Explosion at an aluminum factory caused by the July 2018 Japan floods: Investigation of damages and evacuation activities

An explosion at an aluminum factory occurred due to floods in Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, in July 2018. This study investigates the accident, its overall impact on local residents, and emergency management activities. The results of the study showed that several nearby structures and homes were damaged by the explosion. Concern for more explosions has led to the evacuation of residents of Shimobara area of Soja City. In Shimobara, residents had carried out voluntary disaster prevention activities before the disaster. After the explosion, Shimobara residents were able to evacuate safely in cooperation with the voluntary disaster prevention organization and the local government agency. The study revealed that there was a lack of information on chemical accident hazards shared by the factory with local government authorities and first responders, as well as with local residents. In order to be better prepared for technological accidents, and in particular accidents caused by natural disasters (known as Natechs), mechanisms for information sharing between companies and municipalities should be adopted.     

我国洪涝灾害加剧的主要因素与进一步抗洪减灾应取的对策

我国正面临着洪涝灾害加剧的严峻形势。９０年代以来,已出现了４个洪涝重灾年,每年的直接经济损失都接近或超过千亿元人民币。本文分析了导致我国洪涝灾害加剧的主要原因：首先是随着人口膨胀,大规模砍伐森林,大面积垦殖坡地,导致水土流失面积扩大,大量泥沙注入江河湖库;加之过度围垦湖泊与沿河低洼地,湖面大幅度萎缩;快速发展的城市化也使出现洪涝的可能性加大,损失加重。在总结我国抗洪防灾经验的基础上,讨论了应该进一步采取的措施,并提出了建立以Ｒａｄａｒｓａｔ为主体的多卫星抗洪减灾遥感信息系统的设想。     

Post-disaster recovery dilemmas: challenges in balancing short-term and long-term needs for vulnerability reduction

Following disasters, governments often clamor to quickly reduce risk, rebuild communities and restore permanence. The pressure to urgently address complex, difficult decisions can result in reactive policies that may increase long-term vulnerability of affected populations. Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 26 December 2004 tsunami represents such an example: a hastily designed coastal buffer zone policy has incited massive relocation of affected populations and resulted in social, economic and environmental problems that threaten the well-being of poor coastal communities. We review the impacts of this policy from its inception, days after the tsunami hit the island, until its revision, approximately 10 months following the disaster. We then apply a framework to conceptualize the components of vulnerability within Sri Lanka's coastal, human–environment system and to identify where post-disaster policies should focus to reduce vulnerability of coastal populations more effectively. From this analysis, it is apparent that the buffer zone policy gave disproportionate attention to reducing exposure to future tsunamis and, subsequently, did not address the critical social, economic and institutional factors that influenced sensitivity to the hazard. Post-disaster policies aimed at sustainable re-development should be informed by an analysis of the components of vulnerability that comprise a system and how these can be most effectively influenced during the separate short-term and long-term phases of rebuilding.     

Aftermath of natural disasters: Coping through residential mobility

Most studies of population movement have concentrated on the more developed nations and on trends that have not been influenced by man-made or natural disasters. The experience of developing countries in the Caribbean basin, as studied after the Guatemalan earthquake of 1976 and the impact of Hurricane David in the Dominican Republic of 1979, highlights the importance of socio-economic factors in the decision to make permanent migrations after a disaster, regardless of whether the migrant had personally suffered losses. In many cases the opportunities for personal betterment created by the disaster acted as a catalyst and accelerated a previously-existing trend of migration.     

灾害因子异常变化辨识新方法——异常度辨识法

笔者根据应用概率统计原理和自然灾害研究特点 ,提出了一种适用于自然灾害及其环境因素异常变化辨识的方法 ,简称异常度辨识法。应用实践证明 ,若取关键事件n≥ 4分析 ,当异常度指数 |Q|>1.5 0 (2 .0 )时 ,其分析结果的信度可达 93.1% (97.8% ) ,且其分析方法极为简便。     

城市交通系统抗灾变研究进展

在总结城市交通系统抗灾变问题及其特点的基础上,综述了城市交通抗灾变研究的国内外进展,并对该问题的研究方向进行了分析.     

河北省张北地震震害初探

分析了河北省张北地震的伤害情况,提出了应采取的措施.认为,政府应当尽快制定农村建筑物抗震设防的管理制度,加强防震减灾宣传,增强农村干部群众的抗震意识,全面提高农村房屋的抗震能力.     

Reducing the risks posed by natural hazards and climate change: the need for a participatory dialogue between the scientific community and policy makers

In the last two decades we witnessed a progressive shift in the approach towards the reduction of the impact of natural hazards. From a general reactive approach, focusing on strengthening disaster response mechanisms, we have moved to proactive approaches. There has been recognition that each element of society, from public institutions to private sector, from community-based organizations to every single individual, can make a difference by acting before disasters strike to reduce the associated risks of human and economic losses. This proactive approach can be summarized in three words: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).Today, DRR is an approach used in several sectors and research areas. In the Development sphere, DRR is considered a key feature for sustainability of economic and development gains – especially for developing countries. Significantly, the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) is titled “Risk and poverty in a changing climate” highlighting the importance of DRR in reducing poverty while being a means to address the challenges posed by adaptation to climate change.This paper, which serves as an introduction to the special issue of Environment Science & Policy on climate change impact on water-related disasters, intends to provide readers with an overview of the main policy frameworks addressing DRR internationally and in Europe. Further, it aims to offer some “food for thought” on the underlying opportunities we have to enhance the resilience of our communities towards the risks posed by weather-related hazards. It stresses the importance of governance of risks, which starts from an effective dialogue between the scientific community and the policy makers: those who have the responsibility to decide on the most cost-effective interventions to address climate change adaptation and risk reduction.     

我国地震应急预案的编制和完善—对汶川地震事件地震应急预案运行的思考

地震应急预案是针对可能发生的地震事件,为迅速、有效、有序地开展应急行动而预先制定的方案,是政府和社会抗震救灾工作的行动指南。本文通过对汶川地震应急响应的分析和思考,认为现行各级政府和部门地震应急预案尚存在诸多问题,并提出了修订完善现行各级政府和部门地震应急预案的建议。