Post‐Ike economic resilience along the Texas coast

The economic devastation resulting from recent natural disasters has spawned intense interest in programmes that promote regional resilience. The economic impacts of Hurricane Ike (September 2008) endured long beyond the storm's landfall, compounded by a national recession. This study analyses the pattern of post‐Ike industrial growth in eight coastal counties of Texas, United States, and identifies sources of resilience and potential drivers of recovery. The results indicate that post‐disaster growth patterns differ from established growth patterns. Levels of resilience vary across industrial sectors, and service sectors tend to lead a recovery. The resilience of the hotel and restaurant sector, for instance, suggests that the presence of relief workers might immunise certain sectors against a post‐disaster economic downturn. Besides the sectors that are generally resilient, each county has its own distinct sectors that, depending on the extent of the damage suffered, tend to perform strongly after a disaster, owing to the characteristics of the respective county's economy.     

Discounting,inequality and economic convergence

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of inequalities and economic convergence on the efficient discount rate when international credit and risk-sharing markets are inefficient. We consider an economy in which initial consumption levels and growth expectations are heterogeneous. In the benchmark case in which relative inequalities are permanent and relative risk aversion is constant, inequalities do not affect the discount rate. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which permanent inequalities reduce the discount rate. We also show that the anticipation of economic convergence raises the efficient discount rate when relative prudence is larger than unity.     

Optimal learning on climate change: Why climate skeptics should reduce emissions

Climate skeptics typically argue that the possibility that global warming is exogenous, implies that we should not take additional action towards reducing emissions until we know what drives warming. This paper however shows that even climate skeptics have an incentive to reduce emissions: such a directional change generates information on the causes of global warming. Since the optimal policy depends upon these causes, they are valuable to know. Although increasing emissions would also generate information, that option is inferior due its irreversibility. We show that optimality can even imply that climate skeptics should actually argue for lower emissions than believers.     

Disaster governance and community resilience: reflections on Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan

Typhoon Morakot triggered flooding and mudslides in various areas and devastated Aboriginal villages located near areas under construction by the Water Diversion Project in Kaohsiung County. This paper examines the controversy surrounding Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan from the perspective of disaster governance. This study provides competing perspectives regarding who was responsible for causing the disaster. Post-disaster reconstruction initiatives by the government tend to adopt a technical approach to risk, and do not incorporate the complex social and cultural dimensions of vulnerability and sustainability. This perspective reflects misrecognition problems, and the lack of empowerment and participation in governance by residents, as well as their exclusion in decision making. Aboriginal civic groups have various methods of interacting with local residents to alleviate the suffering of survivors, promoting tribal culture and building resilient communities. This continuing development of social interactions and new forms of engagement will effectuate transformation and contribute to broader reflections on the Morakot disaster and social capability and building resilience.     

The legacy of migration in response to climate stress: learning from the Gilbertese resettlement in the Solomon Islands

The long‐term threat of sea‐level rise to coral atoll and reef island communities in Kiribati, Tuvalu and other nations has raised the possibility of international migration. Historical resettlements in the Pacific may provide valuable insight into the long‐term effect of future climate change‐related migration on communities. This study evaluates the challenges faced by Gilbertese people resettled from modern‐day Kiribati to Ghizo in the Solomon Islands by the British colonial administration in the mid‐1900s. Drawing upon field interviews (n = 45) conducted in 2011 and the available historical literature, the study examines the circumstances of the initial failed resettlement in the equatorial Phoenix Islands, the subsequent relocation to Ghizo, and the recent concerns of the Gilbertese in Ghizo. Focus is placed on the struggle to recover from the 2007 tsunami that devastated the unprepared community. The analysis reveals that uncertainty about land tenure (raised by 61% of respondents) persists 60 years after resettlement, and is linked to the ability to recover from the tsunami, tensions with the Melanesian population, concerns over political representation, cultural decline, and education and employment opportunities. The Gilbertese experience can serve as a cautionary tale for policymakers considering mechanisms for facilitating climate change‐related migration.     

基于灾后恢复过程解析的城市韧性评价体系

为实现对城市韧性的有效评价,本论文在系统研究国际城市韧性评价体系的基础之上,结合中国城市发展的现状,基于对城市灾后实际恢复过程的系统考察,建立了基于恢复过程的城市韧性评价体系。该评价体系通过解析城市灾后恢复过程的四个阶段:救援阶段(Rescue)、避难阶段(Refuge)、重建阶段(Rebuild)、复兴阶段(Revival),从社区与人口(Community and Population)、政府与管理(Official Organization and Management)、住房与设施(Valuable Housing and Facilities)、经济与发展(Economy and Development)、环境与文化(Renewable Environment and Culture)共五个维度,以62项指标对城市的韧性进行系统分析。这一体系可以简称为城市韧性评价的ReCOVER体系,其中“Re”代表了城市恢复的四个阶段,COVER则分别代表了城市韧性的五个维度。进而以该体系为基础,对我国大陆31个省级行政区域的城市韧性进行了五个维度、四个阶段的实证研究,并对城市韧性的提升策略,给出了分析建议。     

区域轨道交通系统节点重要度及故障恢复研究

为提高区域轨道交通系统(RRTS)正常运营下的可靠性和故障情况下的弹性,分析区域轨道交通网络(RRTN)的拓扑特性,构建拓扑结构弹性评价模型,实现突发条件下系统弹性的定量评价;提出一种基于系统弹性的结构评价方法,根据节点重要度评价,识别出系统关键节点;应用弹性损失三角形,进行多种故障情况下系统最优恢复策略研究。结果表明:RRTN在Space L模型下具有无标度网络特性;系统弹性分析结合科普兰评分法,可以提高RRTS节点重要度评价的准确性;最优故障恢复策略从全局角度寻求不同恢复策略下系统弹性的最大值,优化了RRTS结构弹性和系统恢复能力。     

1928年甘肃旱灾的时空差异及气候背景

整理了1928年甘肃救灾档案资料《甘肃省民国十七年各县灾情一览表》,通过提取该档案中的被灾地域、灾民人口、灾情状况等数据,建立以县为基本单位的灾情指数的方法,复原了我国近代历史时期一次重大旱灾——1928年甘肃旱灾的受灾地区和受灾情况。复原结果表明,甘肃省此次旱灾灾情最严重地区为该省的中东部,而该省西部和北部地区受灾相对较轻。在成灾时间上,春季该省中东部地区就形成旱灾的中心,并且该中心在夏季和秋季一直存在,形成了罕见的春、夏、秋三季连旱连灾的特点。     

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.     

基于DEMATEL-ISM的城市灾害韧性影响因素研究

提高城市灾害韧性对于城市可持续发展意义重大.在确定城市灾害韧性影响因素的基础上,将DEMA-TEL(决策试验与评价实验法)与ISM(解释结构模型法)相结合,识别关键影响因素,明晰影响因素之间的作用路径与层次结构,绘制原因结果图,构建多级递阶结构模型,从而直观的呈现关键影响因素及作用路径.结果表明,城市灾害韧性影响因素可...