Disaster journalism: fostering citizen and community disaster mitigation,preparedness, response,recovery, and resilience across the disaster cycle

Natural and human‐caused disasters pose a significant risk to the health and well‐being of people. Journalists and news organisations can fulfil multiple roles related to disasters, ranging from providing warnings, assessing disaster mitigation and preparedness, and reporting on what occurs, to aiding long‐term recovery and fostering disaster resilience. This paper considers these possible functions of disaster journalism and draws on semi‐structured interviews with 24 journalists in the United States to understand better their approach to the discipline. A thematic analysis was employed, which resulted in the identification of five main themes and accompanying subthemes: (i) examining disaster mitigation and preparedness; (ii) facilitating recovery; (iii) self‐care and care of journalists; (iv) continued spread of social media; and (v) disaster journalism ethics. The paper concludes that disaster journalism done poorly can result in harm, but done well, it can be an essential instrument with respect to public disaster planning, management, response, and recovery.     

Landscape fires as social disasters: An overview of ‘the bushfire problem’

The ‘landscape’, ‘bushfire’ or ‘forest-fire’ problem is exemplified by the destruction of homes and human lives by landscape fires raging out of control. The ‘problem’ involves a series of landscapes (e.g. wildland and suburb), a series of systems (e.g. biophysical system and environmental-effects system), and a series of time phases (e.g. planning phase). It is a multi-stakeholder, multi-variable, multi-scale problem. Land uses, like ‘farmland’, imply a set of specific assets and, therefore, particular perceptions of losses. In all land-use designations, at any one point, fire-proneness may be seen as a function of exposure to ignition sources (embers, burning brands or flame radiation and flame contact) and the ease of ignition. The landscape-fire problem has multiple partial ‘solutions’, not just one overall solution, and these involve social governance, land management (public and private), suppression capacity and personal preparedness. The problem needs to be addressed at multiple temporal and spatial scales in an integrated fashion for the outcome to be of maximal benefit. There will always be a residual risk of severe fire occurrence. Minimisation of residual risk requires effective land management, recurrent funding and the perpetual vigilance of all parties.     

Not just a matter of knowledge. The Katrina debacle

The paper deals with hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf coast of the US at the end of August 2005, with disastrous consequences. The paper sketches the chronicle of the main events and deals with preparation and response in New Orleans, exploring the connection between knowledge and disaster management policies, in particular communication policy. The main failures in applying and sharing available information for preventing and limiting damage are attributed to lack of coordination between elected officials, authorities and agencies at all levels. The critical role of the media in shaping the perception of the event and the immediate response to it is also highlighted.     

Free or low-cost geoinformatics for disaster management: Uses and availability issues

The disaster management applications of geographical information systems and remote sensing are examined relative to the disaster cycle, in pre-disaster, crisis and post-disaster contexts. We focus on the uses and limitations of free or low-cost data and software. A wide range of geospatial datasets are currently freely available, from digital elevation models (DEMs) and thematic digital maps, to multispectral satellite imagery and virtual globes, such as Bing Maps. Maps of hazardous terrain and vulnerable features can be derived from sets of satellite data such as shuttle radar topography mission DEMs and Landsat imagery. The derived maps are particularly useful for district scale (1:25 to 1:100 K) disaster management in low-income countries. Detailed maps (i.e. better than 1:25 K scale) of hazardous terrain and vulnerable features generally require expensive high-resolution satellite imagery or aerial photography.

Although the Internet allows the distribution of free or low-cost geospatial data, software and training materials, there are still some countries with limited Internet access. Data integration, spatial/temporal analysis and map production are also limited by the frequently high price of geoinformatic software, making it a priority to develop suitable Free and Open-Source Software.     

1997年5月7日益阳罕见雷击灾害分析

通过调查益阳市赫山区羊角乡小河口村发生的特大罕见雷击灾害，翔实记述了雷击出现引起的特异现象及灾害，科学地分析了雷击发生的天气形势和地理环境条件及其原因．并提出了预防雷击的措施。     

震害的动态预测

利用多层递阶模型，在选取影响人口损失大小的动态因子的基础上，建立了可应用于未来人口损失估计的动态预测模型，并由此对中国大陆各区域未来10a的人口损失进行了预测。     

中国近40年自然灾害总况与减灾对策建议

中国是世界上自然灾害最严重的少数国家之一。大陆地震的频次和强度居世界之首,占全球地震能量的十分之一以上;台风登陆的频次每年达七次;旱、涝灾害,山地灾害,海岸带灾害连年不断;危及工农业生产和城市安全相当严重。本文介绍了中国近40年自然灾害总况,现有的受灾害威胁的状况和防御能力,最后提出了监测、预报、抗灾、防灾、救灾和援建为要点的减灾系统工程建议。     

论地震灾害场控制的系统化方法

强烈地震后效时间长,影响范围广。因此,地震灾场的控制,对于遭受地震的城市或地区的震后功能恢复具有重要的意义。本文界定了地震灾害场和地震灾害影响场的概念;讨论了地震灾场的一些基本特征;结合作者研究工作的进展,对地震灾害场控制的基本思路作出了探讨。     

略论地表物质坡移过程引起的灾害及其控制

水土流失、坡身不稳和泥石流是地表物质坡移过程的三种主要类型,也是其成灾的基本原因。这三者是相互联系的。因此,对坡移过程的控制既要作具体分析,又要有综合的观点。     

正确处理国土开发整治与防灾减灾的关系

正确处理国土开发整治与自然灾害防治的关系,可以避免不合理的国土开发整治导致自然灾害的发生和灾情的扩大,通过科学的国土开发整治促进防灾减灾,同时以灾害防治保障国土开发建设.为此,本文提出国土开发整治与灾害防治统一规划,同步实施,保证投资,合理运用,对区域规划和开发建设项目进行灾害影响评价等措施,实现二者相互促进,相互保障。