Establishing public accountability,speaking truth to power and inducing political will for disaster risk reduction: ‘Ocho Rios + 25’

The problem is that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is still more a zone of political darkness than of light. Therefore, the purpose of our contribution to this theme issue is to illuminate at least some of that zone of political darkness and to suggest a more proactive, but for many career professionals a personally problematic, way forward for DRR. The career problematic derives from the fact that the way forward would involve moving from applauding the emergence of elected and/or appointed champions (from mayors to cabinet ministers to presidents/prime ministers) for action to raising the political costs of inaction by leaders not otherwise disposed. The essential element of this way forward would be greatly enhanced public accountability. We will draw preliminary accountability lessons from the Haiti earthquake catastrophe and the Chile earthquake disaster 2010 events towards the conclusion of this paper as we outline a possible future paradigm.     

Chronic institutional failure and enhanced vulnerability to flash‐floods in the Cuenca Altadel Río Lerma,Mexico

The dominant paradigm in disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies has been seriously contested because of its reliance on interventions based on technocratic expertise. In the Mexican context, the influence of informal practices such as clientelism and cartelisation of the political system produces environmental degradation and vulnerability to disasters within the communities in the study site. This paper contributes to understanding of failed institutional processes and parallel practices that intensify vulnerability to disasters by contrasting the discourses of agents within a peri‐urban community in central Mexico. Employing the Situational Analysis Approach as a methodological framework, the study identifies divergent views and practices within the community, leading to different responses to disasters and to different perceptions regarding institutional performance. In addition, it finds that institutional decision‐making, based only on scientific and technical expertise, has resulted in unintended consequences that influence ongoing vulnerability to floods in the site under review.     

Measuring populations' vulnerabilities for famine and food security interventions: the case of Ethiopia's Chronic Vulnerability Index

The concept of vulnerability has become an important part of food security analyses since the 1980s. It is seen as having two sides: exposure to external hazards; and an inability to cope with those shocks, attributed to social, political, and economic factors. Numerous attempts have been made to construct models to determine levels of vulnerability among populations. This paper analyses one such attempt, the Chronic Vulnerability Index (CVI), developed to measure levels of vulnerability to food insecurity in Ethiopia. The example of the CVI reveals many of the difficulties associated with producing a basic model of vulnerability that can be used in disaster mitigation. Ultimately, the CVI assumes that vulnerability is a linear, additive phenomenon with discrete causes and effects and fails to capture interactions between hazards and the human systems that produce and complicate them. The paper concludes with a discussion of alternatives to the CVI.     

灾害易损性研究的回顾与展望

近十余年来,易损性研究成为灾害学术研究和国际社会发展减灾策略的一个主题.本文概述了易损性研究的历史发展过程,评述了易损性的三类概念,总结了易损性的四个性质,阐述了易损性识别和测量的一些基本理念和方法,指出了易损性分析在灾害研究和减灾防灾中的积极意义.     

城市灾害易损性及其评价指标

城市化的加速使城市成为国民经济和社会发展的重要区域,同时灾害给城市发展造成了巨大的损失。通过分析易损性的维度和时空性,并在总结多因子复合函数方法、模糊综合评价方法、数据包络分析方法等易损性研究方法的基础上,结合复杂的城市系统的内部特征,从人口易损性、经济易损性、社会易损性和生态环境易损性4个方面建立适合城市灾害易损性评价的框架;探讨了包括人口迁入率和经济密度等11个城市灾害易损性指标体系。最后指出城市灾害易损性研究对城市可持续发展有重要意义。     

The politics of risk in the Philippines: comparing state and NGO perceptions of disaster management

It is now generally appreciated that what constitutes vulnerability to one person is not necessarily perceived as such by the next. Different actors 'see' disasters as different types of events and as a result they prepare for, manage and record them in very different ways. This paper explores what different perceptions of vulnerability mean in terms of the understanding and practices of two significant sets of actors and stakeholders involved in disaster preparedness and management in the Philippines: the state and NGOs. Approaches to disaster are not just a function of people's perceptions of disaster risk but also of their understanding of the prevailing social order and social relations. Despite a shared vocabulary—which increasingly presents disasters as processes rather than events, takes a proactive rather than a reactive approach, and favours the inclusion of stakeholders rather than solely relying on technocratic management—different realities continue to make for different responses.     

草地畜牧业雪灾脆弱性评价 --以内蒙古牧区为例

从综合减灾和区域可持续发展的角度，建立了雪灾脆弱性评价指标体系及评价模型，并从雪灾区域孕灾环境敏感性以及区域畜牧业承灾体对雪灾的适应性两方面，对内蒙古雪灾脆弱性进行了评价。研究结果表明：内蒙古牧区雪灾脆弱性存在若明显的地域差异，中西部牧区比东部牧区脆弱性大，北部牧区比南部牧区脆弱性大，并且近10年来脆弱性提高的旗县明显增多，草地季节性干旱、北方干旱化以及草场超载过牧、退化加剧是畜牧业雪灾脆弱性呈增加趋势的直接原因。     

Measuring vulnerability to natural hazards: a macro framework

The measurement of vulnerability—defined here as the asymmetric response of disaster occurrences to hazardous events—signifies a key step towards effective disaster risk reduction and the promotion of a culture of disaster resilience. One of the reasons for not being able to do the same in a wider context is related to conceptual, definitional, and operational issues. This paper presents an operationally feasible framework for conducting this task and measures revealed macro vulnerability as a function of disaster risk and hazard probability. The probabilities of hazard and its perceived disaster risk were obtained from past data and from probability distributions. In this paper, the corresponding analytical framework is constructed using the case study of floods in Assam, India. The proposed indicator will help policymakers to draw on available macro‐level data to identify the regions that are vulnerable to disasters, where micro‐level disaster vulnerability assessments could be performed in greater detail.     

自然灾害脆弱性研究进展

近年来,在国际上日益重视防灾减灾的背景下,脆弱性研究已成为灾害学研究的主题并逐渐融入社会可持续发展策略。在回顾国内外灾害脆弱性研究发展的基础上,阐述了脆弱性的基本内涵,探究了自然灾害脆弱性的基本构成,并对灾害研究领域中容易混淆的危险性、脆弱型、风险、易损性与恢复力等概念进行了辨析。研究归纳总结了开展脆弱性评估的5种经典模式,风险-灾害(RH)模式、压力释放(PAR)模式、政治经济模式、基于区域的综合脆弱性模式和恢复力模式。并且指出,自然灾害研究领域的脆弱性评估应主要基于历史数据、指标体系和实际调查的灾损率曲线。从发展趋势来看,脆弱性研究正日益着重多领域合作、多对象细化和除指标体系外多种方法的综合应用,旨在从人类社会本身找出灾难根源,为灾害保险和政府决策提供有效指导。     

新亚欧大陆桥新疆段易损性分析

从灾害频数、断道密度分析着手,选取与易损性评价指标;根据新亚欧大陆桥新疆段近４０年的灾害资料,在详尽分析各不同区段灾害密度,断道时间和断道次数密度的基础上,对各区一路的脆弱性和易损性强度进行评价,提出了新亚欧大陆桥新疆段的最易受损区段,并与全国平均水平进行了对比。     

Disaster studies inside out

Disaster studies is faced with a fascinating anomaly: frequently it claims to be critical and innovative, as suggested by the so‐called vulnerability paradigm that emerged more than 40 years ago, yet often it is perpetuating some of the core and problematic tenets of the hazard paradigm that we were asked to challenge initially. This paper interrogates why such an anomaly persists. In so doing, it employs Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony to unpack why disaster studies is still dominated by Western epistemologies and scholars that perpetuate an orientalist view of disasters. Ultimately, it suggests a research agenda for the 40 years to come, which builds on the importance of local researchers analysing local disasters using local epistemologies, especially in the non‐Western world. Such subaltern disaster studies are to be fuelled by increasing consciousness of the need to resist the hegemony of Western scholarship and to relocate disaster studies within the realm of its original political agenda.     

河北省农业旱灾脆弱性区划与减灾

脆弱性是农业遭受干旱影响和旱灾损失的必要条件,它决定旱灾影响的强度。本文对河北省农业旱灾脆弱性进行了区划,分析了区域农业旱灾脆弱性变化的成因,针对区域农业旱灾脆弱性累进的动态压力,提出了调整人类行为、降低脆弱性、减轻灾害影响和损失的思路。     

The concept of resilience revisited

The intimate connections between disaster recovery by and the resilience of affected communities have become common features of disaster risk reduction programmes since the adoption of The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. Increasing attention is now paid to the capacity of disaster-affected communities to 'bounce back' or to recover with little or no external assistance following a disaster. This highlights the need for a change in the disaster risk reduction work culture, with stronger emphasis being put on resilience rather than just need or vulnerability. However, varied conceptualisations of resilience pose new philosophical challenges. Yet achieving a consensus on the concept remains a test for disaster research and scholarship. This paper reviews the concept in terms of definitional issues, the role of vulnerability in resilience discourse and its meaning, and the differences between vulnerability and resilience. It concludes with some of the more immediately apparent implications of resilience thinking for the way we view and prepare for disasters.     

河北省农业旱灾脆弱性动态变化的成因分析

以县域为单元,对河北省不同时段的农业旱灾脆弱度进行了评估。通过ＧＩＳ制图,揭示了农业旱灾脆弱度的时间和空间变化规律,分析了脆弱性动态变化的自然基础及社会、经济因素,提出了今后进一肯降低农业旱灾脆弱性、保持可持续发展所面临的问题,为宵业旱灾管理与区划提供了科学依据。     

京津唐地区地震灾害区域宏观脆弱性变化研究

研究灾害脆弱性的变化有助于深入理解灾害及灾害风险的形成机制。在重新审视承灾体系统灾害脆弱性的分析层次和描述角度之后,深化了对地震灾害区域宏观脆弱性的影响因素和描述指标的再认识,完善了以主成分分析为核心技术的分析该类脆弱性时空变化的数理方法。以此为基础,以1985、1995、2000和2004年为代表时期,对京津唐地区20多年来的地震灾害区域宏观脆弱性的变化做了进一步的分析和总结。主要结论是:研究区地震灾害区域宏观脆弱性20多年来的时空变化可分解为少数几种脆弱性模式的变化;1985年以来,该类脆弱性的空间分异格局整体稳定;但是,各地自身脆弱与否的程度20多年来的变化却很显著——各大中城市市区的脆弱程度显著增强,其他地区整体减弱,且变化幅度前者显著大于后者;研究区地震灾害区域宏观脆弱性的时空变化主要受该地区的人口和经济特别是工商业经济的增长、城市化发展和产业结构的调整等3方面因素所驱动。     

Constructing a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction: the significance of focusing on vulnerability reduction

As a result of the increase in natural disaster losses, policy‐makers, practitioners, and members of the research community around the world are seeking effective and efficient means of overcoming or minimising them. Although various theoretical constructs are beneficial to understanding the disaster phenomenon and the means of minimising losses, the disaster risk management process becomes less effective if theory and practice are set apart from one another. Consequently, this paper seeks to establish a relationship between two theoretical constructs, ‘disaster risk reduction (DRR)’ and ‘vulnerability reduction’, and to develop a holistic approach to DRR with particular reference to improving its applicability in practical settings. It is based on a literature review and on an overall understanding gained through two case studies of post‐disaster infrastructure reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka and three expert interviews in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.     

关于雾灾几个相关问题的探讨

首先,基于灾害系统的理论,构建了雾灾灾害系统模式和灾害链模式,提出了以机场和高速公路为承灾体的雾灾灾害链.其次,构建了雾灾承灾体脆弱性评价体系和模型,并对中国雾灾脆弱性分省区进行了评价,结果表明雾灾脆弱性高值区是上海、北京、天津3市;次高值区是江苏、山东、海南、广东等省.最后,以2002年12月的一次大雾天气为例,运用灰色关联度方法,着重对机场客运的雾灾灾情进行了评估,以期为雾灾损失厘定和防灾减灾提供科学的依据.     

沿海地区台风灾害系统脆弱性过程诊断与评估以福建省为例——以福建省为例

基于自然灾害系统理论，分析了导致和影响台风灾害系统脆弱性过程的主要因素，并提出了脆弱性的诊断思路。通过分析，建立了台风灾害发生过程和灾害发生以后的脆弱性评估指标体系和评估模型，构建了台风灾害系统脆弱性综合指数模型，并以福建县域为单元，对福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性过程进行评价。研究表明，福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性呈上升趋势，空间上高值区集中分布在沿海地区，有从东部沿海向西部扩展的趋势。反映台风强度和福建人口、经济地区差异显著，建议应该制定区域综合减灾模式，逐步降低脆弱性，提高防御台风灾害能力。     

沿海地区台风灾害系统脆弱性过程诊断与评估——以福建省为例

基于自然灾害系统理论,分析了导致和影响台风灾害系统脆弱性过程的主要因素,并提出了脆弱性的诊断思路。通过分析,建立了台风灾害发生过程和灾害发生以后的脆弱性评估指标体系和评估模型,构建了台风灾害系统脆弱性综合指数模型,并以福建县域为单元,对福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性过程进行评价。研究表明,福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性呈上升趋势,空间上高值区集中分布在沿海地区,有从东部沿海向西部扩展的趋势。反映台风强度和福建人口、经济地区差异显著,建议应该制定区域综合减灾模式,逐步降低脆弱性,提高防御台风灾害能力。     

自然灾害社会易损性评价指标体系框架的构建

按照我们对社会易损性构成的认识,从区域人口易损系统、区域社会结构易损系统和区域社会文化易损系统三方面构建了自然灾害社会易损性评价指标体系。这个指标体系是由一个内部层次分明、逻辑结构清晰的9个指数和39个指标要素构成的框架。该评价体系可以作为政府管理部门和社会公众认识自然灾害的社会属性的科学依据,也是减灾防灾的重要工具。