Earthquake Planning for Government Continuity

/ The problem of assuring government operational continuity following earthquakes has been given little research attention. Recent earthquake experience has documented that government organizations without a public safety mission do incur damaged facilities and routinely see increases in public demands following an earthquake. Impediments to service delivery associated with such dam-ages can be minimized if agencies address earthquake plan elements likely to enhance postimpact functioning, including: the potential to relocate operations, protection for the workplace, possession of an organizational inventory, emergency instructions for employees, the ability to use volunteers, and communication capacity. Factors associated with the adoption of these plan elements were studied in one county government and its municipal county seat in the southwestern United States. A census of departments within these jurisdictions was asked to complete a questionnaire reporting the level of planning activity relative to each of these plan elements. It was found that the overall level of preparedness was low, but statistically significantly related to agency size, perceived risk, and information seeking. The implications of these findings underscore the potential for disruption to government service delivery and permit the identification of potential avenues for increasing levels of preparedness.KEY WORDS: Emergency planning; Earthquakes; Government preparedness     

Planning for Biodiversity: the Role of Ecological Impact Assessment

Abstract:  Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the process of identifying potential environmental effects of proposed development and the required mitigation measures. It is one of the most widely used planning tools today, but its ability to promote biodiversity conservation is largely unexplored. We studied the ecological component of the Israeli EIA system by reviewing a representative sample of 52 environmental impact statements (EISs) produced since 1995 and their corresponding guidelines issued by the Ministry of the Environment. Quality of both EISs and guidelines was determined using a simple scoring approach. Lack of quantitative data, meaningful analyses, and ecosystem perspective was apparent throughout. Many EISs failed to perform field surveys and their qualitative nature hampered meaningful impact prediction. Most EISs concentrated on aesthetic mitigation measures and did not assess their feasibility and likely success. Most of these flaws reflect poor standards rather than true scientific limitations. Guideline quality scores were the most important factor determining the quality of EISs; second was the involvement of an ecological consultant in preparing the EIS. We found a decreasing trend of EIS quality scores over time. Improvements in EIA procedures, particularly in ecological guidelines and the incorporation of ecological consultation, are important for upgrading ecological impact assessment so that the potential of EIA to advance biodiversity conservation can be realized.     

环境空气应急监测的多技术手段与典型案例研究

通过调研2003—2018年全国189起突发环境空气事件,分析事件特征和现场应急监测存在的问题,结合新修订发布的环境应急监测标准和文件,以2019年某火灾事件应急监测为案例,探讨基于多技术手段联用的监测布点方案、应急监测技术和监测方式在实际工作中的应用成效。实践表明,采用多来源监测资源与新发展监测技术联合应用的新型环境空气应急监测模式,可实现多技术部门协作及现场应急多元监测资源的高效利用,提高突发环境空气事件的应急监测效率。     

基于损失定量的防汛应急物资配置优化研究

为优化防汛应急物资在各个应急节点仓库的配置,从多仓库协同储备角度,构建最短运输时间、最小储运成本(含最少运输费用、最小储备成本)、最少缺货损失等多目标优化的防汛应急物资配置优化模型。在构建缺货损失定量函数时,采用重心法处理需求量。采用进化算法求解模型,经方法对比后选用NSGAII算法求解结果,最终确定模型的帕累托解,再用逼近理想解排序法(TOPSIS)筛选确定最优配置方案,从而合理确定不同类别的防汛应急物资在各仓库的储备规模。设定洪涝灾害为强降水影响下13个地级市均产生物资需求的情况,以江苏省水利防汛物资储备中心5大分中心的仓库物资配置为例,进行实证分析。结果表明:优化后的物资储备方案可大幅降低缺货损失和运输成本,有助于提高防汛应急调度效率。     

Planning for human settlements in disaster-prone areas: The Chinese experience

This paper describes the necessity and the possibilities for mitigating the effects of natural disasters as exemplified by the Chinese experiences in Tangshan and Sichuan etc. With the dynamic viewpoint as a guiding concept the paper advocates the “prevention first” policy as well as planning strategies for human settlements in disaster-prone areas. It covers emergency and reconstruction planning as well as recommendations for prevention and mitigation planning. The paper also reviews the Chinese experience.     

城市规划与城镇土地定级相互作用机理研究

城市规划与城镇土地定级之间的相互影响是多方面的。一是城市规划纲要、城市总体规划以及控制性详细规划的编制,分别从宏观和微观两方面影响着城镇土地定级工作;而城市规划的不同实施方式和不同实施程度对具体地块土地级别以及城镇土地级别空间分布格局有着直接和较大的影响。二是城镇土地级别现状和城镇土地级别变化趋势分析,潜在影响着城市规划方案设计、城市规划方案决策、城市规划实施和管理过程,并为其提供依据和指导。在此基础上,如何量化城市规划对城镇土地定级的影响值得进一步具体研究;发挥城镇土地定级工作的作用,更好地为城市规划服务,解决人们的住房问题,更值得深入思考。