Towards a coherent conceptual framework for emergency preparedness/response and rehabilitation – the application of the new ICRP recommendations given in ICRP 103

In the past, most emphasis in planning for and response to an emergency situation has been placed on selected protective measures in the early phase of an emergency to keep the doses received below levels where severe deterministic health effects can be excluded and/or where the risk of stochastic effects in the population is considered “acceptable”. Less emphasis has been placed on the development of comprehensive protection strategies which include considerations of the consequences of all exposure pathways and all phases, e.g. long-term rehabilitation. In its new publication 103, ICRP proposed a coherent conceptual framework for protection in all types of exposure situations including “emergency exposure situations” and “existing exposure situations”. In the context of developing protection strategies for these exposure situations, the Commission recommends that national authorities set reference levels between, typically, 20 mSv and 100 mSv annual effective dose (emergency exposure situation) and 1 mSv and 20 mSv (existing exposure situation). In order to optimise protection strategies, it is necessary to identify the dominant exposure pathways, the timescales over which the dose will be received, and the effectiveness of available protection options. The characteristics of the development and implementation of such protection strategies is described.     

Computer-supported visualization of rescue operations

Effective emergency management and response require a thorough understanding of the processes involved in a rescue operation and their interaction. Appropriate methods and tools for computer visualization of rescue operations can greatly facilitate activities such as command and control, system analysis, training, evaluation, and transfer of lessons learned. To this end, we introduce a method for systematic analysis, modeling and visualization of a rescue scenario. Models of rescue scenarios, prepared in advance, serve as the basis for data collection during an operation. The data collected are visualized in a computer tool with several views that can be customized according to the needs of different users. We demonstrate the method by applying it to a rescue operation where a taskforce trains for emergency response to a chemical incident.     

Study on Community Diversity of Coastal Shelter Forest in Jiaonan

Abstract

Based on the research of the plots in coastal areas in Jiaonan city, Shandong Province, the indices of richness, evenness and diversity of different community types are analyzed. The results show that: The richness indices indicates that arbor layers are close to shrub layers, and both are lower than herbage layers; the ranges among communities vary a little except those of the arbor ones. Mostly the biodiversity indices reveal that herbage, the arbor, the shrub; Biodiversity of communities has great influences on microclimate to a certain extent and is under the control of regional environment.     

南京市人防工程环境放射性调查

在冬季、春季和夏季分别对南京市人防工程内空气中氡浓度进行了测量.结果显示,对应于不通风、半自然通风、自然通风三种方式,夏季氡浓度最高,为904.2 Bq/m3,是南京市室内平均值的50倍,冬季次之,春季最低,分别为12倍和7.9倍.γ射线空气吸收剂量率和土壤及建筑材料中放射性核素γ能谱分析结果表明,前者为正常本底水平,而后者与全国及南京平均值处于同一水平.根据测量数据,计算了工作人员受到的年有效剂量,为4.29 mSv,是全国平均值(2.30mSv)的1.9倍,且吸入氡及氡子体所致内照射剂量所占比重较大,为84.1%,危害更大.建议采用加强通风的措施降低空气中的氡浓度,以减轻危害.     

中国地震应急二级分区的初步研究

在已有地震应急宏观分区研究的基础上,首先讨论了进一步开展地震应急次级分区的意义及其分区方案的多样性;然后提取“政治经济强辐射中心、少数民族聚居区、贫困人口聚居区、侨乡、大型工业危险源”等5方面社会经济因素在不同县域内的10种主要组合类型作为区划指标,采取“自下而上归并”的区划途径,进行了中国地震应急二级分区研究。结果表明,在将我国大陆划分为8个地震应急一级大区的基础上,从社会经济角度又可大致划分出19个二级区;二级区的划分进一步揭示了不同地区开展地震应急工作时应注意的一些较具体的社会经济问题及其空间配置特点;两级分区的结合从“宏观概括”和“中观具体”两个层次示范了地震应急分区研究的基本内容。     

From authoritarian enclave to deliberative space: governance logics in post‐disaster reconstruction

One would be hard‐pressed nowadays to find any practitioners and scholars in the field of post‐disaster reconstruction who would argue against the virtues of community participation. In practice, however, the legacy of community participation has been mixed. This paper pursues this line of inquiry by examining the manifestations of participation in three communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan that struck the Philippines on 8 November 2013. The findings suggest that different governance logics emerge in each of the three case studies: authoritarian; communitarian; and deliberative. These logics promote particular understandings of who should participate in the reconstruction process and the appropriate scope of action for citizens to express discontent, provide feedback, and perform democratic agency. The paper contends that design interventions in participatory procedures, as well as contingencies in wider social contexts, shape the character and legacies of community participation. It concludes by comparing the legacies of these three ‘governance enclaves’ and imagining possibilities for participatory politics in post‐disaster settings.     

Operational Atmospheric Modeling System CARIS for Effective Emergency Response Associated with Hazardous Chemical Releases in Korea

The Chemical Accidents Response Information System (CARIS) was developed at the Center for Chemical Safety Management in South Korea in order to track and predict the dispersion of hazardous chemicals in the case of an accident or terrorist attack involving chemical companies. The main objective of CARIS is to facilitate an efficient emergency response to hazardous chemical accidents by rapidly providing key information in the decision-making process. In particular, the atmospheric modeling system implemented in CARIS, which is composed of a real-time numerical weather forecasting model and an air pollution dispersion model, can be used as a tool to forecast concentrations and to provide a wide range of assessments associated with various hazardous chemicals in real time.This article introduces the components of CARIS and describes its operational modeling system. Some examples of the operational modeling system and its use for emergency preparedness are presented and discussed. Finally, this article evaluates the current numerical weather prediction model for Korea.Published online     

Dilemmas and challenges for the shelter sector: lessons learned from the Sphere revision process

Key dilemmas and challenges for those involved in the shelter sector are described, based on issues that emerged from the extensive global consultative process undertaken to inform the revision of the Sphere handbook. The range of perspectives on the major themes is presented, with suggestions as to how these issues could be progressed. Themes include the poor definition of the sector and the lack of a consistent approach among the leading shelter actors; the absence of a common terminology; the conflict between "temporary" versus "durable" solutions; the disconnect between technical advisers and the field; the need for greater recognition of local coping strategies and the local context; the involvement of recipients and host governments in policy development; the need for better "how-to" guidance; and the limited incorporation of the emerging themes of livelihoods etc. to date.     

Probabilistic indicators of atmospheric transport for regional monitoring and emergency preparedness systems

In this paper, following a methodology developed within the "Arctic Risk" Project of the Nordic Arctic Research Programme, several probabilistic indicators to evaluate the risk site possible impact on the geographical regions, territories, countries, counties, cities, etc., due to atmospheric transport from the risk site region were suggested. These indicators-maximum possible impact zone, maximum reaching distance, and typical transport time-were constructed by applying statistical methods and using a dataset of isentropic trajectories originated over the selected nuclear risk site (Ignalina nuclear power plant, Lithuania) during 1991-1996. For this site, the areas enclosed by isolines of the maximum possible impact zone and maximum reaching distance indicators are equal to 42 x 10(4) and 703 x 10(4) km(2), respectively. The maximum possible impact zone's boundaries are more extended in the southeast sector from the site and include, in particular, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, and several western regions of Russia. The maximum reaching distance's boundaries are twice more extended in the eastern direction from the site (reaching the Caspian Sea) compared with the western direction. The typical transport time to reach the southern territories of Sweden and Finland, northern regions of Ukraine, and northeast of Poland is 1 day. During this time, the atmospheric transport could typically occur over the Baltic States, Belarus, and western border regions of Russia, and central aquatoria of the Baltic Sea. Detailed analysis of temporal patterns for these indicators showed importance of the seasonal variability.