Reflections on 40 years of Disasters, 1977–2017

This reflection, based on a keynote address to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Disasters on 14 September 2017, begins by considering some of the prevailing assumptions that existed at the time of the journal's creation. Next is a summary of significant milestones during the past 40 years, covering major global trends, changing disaster impacts, and key developments in disaster risk management. Contrasting approaches in the first and fourth decade of the journal's history are then followed by examples of changes in terminology in the disaster field as an indication of shifting values. The paper goes on to explore the context of 2017, with observations of problem areas such as the loss of knowledge, failures to tackle the root causes of disasters, shortfalls in international assistance, and some negative attitudes. It closes by evaluating some current positive occurrences, including a reduction in casualties, sharing of experience, technological advances, and dramatic improvements in disaster warning.     

A Review of Contributions to Disasters: 1977—1996

Since the first issue in 1977, Disasters has been one of the pre-eminent refereed journals on the study and reporting of disasters. This article reviews 703 articles and reports in the journal through 1996 to provide a snapshot of the nature of the journal throughout 20 years of publication. The results indicate the most common contributions: first, were research articles by authors from the North Atlantic; second, most often dealt with natural disaster relief or impact; and third, most frequently focused on Africa. These generalisations, however, do not reflect attention paid to food-related and political disasters and greatly understate the broad diversity of material presented in the journal. To improve the topical and geographic coverage of Disasters probably requires a proactive effort to close gaps in the journal's coverage of disasters.     

自然灾害综合研究的回顾与展望

回顾了20世纪90年代以来,我国在自然灾害综合研究方面所做的工作和取得的成果以及所获得的新认识,包括将研究由单类推向综合。提出自然灾害系统和灾害科学体系的新观念,探索自然灾害综合预报,加强灾害社会属性的研究;提出分区减灾、分级减灾的对策,倡导开展减灾系统工程,将减灾纳入可持续发展系列建立减灾管理系统,推动减灾社会化与产业化等。对21世纪自然灾害综合研究进行了展望,认为其基本指导思想应为从自然灾害系统研究扩展为环境-灾害系统研究。同时提出了减灾能力评估、综合区划、灾后重建统筹规划等所面临的重大问题。     

自然灾害对我国农业的影响研究

通过对2000-2008年自然灾害发生面积与我国农业发展过程中的各项指标进行了对比分析和回归分析,得出了自然灾害对我国农业发展影响较为显著,并具体指出了旱灾、水灾等自然灾害对我国农业发展的影响.自然灾害通过影响农业单产、农业有效利用面积及农业总产值来影响农业,不同种类自然灾害的发生面积都处于不断波动之中,并呈现逐步提升之势,具有一定的区域性.最后指出了通过增强农业本身抵御自然灾害的能力和更好的预测农业自然灾害等,为各级政府制定抗灾减灾对策提供依据.     

Towards a Redefinition of Security in Central America: The Case of Natural Disasters

Over the past 25 years Central America has suffered a number of major disasters: the Managua Earthquake (1972), Hurricane Fifi (1974), the Guatemalan Earthquake (1976), the San Salvador Earthquake (1986) and Hurricane Joan (1988). These events are briefly described, with special reference to their political aspects and implications. Recognition of the political importance of disasters in Central America leads to a questioning of the traditional notion that security is essentially a matter of defending the state from outside aggression. It is suggested that the analysis of disasters should be part of the debate that is currently underway in international relations about redefining the concept of security in the post-Cold War world.     

自然灾害社会脆弱性评估研究——以上海市为例

基于投影寻踪聚类模型(PPC),结合基于实数编码的加速遗传算法(RAGA),对上海市进行了自然灾害社会脆弱性评估的尝试。结果表明:①灾害社会脆弱性最高的为崇明县,其次为宝山区和金山区;②灾害社会脆弱性最低的是黄埔区,其次是徐汇区和静安区;③总体而言,灾害脆弱性较低的地区集中于上海城市中心区,而城市边缘区的社会脆弱性一般较高。     

重大自然灾害后遗体处置应急预案研究

重大自然灾害发生后一般都会伴随着大量人员的遇难,及时妥善处置灾后众多遇难者遗体,是许多国家面临的棘手问题。借鉴我国唐山7.8级地震和汶川8.0级地震中遗体应急处置的经验与教训,从遗体的搜集、存放、运输、消毒、防腐、保存、火化、掩埋等方面,探索遗体处理应急预案的程序与内容,从而提高政府应对重大自然灾害后大量遗体的应急处置能力,全面保障灾区群众的身心健康。     

天灾死亡人数不再是国家机密

近年来灾情数字已逐步公开 根据形势发展和救灾工作的需要,从2005年8月起,我国对全国及省、自治区、直辖市因自然灾害导致死亡人员的总数及相关资料解密。     

The National Workshop 1998 on Comprehensive Prediction of the Major Natural Disasters Held in Beijing

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Secretary-General to International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction:Despite Dedicated Efforts,Number and Cost of Natural Disasters Continue to Rise

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Disasters, Family Tracing and Children's Rights: Some Questions About the Best Interests of Separated Children

Large numbers of children get separated from their families and communities in disasters. Family tracing is an attempt to find the families and assess if the children can be reunited. This paper examines how questions about the rights of children arise in the context of family tracing. It then looks at the challenges posed by effective and child sensitive tracing to both emergency and development programmes. The paper suggests that traditional coping mechanisms within communities are part of the social infractructure which all disaster intervention, including family tracing programmes, need explicitly to build on and repair.