Special Issue on Safety Science: Comprehensive Approach to Social Disasters and Natural Disasters

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Kawata

In April 2010, the new Kansai University Safety Science Faculty started with 16 professors, to be increased to 25 from April 2011. Just half are social science researchers and the others natural science researchers. With natural disasters and accidents in Japan growing increasingly complex, conventional analysis on how to reduce disaster damage and avoid accidents has become increasingly inadequate. We need an interdisciplinary approach to solve problems underlying cooperative research. A representative disaster is the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake, which killed 6,434 people and injured 40,000. It generated economic losses of $102.5 billion, 2.5% of Japan’s GDP at the time. A representative accident is the 2007 Amagasaki JR Fukuchiyama Line rail crash, which killed 107, including the driver, and injured 562. The direct cause of the accident was speeding - the speed limit on the curve where the train left the tracks was 70 km/h, but the train was moving at 116 km/h. The most important indirect reason was the delayed implementation of a new ATS that should have been put in place from the viewpoint of cost management. Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) functions will be improved as a result of this accident. In the US, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) operates independent of US government agencies - a trend expected to be followed by the JTSB. Both provided many potentially valuable disaster lessons, some of which this journal introduces. Other risk-related topics in this volume include tsunami information systems, information law, disaster education, and mental health and psychological approaches to the behavior of young people in the face of disaster, analyzed by our faculty members based on original viewpoints. Effort on these researches has to be continued to improve “Safety Science Study” and promote following social action to improve our social structure toward a safe and secure society. We thank the authors for their earnest contributions and the reviewers for their invaluable advice on improving the quality of this special issue of JDR.

GEOgraphia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (43) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Alex Santiago Nina ◽  
Cláudio Fabian Szlafsztein

Nos últimos anos, tem aumentado a frequência dos desastres naturais na Amazônia, concomitantemente com a necessidade de estimar os seus prejuízos econômicos. Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar qual é o tipo e a intensidade do impacto das inundações de 2009, consideradas as maiores já registradas na Amazônia, no crescimento do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) municipal. A metodologia consistiu na análise de correlação linear entre o desempenho econômico e algumas variáveis referentes ao tipo de inundação e indicadores socioeconômicos. Os resultados mostram que as inundações bruscas são as mais problemáticas em longo prazo. As principais estratégias a serem adotadas perpassam pela inclusão de ações de mitigação de desastres naturais ao planejamento do desenvolvimento sustentável da Amazônia. Palavras-chave: Produto Interno Bruto. Inundação. Amazônia. THE 2009 FLOODS IN THE AMAZON AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMPACT ON THE MUNICIPAL GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT Abstract: In the last years, have been increase the frequency of natural disasters in Amazon, concomitantly whit the need of estimate their economic losses. This work have the objective of check what is the type and intensity of 2009 floods impacts, considered the major already registered in Amazon, to the increase of municipal Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The methodology was the linear correlation analysis between the economic performance and some variable relative to inundation type and socioeconomics indicators. The results bring which the fast floods are the major problem in the long term. The means strategies to be adopted are the inclusion of natural disasters mitigation actions in plan of sustainable development of Amazon. Keywords: Gross Domestic Product. Flood. Amazon. LAS INUNDACIONES DE 2009 EN LA AMAZONÍA Y SU RELACIÓN CON EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE: IMPACTO EN EL PRODUCTO INTERNO BRUTO MUNICIPAL Resumen: En los últimos años ha aumentado la frecuencia de los desastres naturales en la Amazonia, concomitantemente con la necesidad de estimar sus prejuicios económicos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo verificar cual es el tipo y la intensidad del impacto de las inundaciones de 2009, consideradas las mayores ya registradas en la Amazonia, al crecimiento del Producto Bruto Interno (PBI) municipal. La metodología consistió el análisis de correlación linear entre el desempeño económico y algunas variables referentes al tipo de inundación e indicadores socioeconómicos. Los resultados muestran que las inundaciones bruscas son las mas problemáticas a largo plazo. Las principales estrategias a ser adoptadas pasan por la inclusión de acciones de mitigación de desastres naturales a la planificación del desarrollo sostenible de la Amazonia. Palabras clave: Producto Interno Bruto. Inundaciones. Amazonia. 


2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Stephan Kirste ◽  
Doris Wydra ◽  
Kirsten Schmalenbach ◽  
Sonja Puntscher-Riekmann

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikiyasu Nakayama ◽  
Nicholas Nicholas Bryner ◽  
Satoru Mimura

This special issue features policy priorities, public perceptions, and policy options for addressing post-disaster return migration in the United States, Japan, and a couple of Asian countries. It includes a series of case studies in these countries, which are based on a sustained dialogue among scholars and policymakers about whether and how to incentivize the return of displaced persons, considering social, economic, and environmental concerns. The research team, composed of researchers from Indonesia, Japan, Sri Lanka, and the United States, undertook a collaborative and interdisciplinary research process to improve understanding about how to respond to the needs of those displaced by natural disasters and to develop policy approaches for addressing post-disaster return. The research focused on the following three key issues: objectives of return migration (whether to return, in what configuration, etc.), priorities and perceptions that influence evacuees’ decision-making regarding return, and policies and practices that are used to pursue return objectives. This special issue includes ten articles on the following disaster cases: the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Great Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, and the Great Sumatra Island Earthquake in 2009. Important lessons for the future were secured out of these case studies, covering the entire phase of return, namely planning, implementation, and monitoring.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Helming ◽  
Katrin Daedlow ◽  
Bernd Hansjürgens ◽  
Thomas Koellner

The globally increasing demand for food, fiber, and bio-based products interferes with the ability of arable soils to perform their multiple functions and support sustainable development. Sustainable soil management under high production conditions means that soil functions contribute to ecosystem services and biodiversity, natural and economic resources are utilized efficiently, farming remains profitable, and production conditions adhere to ethical and health standards. Research in support of sustainable soil management requires an interdisciplinary approach to three interconnected challenges: (i) understanding the impacts of soil management on soil processes and soil functions; (ii) assessing the sustainability impacts of soil management, taking into account the heterogeneity of geophysical and socioeconomic conditions; and (iii) having a systemic understanding of the driving forces and constraints of farmers’ decision-making on soil management and how governance instruments may, interacting with other driving forces, steer sustainable soil management. The intention of this special issue is to take stock of an emerging interdisciplinary research field addressing the three challenges of sustainable soil management in various geographic settings. In this editorial, we summarize the contributions to the special issue and place them in the context of the state of the art. We conclude with an outline of future research needs.


2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele De Wrachien ◽  
David Proverbs

The terms flood or flooding are often used in different ways. According to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), <em>flooding is defined as the overflowing or failing of the normal confines of a river, stream, lake, canal, sea or accumulation of water as a result of heavy precipitation where drains are lacking or their discharge capacity is exceeded</em>. The occurrence of floods is the most frequent amongst all natural disasters. Although flooding is a serious hazard in humid regions, it can also be devastating in semiarid areas, where high rates of runoff following storms produce widespread flood damage down valley. These hazards involve tragic loss of life, damage to buildings and natural environments, and massive short-term disruption to the lives of the affected population. One-third of the annual natural disasters and economic losses, and more than half of the respective victims are flood-related.


2013 ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a
Author(s):  
Shigeki Murakami ◽  
Maki Tsujimura ◽  
Yosuke Yamashiki

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Abdi ◽  
Ali Abdi

CPI Welcomes Carol Lee’s Illustrated Anthology of Poetry:No ReturnCarol Lee’s Special Issue is well timed given the magnitude of the recent natural disasters experienced in several tropical and subtropical parts of North America, as well as in south Asia, and the toll on human lives as millions are forced to relocate or flee their homes and seek asylum elsewhere because of wars, persecution, and discrimination. With clarity and precision, Lee’s Special Issue, unapologetically specifically questions, responses by leaders and citizens in northern nation-states to impacts of man-made and natural disasters and tragedies, especially in the south.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Shou Su

<p>Taiwan has performed well economically during the past four decades. However, economic development can be profoundly hampered by natural disasters. Sustainable economic development requires environmental resilience. With 23 million people occupying only 13,974 square miles of land, Taiwan is both densely populated and highly exposed to natural disasters: 73.1% of the total population lives in vulnerable areas, and Taiwan is ranked as the country most exposed to multiple hazards (The World Bank, 2005). Storms and floods damage Taiwan frequently, with an average of six typhoons hitting Taiwan annually for the past four decades. Taiwan had the highest occurrence and highest death toll on the natural disaster density indicator (NDDI) in comparison with China, Japan, U.S.A, U.K., France, and the Netherlands from 1985 to 2014. Also, Taiwan’s economic losses during the past thirty years are estimated at $650, 000 per km². This is approximately 5 times that of the Netherlands’ $134,362 and the U.K.’s $135,292, 8 times that of the U.S.A.’s $78,186 losses, and 9 times that of France’s $70,599. Research finds that every dollar invested into disaster preparedness would save $4 to $7 dollars in post-disaster damages (Multihazard Mitigation Council, 2005; The National Academy of Sciences, 2012). Hence, promoting urban resilience policies for disaster risk reduction should become a priority in Taiwan and other Asian nations in the future. Most important is the need of a strong political commitment and leadership to initiate and implement spatial policies toward resilience.</p>


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