Composite indicators for famine early warning systems

Traditional famine early warning systems use a host of indicators to predict food crisis situations, from rainfall and increased rate of marketing of household durables to the behavior of birds and animals. Although many of these indicators are valid in general, limited understanding of the sensitivity and specificity of the distress signals makes food crisis prediction a highly subjective exercise. In order to make the system more effective and credible, we need to identify a limited number of 'composite' indicators, which naturally summarize most relevant food-related information contained in the specific predictors of food crisis. Considering the chronology of the food production and consumption chain, three composite indicators specific to three different stages of the chain have been identified. The satellite data based Normalized Deviation of Vegetative Index (NDVI), prices of major food grains, and malnutrition rates are found to be correlated not only with the quality and quantity of inputs of this process but also with the final outcome. Both NDVI and price data are widely used as important predictors of food crisis by famine warning systems. What we have demonstrated is that improved sensitivity of the indicators is likely to be due to their inherent capability of summarizing information from various specific measures. Child malnutrition rates also summarize inputs and outputs of the food consumption process very effectively, and therefore should be able to predict community level food crisis in an efficient manner. The empirical results confirm this conjecture by showing that malnutrition rates can predict food crisis probability three months into the future with a high degree of specificity. The use of 'composite' indicators not only simplifies the problem of aggregation, but is also likely to yield forecasts that are highly specific and sensitive.     

泥石流早期识别与监测预警研究进展探讨

近年来,受极端地震和极端天气的影响,泥石流灾害日益加剧,山区城镇泥石流风险问题逐渐引起大众的关注。泥石流的早期识别和监测预警作为防灾减灾的有效途径之一,已在山区城镇及重大工程建设区发挥重要的减灾作用。分析总结泥石流早期识别与监测预警技术方法和理论的目的在于掌握其发展现状与问题,进一步为山区城镇泥石流灾害防灾减灾提供有效应急对策。同时指出改进当前存在问题可为后期发展提供参考依据。本文通过文献综述法在阅读大量文献基础上,从技术与设备、预警理论与模型和监测预警体系3个方面对泥石流早期识别和监测预警研究进行回顾与评述,并针对其不足提出了加强深度学习在泥石流早期识别中运用,注重构建地面因素与天上因素耦合的泥石流预警模型,完善泥石流灾害应急系统的初步看法。     

National organizations and famine early warning the case of mali(1)

In the Sahelian countries of West Africa, the problems of drought and famine are sufficiently long term to justify the existence of permanent food security agencies. Yet donors are reluctant to fund these agencies when there is not a crisis, forcing poor countries to use their own resources for food security and famine early warning efforts. To make more effective use of limited resources and since the data needs for effective famine early warning are similar to those for basic rural development, information systems to provide data simultaneously for development projects and famine early warning should be developed and supported. In Mali, one of the larger and poorer countries of the West African Sahel, basic information systems which gather a range of appropriate data already exist, but there need to be improvements in the quality of design and the timeliness of analysis to make the information more useful for either development or famine early warning.     

Nutritional status as an indicator of impending food stress*

Famine early warning systems benefit from a variety of indicators which together signal the initial stages of food stress for particular population groups. Anthropometry has been used as an indicator in early warning systems, but there are inherent problems in its use which should be understood. Using data from Turkana pastoralists of northwest Kenya, this paper discusses the problems of: time lag between food shortages and changes in body size and composition; use of reference points; accurate age assessment; and establishment of baseline data. Diet composition data are suggested to be an additional nutrition-oriented indicator of impending food stress and one in which problems associated with anthropometry are not inherent. Both measures may be useful in monitoring a population, but their strengths and weaknesses should be appreciated.     

我国气象灾害的分类与防灾减灾对策

本文根据气象灾害特征、致灾因子和天气现象类型,将我国的气象灾害划分为7大类20种.为了适应科学防灾减灾和社会、经济快速发展的需求,必须加快大气监测、信息加工和气象灾害预警能力为主要内容的气象现代化建设;加强气象灾害的机理研究;制定科学防灾减灾对策.     

遥感与地理信息系统在自然灾害研究中的应用

灾害是人类面临的最严重的威胁。本文从现代遥感技术与地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）的构成和特点出发，论述了遥感与ＧＩＳ技术在减灾活动，包括预警、评价和辅助决策中的重要作用。在综合考虑现有各项技术的基础上，设计了以遥感信息为基础建立自然灾害信息系统的总体设想．     

数字城市中的气象灾害预警对策

提出数字城市中有效的气象灾害预警是:在恰当的时机,以有效的方式,向处于风险之中的人群或单位提供有针对性的预警信息;判断的原则是:气象灾害的有效预报时间要大于预警系统的响应时间.数字城市中气象灾害预警的基本对策是:天气监测实时化、预警预报精细化、传播渠道多样化和信息服务个性化.     

Does nutritional surveillance have a role to play in early warning of food crisis and in the management of relief operations?*

A major area of investment in data collection in developing countries has been that of nutritional surveillance and monitoring. From recent debate it is clear that there is currently no consensus on the potential role of nutritional status as an early warning indicator. The author presents a synthesis of the broad spectrum of views on the role nutritional surveillance could or should have in early warning. Conceptual problems and technical difficulties are reviewed in the light of recent experiences in Africa and Asia. The author raises a number of issues for future discussion in this ongoing debate.     

地震预警技术综述

地震预警技术是为了适应减轻地震灾害的要求而产生的，其技术原理是利用电磁波与地震波的速度差，以及地震P波与S波的速度差来实现地震发生后的及时预警。论述了目前国内外应用地震预警技术、配置地震预警系统的情况，对应用该技术所产生的效益作了介绍，对其进一步的发展前景进行了展望。     

Operational value of anthropometric surveillance in famine early warning and relief: wollo region, ethiopia, 1987-88

In this article I examine the operational implications of the findings reported in 'Entitlements, Coping Mechanisms and Indicators of Access to Food: Wollo Region, Ethiopia, 1987–88' (Kelly, 1992). The usefulness of anthropometric and other indicators for early warning and relief planning in Wollo is assessed by comparing the findings of Save the Children Fund's nutritional surveillance programme with those of the Early Warning and Planning Service of the Ethiopian government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission. Case studies are used to illustrate the value of anthropometric and other indicators for targeting relief food and monitoring its effects. The costs of monitoring various indicators are then considered, and the cost of the Save the Children Fund programme is compared with that of other programmes. It is argued that in Wollo, anthropometric surveillance is a cost-effective means of improving early warning, planning, targeting and monitoring.     

岩溶隧道突涌水预警体系的建立

为加强岩溶隧道突涌水预警的准确性,基于理论分析方法及岩溶隧道实际特点,提出溶洞侵入及未侵入隧道两类情况下的岩溶隧道突涌水预警体系的建立方法.通过理论分析,确定了突涌水的主要影响因素及其发生过程中变化显著的监测项目.选择溶洞特质、水的变化、岩盘破损程度、节理裂隙形态为预警体系的主要评价指标.根据溶洞与隧道相对位置关系,建...     

基于小程序的海洋牧场台风灾害预警预报服务

台风多要素信息及灾情状况是海洋牧场各方急切想掌握的,而应用于海洋牧场灾害预警专报服务还未见报道,基于此开发了海洋牧场台风灾害预警预报服务小程序.结合wx.request请求获取第三方要素数据与自建云数据库访问灾情数据.搭建海洋牧场台风灾害预警预报服务的层次结构体系构架,推出海洋牧场气象要素预警预报、海洋牧场水文要素预警...     

Estimating willingness to pay for a hypothetical earthquake early warning systems

The development of reliable, accessible, and transparent earthquake early warning systems (EEWSs) for disaster reduction have been given increased priority at local, national, and international levels. Accurately quantifying the social and economic benefits accrued to households and businesses from EEWSs are a challenging and difficult task. In this paper, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is used to evaluate the benefits of a hypothetical EEWS to the citizens of Tehran Metropolitan. This study clarifies public willingness to pay (WTP) for EEWS in Tehran, and the dominant factors involved in WTP through a CVM analysis. The survey, completed by more than 504 households, showed that on average households are willing to pay 367,471 Rials (~38 US$) per month for the hypothetical EEWS. Those willing to pay the most for EEWS are households, which currently possess a fire alarm. Also the more educated the respondents and the more children the respondents have, the more willing they are to pay for EEWS. These results could be used by policy makers and technology firms in order to determine the optimal investments in early warning systems for earthquake disaster reduction.     

Influences on stakeholder support for a wildfire early warning system in a UK protected area

Projected increases in wildfire risk and impacts to human populations in the UK have prompted the installation of expanded management approaches such as early warning systems (EWSs). Newer iterations of wildfire EWSs help mitigate risk through rapid detection, often using high-resolution monitoring technology and instantaneous information collection. While existing research suggests that local social context plays an important role in the effective application of EWSs, little is known about factors that contribute to stakeholder support for these technocratic systems and their successful implementation in protected areas. This study examines support for an EWS in Northumberland National Park, UK, using focus groups with a broad range of local stakeholders. We found that diverse stakeholder understandings of wildfire, different perceptions of wildfire risk, and varied identification of values at risk collectively help explain mixed support for the EWS. Mixed support also was an outgrowth of distrust between several stakeholder groups, indicating a need for improved communication regarding wildfire risk management across stakeholder groups. Results suggest that EWSs adopted in multi-use protected areas shared by a range of stakeholder are most likely to be successful when stakeholders have shared understandings of the hazard and opportunities for collective planning to address its risks. We conclude that EWSs are a viable approach to wildfire risk reduction, but there needs to be a critical consideration of pre-existing stakeholder dynamics for effective EWS implementation.     

Building resilience to climate risks through social protection: from individualised models to systemic transformation

This article analyses the role of social protection programmes in contributing to people's resilience to climate risks. Drawing from desk‐based and empirical studies in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, it finds that social transfers make a strong contribution to the capacity of individuals and households to absorb the negative impacts of climate‐related shocks and stresses. They do so through the provision of reliable, national social safety net systems—even when these are not specifically designed to address climate risks. Social protection can also increase the anticipatory capacity of national disaster response systems through scalability mechanisms, or pre‐emptively through linkages to early action and early warning mechanisms. Critical knowledge gaps remain in terms of programmes’ contributions to the adaptive capacity required for long‐term resilience. The findings offer insights beyond social protection on the importance of robust, national administrative systems as a key foundation to support people's resilience to climate risks.     

地震预警系统中的算法研究

通过对地震预警系统中基本算法的研究,在现有方法的基础上提出了一套地震参数快速估算的算法,以应用于地震预警系统中。该算法根据某些噪音的特殊性质,通过引入两个参数:触发时窗与取消阈值,对常用的P波初到判断方法STA/LTA(长时窗平均/短时窗平均)算法进行改进,以消除P波到达前的异常跳动点与脉冲噪音的影响,对P波到达进行识别。在识别到P波到达后,该算法实时的从P波初到后3s时窗内的竖向数据中提取出12类特征性质不同的计算参数作为估算震级,震中距等地震参数的依据,提高了震级、震中距的估算精度,减少了在大震下估算的离散性,取得了较好的结果。该算法可在地震P波到达后的几秒钟内,估算出地震相关参数,在S波到达前发出预警,并为采取相应的措施以及震后求援行动提供判断依据,达到防灾减灾的目的。     

基于非共性因子和定量化的滑坡危险性分级评价

滑坡致灾因子的选取和定量化研究是滑坡危险性分级评价的关键技术。滑坡危险性分级评价因子包括共性因子和非共性因子,共性因子在评价中定量化指标具有一致性,不能反映在滑坡个体评价体系中的差异。根据万州滑坡监测预警资料,选取了地层倾角、坡度、高差和滑坡长度与宽度的比值4个非共性因子作为滑坡危险性分级评价因子,运用Lognormal分布模型,建立了评价因子的定量化评价指标。根据建立的5级评价指标体系对万州滑坡资料进行了验证,中危险性以上的滑坡占滑坡总数的95.8%,其中高危险性和极高危险性占74.1%。研究结果表明,该研究方法的评价因子可靠性好,易于测量和获取,可应用于区域滑坡群策群防灾害点的危险性分级评价和滑坡危险性区划。     

重力波冰雹预警系统应用研究

利用重力波冰雹预警系统对1994—2004年预警范围内出现的冰雹等强对流天气过程及其他相关天气过程进行了监测。经过对所获得的部分大气重力波周期-振幅谱实时资料与对应天气资料的对比分析，发现了一些天气过程与大气重力波特征，特别是雹云发展不同阶段大气重力波的演变特征之间的联系。     

GIS在水稻“寒露风”冷害监测预警中的应用

水稻低温冷害是广西的主要农业气象灾害,低温冷害的实时监测预警对农业趋利避害和减轻灾害损失十分重要。依托GIS技术和统计学方法,利用1∶25万的经度、纬度、海拔高度等广西基础地理信息数据,按照1 km×1 km的较高空间分辨率,对低温冷害的相关气象数据进行细网格空间分析推算,结合广西水稻生长发育状况和"寒露风"低温冷害受害指标,实现对广西水稻冷害发生发展及其强度、范围的实时监测预警,并以2010年10月上中旬冷害过程为例检验了监测效果,与冷害实际情况比较相符。     

Famine early warning systems and the use of socio-economic data

Famine early warning systems using socio-economic data suffer from several problems. One is that they cannot, and do not attempt to, distinguish between qualitatively different kinds of famine. The second is that they cannot predict these either accurately or early enough. This is because all the socio-economic indicators produce both false positives and false negatives, the indicators themselves are "late" and because interpretation of the data is complex and time-consuming. The third problem is that within the context of a famine that is occurring, these indicators cannot predict excess mortality. The argument is illustrated with examples from the 1984–5 famine in Darfur, Sudan.