response". The meeting was organised with the support of the Government of Austria and Secure World Foundation. The meeting brought together 64 experts and practitioners from 27 countries representing space and remote sensing agencies, national, regional and international disaster management and civil protection agencies as well as various actors from the crowdsource communities, representing voluntary networks, NGO's, expert groups as well as universities, research institutions and the private sector. For further information visit: http://www.un-spider.org/crowdsource-mapping
The Non-Govt Organisation Disaster Relief Forum (NDRF) is facilitated by the Council for International Development