Active Learning and Disaster Risk Reduction

Author(s):  
LaMesha Lashal Craft

The author provides a robust discussion of an ethnographic case study to facilitate creative thinking about how to use communications and social media technology to build resilience and improve citizen disaster preparedness through a “Be Ready” trivia campaign. This research can inform strategies to achieve several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). Future research directions include a new community resilience index that measures citizens' use of communications and social media technology. Implications for social change include raising the level of public awareness and facilitating a means to improve personal responsibility for disaster preparedness through low cost education programs. This could improve efforts by government and non-government organizations to improve disaster risk reduction; increase access to information and communication technology; increase disaster emergency planning and response; and build resilient communities.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-102
Author(s):  
Hakimah Yaacob ◽  
Qaisar Ali ◽  
Nur Anissa Sarbini ◽  
Abdul Nasir Rani ◽  
Zaki Zaini

The outbreak of Covid-19 is the second most devastating event over a century. The pandemic, alongside deep health crises, has ushered the largest economic shocks, which require governments’ attention to ameliorate to avoid an economic downturn. The aim of this study is to measure the economic impacts of Covid-19 in Brunei by estimating the exposure, vulnerability, and resilience of the economy. This study deployed the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction framework to examine the economic impact empirically. The data related to variables of gross domestic product, oil prices, international merchandise trade, tourism, unemployment, consumer price index, money supply, and national accounts were collected from September 2019 to July 2020 and analyzed through the fixed effects panel regression technique. The findings show that the news of the Covid-19 outbreak has exposed the weaknesses in energy sectors by having a significant negative impact. Additionally, analysis discloses that the energy and tourism sectors are vulnerable to the shocks of Covid-19. During the peak of the pandemic outbreak, unemployment in Brunei has also escalated. Additionally, the energy and tourism sectors are less resilient to pandemic shocks. The findings indicated that the consumer price index has significantly escalated during the economic recovery process. The findings elucidate that the overall GDP growth rate, international merchandise trade, and the financial sector continue exhibiting better performance amid Covid-19. The findings of this study contribute to developing policy implications for the emerging economies concerned with the economic recovery process during the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Vladislav Vadimovich Plyushchikov

In the conditions of transformation of geopolitical environment and escalating magnitude of natural and man-made disasters, the international humanitarian cooperation becomes one of the priorities on the agenda of all global actors. This substantiated by the fact that the increasing frequency of natural disasters requires the development of new approaches and programs for addressing the humanitarian issues. The goal of this article lies is the analysis of vectors and peculiarities if cooperation between the Russian Federation and the United Nations, as well as systematicity of their interaction in terms of humanitarian aid and disaster risk reduction. It is established that one of the urgent problems for the Russian Federation in the context of disaster risk reduction is wildfire prevention. The problem attracts as a global challenge has drawn particular attention of the UN.. Special emphasis is placed on the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, which for the Russian Federation and majority of countries of the world, serves as the methodological guide in the questions of participation and interaction with international partners towards overcoming humanitarian disasters and reducing the risks of anthropogenic hazards. Special attention is given to examination of the vectors and measures of support of the Russian Federation to the countries suffered from disasters. The conclusion is made that within the framework of interaction with the United Nations in terms of disaster risk reduction, the Russian Federation fully conforms to all strategic priorities and key provisions of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction. The acquired results are valuable for the improvement and development of the principles of international humanitarian cooperation between the countries in the context of formation of the new paradigm of civilizational development.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s10-s10
Author(s):  
S. Ravan ◽  
J. Szarzynski ◽  
D. Stevens

Space technology plays important role during emergency as well as non-emergency situation to provide the information that is relevant for disaster preparedness and to the rescue and emergency medical teams. During emergency situation, first and immediate information rescue and medical teams like to have is the area impacted, severity of the disaster and the population at risk. Such information is of critical nature for emergency medical teams in order to plan and mobilize the medical personnel, resources and infrastructure needed to provide effective medical services. Space based observation is the most efficient way to provide this preliminary information. Often emergency maps generated based on the space based observations are useful to the medical and rescue teams during emergency situation while detailed information from the field is still awaited. UN-SPDIER offers the platform for providing such services effectively by connecting with the end users the international and regional mechanism that provides such information. During non-emergency phase, the space technology contributes in strengthening disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts, especially through telemedicines and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies. These tools integrated with Geographical Information System (GIS) provide effective mechanism for predicting risks (risk mapping) and early warning. It also ensures the rapid distribution of information during catastrophic events. In recognition of these needs the United Nations General Assembly established the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER). The programme aims at providing universal access to all types of space-based information by: being a Gateway to space information for disaster management support; serving as a Bridge to connect the disaster management and space communities; and being a Facilitator of capacity-building and institutional strengthening.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Vicarelli ◽  
Nidhi Nagabhatla

<p>This study investigates using a survey how disciplinary scholars perceive Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and how they differ in their NBS implementation approach at the local level. Respondents participated in the 2020-2021 , a ten-week course (online from Dec. 3, 2020, to Jan. 26, 2021) with a focus on Disaster Risk Reduction and Water Security. Supported by the United Nations Environmental Program and the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR), a global alliance of UN agencies, NGOs, and institutes, the Winter School Program is delivered via a partnership model between the University of Massachusetts Amherst's School of Public Policy and Department of Economics, McMaster University, and the United Nations University. Aiming to build young professionals' capacity on NBS framing and application potential, the Program focuses on the delivery of conceptual and empirical information on ecosystem-based climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The Program represents a knowledge hub and an opportunity to network with scholars, international experts, and practitioners. 40 graduate students from numerous disciplines (e.g. economics, public policy, international affairs, geosciences, engineering, chemistry and physics) have been selected to attend the Program and have participated in a survey to assess how disciplinary scholars perceive NBS and to explore differences in strategies and priorities while implementing NBS within communities. The results of the survey offer lessons about opportunities and possible challenges of interdisciplinary collaborations when implementing NBS.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1001-1001
Author(s):  
Yuichi Ono ◽  
Daisuke Sasaki

This special issue presents the findings obtained so far by the relevant studies that have been conducted mainly at the Global Centre for Disaster Statistics (GCDS), which is affiliated with the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University, Japan. The establishment of the GCDS was jointly announced by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the IRIDeS in March 2015 during the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNWCDRR) in Sendai, Japan. The Centre is expected to contribute greatly to sustainable development, based on risk-informed policy making, through the following activities: providing scientific analyses and technical advice based on their disaster loss and damage data, supporting the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and individual countries in the work of monitoring the progress of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and providing policy advice to build the capacities of national/local governments, based on their demands. In this context, the guest editors of this special issue are pleased to publish valuable academic articles closely related to the GCDS’ activities that contribute to the development of disaster statistics. As Sasaki and Ono (2018) observed, there exist three major categories of research questions that contribute to the development of disaster statistics: investigation into disaster statistics and/or global disaster-related databases, development of the existing discipline-based research, and analysis of various issues through questionnaire surveys. Last but not least, it is our hope that this special issue contributes to the literature of disaster statistics and accelerates its development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 969-969
Author(s):  
Yuichi Ono ◽  
Daisuke Sasaki ◽  
Anawat Suppasri

The Global Centre for Disaster Statistics (GCDS) at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University was established in April 2015 to support the monitoring of the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR). The GCDS, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is to provide support for National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) to build capacity in developing national disaster loss and damage statistics, an essential tool used in monitoring and policy making for the reduction of disaster risk. Since its establishment, the GCDS has been contributing to the implementation of the SFDRR. In 2019, the GCDS participated in the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVCs), launched by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Although the information regarding the activities of the GCDS is described in detail in the first Synthesis and Analysis Report of the SFVC [1], one of the activities committed to in its SFVC is to publish special issues of the Journal of Disaster Research as a contribution to the development of disaster statistics. The guest editors are pleased to publish the third special issue, which contains valuable academic articles closely related to the activities of the GCDS. We hope that this special issue on the Development of Disaster Statistics makes a significant contribution to the literature on disaster statistics and accelerates its development.


Author(s):  
Peijun Shi ◽  
Tao Ye ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Tao Zhou ◽  
Wei Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract In this article, we recall the United Nations’ 30-year journey in disaster risk reduction strategy and framework, review the latest progress and key scientific and technological questions related to the United Nations disaster risk reduction initiatives, and summarize the framework and contents of disaster risk science research. The object of disaster risk science research is the “disaster system” consisting of hazard, the geographical environment, and exposed units, with features of regionality, interconnectedness, coupling, and complexity. Environmental stability, hazard threat, and socioeconomic vulnerability together determine the way that disasters are formed, establish the spatial extent of disaster impact, and generate the scale of losses. In the formation of a disaster, a conducive environment is the prerequisite, a hazard is the necessary condition, and socioeconomic exposure is the sufficient condition. The geographical environment affects local hazard intensity and therefore can change the pattern of loss distribution. Regional multi-hazard, disaster chain, and disaster compound could induce complex impacts, amplifying or attenuating hazard intensity and changing the scope of affected areas. In the light of research progress, particularly in the context of China, we propose a three-layer disaster risk science disciplinary structure, which contains three pillars (disaster science, disaster technology, and disaster governance), nine core areas, and 27 research fields. Based on these elements, we discuss the frontiers in disaster risk science research.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Urrutia ◽  
Guido Riembauer ◽  
Angel A. Valdiviezo-Ajila ◽  
Stalin Jímenez ◽  
Antonio R. Andrade ◽  
...  

<p>The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) provides a concrete agenda for evidence-based policy for disaster risk reduction as a key component of the post-2015 global development agenda. However, the progress of implementing the seven Global Targets of the SFDRR at the national level via the monitor of a set of thirty-eight indicators is obstructed due to a lack of available, accessible, and validated data on disaster-related loss and damage, especially in developing countries. This weakens the accuracy, timeliness, and quality of the Sendai monitoring process. In the case of floods, which account for the highest number of people affected by hazards,[WY1]  there is a strong need for innovative and  appropriate tools for monitoring and reporting flood impacts.</p><p>The country of Ecuador and their validated national flood loss and damage database, which stretches back to 1970, is a stark counterpoint to the norm and serves as the case study for this research. In this research we develop a geospatial model approach, which combines earth observation-based information products with additional geospatial data to result quantitative measures for selected indicators of the SFDRR and validate them based on an existing database on flood loss and damage in Ecuador. Specifically, we build on automated  derivation of flood event characteristics from a full year of Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar data to assess flood hazard in Ecuador, and complement this with geospatial data on flood-related exposure and vulnerability to model selected indicators of the SFDRR in a spatially explicit way. The validation process of this geospatial model is conducted in reference to in situ loss and damage data related to flooding for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. The derivation of information products is conducted in close collaboration with the National Service for Risk and Emergency Management of the Government of Ecuador, the country office of the United Nations Development Program, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It is thereby assured that the development and validation of this methodology is in line with the national and international approach of implementing the SFDRR.</p><p> </p>


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