Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Flood Hazard And Risk Analyses In The Republic Of Panama: A Case Study From The Juan Diaz River Watershed In Panama City, Virgilio De Jesus Quintero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Flooding is the natural hazard with most occurrences in Panama. Its frequency and magnitude have increased over the years. This dissertation analyzes Panama’s flood activity in order to better understand flood hazards, the current evolution of Panamanian perceptions of flood risk, and the incorporation of indigenous knowledge used to mitigate flood hazards. The first chapter developed a baseline of past and current flood inventory in Panama, which required the use of flood historical data, thematic cartography, and Geographic Information Science (GIS). This chapter shows Panama has experienced floods in varying degrees. Through the spatial and temporal distribution of floods from …

Climate Change As A Hazard In Emergency Management, Christen Swayer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will provide a basic overview of hazards, a scientific overview of climate change, examine evidence used to document climate change, investigate how the public and private sectors are impacted by climate change, and determine if states are preparing for this hazard. Sources such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), and Climate Impact Lab will be consulted to determine if it would be beneficial to implement changes to prepare for the worsening effects of climate change. The methodology for this project will include quantitative climate data for temperature extremes and trends, hurricanes, …

How Lessons From A Past Disaster Can Influence Resilience And Climate Adaptation In Broward County, Florida, Hannah Rose Torres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the face of future uncertainties, many places are struggling with decisions about how to prepare for and adapt to climate change. The purpose of this research is to shed light on the concept of resilience, and uncover lessons for resilience-building exposed by a past disaster, Hurricane Wilma.

The dissertation begins with an introduction (Chapter 1) detailing the research problem, key terms and overall research design. The study was conducted in three distinct phases. The first phase (Chapter 2), explored the concept of resilience to understand how it was defined in three South Florida communities. Content analyses of city and …

Judging Dread: A Quantitative Investigation Of Affect, Psychometric Dread And Risk Consequence, Melvyn Griffiths

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Risk is generally understood as a product of the likelihood and consequence of an event. However, the way in which estimations of consequences are formed is unclear due to the complexities of human perception. In particular, the influence of Affect, defined as positive or negative qualities subjectively assigned to stimuli, may skew risk consequence judgements. Thus a clearer understanding of the role of Affect in risk consequence estimations has significant implications for risk management, risk communication and policy formulation.

In the Psychometric tradition of risk perception, Affect has become almost synonymous with the concept of Dread, despite Dread being measured …

Issue Brief: Saving By Mitigating, University Of Louisville, New England Environmental Finance Center

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

Natural disasters can cause loss of life, inflict damage to buildings and infrastructure, and have devastating consequences for a community’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. Hazard mitigation means reducing damages from disasters.

Local governments have the responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens. Proactive mitigation policies and actions help reduce risk and create safer, more disaster-resilient communities. Mitigation is an investment in your community’s future safety, equity, and sustainability.

A Comparison Of Bushfire Fuel Hazard Assessors And Assessment Methods In Dry Sclerophyll Forest Near Sydney, Australia, Penny J. Watson, Sandra H. Penman, Ross A. Bradstock

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Over the last decade, fire managers in Australia have embraced the concept of ‘fuel hazard’, and guides for its assessment have been produced. The reliability of these new metrics, however, remains to be determined. This study compared fuel hazard ratings generated by five assessment teams using two Australian hazard assessment methods, in two dry sclerophyll forest sites on Sydney’s urban fringe. Attributes that underpin hazard scores, such as cover and height of various fuel layers, were also assessed. We found significant differences between teams on most variables, including hazard scores. These differences were more apparent when fuel hazard assessments focussed …

Natural Hazards Education In Australian Schools: How Can We Make It More Effective?, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Safety Culture And Hazard Risk Perception Of Australian And New Zealand Maritime Pilots, Rosa M. Darbra, J.F.E. Crawford, C. W. Haley, R. J. Morrison

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A survey of the safety culture and hazard risk perception has been carried out involving 77 maritime pilots around Australia and New Zealand, representing more than 20% of the maritime pilots in each country, in proportional geographic districbution.

Pigford, Shrader-Frechette & The Nrc Report On Yucca Mountain: Comment, David Okrent

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Okrent raises several questions related to, e.g., the uneven application of the goal of intergenerational equity.

Risk Is More Than Just A Number, Wim F. Passchier, Wim C. Reij

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Summarizes efforts by the Health Council of the Netherlands to develop a national risk management approach.

The Media, Risk Assessment And Numbers: They Don't Add Up, Sharon M. Friedman

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Friedman argues that, for risks to be reported accurately, journalism educators must help their students understand science, numbers and statistics.

Mass Media As An Information Channel And Public Arena, Hans Peter Peters

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Peters argues that several functions of mass media compete and that attempts to improve risk coverage must avoid optimizing one at the expense of others.

Mass Media And Environmental Risk: Seven Principles, Peter M. Sandman

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Sandman suggests that, when spokespersons for risk sources are inept in conveying their messages, they and we pay heavily for their mistakes.

Advancing Understanding Of Knowledge's Role In Lay Risk Perception, Branden B. Johnson

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Emphasizing how knowledge affects lay Risk perception, summarizing studies and suggesting further research, the author differentiates between knowledge production, knowledge dissemination and information processing as affected by, e.g., heuristics and Risk aversion. He also suggests that better understanding of lay knowledge can also illuminate experts' hazard knowledge.