Emergency and Disaster Management Commons^™

Food Policy: Urban Farming As A Supplemental Food Source, Bessie Didomenica, Mark Gordon

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Food policy has a unique role for public, nonprofit, private, and academic stakeholders. Growing food in the city is a challenge worldwide. Food systems can be destroyed by external (weather extremes) and internal (zoning regulations) forces. This study explores urban farms as a secondary food source and their common themes across four sectors. A Northeastern U.S. city was the case study to examine how it implemented its formal urban agriculture program. The positive social change implications of urban farms include greater food visibility and food access in low-income areas and more consumer awareness about growing fresh food. This study contributes …

The Use Of Catastrophe Bonds As A Means Of Economic Development In Emerging Economies, Lauren Mattucci

Honors Theses and Capstones

Catastrophe bonds offer a way for entities located in natural disaster prone regions to safely and efficiently transfer the risk of insuring property to the financial markets and subsequently, create a financially attractive environment for insurers and investors. The opportunity for investors to utilize modeled loss analytical platforms such as those created by AIR, Risk Management Solutions, and EQECAT, could be used to bridge the growing gap in emerging economies between economic losses created by natural disasters and insured losses. Bridging this insurance gap in emerging economies could have positive global implications for the insurance industry, global trade, foreign direct …

Adaptation On A Budget: How Vietnamese Innovators Are Trying To Design Their Way Out Of Climate Change, Shanti R. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the rapidly developing Mekong Delta of Vietnam, young innovators are facing a challenge far greater than simply trying to catch up with the wealthier world. In a growing trend, the next generation of Vietnamese is acting under a common understanding: climate change is real, it’s here and the time to respond is growing short.

For over a decade, Southern Vietnam has consistently been ranked by international organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as one of the most vulnerable places in the world to the impacts of climate change. That vulnerability is heightened by the fact that the …

An Application Of Accimap To Identify And Analyse The Causes Of The Eastern Star And Sewol Casualties, Yanning Jiang

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Oil Spill Preparedness In Sweden : Prevention, Planning, And Response For Large Accidents, Jonas Pålsson

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation has analysed the Swedish oil spill preparedness between 2010 and 2015 by examining management, prevention, planning and response, and compared it to international practices. The study is based on analysis of available data, surveys administered to the coastal County Administrative Boards and municipalities, and interviews with the national oil spill experts.

Oil spills can cause significant acute damage to the environment. Sweden has a long coastline with intense shipping traffic. This suggests a high risk of a large oil spill occurring, but no oil spill over 1,200 tonnes has affected the Swedish territorial waters or Exclusive Economic Zone. …

Oil Spill Response In Japan, Kazuya Shintani

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Los Problemas De Las Fronteras Humanitarias, Miriam Ticktin

Publications and Research

Resumen:

Este texto plantea un análisis crítico del papel de los discursos y prácticas humanitaristas en nuestra concepción de la migración y en las políticas públicas desarrolladas en relación a la movilidad poblacional a través de las fronteras internacionales. Se parte de la premisa de que el humanitarismo, aunque fuera bien intencionado, puede tener efectos perniciosos sobre la situación que se vive en las fronteras, especialmente si acaba por sustituir a la justicia y a los derechos que tienen los emigrantes. Para estudiar esta paradoja, el texto analiza, sucesivamente, varios problemas asociados a la acción humanitaria: el problema con la …

A Longitudinal Study Of Human Exposure To Potential Nuclear Power Plant Risk, Dean Kyne, Jason T. Harris

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study constructs a potential risk index (PRI) for the 65 U.S.-based commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) sites in relation to their surrounding populations. Four risk levels are defined: low risk, moderate risk, high risk, and very high risk. Discrepancies that exist in the sociodemographic characteristics of the host communities’ populations are examined as sorted by risk-level category. It is found that a greater percentage of minority groups are exposed to the highest levels of risk. In addition, percent “Hispanic” and percent “Other,” a grouping that includes multiracial, mixed, interracial, as well as Hispanic and Latino groups (for example, Mexican, …

A Meta-Analysis Of Crew Resource Management/Incident Command Systems Implementation Studies In The Fire And Emergency Services, John C. Griffith, Donna L. Roberts, Ronald T. Wakeham

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This research is a meta-analysis of studies on Crew Resource Management (CRM)/Incident Command System implementation in the fire and emergency services. After a thorough literature review, four sets of results were analyzed to determine if CRM training was effective. An aggregate total of 283 test scores were evaluated. The data indicated that CRM training was effective in all studies analyzed. Fixed and random effects models indicated significance as well. The studies had a high degree of heterogeneity probably due to different training and testing procedures used. The data support the use of CRM training in the fire and emergency services. …

Examining Employee Knowledge Of The Jennie Edmundson Hospital Active Shooter Policy, Mallory W. Darais

Theses & Dissertations

Nationally, there has been a large increase in the number of active shooter events within healthcare facilities such as hospitals. Due to this increase, government organizations have recently released documents to guide healthcare facilities on implementing active shooter policies and updating emergency operation plans. Currently, recommendations from government entities such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security suggest the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach during an active shooter incident. Jennie Edmundson Hospital, located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and affiliated with the Methodist Health System, currently has an active shooter policy in place. Data was collected from …

Landmine Detonates On South Korean Side Of Demilitarized Zone, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea rose as a result of the first major exchange of artillery fire in five years. On 4 August 2015, a landmine severely wounded two South Korean staff sergeants patrolling the DMZ.Officials from Seoul accused North Korea of planting three mines near the guard post on the south side of the DMZ, 440 meters (481 yards) away from the demarcation line; officials from Pyongyang denied these accusations. The explosives found were placed in wooden boxes, not unlike mines previously used by North Korea.

Mag: Mine Clearance In Lebanon, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines, cluster submunitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination plague Lebanon as a result of a 15-year civil war ending in 1990, two Israeli invasions in 1978 and 1982, and the July–August conflict with Israel in 2006. The Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) identified 2,598 mined areas covering 191,000,000 sq m of land. Following non-technical survey (NTS) and clearance operations, there is an estimated 30,316,080 sq m of suspected hazardous area remaining. Although some cluster munition contamination remains from the 1982 conflicts, much of the contamination is the result of the 2006 conflict with Israel, during which nearly four million cluster …

Endnotes Issue 19.3, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Endnotes Issue 19.3

Integrating Mre Into Humanitarian Responses In Iraq, Tammy Hall

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a result of conflict in Iraq, the safety and well-being of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons is at stake due to explosive remnants of war (ERW). In order to mitigate that threat, the Danish Refugee Council enlisted the help of the Danish Demining Group to incorporate mine and ERW risk education into existing humanitarian efforts in Iraq.

Solutions For Increasing Physical Accessibility, Capacity Building And Psychological Support In Tajikistan, Reykhan Muminova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In order to fulfill requirements of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, modified the architecture of three public buildings and implemented a new psychological training process for medical centers in the area to provide awareness about disability rights and increase provision of psychological aid. The desired end goal is that advocacy will allow for increased public acceptance and understanding of disability while moving Tajikistan toward signing the CRPD.

Caught In The Crossfire: Challenges To Providing Victim Assistance In Colombia, Michelle Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to ongoing civil conflict, many Colombian civilians experience both financial and physical harm, but those living in rural areas have limited or no access to much-needed medical and economic assistance. In conjunction with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as multi-national corporations, the Polus Center for Social and Economic Development assesses the needs of and provides rehabilitative services to residents in these remote areas.

Humanitarian Mine Action In Afghanistan: A History, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After a decade of Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and the resulting internal conflict, the removal of explosive remnants of war (ERW) became a complicated issue. Systematic clearance of ERW was difficult to establish due to the volatile security situation and an inability to regulate clearance work. However, due to collaboration between the United Nations and Afghan nongovernmental organizations, mine clearance operations were successfully established in Afghanistan in the 1990s.

Risk Education In Northern Jordan, Lindsay Aldrich, Suzanne Fiederlein, Jessica Rosati

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2013 and 2014, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University led a project funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) to provide explosive remnants of war risk education to Syrian refugees living in urban areas of northern Jordan. At the time, it was unclear whether the hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the civil conflict and seeking refuge in neighboring countries would be able to return home in the near future, but there was still significant hope this would happen.

Remote Risk Education In Syria, Nikolaj Søndergaard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Unable to be physically present in Syria due to ongoing conflict, DanChurchAid (DCA) is collaborating with a network of journalists and activists in order to assess the need for risk education in the country. By framing its risk education curriculum and strategies around this information, DCA’s mine action initiatives are tailor-fit for the hard-to-reach populations of war-ravaged Syria.

Evolution Of Disability Rights In Iraq, Ken Rutherford, Megan Hinton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to the many years of conflict in Iraq, landmines and explosive remnants of war resulted in a large population of persons with disabilities. People with disabilities in Iraq lack adequate housing, medical care, educational opportunities and legislation protecting their rights. Now is the time to create the legal framework protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Project Renew’S Prosthetics And Orthotics Mobile Outreach Program, Dang Quang Toan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Project RENEW established a mobile outreach program to provide prostheses, orthotics and education to explosive remnants of war survivors in the remote communities of Vietnam.

Effectiveness Of Gis In Mine Action, Hansie Heymans, Arie Claassens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to a survey conducted by Geometric Solutions, Ltd., the usage of a geographic information system (GIS) stands to benefit the mine action community within the context of strategic planning and operational decision-making. Furthermore, web-based GIS can provide mobile spatial data for operations and lead to an overall improvement of mine action operations.

Roots Of Peace: Cluster Munitions To Crops, Tucker Kuhn, Heidi Kuhn

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

By facilitating the removal of explosive remnants of war in rural Vietnam, Roots of Peace (ROP) aims to restore contaminated farmland to a safe, productive state. ROP encourages economic empowerment by training farmers in the production of cash crops, such as black pepper and taro.

Collaborative Ordnance Data Repository (Cord), Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Until recently, the mine action and broader humanitarian disarmament community have relied on ORDATA for ordnance information. However, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, James Madison University and software-development company Ripple Design developed a novel aid to using ORDATA: the Collaborative ORDnance data repository (CORD). Representing a significant update to the data set, CORD is an ordnance-identification system featuring Web 2.0 concepts that allow individual users to contribute updates to the data.

Landmines In Croatia Pose Threat To Incoming Refugees, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After Hungary formally closed its border with Serbia on 15 September 2015, refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, Central Asia and Northern Africa have turned next to Croatia as a gateway to reach countries such as Sweden and Germany. The influx of refugees traversing the areas near the Croatia-Serbia border has raised concerns that refugees will encounter residual landmine contamination in Croatia as they make their way to Slovenia and Hungary. The contamination dates back to the four-year conflict which followed the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995. The Croatian Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) estimates that …

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.3 (2015), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus: The Middle East | Feature: Victim Assistance | Special Report | Notes from the Field | Research and Development

Providing Integrated Peer-Support Assistance To Landmine Survivors, Amir Mujanovic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine Survivors Initiatives implemented a three-pronged, peer-support assistance system to meet landmine survivors’ needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This practice is the combination of an approach and methodology to provide integrated assistance to landmine survivors.

Of Minds, Morals, And Methods: Combining Moral Meteorology And Disaster Relief In Historiography Of China’S Disaster Management, Wee-Kiat Lim

CCX Research

In this working paper, I argue that disaster management in high Qing period can be better understood by simultaneously considering the historiographies of how governing elites understood disasters at the metaphysical level and the administration of disaster relief. During High Qing late imperial China, the regime encountered rapid changes in population, economy, and environment. Following how environmental historian Mark Elvin describes the prevalent ideology that guided Chinese governing elites on implicating human conduct with the manifestation of disasters as “moral meteorology”, I link it to the granary system so as to underscore how these two related but separate streams of …

The Development And Initial Evaluation Of Katatagan: A Resilience Intervention For Filipino Disaster Survivors, Ma. Regina Hechanova, Lynn Waelde, Pierce S. Docena, Liane Peña Alampay, Arsenio S. Alianan, Mary Jane B. Flores, Pia Anna P. Ramos, Maria Isabel E. Melgar

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This paper documents the development, pilot, and initial evaluation of Katatagan, a group-based resilience program designed to hone coping skills of Filipino disaster survivors. The paper describes vulnerabilities and protective factors of Filipino survivors based on previous research and key informant interviews. It also explains how Luthar and Cicchetti’s (2000) resilience framework and guidelines for the development of interventions were incorporated in the objectives and the design of the resilience intervention. The intervention consists of six modules that aim to improve self-ecacy, adaptive coping skills, and well-being of Filipino survivors. The paper presents an initial evaluation of Katatagan among college …

A Social Cognitive Approach To Disaster Preparedness, Ervina Espina, Mendiola Teng-Calleja

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Using the social cognitive perspective, the study sought to determine the individual and environmental factors that predict disaster preparedness. Specifically, the research determined the relationships between risk perception, disaster experience, community disaster preparedness, and disaster preparedness behaviors. Data were collected from 401 participants from areas affected by recent typhoons and heavy monsoon rains: Tacloban and Metro Manila. Risk perception, severity of disaster experience, and community disaster preparedness were found to significantly predict the participants’ disaster preparedness behaviors. Severity of previous disaster experience seems to be the strongest determinant of individual disaster preparedness. Implications to future research and development and improvement …