Living with transience in high-risk humanitarian spaces: the gendered experiences of international staff and policy implications for building resilience

Deployment in a crisis zone is a perilous undertaking. Little is known right now about how humanitarian workers relate social and professional goals to lived experiences of high-risk environments. In South Sudan, ranked as the most dangerous country globally for aid workers, 20 international humanitarian staff were interviewed to examine their sense of place, well-being, and vocation, using thematic and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Subjectivities of humanitarian space hinged upon negotiating physical hardships and social relationships: Juba, the capital, was described as a ‘prison’ and a ‘party hotspot’. For expatriate staff, making sense of spatial, social, and professional transience was sharply gendered and rooted in the subjectivities of risk-taking, crisis management, and career-building. Two policy measures are highlighted here to address the implications of transience for human well-being and organisational effectiveness. Efforts to support teams and structure work environments, altering the humanitarian and vocational bubble, will help to develop resilience at the heart of humanitarian systems.     

Immediate behavioural responses to earthquakes in Christchurch,New Zealand,and Hitachi,Japan

This study examines people's immediate responses to earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Hitachi, Japan. Data collected from 257 respondents in Christchurch and 332 respondents in Hitachi revealed notable similarities between the two cities in people's emotional reactions, risk perceptions, and immediate protective actions during the events. Respondents' physical, household, and social contexts were quite similar, but Hitachi residents reported somewhat higher levels of emotional reaction and risk perception than did Christchurch residents. Contrary to the recommendations of emergency officials, the most frequent response of residents in both cities was to freeze. Christchurch residents were more likely than Hitachi residents to drop to the ground and take cover, whereas Hitachi residents were more likely than Christchurch residents to evacuate immediately the building in which they were situated. There were relatively small correlations between immediate behavioural responses and demographic characteristics, earthquake experience, and physical, social, or household context.     

Virtues and humanitarian ethics

This paper analyses the contribution of virtue ethics, the study of good character traits, to the humanitarian context. It argues that a virtue ethics perspective paints a realistic picture of the use of ethical standards in morally complex circumstances. Virtuous relief workers can employ standards in their thinking, but they are also committed to professional excellence that goes beyond any formal code. The concept of virtue ethics places a stress on moral development, which can be facilitated by role models that impart modest and feasible ideals. However, virtue ethics cannot provide simple guidelines on how to resolve difficult situations. It is possible that two virtuous persons can disagree on what should be done in a particular instance. In addition, a virtue ethics perspective emphasises the need for both individuals and organisations to discuss the actual purpose of relief work in order to pinpoint the virtues of a good relief professional.     

区域水战略方案选优的动态组合评价模型研究

水安全危机是人类进入新世纪以来在生存及发展方面所面临的最严重挑战之一。研究科学合理的水安全战略成为区域可持续发展的重大课题。针对区域水战略问题涉及众多因素且各因素之间动态关联的特点,提出了基于水战略方案优选的兼容度极大化动态组合评价模型（CMM—DCEM）,并将其成功地应用于我国广东省北江下游及其三角洲地区水安全战略方案优选评价。评价结果及模型基于不确定性的敏感性分析结果证明：CMM—DCEM实现了主、客观赋权方法以及单一评价模型的融合,使用实码加速遗传算法求解目标函数,克服了传统的组合评价方法计算繁琐的不足,评价过程更加科学合理。     

灌区河道串联闸群防洪优化调度

针对河道串联闸群防洪优化调度的特点,详细推导了河道串联闸群防洪调度的洪水演算公式,明确了关键计算环节,建立了串联闸群防洪优化调度模型,应用水力学圣维南四点隐式差分法和遗传算法相结合对模型进行求解。采用VB6.0开发了人机交互的闸群防洪调度系统。通过实例计算,验证了河道串联闸群防洪优化调度方案的合理性,可为河道串联闸群防洪调度提供参考。     

清代后期湖南的虫灾、风灾、雹灾和冰冻雪灾

除水旱灾害之外,清代后期对湖南危害较大的灾种主要为虫灾,风灾、雹灾、冰冻雪灾偶有发生.本文对上述灾害的灾情进行了论述.     

泥石流入汇的危险性判别指标

通过对比单沟和区域泥石流危险性的评估方法 ,提出了利用影响度、危险度和危害度 3项指标判别汇流区泥石流入汇危险性的设想 ,分析了泥石流入汇可能引起堵江的影响因子。作为尝试 ,给出了判别指标的计算公式 ,经实例验证具有较好的实用性 ,可作为规划设计的技术依据。     

旱地长期定位施肥对土壤剖面硝态氮分布与累积的影响

在 １５ ａ长期定位试验基础上研究了黄土高原旱地长期施用不同用量和配比的氮、磷肥对土壤剖面中硝态氮分布和累积的影响。结果表明：长期大量施用氮肥,在土壤剖面 １００～１８０ ｃｍ之间形成硝态氮累积层,峰值出现在 １４０ ｃｍ处,最大值为 ６７．９２ｍｇ／ｋｇ（单施 Ｎ １８０ ｋｇ／ｈｍ~２）; 配合施用磷肥可以降低土壤剖面硝态氮质量分数,根据试验,提出了旱地合理施肥的氮磷肥用量。     

GIS技术在区域土壤有机碳储量估算方面的应用--以柴达木盆地为例

目前在估算土壤有机碳储量方面的方法较多,并且都有其各自的特点所在。地理信息系统(GIS)技术作为当今一种在地学统计分析方面具有强大空间分析功能的计算机应用技术,在地学及相关研究领域得到了广泛的应用。文章首次尝试了利用该技术估算柴达木盆地土壤有机碳储量,该方法与其它计算方法相比,有简单、易操作、可视性好等优点。经计算,柴达木盆地的土壤有机碳储量约为62754.442 t,土壤平均碳面密度为6.105 kgm-2。     

混合菌对石油的降解

从含油污水中分离得到4株能高效降解石油的微生物菌株(X2、X3、X4、X5),经鉴定,4株菌分别属于黄单胞菌属(Xanthomonas sp.)、动胶菌属(Zoogloea sp.)、芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus sp.)和邻单胞菌属(Plesiomonas sp.).通过观察4株菌在原油培养基中的生长变化过程,确定了其中的优势菌;并对4株菌进行复配实验以确定各株菌混合后的石油降解效果;用正交实验法确定达到最佳石油降解效果各菌的投加量;通过对残油的Gc-MS测定分析,确定各菌在降解石油时所起的作用.结果表明,混合菌株中菌X4为优势菌,且有高的降解效果(达68,60％),其它3株降解率不高的菌混合投加也能达到较高的降解效果(达63.17％),菌X4是混合菌株维持高降解率的关键;达到最佳降解效果的各菌投加量分别为0.1％、0.1％、0.5％、2.0％;菌X2和菌X3降解C12-C16直链烃和少量支链烃,菌X4和菌X5对C12-C22直链烃有好的降解效果.图2表4参10