Adaptation Options Strategies for Hazards and Vulnerability Mitigation: An International Perspective

The broad objective of this special issue of Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change is to address some of the gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the policies, programs, and measures that might be applied to natural hazards and their impacts in an era of climate change. Given the global impacts of climate change and world-wide pattern of increasing losses from natural hazards we necessarily adopt an international perspective. The specific goals of the special issue are to: (a) encompass experiential aspects, emphasizing current practice of mitigation and its associated measures, and their results; and (b) explore primary or root causes of alarming shifts in human and economic costs of environmental extremes. Special emphasis is placed on how human activities are playing a key role in enhancing vulnerability to NTEE (nature-triggered environmental extremes), quite independently from the anthropogenic causes of climate change. The goals are also (c) to examine costs, risks, and benefits (of all kinds including social, political, ecological) of mitigation, and adjustment and adaptation measures; and (d) analyze policy implications of alternative measures. These components are expected to make significant contributions to policy considerations – formulation, implementation and evaluation. There is much uncertainty about the rate of climate change; however, the fact of increase of the atmospheric temperature in the last century is no longer a subject of scientific or policy debate. Due to such changes in the geophysical parameters, certain types of nature-triggered environmental extreme events are likely to continue to increase. How global warming will affect regional climates and pertinent variables is not well known, limiting our ability to predict consequential effects. This factor poses serious constraints against any straightforward policy decisions. Research findings of the work of this volume reaffirm that human dimensions, specifically our awareness and decision-making behavior, are powerful explanatory factors of increasing disaster losses. Disaster mitigation through addressing human, social, and physical vulnerability is one of the best means for contributing to ‘climate change adaptation plans’, and sustainable development goals. Recent lessons from various countries have depicted that the formulation of mitigation strategies cannot be exclusively top-down as it requires social, political, and cultural acceptance and sense of ownership. An interactive, participatory process, involving local communities, produces best expected outcomes concerning mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. An emerging consensus is that there is a need to move towards the ‘mission’ of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction which aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters. Sharing of best practices and lessons globally is certain to produce more efficiency and understanding in policy and decision making.     

Modelling biodegradation of hydrocarbons in aquifers: when is the use of the instantaneous reaction approximation justified?

In-situ bio-remediation is a viable cleanup alternative for aquifers contaminated by hydrocarbons such as BTEX. Transport models of varying complexity and capabilities are used to quantify their degradation. A model that has gained wide acceptance in applications is BIOPLUME II, which assumes that oxygen-limited biodegradation takes place as an instantaneous reaction. In this work we have employed theoretical analysis, using non-dimensional variables, and numerical modelling to establish a quantitative criterion demarcating the range of validity of the instantaneous reaction approximation against biodegradation kinetics. Oxygen was the limiting species and sorption was ignored. This criterion relates (o), the Dahmk?hler number at oxygen depletion, to O(o)*, the ratio of initial to input oxygen concentration, (o) > or = 0.7(O(o)*)(2) + 0.1O(o)* + 1.8. The derived (o) reflects the intrinsic characteristics of the physical transport and of the biochemical reaction, including the effect of biomass density. Relative availability of oxygen and hydrocarbons exerts a small influence on results. Theory, verified and refined via numerical simulations, showed that significant deviations of instantaneous reactions from kinetics are to be expected in the space-time region s相似文献   

The Effects of Irrigation and Climate on the High Plains Aquifer: A County‐Level Econometric Analysis

The High Plains Aquifer (HPA) underlies parts of eight states and 208 counties in the central area of the United States (U.S.). This region produces more than 9% of U.S. crops sales and relies on the aquifer for irrigation. However, these withdrawals have diminished the stock of water in the aquifer. In this paper, we investigate the aggregate county‐level effect on the HPA of groundwater withdrawal for irrigation, of climate variables, and of energy price changes. We merge economic theory and hydrological characteristics to jointly estimate equations describing irrigation behavior and a generalized water balance equation for the HPA. Our simple water balance model predicts, at average values for irrigation and precipitation, an HPA‐wide average decrease in the groundwater table of 0.47 feet per year, compared to 0.48 feet per year observed on average across the HPA during this 1985–2005 period. The observed distribution and predicted change across counties is in the (?3.22, 1.59) and (?2.24, 0.60) feet per year range, respectively. The estimated impact of irrigation is to decrease the water table by an average of 1.24 feet per year, whereas rainfall recharges the level by an average of 0.76 feet per year. Relative to the past several decades, if groundwater use is unconstrained, groundwater depletion would increase 50% in a scenario where precipitation falls by 25% and the number of degree days above 36°C doubles. Editor’s note : This paper is part of the featured series on Optimizing Ogallala Aquifer Water Use to Sustain Food Systems. See the February 2019 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

事故灾难成因再认识——脆弱性研究

在分析比较国内外相关研究基础上,提出了脆弱性是事故灾难基本成因的观点,认为把脆弱性作为致灾主要因素有助于加深对各类灾害本质的理论认识和对实践的指导。阐述了脆弱性概念、来源和分类,进一步探讨了综合脆弱性的计算模型和评估运行模式,提出了在事故灾难应急准备工作中加强脆弱性的识别、评估和减控的建议。     

经常性暴雨内涝区域房屋财(资)产脆弱性研究——以温州市为例

基于洪涝灾害脆弱性研究基本思路,选择经常性暴雨内涝区域——温州市麻步镇和水头镇,就0908号台风"莫拉克"影响开展"暴雨内涝灾后房屋财产和商业资产损失"抽样问卷调查。结果表明:淹没区域平均水深1.7m,平均淹没时间超过2 d,房屋财(资)产损失较大;经常性暴雨内涝区域30%住户和商铺灾害损失值和灾损率接近0,房屋财产和商业资产灾损率呈现乘幂函数曲线。     

Disaster risk from a macroeconomic perspective: a metric for fiscal vulnerability evaluation

The Disaster Deficit Index (DDI) measures macroeconomic and financial risk in a country according to possible catastrophic scenario events. Extreme disasters can generate financial deficit due to sudden and elevated need of resources to restore affected inventories. The DDI captures the relationship between the economic loss that a country could experience when a catastrophic event occurs and the availability of funds to address the situation. The proposed model utilises the procedures of the insurance industry in establishing probable losses, based on critical impacts during a given period of exposure; for economic resilience, the model allows one to calculate the country's financial ability to cope with a critical impact. There are limitations and costs associated with access to resources that one must consider as feasible values according to the country's macroeconomic and financial conditions. This paper presents the DDI model and the results of its application to 19 countries of the Americas and aims to guide governmental decision‐making in disaster risk reduction.     

Targeting vulnerability after the 2005 earthquake: Pakistan's Livelihood Support Cash Grants programme

The 7.6 magnitude (Richter scale) earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on 8 October 2005 was devastating. This paper gauges success in targeting vulnerable families during the transition from relief to reconstruction through cash assistance provided by the Livelihood Support Cash Grants (LSCG) programme. Families without a male member, with a disabled male member aged between 18 and 60 years or with more than five children, defined as vulnerable, were provided with USD 50 per month for six months via a bank transfer. The LSCG scheme enrolled around 750,000 families and selected 267,402 vulnerable families to whom it disbursed a total of USD 86.95 million. Using a community‐based survey, this paper assesses leakage and under‐coverage (exclusion). Approximately 30 per cent of families received the cash grant. However, only one in two was eligible for the benefit, and one in two deserving families was excluded. This is a matter of grave concern.     

城市建筑物抗震能力评估方法

由于建筑物震害预测方法只能估计建筑物的破坏而不能评定建筑物的抗震能力,基于对城市建筑物潜在破坏的估计,提出了城市建筑物抗震能力的评估方法。影响城市建筑物抗震能力的因素包括城市所处的地震危险性环境和城市建筑物的易损性。为了考虑地震危险性因素,进行了以地面峰值加速度(PGA)为参数的地震危险性分析,提出了我国不同地震危险性特征分区的PGA概率密度函数;为了考虑建筑物的易损性因素,采用HAZUS-MH中的静力弹塑性分析(push-over anal-ysis)方法研究群体建筑物易损性。通过对这两个因素的研究,建立了城市建筑物抗震能力评估方法,提出的相对全概率抗震能力指数可以反映城市建筑物在其所在的地震危险性环境下所具有的抗震能力,而采用绝对全概率抗震能力指数能够比较不同建筑抗震能力的差异,再结合建筑物抗震能力评估标准,可确定抗震能力水平。以晋江市抽样建筑物抗震能力评估为例,结合震害经验,论证了该方法的有效性。     

基于改进DEA交叉效率模型的洪水灾害区域脆弱性评价

为了评价洪水灾害区域脆弱性,提出了应用改进DEA交叉效率模型和熵权法相结合的洪水灾害区域脆弱性评价方法。首先,在洪灾形成理论的基础上,构建洪灾区域脆弱性指标体系和评价标准;其次,应用改进DEA交叉效率模型计算不同区域的成灾效率,利用熵权法计算权重集结全局成灾效率。根据成灾效率的实际意义分析不同区域脆弱性的相对大小。最后,选取我国各省份洪灾作为实证分析的研究对象。研究结果表明:该方法能够准确评价区域洪灾脆弱性程度,评价结果与实际情况一致,具有较好的适用性。     

Classification of residential areas according to physical vulnerability to natural hazards: a case study of Çanakkale,Turkey

The selection of new settlement areas and the construction of safe buildings, as well as rendering built‐up areas safe, are of great importance in mitigating the damage caused by natural disasters. Most cities in Turkey are unprepared for natural hazards. In this paper, Çanakkale, located in a first‐degree seismic zone and sprawled around the Sartçay Delta, is examined in terms of its physical vulnerability to natural hazards. Residential areas are analysed using GIS (geographic information system) and remote‐sensing technologies in relation to selected indicators. Residential areas of the city are divided into zones according to an evaluation of geological characteristics, the built‐up area's features, and urban infrastructure, and four risk zones are determined. The results of the analysis show that the areas of the city suitable for housing are very limited. In addition, the historical centre and the housing areas near Sartçay stream are shown to be most problematic in terms of natural disasters and sustainability.