Conflict, the Continuum and Chronic Emergencies: A Critical Analysis of the Scope for Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Planning in Sudan

The concept of the ‘relief-to-development continuum’ has been the subject of renewed interest in recent years. Concerned by the rise in relief budgets over the past decade and the absolute fall in development aid resources, support has been growing for the concept of developmental relief. In the context of complex political emergencies, it has been argued further that as effective development aid can reduce vulnerability to the impact of natural hazards, so it might also be used to contribute to a process of conflict prevention. In this way, the concept of the relief-development continuum has become entwined with broader discussions about the contribution of official development assistance to conflict management. Drawing on a Review of Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), this paper cautions against uncritical application of the concept of the continuum in complex political emergencies, and of rehabilitation in particular, in the current Sudanese context. It argues that in order to move legitimately from relief aid programming to development aid programming, three fundamental conditions must be in place: first, a minimum level of security, respect for human rights and humanitarian access. Second, empirical evidence from the field needs to demonstrate that the emergency is over. Finally, moving from relief to development aid programming is contingent on donor governments accepting the legitimacy of national governmental structures and of the rebel movements. In other words, for donor governments, moving along the continuum is in significant part determined by foreign policy considerations, not only technical ones. Consideration needs to be given to the actual and perceived legitimation of the different movements that a move to rehabilitation might be seen to imply. The paper argues that none of these conditions had been satisfied in Sudan by mid-1997. Instead of a process of normalisation paving the way to long-term development, the current situation in Sudan is better described as a chronic political emergency. In such a context, uncritical pursuit of developmental strategies may negatively affect the welfare of conflict-affected populations.     

Local Institutional Development and Relief in Ethiopia: A Kire–based Seed Distribution Programme in North Wollo

Highlighted here is the important role played by community-based organisations in relief supply operations. In the context of an emergency seed supply project in northern Ethiopia in 1995, it examines the participation of burial societies, known as kires , in targeting, distribution and management. The paper illustrates that factors of local institutional legitimacy, transparency and accountability are central, both to the effective representation of community views and to long-term partnerships between local institutions and non-governmental organisations.     

The Prevention and Mitigation of Famine: Policy Lessons from Botswana and Sudan

Botswana and Sudan experienced consecutive years of drought in the 1980s. Sudan faced a large decline in food entitlement and nutritional deterioration, which translated into famine in 1984/85. Botswana, on the other hand, nearly compensated income losses and averted nutritional deterioration and famine-related deaths. There are important lessons to learn from the famine prevention experience of Botswana. Its strategy for dealing with drought and famine combines policies of steady economic growth with supplementary poverty alleviation and drought relief programs. To provide continuity and stabilization of market operations in times of distress, the country channels sufficient food through market chains, provides price support to preempt market collapse and augments the income of consumers through public income transfer programs to prevent demand failure. In addition, it maintains a responsive and accountable political system and a decentralized participatory administrative structure. While Sudan should develop policies that are compatible with its own environment, it is crucial that it recognizes the critical role of public action in promoting growth, alleviating poverty, and providing timely relief responses in times of anticipated growth failure.     

Knowledge and Power: A Critique of an International Relief Operation

Exploring an alternative way to approach famine relief interventions, this paper draws on the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault and David Keen's recent work on south-west Sudan. It suggests that different discourses on 'famine' can lead to the dominance of certain kinds of institutional practices, and the prioritisation of special kinds of knowledge, at the expense of other modes of understanding and action. Using the case of the relief operation to Tigrayan refugees in eastern Sudan in 1984/5, the paper examines the specific ways in which 'power' was elaborated in the midst of the operation, and the manner in which institutional practices — designed to save as many lives as possible — influenced the reaction of international agencies to the spontaneous repatriation of the Tigrayans back to Ethiopia.     

The need to look beyond the production and provision of relief seed: experiences from southern Sudan

Free distribution of seeds in selected areas of southern Sudan has been widespread as a way of increasing food security. Field research in areas targeted for seed relief found that farmer seed systems continue to meet the crop and varietal needs of farmers even following the 1998 famine. Donor investments in seed multiplication of improved sorghum have not been sustained due to a lack of effective demand for the improved seed beyond that created by the relief agencies. The article argues that rather than imposing outside solutions, whether through seed provisioning or seed production enterprises, greater attention needs to be given to building on the strengths of existing farmer systems and designing interventions to alleviate the weaknesses. The case is made to support dynamically the process of farmer experimentation through the informed introduction of new crops and varieties that can potentially reinforce the strength and diversity of local cropping systems.     

可视化灾害数字仿真重构理论及实证研究(Ⅲ)——灾害数字仿真模型组构建

可视化灾害数字仿真重构理论研究，不仅可以实现对灾害空间数据进行有效的集成管理和时空分析，而且为灾害的防治、应急管理和工程论证等提供可靠的依据，是解决灾害实验的危险性和不可重复性的最佳途径。本文提出灾害数字仿真模型建立的原则和步骤，抓住灾害数字仿真的核心共性问题，构建灾害数字仿真模型组：构建灾害危险性分析指标体系，运用非确定性概率方法，建立灾害危险性分析概率模型；首次建立灾害波及范围模型，提出灾害波及范围的仿真流程，提出灾害波及范围理论值与实测值之间对比修正思路；研究了灾害损失形成机制，建立了灾害损失预测模型的框架与数值表达。     

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.     

可视化灾害数字仿真重构理论及实证研究(Ⅱ)--理论框架与概念化范式

可视化灾害数字仿真重构理论研究,不仅可以实现对灾害空间数据进行有效的集成管理和时空分析,而且为灾害的防治、应急管理和工程论证等提供可靠的依据,是解决灾害实验的危险性和不可重复性的最佳途径.本文提出可视化灾害数字仿真重构理论的概念、研究对象和方法,综述该理论所需要涉及多种跨学科的技术支持,提出灾害数字仿真重构理论的实施流程,按照致灾因子孕育、发生以及作用于承灾体形成灾害的过程为线索,建立灾害数字仿真模型的概念化范式.上述工作共同构成灾害数字仿真重构的完整理论体系.     

Awareness, Preparedness and Adjustment Measures of River-bank Erosion-prone People: A Case Study

People prone to the effects of river-bank erosion are well aware of the hazard they face, but see it as an unavoidable evil. Communities' lack of success in combating erosion can be attributed to their poverty and to their not knowing about any means to mitigate its effects. Households in safer areas have reduced their dependency on agriculture and developed more scope for non-farm activities, however, this is often difficult given the limited development of local enterprise. The major parameters that influence the adjustment measures after erosion are the education, skills, occupation and financial state of those affected. Those most vulnerable are households very much dependent on agriculture: for them resettlement to distant urban areas is not an option.     

Food Security Reserve Policy in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Experience and Implications

Food security reserve policy in Ethiopia since 1982 is reviewed in the light of the limited progress made elsewhere in Africa in establishing and maintaining such reserves. While the reserve played some role in dealing with the crisis of 1987/8, donor confidence was eroded by unauthorised drawings from the reserve and other factors. In 1992, the Ethiopian Food Security Reserve Authority was established to provide a system of management more acceptable to donors. This had led to donor pledges to replenish the reserve, though it remains well below the target level. Despite increased government commitment of funds, donor confidence remains fragile and the reserve remains dependent on donor support. The place of the reserve in national food security policy is not yet fully defined. Conclusions are drawn for food security reserve policy in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.     

城市内涝的时空分布特征及其成因分析 ——以呼和浩特市区为例

以呼和浩特市区为例,通过收集历史内涝数据与实地调查,共收集到78处积水点的具体位置、内涝范围和发生频率等实际数据,并对其内涝成因进行分析.结果表明:2016—2019年内涝灾害较2010—2016年频繁;其次,内涝主要发生在6—9月间,尤其集中在7月.空间分布特征表明,赛罕区积水点分布密度最大,而玉泉区最小.相关性分析...     

防灾视角下基于MCR模型的山地生态安全格局优化研究——以京津冀山区为例

区域生态安全格局的优化对改善区域自然生态系统服务功能、减轻区域典型灾害负面影响等有重要作用。该文以京津冀山区为研究对象,在区域山洪灾害背景下运用灾害学、景观生态学等理论,将最小累积阻力模型(MCR)引入山区生态安全格局的构建过程。通过借助GIS技术平台分析了研究区基于MCR模型建立的生态网络,构建了由斑块、生态廊道、基质镶嵌的区域生态化网络格局。针对分析结果,重点从城乡规划视角提出生态安全格局优化的措施,主要包括生态约束条件下生态网络结构优化和区域尺度的山区生态修复,以期为维持山区生态安全、国土综合整治以及实现京津冀区域协同发展提供科学依据。     

水利工程群应对干旱能力评价方法及应用

基于水利工程群应对干旱能力的影响因素分析,从水利工程的布局、规模和运行管理两个层面构建水利工程群应对干旱能力评价指标体系。综合层次分析法和熵值法两种确定权重的方法,确定各评价指标的组合权重,采用模糊综合评价法构建了水利工程群应对干旱能力评价模型。该评价模型在漳卫河流域的应用结果表明,该流域整体应对干旱能力水平较弱,未来需要加强对现有水利工程体系的科学调度管理,并充分利用流域外调水提高干旱应对能力。     

城市化与生态环境协调发展评价研究——以东北地区为例

21世纪是城市化的世纪,城市可持续发展是城市化发展的基础与目标。在经济全球化、普遍追求可持续发展的背景下,为提高东北老工业基地的城市可持续发展能力,东北地区城市化与生态环境协调发展的研究极为重要。构建了东北地区城市化与生态环境协调系统的评价指标体系,并对东北地区城市化与生态环境协调发展进行了评价,以期为东北老工业基地城市与区域的可持续发展提供科学参考。     

基于信息扩散与自助法的旱灾风险评估模型──以安徽为例

旱灾风险管理是抗旱减灾的科学手段、干旱及旱灾研究的重要方向,定量评估旱灾风险是旱灾风险管理的核心内容。为降低各种不确定性因素影响下旱灾风险评估结果的误差,提高结果的可靠性,提出运用信息扩散法估计旱灾损失的超越概率,结合自助法的区间估计算法,建立基于信息扩散与自助法的灾害风险评估模型,用不同置信水平下旱灾损失对应超越概率的置信区间来反映旱灾风险。将该模型运用于安徽省农业易旱地区干旱灾害风险评估,计算并确定在置信水平为0.75时安徽省易旱地区的旱灾风险区间评估结果合理、可靠,可为抗旱规划提供科学的决策依据。     

Perception of earthquake risk in Agadir,Morocco: A case study from a Muslim community

Earthquakes are separated from other hazards in meaning, significance, and risk perception throughout the Islamic World due to their specific focus in their own chapter or surah “al-Zalzala” (99th) in the Qur'an. Unlike earthquakes that are discussed in terms or the Judgment Day or as divine punishment or retribution against the disbelieving or hypocritical—other natural hazards like floods, tornadoes, and landslides are rarely discussed. An extensive survey of earthquake survivors and longtime residents was undertaken to better understand the perceptions of seismic risk in Agadir, Morocco where two moderate earthquakes razed the city in 1960 leaving 15,000 dead and 25,000 injured. Most of the deaths were attributed to faulty construction (along with standards and enforcement), inaddition to poor evacuation plans.

During the summer of 2002, more than 250 earthquake survivors and residents were surveyed and interviewed for their knowledge and perception of the disaster forty years before. Surveys were conducted in Arabic, French and English and included questions and Likertscaled responses including extensive interviews in the hopes of obtaining ideas of their potential quake recurrence, seismology, current construction standard policies, and local and regional planning strategies. In addition, reviews the Qur'an, Hadith and classical and contemporary tafasir texts were used to investigate the guiding passages used in Islamic discussions of “al-Zalzala”.

It was found that younger persons (<25yo) were more likely to believed that brick, mortar and cement structures were always safer and stronger during and after a tremor, regardless as to whether they are iron-reinforced or sub-standard (and hazardous) stone or brick infilled. After the 1960 disaster, speedy recovery efforts often undermined concrete construction and reinforcement techniques since such ‘rebar’ was relatively unavailable. Even today, inferior and seismically unstable construction practices are widely used.

It was found that television-watchers considered themselves less knowledgeable about earthquakes, when in fact many aspects of the1960 event and earthquakes in general, were more widely understood by this group, supporting the notion that the medium of televisionis the most widely used, efficient, and fastest mass communication and education tool.

Less-educated respondents in general tended to attribute earthquakes to divine action and retribution. All questions, however, concerning the possibility of quake recurrence frequency or magnitude caused an overwhelming refusal to answer, or with the reply of ‘Allahu a'lam’ or “God is wisest”—implying or directly stating that any attempt at earthquake forecasting, quake-related construction, advanced architectural standards for seismic safety, and/or related education was ‘haram’ or prohibited by Islam.

Further discussions with participants in Agadir indicated that any guess, awareness or prediction was in fact, fortune-telling and therefore an act forbidden by the Qur'an and Hadith.

Finally, the less educated were more likely to say that Allah protected those who were devout and considered scientific assessment as futile, forecasting as forbidden, or new construction technologies as a waste since only the ‘kafir’ (non-Muslim) or ‘munafiq’ (hypocrite) were at risk to death or injury from an earthquake. These conclusions are important toward gaining an insight of perception and risky behavior in a questionably constructed city with now more than 600,000 people 40 years later, and in a region laced by active faulting.     

防洪工程信赖对公众洪灾风险认知的影响——以开封沿黄地区与岳阳洞庭湖区为例

防洪工程作为人类抵御洪灾的首选手段,为人们提供了保障,但人们对其风险认知还存在一定的偏差。本文从公众层面入手,在我国历史上洪灾最严重的两大流域—长江流域和黄河流域,分别选取岳阳沿洞庭湖区和开封沿黄河地区为研究区,调查公众对当地防洪工程的信赖状况和水灾风险认知情况,回收有效样本831份。据此分析影响防洪工程信赖的因素和工程信赖对公众风险认知的影响。研究发现,公众对防洪工程的信赖度较高,区域趋同性明显;公众对工程信赖的程度,因居住地与风险源的距离、性别、年龄和家庭劳动力结构的不同而存在差异;同时,对防洪工程的过于信赖,会降低公众对洪灾的恐惧心理和警惕性,并使得公众产生消极和积极并存的应对灾害的行为倾向。洪灾多发地区应建立大型洪灾、巨灾的风险防范和洪水保险机制,完善我国的再保险制度;政府在高风险区的分区域管理过程中,应以大局为重;构建"文化自觉"的科学防灾文化观,正确引导公众认识到工程措施能力的限度,扭转在工程信赖基础上的风险认知偏差。