Compliance with the building byelaws and earthquake safety in urban areas of Bihar: progress,constraints and challenges

The adoption and enforcement of building codes is considered the most effective tool in safeguarding lives and property against earthquakes. There would appear to be a vital regulatory role for government in the enforcement of building codes, but this is somewhat at odds with the neoliberal agenda of ‘rolling back the state’. This paper explores constraints to the implementation of building codes in the context of changing roles and responsibilities of local authorities in Bihar in India. In-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders across major urban centres in north Bihar. Some factors, such as: code complexity; competition between the public and private sectors for qualified personnel; and low public risk perception were found to be less significant in Bihar than has been noted elsewhere, while other factors such as: the cost of earthquake-resistant measures; political interests; corrupt practices; and lack of government capacity were important. Additional factors were also revealed by the research, some of which are exacerbated by the neoliberal climate of urban governance. While the recent 2014 byelaws represent an improvement in the system and a degree of re-regulation, ambiguities create opportunities for failures arising from ‘normalised irresponsibility’.     

The Tasman Spirit oil spill: implications for regulatory change in Pakistan

An oil spill in July 2003 from the tanker Tasman Spirit attracted considerable public and media attention in Pakistan. This paper focuses on the experience of a developing country such as Pakistan in dealing with a major oil spill and its impact on bringing about change in the national regulatory framework. A major outcome has been the ratification of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1992, which came into force in March 2006 in Pakistan. The convention provides a compensation mechanism for victims incurring oil pollution damages from maritime casualties involving oil laden ships. Several additional changes are still required to improve the country's ability to cope with marine oil spills. These include the development of a comprehensive domestic regulatory framework, implementation of an effective contingency plan, and capacity building of all relevant agencies.     

中、韩两国财产保险业风险管理比较研究

财产保险是经营风险的产业,风险管理能力是其核心竞争力.从保险监管机构、市场典型主体两方面比较了中、韩两国财产保险业风险管理体系,市场主体的比较从研究宣传、产品开发、业务经营、客户管理、信息技术等方面展开,并提出了建议和措施.     

BIM技术在钢结构建筑抗震减灾管理中的应用

为提高钢结构建筑抗震减灾性能,降低建筑坍塌风险,研究BIM技术在钢结构建筑抗震减灾管理中的应用方法是非常必要的.利用BIM技术在钢结构建筑整体建造中的动态建模、可视化、信息共享管理以及抗震减灾性能检测等优势,在建筑抗震减灾管理决策阶段,选出最优方案,针对方案中影响建筑抗震减灾性能风险制定管理策略;在设计阶段,创建三维建...     

Investigating the strategic antecedents of agility in humanitarian logistics

This study investigates the strategic antecedents of operational agility in humanitarian logistics. It began by identifying the particular actions to be taken at the strategic level of a humanitarian organisation to support field‐level agility. Next, quantitative data (n=59) were collected on four strategic‐level capabilities (being purposeful, action‐focused, collaborative, and learning‐oriented) and on operational agility (field responsiveness and flexibility). Using a quantitative analysis, the study tested the relationship between organisational capacity building and operational agility and found that the four strategic‐level capabilities are fundamental building blocks of agility. Collectively they account for 52 per cent of the ability of humanitarian logisticians to deal with ongoing changes and disruptions in the field. This study emphasises the need for researchers and practitioners to embrace a broader perspective of agility in humanitarian logistics. In addition, it highlights the inherently strategic nature of agility, the development of which involves focusing simultaneously on multiple drivers.     

Nation‐building policies in Timor‐Leste: disaster risk reduction,including climate change adaptation

Few studies have explored the relationships between nation‐building, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Focusing on small island developing states, this paper examines nation‐building in Timor‐Leste, a small island developing state that recently achieved independence. Nation‐building in Timor‐Leste is explored in the context of disaster risk reduction, which necessarily includes climate change adaptation. The study presents a synopsis of Timor‐Leste's history and its nation‐building efforts as well as an overview of the state of knowledge of disaster risk reduction including climate change adaptation. It also offers an analysis of significant gaps and challenges in terms of vertical and horizontal governance, large donor presence, data availability and the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for nation‐building in Timor‐Leste. Relevant and applicable lessons are provided from other small island developing states to assist Timor‐Leste in identifying its own trajectory out of underdevelopment while it builds on existing strengths.     

美国地震风险评估中建筑物易损性与损失组合的探讨

探讨了以美国地震灾害风险评估模型为例的建筑物易损性模型的建立方法及地震随机事件损失组合的方法.由于应用对象的不同,如用于工程项目风险的评估或是对保险资产风险的评估,其易损性模型建立的方式具有较大的差异.在工程应用中,注重对建筑结构的分析,往往使用非线性解析方法如能力频谱法等以得到结构的易损性或脆弱曲线；而保险行业常用历史数据并运用统计方法等获取所需的易损性曲线.由于工程应用的易损性曲线有更好的精准性,越来越多保险用模型采用此方法.此外,工程应用常对单一地震事件进行评估,而保险行业的模型往往涉及对大量随机事件的评估.对不同的建筑物易损性建模方法、规范标准及适用范围进行了探讨,并对随机事件损失组合方法中如何计算损失的单次超越概率(OEP)和累计超越概率(AEP)进行了介绍.     

透视我国城市综合灾害防御能力建设及其提升方略

新发展阶段下推动城市高质量安全发展是国家城镇化战略的重要战略方向.城市综合灾害防御能力的提升是新发展理念背景下推动城市构建新发展格局的重要保障.首先分析了综合灾害防御能力的时代需求,尤其是2012年以来我国逐步形成的灾害防治总体需求.其次基于综合灾害防御能力的学术内涵,进一步从灾害风险防范的结构体系和功能体系分析了其在...     

大空间建筑火灾中热烟气层发展规律的理论分析

对几类典型的大空间建筑火灾中热烟气层的发展规律进行了理论分析,并和文献中的实验结果进行了对比。理论分析表明热烟气层的发展速率除了与火源的功率和大空间的几何尺寸有关外,还取决于火羽流的种类。给出了轴对称火羽流、二维线性溢流和沿墙壁的二维线性火羽流情况下的热烟气层发展速率的表达式,对大空间建筑的火灾安全设计与灾害预测具有指导意义。     

Theoretical Analysis and Restructuring of Capacity Building for Sustainable Development

1Connotation of capacity building for sustainable development( CBSD)Sustainable development emphasizes the coordination between man and nature,the upgrading ofliving standards,the potentiality of development and the role of natural ecosystem in supportinghuman life.All this depends on the improvementand elevation of sustainable developmentcapaci-ty.In other words,capacity building is important to achieving sustainable development.Agenda2 1 gave an interpretation of capacity building for sust…     

Supporting the risk management process with land information: a case study of Australia

It is frequently argued that, at the parcel level, 1 stakeholders are capable of and well supported in managing their land‐related risks. Yet, evidence from the contemporary Australian context suggests otherwise: numerous large‐scale disaster events have revealed that citizens are ill‐prepared to respond and recover adequately. This paper begins with the premise that information, specifically land information, could better support parcel‐level risk preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery. State land administration organisations in Australia primarily maintain this information and make it accessible. Land information is used regularly across all levels of government to support risk management activities; however, such application has not always occurred at the parcel and citizen level. Via a case study approach, this paper initially explores the land information available in Australia to stakeholders interested in parcel‐level detail, and then goes on to propose how the utilisation of parcel‐level land information could serve to enhance risk management practices.     

Then and now: A 30-year journey from the ‘leading edge’

A fledgling disaster management organization in 1984, Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODP) hosted the pioneering international disaster mitigation conference to share information and to contemplate how vulnerability to disasters from natural hazards could be reduced. Over the period 1979–2009, the overall focus of the agency was response, given the plethora of extreme events, and the priority of the Government of Jamaica. The organization was associated with several efforts at disaster mitigation, but the need for building the agency's capacity to lead national efforts to integrate mitigation planning into development did not seem to gain traction among the policy makers. Growing losses since 2004, the evidence of climate change and the need for adaptation, and the regional and international disaster risk management agenda have brought attention to the need for review and development of Jamaica's disaster risk management capacity. This paper examines highlights of the 30-year journey of disaster management in Jamaica, and highlights proposals for strengthening the national framework and the organizational structure of ODPEM.     

复杂环境中玻璃幕墙设计风压风洞试验

风荷载是引起玻璃幕墙结构破坏的主要荷载之一,目前相应规范在玻璃幕墙设计风压取值上尚未考虑相邻建筑物的影响,其结果已经不能完全覆盖处于特定风场中的幕墙设计要求.通过风洞试验,得到了处于复杂环境中的玻璃幕墙设计风压值,介绍了目前中美两国规范关于玻璃幕墙风荷载取值的计算方法,探讨了试验值与中美两国规范计算值之间的差异.分析结果表明:对于处在复杂环境中的玻璃幕墙,现有规范设计风压的取值不是偏大就是偏小,尤其是在建筑底部的局部区域可能出现远大于规范计算值的负风压.所得结果可供同类幕墙工程设计参考.     

高层建筑结构在地震和风作用下的可靠度分析

作者基于等效风谱理论，给出了高层建筑结构在风荷载作用下可靠度分析的方法。在给定层间位移允许值时，对高层建筑结构在使用期限内在地震和风作用下的可靠度进行了比较研究。本文还探讨了高层建筑结构在地震和风联合作用下的可靠度问题。     

Risk communication in the internet age: The rise of disorganized skepticism

Communicating risks has become a core ingredient in the regulatory functions of government, interest group advocacy, public health, and corporate relations. The channels of risk communication have grown in complexity along with the development and expansion of the Internet and the birth of personalized blogging. This paper discusses three stages in the development of risk communication as an area of study and research. It examines the way risk is framed in three channels of communication, newsprint, the Expanded Academic Index, and Google using the example of the controversial chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The paper concludes that the Internet, as illustrated by the Google search engine, has created more opportunities for citizen learning and expanded the breadth and channels of risk communication, while also providing new opportunities for stakeholders to influence the message. Democritization of information does not necessarily create greater concordance between the cultural and technical assessment of risk.     

Risk communication in the internet age: The rise of disorganized skepticism

Communicating risks has become a core ingredient in the regulatory functions of government, interest group advocacy, public health, and corporate relations. The channels of risk communication have grown in complexity along with the development and expansion of the Internet and the birth of personalized blogging. This paper discusses three stages in the development of risk communication as an area of study and research. It examines the way risk is framed in three channels of communication, newsprint, the Expanded Academic Index, and Google using the example of the controversial chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The paper concludes that the Internet, as illustrated by the Google search engine, has created more opportunities for citizen learning and expanded the breadth and channels of risk communication, while also providing new opportunities for stakeholders to influence the message. Democritization of information does not necessarily create greater concordance between the cultural and technical assessment of risk.     

Emergency relief,crop diversification and institution building: the case of sesame in The Gambia

This article examines the case of the Catholic Relief Service's (CRS) sesame support programme in The Gambia which has spanned more than 25 years. It outlines the transformation process from relief to development and the role that the production of an agricultural commodity, sesame, has played as a key building block. Following the drought of the 1980s, concerns to move away from dependence on food aid first led to agronomic trials of imported oilseed, then to the selection and dissemination of improved sesame varieties accompanied by an elaborate and costly support programme. This gradually developed into a long-term development-oriented intervention, paving the way for the development of a national women's farmers' organisation. The paper provides a case study of an intervention that has gone beyond the provision of seed to address agronomic research and extension, policy, marketing and institutional issues necessary for successful crop diversification.     

Earthquake hazard and vulnerability in the northeastern Mediterranean: the Corinth earthquake sequence of February-March 1981

Population density, building type and earthquake magnitude are the main factors on which the total building damage following an earthquake depend. For the Greece - Turkey region quantitative relations between these factors have been developed, which, in spite of the inaccuracies in the available data, allow crude estimates of the damage following a particular size earthquake to be made. This is demonstrated retrospectively for the Gulf of Corinth earthquakes in 1981.     

Progress in natural hazard risk reduction: What hath development wrought?

The development-disaster risk management agenda has been shaped over the last 25 years by development policies and practices that have isolated lesser developed countries' development agenda from dealing with risk to natural hazards, by intentional actions to create a theory and practice of disaster risk management alongside other cross-cutting issues, by attempting to nurture emergency management in the context of disaster risk management and by fostering competition for resources. Sovereign states, multilateral development banks and the international development community should collaborate in shifting paradigms to: consider all development actions as initiatives to reduce risk; separate emergency management policy and practice from disaster risk management; fold disaster risk management and climate change adaptation into development planning and lending processes so as to address risk to natural hazards; promote hazard, vulnerability and risk information as a public good; and insist on accountability and responsibility to natural hazard risk all along the development continuum.     

超高层建筑风致响应中的数据挖掘

超高层建筑的风致响应问题已经越来越受到人们的重视.应用数据挖掘技术对广州中信广场大厦的实测数据进行了分析,并对该原型实测风致响应中的时间序列数据进行了相似性挖掘,发现了一些特征和规律,对该问题的进一步研究具有一定的参考价值.