Towards an integrated approach of disaster and environment management: A case study of Thua Thien Hue province,central Viet Nam

Disasters and environmental degradation create serious problems all around the world. They are inherently linked, but little attention is paid to their interaction, particularly at local levels. The degree of integration of disaster management and risk analysis with environmental management programs in relation to human vulnerability has been examined in Thua Thien Hue Province, Central Viet Nam. Unsustainable agricultural practices, and inappropriate development programs have contributed substantially to the increase of disaster risks. On the other hand, disasters damage natural resources and reduce environmental quality, indirectly contributing to increasing poverty which in turn, adds to the vulnerability of both natural and human systems, so further increasing disaster losses. Notwithstanding, in Viet Nam, there is a big gap between disaster and environment management policies and programs. In order to bridge the gap, an integrated approach in which environment-disaster linkage, rural—urban linkage, and poverty are brought into focus as core aspects of disaster management.     

Financial services and disaster risk finance: Examples from the community level

Increased attention has recently been given to the possible role of financial services in the management of natural disaster risk. Local communities have been at the forefront of developing innovative disaster risk finance strategies and implementing risk-oriented incentive programs. In view of increasing risks, including the impacts of climate change, such programs will become more important. This paper examines four models and some recent experiences in using financial services at the community level. The paper offers an overview of advantages and limitations of each model to manage disaster risk in communities. Examples include a federal government initiated scheme of social protection funds, a local government risk reduction scheme, an insurance product provided by a non-governmental organization, and a micro-insurance scheme. Finally, the paper offers some directions about specific ways that the public and private sectors, in collaboration with other partners can improve finance alternatives for disaster management at the community level. It appears that a range of follow-up studies and further dialogue is needed, in order to expand the knowledge on what types of risk finance models can help manage and reduce the financial impacts of natural disasters.     

灾害教育类场所解说现状研究

防灾安全类博物馆、科技馆、遗址地、纪念馆等是开展灾害教育的最佳场所,此类场所公众灾害教育的开展依靠解说功能的发挥。目前关于灾害解说研究尚处于空白,故需对这类场所的解说理论与实践进行系统研究。本研究试图通过灾害类解说现状调查研究,发现问题,总结相应策略,促进社会灾害教育的开展。     

Reflections: Resolving conflicting demands within disaster risk and recovery

This ‘reflection’ describes conflicting experiences, drawn from the author’s career in varied aspects of disaster risk management and recovery (1973–2016) delving into his memory, Ian Davis explores conflicts he has felt in four parallel roles he has adopted as architect, NGO board member, academic and the personal challenges he has faced working within the humanitarian sector. After describing these encounters, some practical solutions are suggested. The reflection concludes with a suggestion that at the root of these conflicts there is a need for people working in the humanitarian field to become more accountable in a downward direction towards those they seek to serve, who often lack power and influence. These include an architect’s clients, the beneficiaries of an NGO’s concern, an academic’s students or trainees and more broadly an ethical challenge that the author strives after, to regard his work as a vocation, highlighting the need for service to others rather than self-promotion.     

灾害损失的定量计算

本文提出了一个衡量灾害损失的定量指标——灾级。灾级大小是将一次灾害中死亡、伤害和直接经济损失数折算成规范化指数后计算出来的。其方法简单易行,且适用性强。     

《防灾减灾工程学报》的被引分析

利用我国优秀博硕论文全文数据库,探讨了《防灾减灾工程学报》(以下简称《学报》)的被引与共被引。结果表明,《学报》的载文具有较高的学科前沿性、理论性、实用性与综合性;《学报》的博硕论文被引与共被引次数多、层次高,学术影响的学科范围广;防灾减灾工程与土木工程、岩土工程、地震工程、地质工程等多种工程相关性强;《学报》对我国博硕研究生教育情报贡献力大。     

Towards an integrated approach of disaster and environment management: A case study of Thua Thien Hue province, central Viet Nam

Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio era examinar los problemas emocionales y comportamentales de niños refugiados no acompañados que fueron repatriados a Vietnam de los centros de refugiados de Hong-Kong y del Sudeste asiático. Los niños fueron comparados con una muestra emparejada de niños que nunca dejaron Vietnam.Método: La muestra estaba compuesta por un total de 455 niños vietnamitas de edades comprendidas entre los 10 y los 22 años. Un total de 238 niños habían residido previamente sin sus padres en campos de refugiados. Se recogieron datos aplicando la versión de autoinforme para jóvenes del Achenbach (Youth Self-Report), la Escala de Autoeficacia Percibida de Cowen, una escala de Soporte Social y una escala de Exposición al Trauma.Resultados: No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los grupos de niños en la puntuación total del YSR. Los niños previamente refugiados tuvieron puntuaciones más bajas que los niños del grupo control en la escala de “problemas de conducta externalizados”. Se observó una tendencia en los niños refugiados a presentar puntuaciones más altas que los niños del grupo control en la escala de “problemas de conducta internalizados”. No se observaron diferencias entre los dos grupos en la eficacia autopercibida, el número de fuentes de apoyo social y las experiencias de apoyo social. Otros análisis mostraron que una interacción significativa entre la condición de inmigrantes de los niños y su percepción subjetiva del actual nivel de vida explicó las diferencias en las puntuaciones en el YSR.Conclusión: Los resultados sugieren que la experiencia de vivir sin sus padres en un campo de refugiados no conduce a presentar más problemas emocionales y de conducta en los años posteriores inmediatos a la repatriación.

The establishment of a standard operation procedure for psychiatric service after an earthquake

This study presents information on the design and creation of a standard operation procedure (SOP) for psychiatric service after an earthquake. The strategies employed focused on the detection of survivors who developed persistent psychiatric illness, particularly post-traumatic stress and major depressive disorders. In addition, the study attempted to detect the risk factors for psychiatric illness. A Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST) was designed by five psychiatrists and two public health professionals for rapidly and simply interviewing 4,223 respondents within six months of the September 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. A SOP was established through a systemic literature review, action research, and two years of data collection. Despite the limited time and resources inherent to a disaster situation, it is necessary to develop an SOP for psychiatric service after an earthquake in order to assist the high number of survivors suffering from subsequent psychiatric impairment.     

An evaluation of risk assessment framework for industrial accidents in India

Due to rapid industrialization, with high population density and constraints of land, it is expected that level of risks arising from the hazardous industries will increase in India in the coming decades. However, 30 years after the Bhopal accident (1984), except a few discrete regulations, there is as yet no integrated system for assessing and managing risks arising out of these hazardous industries in India. The gravity of aspects related to the management of industrial risk still remains crucially important. In particular, there is no standard guideline on risk analysis methodology, acceptability or tolerability criteria, nor is there an accident database or a risk reduction strategy for the areas where risk levels are already high. On top of this, there are technical and legislative gaps in the institutional framework to implement any of the above mentioned issues. With the backdrop of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the objective of this paper is therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive risk assessment framework for the emerging economy of India, in order to control and/or to reduce the risk level that exists. In this context, regulations and policies pertaining to industrial risk assessment were reviewed.