Comparative Analysis on 1998/1954 Precipitation along the Yangtze River and Discussion on the Causes to the 1998 Flood

１ＴｈｅＡｂｎｏｒｍａｌＩｎｃｒｅａｓｅｉｎｔｈｅＰｒｅｃｉｐｉｔａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｈｅＦｌｏｏｄＳｅａｓｏｎｉｎ１９９８Ｄｕｅｔｏｔｈｅａｂｎｏｒｍａｌｉｔｙｏｆｔｈｅｓｕｂ－ｔｒｏｐｉｃａｌｈｉｇｈｐｒｅｓｓｕｒｅｉｎｔｈｅｗｅｓｔＰａｃｉｆｉｃＯ...     

Information on Subscribing to the Journal＂Natural Disaster ReductioninChina＂

ＩｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｏｎＳｕｂｓｃｒｉｂｉｎｇｔｏｔｈｅＪｏｕｒｎａｌ＂Ｎａｔｕｒａｌ　Ｄｉｓａｓｔｅｒ　ＲｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈｉｎａ＂＂ＮａｔｕｒａｌＤｉｓａｓｔｅｒＲｅｄｕｃｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈｉｎａ＂（Ｅｈｇｌｉｓｈｅｄｉｔｉｏｎ）ｉｓａｃｏ...     

Continue to blame it on the rain? Conceptualization of drought and failure of food systems in the Greater Horn of Africa

Food insecurity continues to be prevalent in parts of Africa. In December 2015, there were approximately 21.6 million food insecure people in the Horn and East Africa. Climate change is likely to exacerbate current volatility of agricultural production and lead to further food insecurity. Whilst the academic literature has acknowledged the complexity of food insecurity and systems, it is not clear to what extent this has been translated into practice. We argue that there is a tendency to explain complex failures of food systems as ‘droughts’, with insufficient attention paid to other drivers. We analyse humanitarian documents and climate outlook statements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia and assess how these are reflected in the humanitarian responses to food insecurity in the region by analysing the financing of humanitarian operations. Our findings indicate that the continued evolution in understanding the complex causes of food insecurity and attempts to move away from emergency relief to a more sophisticated approach has not translated into an observable change in humanitarian responses. The reasons behind this persistence of short-term relief, which is being justified with reference to climatic factors, mainly drought, would warrant further research into the decision-making process that triggers humanitarian responses.

List of abbreviations: ACF: Action Contre le Faim; DCM: Drought Cycle Management; DEC: Disaster Emergency Committee; ECHO: European Commission Humanitarian Office; EU: European Union; EWS: Early Warning System; FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization; FEWSNET: Famine Early Warning System Network; FSNAU: Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit; FTS: Financial Tracking Service; GHACOF: Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum; GIEWS: Global Information and Early Warning System; IASC: Inter Agency Standing Committee; ICPAC: IGAD Climate Application and Prediction Centre; IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; IGAD: Inter-Governmental Authority on Development; IPCC: International Panel for Climate Change; LEWS: Livestock Early Warning System; ODI: Overseas Development Initiative; PASDEP: Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to Eradicate Poverty; PSNP: Productive Safety Net Programme; UNDRO: United Nations Disaster Relief Office; UNISDR: United Nations International; UN OCHA: United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; USAID: United States Agency for International Development; WFP: World Food Programme     

Friends and family vs. government: who does the public rely on more to prepare for natural disasters?

This paper examines what organizations and groups individuals rely on to help prepare for natural disasters and how reliance differs vis-à-vis demographic characteristics. Using data gathered from 2,008 individuals employed in the United States, the results revealed that individuals are significantly more likely to rely on friends and family than government organizations at the local, state, and federal level. The findings also suggest that this reliance varies across demographic groups. For example, data from the present study suggest that women and minority groups as well as individuals who are older and less educated are significantly more likely to rely on organizations to help prepare for natural disasters. This study contributes to the disaster management and risk communication literatures by offering key insights into the organizations and groups the American public in general, and certain demographic groups in particular, rely on when it comes to preparing for natural disasters. Knowledge about the organizations and groups that individuals rely on to help prepare for natural disasters can help policymakers and practitioners target those organizations as conduits to deliver critical preparedness information, as well as other information related to disaster mitigation, response, and recovery.     

A Brief Review on Application of Information Technique to Agrometeorological Disaster Reduction

Theagrometeorologicaldisastersareoneofimportantfactorscausedinstablecropyields.Duringnormalyearsdisaster-hitrangecausedbyagrometeorologicaldisastersreachesO.2millionkm2andcropyieldloses1obillionkginChina.Inthedrierperiodofmid-1970'stomid-1980's,drought-hitareasofcropsreachedO,5billionkm2andcropyieldslost44Obillionkgnationwide.ThelosscausedbysummerlowtemperaturewithcoolinjureinNortheastChinaduringl97O'sreached5billionkg.Impactofagrometeorologicaldisastersonagriculturalproductionhasat-tracted…     

Speech at the Asian Ministerial Conference on theImplementation of UNCCD (on May 13, 1997)

LadiesandGentlemen:TheAsianMinisterialConferenceontheImplementationofUNCCDformallyopenstoday.onbehaIfoftheChinesegovernment,IwouIdliketoconveycordialcongratuIationsontheopeningofthisconferenceandwarmlywelcomeallattendingparticipants.Theconferenceisjointlyspon-soredbyChinaandthesecretariatofUNCCDandhasenjoyedstrongsupportfromthegovern-mentsandinternationalorganizationsconcernedtowhomIwouldliketoextendourheartfeltthanksonbehalfoftheChinesegovernment.Asiaisoneoftheregionsintheworldmostse…     

Opening Speech at the International Workshop on Natural Disaster Management

ＹｏｕｒＥｘｃｅｌｌｅｎｃｙ，Ｍｒ．Ｄｕｏｊｉｃａｉｒａｎｇ，ＭｉｎｉｓｔｅｒｏｆＣｉｖｉｌＡｆｆａｉｒｓ，Ｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｅｄｇｕｅｓｔｓ，Ｃｏｌｌｅａｇｕｅｓ，ＬａｄｉｅｓａｎｄＧｅｎｔｌｅｍｅｎ．ＯｎｂｅｈａｌｆｏｆＵｎｄｅｒ－Ｓｅｃｒｅｔａｒｙ－ＧｅｎｅｒａｌＳｅｒｇｉｏＶｉｅｉｒａｄｅＭｅｌｌｏ，ＩｈａｖｅｔｈｅｈｏｎｏｕｒｏｆｏｐｅｎｉｎｇｔｈｅＩｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌＷｏｒｋｓｈｏｐｏｎＮａｔｕｒａｌＤｉｓａｓｔｅｒＭａｎａｇｅｍｅｎｔ，ｈｅｒｅｉｎＢｅｉｊｉｎｇ，ａｌｏｎｇｗｉｔ…     

Introduction to the Journal of“Natural Disaster Reduction in China”

Thejournalof"NaturalDisasterReductioninChina"(Englishedition)isacomprehensivepublication,anditstartedpublicationinl99l.Thepublicati0nincludes:(l)thepoliciesofrelevantgovernmentdepartmentsregardingnaturaldisasterreduction,preventionandresistance;(2)amonthlyorseasonalintroductiontonaturaldisastersituation;(3)theprediction,preventionandcountermeasuresagainstnaturaldisastersinthefieldsofhydrology,meteor0lo-gy,ocean0l0gy,seismology,agriculture,forestry,geology,mineralresourcesandconstructi0n;(4)ac…     

Coordinating the Relationship between Man and Nature—After-thoughts on the 1998 Flood Disaster from the Perspective of Disaster Economics

１ＴｈｅＣａｕｓｅｓｔｏｔｈｅ１９９８ＦｌｏｏｄＤｉｓａｓｔｅｒＡｌｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｈｅｆｌｏｏｄｆｌｏｗｏｆｔｈｅＹａｎｇｔｚｅＲｉｖｅｒｗａｓｂｙｎｏｍｅａｎｓｔｈｅｌａｒｇｅｓｔｉｎｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ，ｔｈｅｗａｔｅｒｌｅｖｅｌｏｆｔｈｅｆｌｏｏｄｈ...     

Introduction to the Journal of“Natural Disaster Reduction in China”

Thejournalof“NaturalDisasterReductioninChina”(Englishedition)isacomprehensivepublicationtanditstartedpublicationinl99l.Thepublichtionincludes:(l)thepoliciesofreIevantgovernmentdepartmentsregardingnaturaldisasterreduction,preventionandresistance;(2)amonthlyorseasonalintroductiontonaturaldisastersituationI(3)theprediction,preventionandcountermeasuresagainstnaturaldisastersinthefieldsofhydrology,meteorolo-gy,oceanology,seismology)agriculture,forestry,geology,mineralresourcesandconstruction;(4…     

Introduction to the Journal of“Natural Disaster Reduction in China”

The journal of“Natural Disaster Reduction in China”is a comprehensive publication,and itstarted publication in 1 991 .The publication includes:(1 ) the policies of relevant government departments regardingnatural disaster reduction,prevention and resistance;(2 ) a monthly or seasonal introduction tonatural disaster situations;(3) the prediction,prevention and countermeasures against naturaldisasters in the fields of hydrology,meteorology,oceanology,seismology,agriculture,forestry,geology,mi…     

Emphasis on the Protecting Role of Forest Vegetation against Floods and Droughts

Waterisabasiccondtionprerequisitetoagriculturalproductin.However,eitherexcessorshortageofwaterinacertainareaataparticulartimemaybringaboutseriousdisasterslikefloodsordroughtstothelocalarea.Themajorsourceofirrigatingwaterisrainfall.Yet,itisstilldifficultundercurrentscientificandeconomicconditionstobringageneralorradicalchangetoboththeamountofrainfallanditsdistributionintimeandspace.Instead,onlylimitedadjustmentswithindrainageareasorbetweentheneighboringdrainageareascanbemadepossibly.Theadjustm…     

The Asian Ministerial Conference on the Implementation of UNCCD Held in Beijing

TheAsianMinsterialConferenceonImplementationof"UnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertificationnheldinBeijingonMay13~15,1997.ThisconferencewasjointlyorganizedbyChinesegovernmentandthesecretariatofUNConventiontoCombatDesertification.Intotal,157representativesfrom44countries,lointernationalorganizationsand9non-governmentalor-ganizationstookpartintheconference.TheChinesedelegationwasheadedbyXuYoufang(chairman),theministerandZhuGuangyao(vice-chairman),thevice-ministerofForestandYangWenchan…     

A preliminary study on mortality attributed to tropical cyclones in Taiwan 2000–2014

Studies on mortality attributed to tropical cyclones often concern large-scale disasters. Attention is rarely paid to small-scale mortality over the long term. To understand the relationship between the environment and the behavior that contributes to mortality, this article uses a classification table to review the 1556 deaths attributed to tropical cyclones, named typhoons, in Taiwan during the period 2000–2014. The results demonstrate that the majority of outdoor deaths are associated with work-related activities, while most indoor deaths occur during non-work-related activities. Taking action, such as stopping the car on a bridge if the tail lights of a vehicle in front disappear, and not walking on the roadside when the road is flooded by muddy water, may help to reduce the likelihood of typhoon-attributed death. The findings also help to dispel four myths associated with typhoon-attributed mortality.     

How to get there? Assessing motorists' flash flood risk perception on daily itineraries

Flash floods are characterized by their suddenness, fast and violent movement, rarity, small scale but high level of damage. They are particularly difficult to forecast accurately and there is little lead time for warning. This makes motorists especially vulnerable. Assuming that these flash flood hazard specificities may be the significant factors leading to difficulties for drivers to perceive danger, we used cognitive mapping combined with GIS data processing to assess motorists' flash flood risk perception on their daily itineraries. The analysis of 200 mental maps collected allows planners to have maps highlighting dangerous areas where risk perception is weak and to identify reasons for this.     

Flooding: what is the impact on pregnancy and child health?

Floods are the most common type of natural disaster in both developed and developing countries and have led to extensive morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Worldwide, over the past 30 years, flooding has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and affected more than 2.8 billion others. The impact of flooding on health varies among populations and depends primarily on vulnerability and the kind of event experienced. It severely disrupts livelihoods and has a significant impact on the health of pregnant women and children. In addition, it may exacerbate a range of negative psychological and physiological child and reproductive health outcomes. Awareness‐raising, education, and the issuing of warnings appear to be key initiatives to mitigate or prevent flood morbidity and mortality, especially among people living in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Agencies responding to emergencies also need to be more cognisant of the dangers, specifically those engaged in healthcare, nutrition, and water safety programmes.     

Importance Must Be Attached to Seismic Disaster Reduction in the Surge of Urbanization

A cluster of seismic disasters attacked many areas of the world in1 999,such as the7.4Ms earth-quake in Turkey on 1 7August and the 7.6Ms earthquake in Chinese Taiwan on 2 1 September,causing great casualty and enormous property loss.How to raise the aseismatic capacity of citieshas since become a hottopic of public concern worldwide.China is a country afflicted with frequent earthquakes.Its over3 0 0 0 -year seismic records haveindicated the frequency,intensity and severity of seismic disa…     

Mandated to fail? Humanitarian agencies and the protection of Palestinian children

This paper considers the efforts of United Nations and international agencies to address the threats to Palestinian children arising from Israeli occupation. It contains an account of the reasons why agencies have failed, over many years, to prevent systematic violations by the Israeli authorities and settlers. The discussion is organised around two inter‐related domains: institutional and political. The paper argues that, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), limitations to the ways in which child protection has been conceptualised and pursued in practice are abundantly evident. Nevertheless, political pressure by Western donor governments serves to constrain an approach to child protection that is more preventative in nature, that addresses more explicitly Israeli violations of international law, and that reflects the experience and aspirations of Palestinian children themselves. Ultimately, therefore, the failure to protect Palestinian children must be seen not only as a result of humanitarian miscalculation but also as a consequence of political strategy.     

What happened to the Second World? Earthquakes and postsocialism in Kazakhstan

There is an assumption that with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Second World ceased to exist. Yet the demise of the Communist bloc as a geopolitical reality did not mean that it stopped exerting a defining influence over how people think and behave. This article examines how the postsocialist state in Kazakhstan deals with potential crises such as earthquakes and the extent to which the Soviet legacy still shapes intellectual debates, state structures, and civil society organisations in in that country. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews, this paper re-examines the Second World in its historical context and re-establishes it as a conceptual framework for considering disaster risk reduction in the former Soviet bloc. It argues that it is essential to pay attention to this legacy in Kazakhstan both in policy and practice if earthquake risk reduction is to be made more effective.