Mapping convergence points in the initial emergency response to 9/111

In response to extreme events, researchers have recognised the convergence of volunteers, emergency responders, and other individuals and organisations. In 2000, geographer Paul Routledge presented the concept of convergence spaces as a theoretical means to explain social movements. In applying this concept, this paper explores the geographic space in which organisations and individuals converged immediately following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The paper begins to answer the question of whether there were in fact any patterns of convergence among the locations utilised by organisations responding to the attacks. Using data collected from field documents, these geographic locations are mapped over 12 days to help identify possible patterns of clustering. Results of this analysis will begin to provide researchers, policy makers and practitioners with a better understanding of how emergency response evolves geographically following an event.     

A scoping review of post-disaster social support investigations conducted after disasters that struck the Australia and Oceania continent

This scoping review provides a summary of research findings on social support dynamics in the wake of disasters that occurred on the continent of Australia and Oceania between 1983 and 2013. Forty-one studies, quantitative and qualitative, were summarised, investigating different facets of post-disaster supportive interactions. All inquiries assessed disasters resulting from natural hazards, with the majority of them conducted following events in Australia and New Zealand. The review revealed similar patterns of post-disaster social support dynamics that routinely unfold after disastrous incidents all over the world. Consistent with the disaster mental health literature, the documentation of social support mobilisation and social support deterioration processes was common. Salutary direct effects of supportive behaviours on post-disaster psychological distress were also highly evident. Most studies, however, posed research questions or hypotheses that lacked empirical or theoretical grounding. In conclusion, the review offers several recommendations on how to advance research on post-disaster social support.     

Workplace response of companies exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack: a focus‐group study

The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (9/11) left workplaces in pressing need of a mental health response capability. Unaddressed emotional sequelae may be devastating to the productivity and economic stability of a company's workforce. In the second year after the attacks, 85 employees of five highly affected agencies participated in 12 focus groups to discuss workplace mental health issues. Managers felt ill prepared to manage the magnitude and the intensity of employees' emotional responses. Rapid return to work, provision of workplace mental health services, and peer support were viewed as contributory to emotional recovery. Formal mental health services provided were perceived as insufficient. Drawing on their post‐9/11 workplace experience, members of these groups identified practical measures that they found helpful in promoting healing outside of professional mental health services. These measures, consistent with many principles of psychological first aid, may be applied by workplace leaders who are not mental health professionals.     

Migration as an adaptive strategy to climate variability: a study of the Tonga‐speaking people of Southern Zambia

There is increasing consensus that the effects of extreme weather conditions in the form of drought, flooding and extreme temperature will have increasingly devastating impacts on those who depend on climate‐sensitive resources and ecosystems for their livelihoods. The most affected will be the poor in developing countries who have a low adaptive capacity to climate change due to high poverty levels. Despite these projections, there are, to date, insufficient empirical studies linking the relationship between climate change and migration, particularly in the context of southern Africa. Using field‐based data collected from two study locations in Zambia, this paper examines the complex relationship between extreme weather events and population movement. It is envisaged that the findings presented in this paper will contribute to current discussions on the complex relationship between extreme weather conditions and population movement specifically in the context of sub‐Saharan Africa and other developing countries.     

早更新世末中更新世早期的环境事件与灾变

综术了发生在早更新世末到中更新世早期：即大致从１．１￣０．７ＭａＢＰ的各种环境事件,包括气候异常变化、构造活化、侵蚀沉积事件、天文事件、生物迁徙以及古地磙的异常等,其中气候异常和构造活化是基本的环境事件,对其它事件有控制作用。根据气候异常和构造活化的特征,可以认为：从１．１ＭａＢＰ和０．７ＭａＢＰ是一个连续的环境异常过程,这一时期各类环境事件集中发生,环境事件或为灾变的原因,或为灾变的结果,处自然     

黑龙江省冬季异常暖气候事件判定及其与环流指数的关系

利用1961-2018年黑龙江省61个站冬季逐日平均气温资料,以连续5 d日平均气温正距平超过1倍标准差为标准,对黑龙江省冬季异常暖事件进行了判断,并按照0.3个标准差将其分为一级、二级、三级异常暖气候事件。分析表明黑龙江省在58年间冬季共发生35次异常暖气候事件,累计天数270 d。异常暖气候事件发生有较明显的周期性变化,1961-1986年和2009-2018年为低发期、1987-2008年为高发期。71.4%的异常暖事件发生在1986年后,说明异常暖事件的频繁发生对1980年代中后期该省冬季气温显著升高有直接贡献。1961-2018年该省冬季发生一级、二级、三级异常暖气候事件分别为9次、10次、16次。研究月尺度同期环流指数异常与黑龙江省异常暖气候事件的关系,发现北半球极涡面积异常偏小、极涡强度异常偏强、东亚槽强度异常偏弱和北极涛动异常正位相与异常暖气候事件发生有较好的对应关系,为今后黑龙江省冬季异常暖气候事件的预测提供了可靠参考。     

Preparedness for emergency response: guidelines for the emergency planning process

Especially since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, governments worldwide have invested considerable resources in the writing of terrorism emergency response plans. Particularly in the United States, the federal government has created new homeland security organisations and urged state and local governments to draw up plans. This emphasis on the written plan tends to draw attention away from the process of planning itself and the original objective of achieving community emergency preparedness. This paper reviews the concepts of community preparedness and emergency planning, and their relationships with training, exercises and the written plan. A series of 10 planning process guidelines are presented that draw upon the preparedness literature for natural and technological disasters, and can be applied to any environmental threat.     

论重大突发事件的心理影响及本体应付——以印度洋地震海啸为例

重大突发事件因其突发性，难以预测并危害巨大，常常给人们的心理带来巨大的伤害。以印度洋地震海啸为例，研究了突发事件对人们的心理影响与受灾者的应付之间的关系，结果表明，采用成熟的应付方式可以有效减轻受灾者的心理伤害，并提出了改善应付方式的建议。     

Post-conflict disaster governance in Nepal: one-door policy,multiple-window practice

The response to the earthquakes in Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015 was as overwhelming as the magnitude of the events themselves. Tensions between the humanitarian imperative and the post-conflict state-building agenda soon became evident. Many actors offered support by creatively complying with the state's approach, whereas others bypassed official channels completely. In post-conflict settings such as Nepal, the situation is especially complicated because of the contradiction between policies underscoring the importance of the state in the response and the reality of the fragility of the state, which often leads to the significant involvement of aid organisations. The post-conflict political landscape of Nepal shaped the contours of the response, as well as how actors decided to operate within them. This paper, based on empirical findings from four months of research, contributes to a better understanding of the intricacies of the post-conflict and post-disaster nexus in the context of a state-led response.     

The humanitarian response costs of climate change

This research attempts to improve understanding of how climate change may affect international humanitarian spending, using existing international databases that track disaster occurrence and humanitarian costs. A range of potential impact scenarios is developed employing four distinct methodological approaches. The findings indicate that climate change will have a significant impact on humanitarian costs and the increase could range from a 32 per cent increase (taking into account only changes in frequency of disasters) to upwards of a 1,600 per cent increase when other criteria, such as intensity, are also taken into account. The paper further highlights that extreme weather events do not occur in isolation and the increasing interconnectedness of world economic and political systems has made disasters more complex and destructive. It makes a number of recommendations, including the need for more rigorous and systematic collection of disaster-related data and more constructive interaction between the humanitarian and climate change communities on future research, planning and action.     

The Incident Command System: a literature review

Given the foundational and the fundamental role that the Incident Command System (ICS) is intended to play in on‐scene response efforts across the United States, it is important to determine what is known about the system and how this is known. Accordingly, this study addresses the following research question: ‘How has research explored the ICS?’. To probe this question, a methodological review of the scant, but widening, pool of research literature directly related to the ICS was conducted. This paper reports on the findings of the analysis related to the focus, theoretical frameworks, population and sampling, methods, results, and conclusions of the existing research literature. While undertaken using different methodological approaches, the ICS research suggests that the system may be limited in its usefulness. In addition, the paper discusses the implications of the research for the state of knowledge of the system and for the direction of future research.     

近50年北京地区主要灾害性天气事件变化趋势

应用1958-2008年逐日气象观测资料,对北京地区的几种主要灾害性天气事件进行了统计分析。结果表明:(1)各种灾害性天气事件的发生频率与强度均具较大的年际变化特征,高温事件的分布为双峰型结构,1990年代以来为高温多发期,年极端高温强度及连续高温日数均有增加的趋势,低温事件的变化趋势则正好相反;(2)强对流天气事件如暴雨、冰雹、雷暴日数的下降趋势不明显,但强度有减弱的迹象,大风、沙尘暴、大雾事件下降趋势明显;(3)北京年酸雨日数上升趋势明显,酸雨pH值的变化表明污染日趋严重;(4)北京气候变暖突变发生前后某些极端天气频率和强度表现出明显差异,其突变点相差1～2 a间隔,表明极端事件对于气候增暖变化需要一个响应过程。     

A national and local media perspective on responsibility for and solutions to storm-related power outages in the northeastern United States

Major storms in the northeastern United States in 2011 and 2012 caused widespread power outages, bringing attention to the vulnerability of utility infrastructure as a result of extreme weather and environmental change. Media coverage of such focusing events provides context for and can affect government and public response. Our objective was to analyze gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing in the New York Times (NYT) and local newspapers covering power outages related to large storm events in 2011 and 2012 (Tropical Storm Irene, October snowstorm, Hurricane Sandy). Government and utility officials focused on structural solutions to mitigate future storm impacts, whereas residents and businesses targeted individual actions. NYT interviews included residents more frequently than local newspapers, influencing coverage of impacts and solutions. Geographic differences between NYT and local newspapers’ foci may relate to coverage of solutions to and responsibility for outages. Our findings demonstrate the importance of collective action toward shared solutions.     

新疆极端水文事件的时空分布特征

利用1901-2010年的资料,采用传统统计方法及通过衡量极端水文事件的集中度、集中指数,分析了新疆极端水文事件的空间分布特征和时间变化规律。结果表明:新疆极端水文事件在空间分布上主要集中在伊犁和阿克苏地区,吐鲁番、和田为少灾区;时间上主要发生在夏半年,而冬半年相对较少,但北疆的阿勒泰地区冬半年较多;吐鲁番地区年内分布非常集中,乌鲁木齐、奎屯-石河子、阿克苏地区次之,阿勒泰地区集中度最小。     

Disaster mental health training programmes in New York City following September 11, 2001

The need for mental health resources to provide care to the community following large‐scale disasters is well documented. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on September 11, 2001, many local agencies and organizations responded by providing informal mental health services, including disaster mental health training for practitioners. The quality of these programmes has not been assessed, however. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's School of Public Health reviewed disaster mental health training programmes administered by community‐based organizations, professional associations, hospitals, and government agencies after September 11. Results indicate that the quality and the effectiveness of programmes are difficult to assess. A wide range of curricula and a widespread lack of recordkeeping and credentialing of trainers were noted. Most of the training programmes provided are no longer available. Recommendations for improving the quality of disaster mental health training programmes are provided.     

Unregulated urban sprawl and spatial distribution of fire events: evidence from Greece

Fire events are an annual phenomenon in Greece with damages and even casualties, making their understanding and management important. In this paper, we present fire events provided by NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System and place them along a number of spatial types defined by relief and land cover classes. Results demonstrate that the occurrence of fire events is related more to some land cover classes than others. The most important in terms of overall frequency in all types of terrain is ‘Agricultural Areas’, as a result of farming practices that involve fire. The second more important type of areas is ‘Artificial Surfaces’, especially in low lying areas. These events are related to urban growth and sprawl and are very often a direct outcome of speculation practices with land properties, encouraged by the absence or poor implementation of spatial planning.     

桂林市极端天气气候事件分析

桂林是以"甲天下"的山水美景而闻名的国际旅游城市,极端天气气候事件造成的灾害将给其社会经济的发展带来负面影响.本文采用桂林1951～2004年的资料,统计干旱、暴雨、高温和强对流天气等极端天气气候事件的出现频率、强度并分析其演变趋势.结果显示,近50年来,桂林市极端天气气候事件除暴雨、干旱强度增大外,频率变化呈平稳或减小趋势.     

2003年我国十大极端天气气候事件

2003年我国极端天气气候事件及气象灾害发生较为频繁,特别是淮河流域特大洪水、南方持续的高温热浪及伏秋连旱,造成了严重影响.另外,低温阴雨、秋汛、台风、局地暴雨等也较为突出.本文利用我中心气候业务系统所得资料,对2003年我国极端天气气候事件作一综合评述.     

Perceptions of risk characteristics of earthquakes compared to other hazards and their impact on risk tolerance

People tolerate different levels of risk owing to a variety of hazards. Previous research shows that the psychometric properties of hazards predict people's tolerance of them. However, this work has not taken into account events such as earthquakes. The present study tested how earthquakes score vis‐à‐vis risk properties and risk tolerance as compared to five other familiar hazards. Participants from Wellington, New Zealand (N=139) rated these six hazards using measures of risk characteristics and risk tolerance. Participants demonstrated different levels of risk tolerance for the different hazards and viewed earthquakes as having similar risk features to nuclear power. They also preferred different risk mitigation strategies for earthquakes (more government funding) to the other five hazards (stronger legislation). In addition, earthquake risk tolerance was predicted by different risk characteristics than the other five hazards. These findings will help risk communicators in identifying which risk characteristics to target to influence citizens' risk tolerance.     

Race, Ethnicity and Disasters in the United States: A Review of the Literature

In this paper we synthesise past disaster research that addresses issues of race and ethnicity in the United States. Using an eight-stage typology to organise the findings, this literature review presents the results from a wide range of studies. The synthesis shows how various racial and ethnic groups perceive natural hazard risks and respond to warnings, how groups may be differentially affected, both physically and psychologically, and how disaster effects vary by race and ethnicity during the periods of emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. We show that studies have important findings, many illustrating that racial and ethnic communities in the US are more vulnerable to natural disasters, due to factors such as language, housing patterns, building construction, community isolation and cultural insensitivities. By presenting these studies together, we are able to witness patterns of racial and ethnic inequalities that may be more difficult to see or interpret in individual studies that take place in one specific time and place. We conclude the review with policy and research recommendations.