International Society for
Integrated Disaster Risk
Management

IDRiM Newsletter
Issue 2, July 2011

Contents
1. IDRIM NEWS ............................................................ 2
2. Other News ............................................................... 9
3. Conference Announcements .................................. 14
4. Call for Papers ........................................................ 18
5. Internet Resource List ............................................. 22
6. (New) Journals ........................................................ 23
7. New Books .............................................................. 32
8. Book Review ........................................................... 40
9. Ongoing Field Work ................................................ 43
10. Miscellaneous ....................................................... 45

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1. IDRIM NEWS
IDRiM2011 CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN LOS ANGELES
The 2nd Conference (IDRiM2011) of the International Society for Integrated Disaster
Risk Management (IDRiM Society) will be hosted at the University of Southern
California (USC) in Los Angeles, USA, on 14-16 July 2011. The conference is coorganized by the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University, andpartly supported by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), andthe Japan Foundation.
The conference theme, "Reframing Disasters and Reflecting on Risk Governance
Deficits," arises from the analysis of recent events including the Haiti and Chile
earthquakes, the volcanic ash disruption to European air space (as well asinterconnected airlines, businesses, and people around the world), and the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, the devastating Tohoku
earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011 which triggered the on-going
accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant have shown that even in acountry with some of the best earthquake and tsunami construction and disaster
preparedness and mitigation systems in place there are gaps in risk management.
These events have highlighted several important points: the need to rethink the way wedesign our infrastructure and protection and mitigation barriers; the need to address/
manage disasters locally, but also the need to consider their potential impacts globally;
and the need to identify and address risk governance deficits as well as the need formore transparency in the governance and management of high risk activities. Integrated
disaster risk management is needed that uses multi-hazard, interdisciplinary, multistakeholder, and comprehensive approaches to disaster risk reduction.
Several well-known national and international speakers have confirmed their
participation including:
Kathleen Tierney (University of Colorado, USA)
Detlof von Winterfeldt (Director, IIASA, Austria)
James Featherstone (Director, City of Los Angeles Emergency Mg. Dept.)
George Apostolakis (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
Norio Okada (DPRI, Kyoto University, Japan)
Hirokazu Tatano (DPRI, Kyoto University, Japan)
Adam Rose (University of Southern California, USA)
Erwann Michel-Kierjan (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA)James Goltz (Caltech/State of California, USA)
Adrian Gheorghe (Old Dominion University, USA)
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Stephanie Chang (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Aniello Amandola (IIASA, Austria/Italy)
Charles Scawthorn (Kyoto University, Japan/USA)
Fouad Bendimerad (Earthquake and Megacities Initiative, Philippines)
Friedemann Wenzel (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
Akemi Takeoka Chatfield (University of Wollongong, Australia)
The conference will cover various topics including:-

The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011.
Post-disaster reconstruction and recovery
Resilience as an approach to integrated disaster risk management
Megacities and disasters
Transportation systems
Critical infrastructure
Climate change adaptation, linking climate change and weather-related disasters
Conjoint natural and technological (Natech) disasters
Social vulnerability
Socio-economic strategies for disaster risk reduction
Information management and sharing
The Future and Limitations of Catastrophe Models
Disaster debris management
Terrorism risk
Young scientists research session

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunamiof 11 March 2011
What worked and what did not: Views from the field
Prof. Rajib Shaw, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies,
Kyoto University, JapanI recently had the opportunity to survey the affected areas of Iwate and Miyagi
prefectures, affected by the Great Eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March
2011, as a part of a needs assessment team of a non-profit organization named SEEDS
Asia. This survey was an effort by the consortium of NGOs called Japan Platform which
has been active to mobilize resources in the hardest hit areas. I visited several affected
towns and cities including Taro, Miyako, Yamada, Kamaishi, Ofunato, Rikuzen Takata,
Kesennuma, Minami Sanriku, Ishinomaki, Sendai, Iwanuma, Watari and Yamamoto-cho
in four days. The devastation is huge, and beyond any expression. After the 2004
Indian Ocean Tsunami, I surveyed Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, but did not see thislevel of destruction.

Caostal mega dyke in TaroFirst, let us look at the magnitude of the earthquake, which is a once in 1,000 year
event. The affected area is known for its past active seismicity, and repeated tsunamis
Page 4such as those that occurred on 15 June 1896, 3March 1933, and 22 May 1960. The
last one was due to a Chile earthquake. Paleo-seismicity tells us that in 869 AD, there
was a major event, named Jogan Earthquake, where three fault sources broke
simultaneously. The current earthquake is also of the same nature. Therefore, theenergy released was much higher compared to other recent earthquakes, causing oneof the strongest tsunamis Japan has experienced in last 100 years.
Apart from the magnitude of the earthquake and resulting tsunami, one of the key
reasons of the devastation is Japan’s land character. Almost 70% of the country’s landis covered by mountain, which leaves a very narrow coastal belt. The devastation
caused by the tsunami was found to be the largest in two types of land areas. First is
the area with a narrow opening to the sea, like that of Taro in Miyako town. The otherone is the vast flat land, like Rikuzen Takada [in Iwate prefecture] or Watari, Yamamotocho [in Miyagi prefecture].

Disaster management center in Minami Sanriku
Taro is famous for its tsunami prevention measures. The town was affected by the1896 tsunami [known as Meiji Sanriku earthquake and tsunami], which killed more than
22,000 people. The town lost most of its population in that disaster. In 1933, the town
was again hit by another devastating tsunami, following a decision by the town leader toconstruct a mega dyke to protect its people. The dyke was built in several phases,
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resulting in a 10 m, 2.5 km long structure. The current tsunami wave overflowed thisdyke and damaged some areas; however, it would have been more devastating without
the dyke. The importance of infrastructure based disaster prevention can be highlighted
here.
In Kamaishi in Iwate prefecture, an eight storey tsunami evacuation building stood
undamaged very close to the shoreline. In the hazard map, distributed by the city
government, this building was designated and marked as an evacuation building withclear instructions that people need to evacuate higher than the fourth floor. What ismore interesting is that, on March 3rd 2011 [the day of the 1933 earthquake andtsunami, known as Showa Sanriku earthquake and tsunami], an evacuation drill was
performed with the local residents and school children. Therefore, tsunami awarenesswas rather fresh in their minds and people took shelter in evacuation buildings and used
the nearby evacuation road [a pre-designated road on the nearby mountain with accessstairs], immediately when they felt the earthquake. This shows the importance ofevacuation drills and disaster education.
In contrast, in Rikuzen Takada, where there was rather vast land in the coastal area,
the tsunami wave entered as much as 4 km inland, caused extensive damage to the
local government building, and made it non-operational in the immediate rescue-relief
phase. A distinct difference in the post disaster operation can be observed in the cities
where the local government office was not affected due to its location in the higher
ground. In Ofunato in Iwate prefecture or in Iwanuma, Yamamoto-cho in Miyagi
prefecture, the local governments already started their preparation for the short andmedium term recovery phase, including construction of temporary shelters. In contrast,in Minami Sanriku, where the three storey disaster management office was also
destroyed, the relief phase is prolonged.
The effectiveness of early warning systems needs a proper risk communication
mechanism, which links both information provider and receiver. In the March 11
disaster, the tsunami warning and tsunami advisory were issued within three minutes
after the event. The warning was put on the Japan Meteorological Agency [JMA]webpage, transmitted on television, radio, social networking media, and also throughannouncements from the town and city offices. However, in several places, initially,
people underestimated the height and severity of the tsunami, and started evacuating
after the first wave had arrived. What makes people take immediate action forevacuation? An easy to understand early warning [with information on potential tsunami
height], evacuation order and repeated evacuation drills make a difference. In somecases, people had a “feel safe” misperception, where neighbor’s and children’s roles
became important.

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Town office of Rikuzen Takada
What is an ideal tsunami prevention measure? There is possibly not a single formulaapplicable to every place. It needs to be customized based on the local geographic andtopographic conditions. A combination of early warning systems, infrastructure
measures like coastal dykes, tsunami evacuation centers, and awareness andeducation campaigns such as evacuation drills and disaster education is required.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that through the 400 km long survey along thecoast, I did notsee major earthquake damages. While liquefaction effects were reported
in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures due to soft soil and reclaimed land, most of thebuildings in the higher ground in the worst affected areas remain undamaged. The only
visible impact was the damage of the roof tiles in some areas like Natori, Watari, andYamamoto-cho in Miyagi prefectures. The epicenter and the fault zone were locatedunder the sea, and therefore, it may not be comparable to the Great Hanshin Awaji
Earthquake, which was an inland earthquake, and the fault line passed below thedevastated city. But with a magnitude 9 earthquake, and with an intensity of 7 inJapanese scale (the maximum possible intensity), a real appreciation needs to be given
to the earthquake risk reduction measures Japan has practiced over years. In all thecoastal towns, a sharp demarcation of affected and non-affected areas can be madethrough the tsunami inundation, which varies from 3 to 5 km. If there were additional
damages due to earthquakes, the situation would have been worse.
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Tsunami evacuation building in Kamaishi
Rajib Shaw is an Associate Professor in the laboratory of International Environment andDisaster Management in the Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Global
Environmental Studies. His specialty is community based disaster risk reduction, andhe is also the board chairman of SEED Asia.

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2. Other News
Reducing disaster risk through microinsurance: new evidence
from communities in South Asia
Rakhi Bhavnani, Stefan Hochrainer‐Stigler, Reinhard Mechler, Mihir R. Bhatt
and Mehul Pandya

R

educing disaster risk through the use of microinsur-ance is not a new idea
or a new initiative, but how does it actually perform when operated at
grassroots level? Where is the evidence? This article offers new and fieldsurvey-based evidence from the frontlines in South Asia.

There is broad and growing discussion on financial disaster safety nets, such as those
provided by microinsurance, and the role that they can play as a resource for the poorin the aftermath of a disaster. Recent research and experience has pointed to theimportance of such programmes in assisting the poor to avoid poverty traps andreduce their vulnerability to hazards. Despite its theoretical potential, very little is
known about how microinsurance actually benefits households and communities after
disasters. Much of the current work on disaster microinsurance has focused on supplyside issues, such as insurance pricing and implementation questions, whereas thedemand side and potential benefits to the insured have gone largely unexamined.
This article attempts to address this and offers some summary information about
the first large cross-country assessment, based on first-hand observation, of the impact
of disaster microinsurance in the South Asia region. Communities across South Asia
are vulnerable to disaster and include many households both with and without disastermicroinsurance, making this a particularly useful area for rigorous comparative analysis.
The overall aim of the study Impact Assessment of Disaster Microinsurance for ProPoor Risk Management: Evidence from South Asia is to advance the discussion ofdisaster microinsurance from anecdotal knowledge to specific evidence-based
recommendations by assessing and understanding the impacts of products on clients.
Key areas covered include:• client satisfaction in products and services• client awareness, understanding and perceptions of risk, products, and needs• current disaster coping mechanisms and risk management behaviour• delivery mechanisms tailored for this low-income market• the potential for vulnerability reduction, including poverty and disaster risk reduction(DRR) as well as enhancements in human welfare.
These areas have not previously been systematically looked into.
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The study was initiated as a part of the Regional Risk Transfer Initiative, an effort led
by the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) to expand and strengthen
microinsurance options for the poor in South Asia. It has been supported throughfunding from the ProVention Consortium and executed in partnership with theInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. The study was led by Rakhi
Bhavnani with Mehul Pandya, and guided by Reinhard Mechler, Hochrainer-Stigler and
Ian O’Donnell.
Methodology
To investigate the impact of disaster microinsurance, an original dataset was generated
across South Asia through primary data collection, based on stratified sampling of
responses received from a control group (or ‘non-clients’) as well as microinsurance
clients of the following five organizations offering disaster micro-insurance products:• Basix (India)• Self-Employment Women’s Association (SEWA India)• AIDMI (India)• Yasiru (Sri Lanka)• Proshika (Bangladesh).
Seven disaster products were evaluated: one for Yasiru, AIDMI, and SEWA, while twodifferent products were surveyed for Basix and Proshika. Survey questionnaires wereadministered in local languages by 85 local and trained volunteers and representativesof the participating organizations, from October 2008 to September 2009. A total of
2,171 surveys were completed, with 1,640 client evaluations and 531 responses from
non-insured clients across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. While this study references
the larger and growing body of literature on disaster microinsurance and findings fromprevious qualitative reviews, the analysis it offers is based solely on the findings fromthe survey of the five participating organizations.
Lessons learned
Overall, the results of the study show that people have an interest in, and are willing to
pay for disaster microinsurance programmes in South Asia. The knowledge that they
were covered in case of disaster was a big factor in their decision to purchaseinsurance. The majority of people also seemed happy with the amount of money they
had to pay. Nearly 77 per cent of people surveyed said that the cost of microinsurance
was adequate, whereas a little less than 7 per cent indicated that the amount they pay
is too much. The products are reaching poor clients, many of whom are below thepoverty line, highly in debt, and unable to cope after a disaster.
However, the findings have also revealed some problems with the process: funds
are often late in reaching clients, with 26 per cent of people stating that they received
their money after two months, and 30 per cent stating that it took as long as three
Page 10months. Though this delay is common in many financial and welfare services in SouthAsia, it was especially pinching to recent victims of large natural disasters. This delay
can negatively influence the way that money is spent when or if it does finally arrive.
There are also reported difficulties with the claim process, with 85 per cent of people
saying that the process was hard to understand and that they required help (89 per centsaid that they subsequently received adequate help from the organizations, which
illustrates the importance of the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) at local levelin DRR). There were also reports of inadequate total coverage. A total of 272 people
stated that the money they received from an insurance claim was not sufficient.
As a result of these problems, a number of individuals have had to borrow
additional funds from moneylenders, friends and family. Clients usually have highexisting levels of debt, which are only exacerbated after disasters. In other words,
disasters wipe out the repayment capacity of the indebted poor. This calls for a review
of modification in product offerings, safety nets, and other risk managing financial
services in combination with disaster microinsurance. In addition, there is a need toreview products and potential clients in communities to ensure that although ‘the poor’
are being served, the ‘poorer than poor’ are not being excluded due to costs andinformation barriers. For this there are neither any studies available, nor are any pilots
funded.
Though the insurance agencies claimed that their plans helped people get backto work faster, increased investment activities and increased human welfare, the study
did not completely corroborate these claims. Study analysis found no significant change
in workdays lost or welfare (measured through levels of savings and debt). However,this is not to say that microinsurance has no long-term developmental impact; the study
was just unable to see any significant changes in the surveyed group in this round.
In terms of long-term risk reduction, a number of indicators tell us that the clientsare aware of some of the risks they face and may be proactively engaging in decreasingsome of the vulnerabilities themselves. Indeed, 387 people (24 per cent of the total)
identified the need to reinforce parts of their home, and 68 per cent of these also statedthat they had done this over the past ten years to reduce the impact of disasters. Thisevidence shows that clients perceive some amount of personal risk, although it isdifficult to ascertain the extent of their knowledge since this study did not allow for indepth probing of this issue. The extent of knowledge can be useful and valuable for
future product design. It is clear, however, that disaster recovery is a ‘window ofopportunity’; one that brings positive changes for the future. The study found that after
disasters, clients had greater improvements in shelter – additional roofing, better walls,
stronger pillars, and new toilets – than non-clients.
The importance of trust cannot be underestimated. Findings show that if anorganization has a positive reputation, there is a far higher chance that clients will notjust sign up, but will also renew each year. Of the people surveyed, 88 per cent said thatthey would renew their disaster insurance policy in the future. Of those people, 40 per
cent said that this was solely because they had a good perception of the insurance
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agency such as SEWA or BASIX, Yasiru or Proshika. Historically, low levels of
insurance penetration in the region can be attributed to the negative reputation of
insurance companies, and low levels of cover and long delays in payment to thebeneficiary. Rapport with the community, trust networks and improved claims processes
are essential for the further development of disaster microinsurance in South Asia.
Finally, the key to reducing risk seems to be awareness and information. The study
signalled high demand for disaster microinsurance after non-insured clients had been
given information showing the relevance and pricing of such products, as well as thepower of organizations to reach more clients. Knowledge of disaster insurance was
generally low considering the significant role that disasters play in the everyday life of
the communities interviewed. The majority of people in the control group (69 per cent)
had heard about some type of insurance before, whereas 21 per cent had not, andanother 10 per cent had heard only a little. Over half of the respondents (52 per cent)
did not know what disaster insurance was. An overwhelming majority (80 per cent) of
clients felt that because of this lack of knowledge, disaster microinsurance should bepromoted to many more people.
Recommendations for the futureWith disaster microinsurance in its infancy in the region, a number of things are required– many of which are beyond the scope of the study. The promotion of regulatory anddevelopmental systems in countries that do not have a legal apparatus for
microinsurance, an increase in the number of reinsurance options,and diversifying delivery models are some of the important areas outlined in academic
literature and in policy arenas. Organization of the poor is becoming more important inthis regard. However, the aim of this study was to provide specific recommendations
based on evidence. Therefore, the recommendations that follow are based solely on thefindings of data analysed through this empirical review. While they are limited to thethematic areas covered by the study, they are extremely pertinent to the successful
servicing of disaster microinsurance for the poor.
The following six priority activities and interventions are recommended based on thefindings of this study.
• Utilize the client community to increase awareness and grow – microinsuranceorganizations should work to create innovative ways to involve the community inoutreach and create awareness about disaster microinsurance. Client
satisfaction is high and an overwhelming majority is ready to refer friends to theprogramme. Client-to-client and non-client-to-client information links andcommunications are important. For this donors and national governments must
invest more resources at community level.
• Use disaster microinsurance as an entry point for further risk reduction –microinsurance is not a panacea for DRR. There is a need to promote long-term
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•

•

•

•

DRR in conjunction with microinsurance and use strong outreach and community
links to support existing micro-insurance organizations. This will help to develop
programmes focused on risk education, structural mitigation (i.e. retrofitting),
preparedness, and enhanced coping mechanisms. There is a need forinvestment in both microinsurance and microinsurance organizations. Private
sector and national governments must jointly initiate risk transfer and mitigation,
both projects to pilot in South Asia. The World Bank and Asian Development
Bank can provide initial technical assistance and seed money.
Regularly review the different organizations’ claims processes to ensure thatmoney is getting to clients in the most effective and efficient way possible – thisincludes examining services to help with claims, pre-positioning claim kits,
support for the timely review of claims, and information management ofdecisions. Faster processing should be incentivized. The private sector,
authorities, and CSOs need to pilot tripartite mechanisms for performance
improvement.
Promote increased participation by women in disaster microinsurance
programmes – this includes a review of products, services and modifications
based on the specific needs of women – as victims of disasters or as vulnerable
to disasters – in the region. Women’s organizations and national authorities mustfind ways to better cover women before, after, and between disasters.
Look for the biggest critic – the impact of disaster microinsurance cannot be
determined solely through client surveys, but must be also gauged through asurvey of people who have dropped out of the programme, had claims rejected,
and who will not renew membership in the future. With programmes in theirinfancy in the region, a critical component for growth is being opened to hear
what has worked and what hasn’t, in an effort to fix problems. Investments innational and regional fora will be timely in South Asia. Independent, clientfocused studies such as these should be initiated regularly and long-term, to turn
criticism into design input.
Use impact assessments for future product development – impact measurement
is a critical component of micro-insurance research and development in South
Asia and other regions. There is a need to develop future product offerings basedon the rigorous empirical findings from a wider range of and longer trend of
impact assessments in South Asia. Investments must be made by donors andthe United Nations in such regional, long-term, and focused impact studies.

Investment in evidence-based policy-making delivers results for better and more
effective DRR. Though such investments need dedicated teams and a committed
institutional base to collect evidence, it is not so difficult to find such conditions inSouth Asia. The results are of immediate and long-term use to everyone working on
DRR.
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3. Conference Announcements•

7 - 9 September, 2011
8th International Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures
ERES 2011 is the eighth international conference in the series on Earthquake
Resistant Engineering Structures organised by the Wessex Institute ofTechnology. The meeting provides a unique forum for the discussion of basic
and applied research in the various fields of earthquake engineering relevant to
the design of structures. The importance and actuality of the work presented atthese meetings is reflected by the increasing number of major earthquakes thatare taking place all over the world.
Website: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/eres-2011.html•

31 Oct. -2. Nov, 2011
IRDR Conference 2011: Disaster Risk: Integrating Science and Practice
Our knowledge of natural hazards is steadily growing as science and technology
develop rapidly, yet disasters continue to devastate people’s lives and theresources they depend on. Are we focusing on the most important problems?
Are we digging deep enough to uncover the root causes of disasters? Are people
actually making decisions based on our findings? No single discipline can answer
these questions. IRDR Conference 2011 will provide a platform from which tolaunch trans-disciplinary research alliances aimed at in-depth, practical disasterrisk reduction studies.
Website: http://www.irdrinternational.org/conference2011.php•

27- 28 January, 2012.
Niche International Conference on Disaster Management
Information not available yet.
Website: http://www.niuiccdm.com/#•

11- 12 May, 2012.
Insurance Markets and Catastrophe Risk.
In recent years, a number of extreme events have caused large economic
shocks and created substantial political and social challenges. Natural disasters,
terrorist acts, technological accidents, outbreaks of contagious diseases, discrete
medical advances impacting longevity and the recent financial crisis are salient
examples. The costs and consequences of these extreme events depend
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critically on the private and public actions, policies, and incentives that are inplace both before and after they occur. This conference will highlight research ona range of issues related to insurance markets and catastrophic risks. Suitable
themes for the meeting include: What drives the demand for and supply ofphysical and protective measures, including but not limited to insurance, fromsuch events for residential and commercial structures and activities? Does the
packaging and marketing of protective measures affect the demand for them,and the extent to which they reduce losses? How is information about theprobability distribution and consequences of these events formed and relied
upon? What distortions (institutional, behavioral, financial, theoretical) arepresent in markets for these risks? How does the public sector affect the supplyof and demand for protection and influence the recovery process after
catastrophic events? How do existing public and private interventions in themarkets for catastrophe risks affect the overall level of risk-taking? How docurrent public programs, and other potential programs, affect the distributional
effects of catastrophic events?
Website: http://www.nber.org/callforpapers/InsuranceMarkets.html•

2 - 4 July, 2012
1st International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on
Sustainable Development
The 1st International Conference on Environmental Impact and Development
originated from the need to provide an inter-disciplinary forum where the mostserious problems affecting sustainable development can be discussed. The basic
premise is that development projects need to consider the most pressing issues
related to environmental impacts in order to provide complete solutions.
The current emphasis on sustainable development is a consequence of thegeneral awareness of the need to solve numerous environmental problems
resulting from our modern society. This has resulted in the need to assess theimpact of economic investments on the environment. The topic of investment
assessment and environmental economics needs to be discussed in an
integrated way, in accordance with the principles of sustainability, considering thesocial and environmental aspects of new investments, as well as possible
environmental damage. The roots of financial development are financial growth,which in conventional terms requires an increase in production and the use of
more resources. Their overuse can result in the destruction of natural resources
and larger releases of waste and pollution into the environment. The conference
will address issues related to environmental toxicology and hazardous waste.
With large numbers of new chemicals entering the market each year, it has
become necessary to assess their effects on ecosystems as well as minimise
their impact on the environment. There is a growing need for techniques andpractices to minimize the environmental effects of chemicals, and for the
implementation of the corresponding principles in the planning of environmental
policy and decisionmaking. It is also necessary to understand the economic
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impact of toxic products on the environment. The conference will also examine
issues related to whether development enterprises are compatible withenvironmental protection, dealing in particular with cases of possible severe
contamination and toxicity. The problem of what to do with the existing
contaminated sites or brownfields is dealt with in detail, drawing from existing
experience. The most important motivation for the conference is to learn frompast failures, to not repeat the same mistakes while attempting to prevent
emerging threats to the environment and ecological systems.
Website:http://www.wessex.ac.uk/12-conferences/Environmental-Impact2012.html•

26 -30 August, 2012
4th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC Davos 2012
After three successful IDRC Davos conferences the GRF Davos team is alreadyin the preparation for IDRC Davos 2012, which will take place from 26 to 30
August 2012 in Davos, Switzerland. Risks in a changing and global world arecomplex and interconnected, even more so in a globalized world consisting ofmany societies at very different levels of development. The frequency andseverity of natural disasters have increased markedly worldwide. Economic
losses associated with natural hazards are increasing exponentially in developing
countries, where local risk-transfer markets are generally weak. Promoting
integrative risk management is more then ever a pressing issue. At IDRC Davos2012 a multi- and interdisciplinary group of stakeholders will discuss new findings
and exchange experiences about the broad spectrum of risks societies are facing
today in plenary and parallel sessions, workshops and training courses, andposter exhibitions.
Website: http://www.idrc.info/•

19 - 21 September, 2012
8th International Conference on Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard
Mitigation
Risk Analysis 2012 is the eighth international conference on computer simulationin risk analysis and hazard mitigation. Covering a series of important topics of
current research interest and with many practical applications, the conference isconcerned with all aspects of risk analysis and hazard mitigation, associated withboth natural and anthropogenic hazards.The analysis and management of risk
and the mitigation of hazards is of fundamental importance to planners andresearchers around the world. We live in an increasingly complex society with thepotential for disasters on a worldwide scale. Scientific knowledge is essential to
our better understanding of risk. Natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes,
landslides, fires and others have always affected human societies. Man-madehazards, however, played a comparatively small role until the industrial revolution
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when the risk of catastrophic events started to increase due to the rapid growthof new technologies. The interaction of natural and anthropogenic risks adds tothe complexity of the problem. Advances in computational methods and theability to model systems more precisely now enables hazards to be quantified,their effects to be simulated and risk analysis to be pursued with greater
accuracy, providing more effective risk management. These developments areimportant for all areas of human endeavour and have particular relevance toenvironmental issues where the risks involved are substantial. Effective risk
management and the mitigation of possible hazards have become a high priorityof government and a public concern.
Website: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/12-conferences/risk-analysis-2012.html•

20-22 November, 2012
The 2nd European Conference on FLOODrisk Management
Following the successful FLOODrisk 2008 conference held in Oxford (UK),FLOODrisk 2012 will bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners
from across the world to share experience and progress made in flood risk
research and policy and management practice. FLOODrisk 2012 will include
contributions from a variety of National, European and International flood related
initiatives as well as wider international practice. In particular, the applicability ofto flood risk management practice, and the influence of policy on research andpractice will be considered. The programme of events is to be confirmed however
registration will take place on 19th November with an Ice Breaker event in theevening. The conference will finish with a Dinner on 22nd November.
Website: http://www.floodrisk2012.net/paper-submission.asp

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4. Call for Papers•

International Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management: A call for
papers for the IDRiM Society’s new International Journal of Integrated Disaster
Risk Management is now open. Papers should be submitted electronically via theonline Editorial Management System at
http://idrimjournal.com/index.php/idrim•

Special Issue "Risk Management: Challenges Responses to Climate
Change": A special issue of Challenges (ISSN 2078-1547)
Within minutes of the March 2011 earthquake in Japan, news media provided
unprecedented coverage of an unfolding natural catastrophe. Events such as thisplace natural disasters firmly in the public eye but only for a short time. It falls to
the research community to learn the lessons offered by these events and turnthem into opportunities for developing more effective risk management andmitigation strategies and identifying the factors that contribute to the vulnerability
and resilience of communities and response and recovery agencies. Disasters
such as the Japanese tsunami also highlight the ever-present need forsystematic, rigorous research into the risk posed by natural hazards and how
these risks can be managed. Of course it is vital to ensure that the findings fromsuch research endeavours are disseminated to those who can use thefindings.This means that journals that disseminate these lessons are importantresilience and adaptive resources for all those involved in risk and disastermanagement. Journals such as Challenges provide outlets for scholarly andprofessional debate on the causes and consequences of disasters and how theireffects may be mitigated and managed. This special edition of Challenges will
give voice to research into the causes of human and societal losses and ensurethat the lessons learned from such disasters can be readily disseminated to thehumanitarian, academic and political arenas where that knowledge can provide
the evidence base necessary to inform effective risk management intervention.
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/challenges/special_issues/challenges_responses/

Page 18

•

ECIDM 2011 : Call for Paper: Special Issue on SMART ENVIRONMENTS
AND COLLECTIVE COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Stakeholders in disaster management settings often find the effective andefficient utilization of emerging technologies quite a challenging process but veryfrequently a critical computational inclusion to the intelligence required forprotecting individuals, communities, their environment and critical infrastructures.
The special issue is dedicated to the dissemination of original contributions thatare related to the theories, practices and concepts of smart environments andemerging collective computational and collaborative technologies for the specificpurpose of improving intelligence when managing natural or man- madedisasters. In particular, the special issue is focused on the applicability - for the
purpose of managing disasters - of technologies that can support autonomous
adaptation to complex and messy situations caused from these, highly dynamic
contexts. Various methods and technologies including simulations, multidimensional decision modeling, data mining, swarm intelligence, smart spaces
and sensors, context-aware, situated and pervasive computing, geographicalinformation systems, ad- hoc mobile networks, wireless communications, gridand cloud computing, social networks and crowd sourcing are a smart
technology means to enable a more informed decision making to mitigate andprepare for, respond to and recover from growing occurrences of disasters.
http://www.derby.ac.uk/computing/research/jaihc•

Large-Scale Disasters: What We Have Learned, What We Can Do: Special
Issue of Leadership and Management in Engineering
The goal of the special issue is to draw from lessons learned from large-scaledisasters to improve the practice of engineering for processes such as risk
assessment, planning, design, construction, standard setting, operations andmaintenance, emergency management, and forensic analysis, among others.
LME welcomes submissions from engineering and allied fields, and professionals
who focus on disaster response are also encouraged to submit. Disastermanagement involves anticipation and monitoring, preparedness, mitigation, andresponse and recovery, among others, and involves decision makers fromnational leaders to local first responders, as well as the international community.
Papers on topics such as governance, emergency management, and incident
management might accompany technical papers on engineering systems,
vulnerability analysis, and key systems of critical infrastructure and descriptionsof roles such as public works and utility officials, first responders, regulators,
political leaders, vendors, and educators.
http://www.asce.org/uploadedFiles/Books_and_Journals/Journals/call_for_papers_LE_Special%20issue.pdf
Page 19•Special Issue "Flood Risk Management": A special issue of Water:
Flooding causes enormous damage and loss of life in various parts of the world.
It is therefore of importance to continuously develop and improve our knowledge
in the field of flood risk management. In recent years more traditional disciplines
such as hydraulic modelling have evolved into the wider area of flood risk
management. Moreover, our capacity to understand and manage flood risks has
improved thanks to advances in computers, remote sensing technology andbetter consideration of social issues. Recent events continue to demonstrate thecapacity of floods to cause substantial damage to property, loss of life, harm local
economies and disrupt critical infrastructure systems. However, although these
events and others share some common features they also highlight the diversityof issues and broader interactions that must be considered as part of a flood risk
management strategy. This special issue of Water is timely in its focus onflooding, but in particular as it seeks to highlight the breadth and complexity offlood risk management. Interdisciplinary papers are welcomed that highlight newideas, approaches and innovations in flood risk management, including topics
such as: different types of flooding (rivers, coastal, estuarial, urban) and threats(storms, rainfall, tsunami, dam breach); case studies and comparative studies;
analyses of regional/global patterns and trends; innovative modelling methods forflood hazards; new approaches to quantifying risk and uncertainty; advances inflood risk communication, policy making, economics of flood risk reduction;
structural and non-structural solutions for flood risk reduction; relationship withother water issues such as drought, water quality; and interactions with land use,
food, energy and critical infrastructure. effects of climate change and sea level
rise on flood risks
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/special_issues/flood_risk_manag/•

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of Urban and Regional
Information Systems Association (URISA Journal)
The application of geographic information systems (GIS) continues to emerge as
the tools are adopted by both information and social sciences. The ability toshare dwindling resources by community, municipal and university partners has
moved from the desktop to the information highway. Early definitions of public
participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) emphasized the university
as the change agent since the technology drove collaboration. Resident-led
PPGIS models focus on the collection and distribution of neighborhood level datausing distributed web-based interfaces. This special issue of the URISA Journal,scheduled for publication in November 2012, is intended to update the available
body of applied GIS literature. In particular, research should explore problems orquestions on PPGIS strategies including effectiveness measures andPage 20

implementation at varying levels of delivery. The discussion should include thechanges in technology and data definitions including ‘volunteered geographic
information’ or ‘VGI’ in the PPGIS model. Research may consider what influenceof ‘crowdsourcing’ as a means to move PPGIS from participatory to action
research, as well as, the impact on public policy in local and international
spheres. Research that considers PPGIS in emerging markets, shrinking cities
or post-disaster environments and how the application of a PPGIS can aid in
relearning pedagogy are considered an important perspective. While it isimportant to consider the foundations of PPGIS and the traditional definitions of‘partnership’, articles should describe how, or if, the model of participation haschanged. When using contemporary examples, describe their ethicalconsiderations in emerging markets from any part of the earth and address both
earth and human-environment research.
http://www.urisa.org/Journal_PPGISPage 21

5. Internet Resource List•

Disaster Reduction Hyper base: Web based facility to compile appropriate
disaster reduction technologies and knowledge.
Website:http://drh.edm.bosai.go.jp/•

MCEER: Collection of disaster management resources, including international,
federal, state, local and non-profit organizations:Website:http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/reference_services/disasterManagementRes
ources.asp•

Staffordshire Raynet: Disaster and Emergency Management on the Internet.
Long list of websites for various disasters and databases.
Website:http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/disaster.htm•

Internet Resources for Disaster Studies: University of Delaware Library
Website:http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/disasters/internet.htm•

FEMA” Federal Emergency Management Agency: Focus is on the US
Website:http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm•

Disaster Handbook: University of Florida.
Website:http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/links.htm•

Disaster Management: Royal Roads University.
Website:http://libguides.royalroads.ca/content.php?pid=64941&sid=480216•

Natural Hazards and Disaster Information Resources: University of Colorado at
Boulder (including newsletter).
Website:http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/

Page 22

6. (New) Journals• Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management, IDRIM Journal:-

Objective: The main objective of IDRiM is to provide an integrated andimplementable approach to the growing demand for disaster risk
reduction and management by offering reliable, affordable andeffective solutions for minimizing the loss of life, property damage, andsocial and economic disruption. IDRiM also explores implementation
science for disaster reduction. IDRiM intends to provide a set ofsolutions for the all types of: environmental and natural hazards(earthquakes, flood, drought, windstorms, landslides, etc.) and manmade hazards. It also includes the development of methods and tools
for modeling and assessment of disaster risks, hazard zonation andhazard mapping; geotechnical zonation, vulnerability analysis,
strengthening design of structures, disaster risk evaluation andmapping; and various types of risk management methods such as
innovative risk transfer, risk reduction policy; socio-economic studies,human and economic loss estimation, practical loss-control measures,catastrophic risk insurance, public awareness, programming; andsolutions for risk reduction in buildings, lifelines, infrastructures,industry, oil-chemical facilities, offshore structures and urban system.
IDRiM also covers the governance of disaster risks, design ofinstitutional schemes, participatory approach, etc.

-

Website: http://idrimjournal.com/index.php/idrim• Georisk: Assessment and Management of Risk for Engineered
Systems and Geohazards:-

Objective: Georisk covers many diversified but interlinked areas ofactive research and practice, such as geohazards (earthquakes,
landslides, avalanches, rockfalls, tsunamis, etc.), safety of engineered
systems (dams, buildings, offshore structures, lifelines, etc.),
environmental risk, seismic risk, reliability-based design and code
calibration, geostatistics, decision analyses, structural reliability,
maintenance and life cycle performance, risk and vulnerability, hazard
mapping, loss assessment (economic, social, environmental, etc.), GIS
databases, remote sensing, and many other related disciplines.
The underlying theme is that uncertainties associated withgeomaterials (soils, rocks), geologic processes, and possible
subsequent treatments, are usually large and complex and these
Page 23

uncertainties play an indispensable role in the risk assessment andmanagement of engineered and natural systems. Significant
theoretical and practical challenges remain on quantifying these
uncertainties and developing defensible risk management
methodologies that are acceptable to decision makers andstakeholders. All published research articles in this journal haveundergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening andanonymous refereeing by independent expert referees.
-

Website:http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=17499518&li
nktype=1• Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability:-

Objective: The Current Opinion journals were developed out of therecognition that it is increasingly difficult for specialists to keep up todate with the expanding volume of information published in theirsubject. In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, we help thereader by providing in a systematic manner: 1. The views of experts
on current advances in environmental sustainability in a clear andreadable form. 2. Evaluations of the most interesting papers, annotatedby experts, from the great wealth of original publications.
Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability aims to address all the
economic, social, technological and institutional aspects related to thechallenge of environmental sustainability by focussing on integration
across academic disciplines and insights with implications for societal
practices and processes. Current Opinion in Environmental
Sustainability
aims
tostimulatescientificallygrounded,interdisciplinary, multi-scale debate and exchange of ideas. It willcontain polished, concise and timely reviews and opinions. Current
Opinion in Environmental Sustainability(COSUST) will serve as aninvaluable source of information for researchers, lecturers, teachers,
professionals, policy makers and students.
The subject of environmental sustainability is divided into 6 themed
sections,
each
of
which
is
reviewed
once
a
year:
(1) Climate (covering climate change, climate risk management, andadaptation) (2) Human settlements and habitat (covering cities,
urbanization, transport) (3) Energy systems (covering renewableenergy, energy efficiency, bioenergy) (4) Terrestrials systems (foodsystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services) (5) Carbon andNitrogen cycles (6) Aquatic systems (covering marine and fresh water,
isheries, currents, etc.) The common denominators across these
sections, to assure a cross cutting approach are: (a) interdisciplinary
and transdisciplinary; (b) quantitative; (c) multi-scale (regional vs.
global; space vs. time); (d) focus on integrated assessment; (e)governance, ethics, behaviour, education, and policy tools..
Page 24

-

Website:http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_hom
e/718675/description#description• International Journal of Risk Management (IJRM):-

Objective: The International Journal of Risk Management (IJRM) is arefereed international journal whose focus is on exchanging
information on risk related theory and its applications, including projectrisk management, supply chain risk management, risk attitude andbehavior, and risk management in finance, accounting, engineering,marketing, auditing, law, procurement and contracting, business andeconomics, etc. The objective is to provide an international forum forresearchers and practitioners across the many relevant disciplines andindustries to discuss some related problems and learn from eachother’s work. The readership includes professionals, academics,
researchers, and managers.

-

Website: http://www.serialspublications.com/journals1.asp?jid=583• International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering:-

Objective: The International Journal of Safety and Security
Engineering aims to provide a forum for publication of papers on themost recent developments in the theoretical and practical aspects ofthese important fields. Safety and Security Engineering, due to its
special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and applications
that brings together in a systematic way many disciplines ofengineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced.
The Journal covers areas such as crisis management; security
engineering; natural disasters and emergencies; terrorism; IT security;
man-made hazards; risk management; control; protection andmitigation issues. The Journal aims to attract papers in all related
fields, in addition to those listed under the List of Topics, as well ascase studies describing practical experiences. The study of multifactor
risk impact will be given special emphasis. Due to the multitude andvariety of topics included, the List is only indicative of the themes of the
expected papers. Authors are encouraged to submit papers in all areasof Safety and Security, with particular attention to integrated andinterdisciplinary aspects.

-

Website: http://journals.witpress.com/jsse.asp

Page 25• Global Environmental Change:-

Objective: Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy
Dimensions is an international, interdisciplinary journal spanning thesocial and natural sciences. It publishes high-quality original theoreticaland applied research and review articles across the entire field ofglobal environmental change. Areas include biodiversity andecosystem services, water resources, climate change, international
agreements, North-South relations, land use and cover change,
institutions and governance. The journal interprets global
environmental change to mean the outcome of processes that are
manifest in localities, but with consequences at multiple spatial,
temporal and socio-political scales. The journal addresses issues ofpublic policy, economics, equity, risk, and resilience, science policy,
international development, and health and well-being.

-

Website:http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_hom
e/30425/description#description• Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management:-

Objective: JHSEM is the primary source of new, peer-reviewed
research and information in the fields of homeland security andemergency management. JHSEM features original, innovative, andtimely articles and other information on research and practice from a
broad array of professions including: emergency management,
engineering, political science, public policy, decision science, andhealth and medicine. The electronic nature of the journal allows
timeliness and responsiveness unparalleled among academic
publications. JHSEM publishes peer-reviewed articles, news andcommuniqués from researchers and practitioners, and book/media
reviews. The lead editor is Irmak Renda-Tanali at the Graduate Schoolof Management & Technology, University of Maryland University
College; Maryland. Authors have included prominent researchers fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard University,
Carnegie Mellon University, the Environmental Protection Agency,
George Mason University, George Washington University, RAND, andVanderbilt University.

-

Website: http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/about.html

Page 26

• Journal of Emergency Management:-

Objective: Journal of Emergency Management is a professional, bimonthly journal with a simple but urgent goal: to better equip all those
responsible for emergency preparedness and response to deal
effectively with everything from acts of terror, fires, floods, and weather
emergencies to gas explosions and catastrophic accidents on land, in
the air, or at sea. With a well-focused game plan carried out by an
unbeatable team of emergency preparedness and response experts,
Journal of Emergency Management is already being hailed as long
overdue and a "must have" for anyone responsible for the safety andwell-being of both personnel and property.With each issue of Journalof Emergency Management look for in-depth articles on topics as wide
ranging as:Meeting the challenge of the shadowy world of terrorism,
Emergency response and disaster management, Severe weather,flood and hurricane case studies, Emergency preparedness andresponse legislation, Public buildings recovery planning, Information
analysis and infrastructure protection,Evacuation procedures for thevisually impaired, Emergency wireless messaging-

Website: http://www.pnpco.com/pn06001.html• International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built
Environemnt:-

Objective: The International journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built
Environment aims at developing the skills and knowledge of the built
environment professions and will strengthen their capacity in strategic
and practical aspects of disaster prevention, mitigation, response andreconstruction to mitigate the effects of disasters nationally andinternationally. The journal publishes original and refereed material that
contributes to the advancement of the research and practice andprovides contributing authors with an opportunity to disseminate theirresearch and experience to a broad audience. International journal ofDisaster Resilience in the Built Environment promotes research andscholarly activity that examines the role of building andconstruction to anticipate and respond to unexpected events thatdamage or destroy the built environment (for example, aninfrastructure project – from earthquakes, flooding and climate change
to terrorist attacks) and reflects construction’s ongoing responsibility
toward built environment’s users. Accordingly, the journal is designed
for researchers and academics, policy makers and other professionals
working with, or who anticipate having, disaster prevention, mitigation,
response and reconstruction responsibilities, and who wish to improvetheir working knowledge of both theory and practice. The journal
Page 27

focuses on basic and applied research, practical developments, casestudies, editorials, book reviews, information on forthcoming events inthe field, and field reports. In keeping with the journal’s international
scope, articles are particularly welcome with details of: overall
leadership in research, education, planning, design andimplementation for infrastructure renewal and reconstruction projects indeveloping countries; and, details of innovative and socially
responsible projects inspired via internal synergies that lead to rapid
development and improved quality of life. International journal ofDisaster Resilience in the Built Environment helps to communicate
new practical ideas, applications and development details of educationand training, and thus build capacity for self-sufficiency. The journal
reports research that assists capacity-building for reconstruction,
renewal and development of sustainable infrastructure, supports
proactive and fruitful collaborations and networking among various
stakeholders, and helps develop appropriate policy development andplans for implementation. Regular special issues on a range ofmultidisciplinary subjects keeps readers abreast of topical subjects.
-

Website:http://www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=IJDRBE• Regional Environmental Change:-

Objective: Environmental changes of many kinds are acceleratingworldwide, posing significant challenges for humanity. Solutions areneeded at the regional level, where physical features of the landscape,biologicalsystems,andhumaninstitutions
interact.
The goal of Regional Environmental Change is to publish scientificresearch and opinion papers that improve our understanding of theextent of these changes, their causes, their impacts on people, and theoptions for society to respond. "Regional" refers to the full range ofscales between local and global, including regions defined by natural
criteria, such as watersheds and ecosystems, and those defined byhuman activities, such as urban areas and their hinterlands.
We encourage submissions on interdisciplinary research across thenatural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and on more
focused studies that contribute towards the solutions to complex
environmental problems. Topics addressed include (i) the regional
manifestations of global change, especially the vulnerability of regions
and sectors; (ii) the adaptation of social-ecological systems toenvironmental change in the context of sustainable development; and(iii) trans-boundary and cross-jurisdictional issues, legislative andgovernance frameworks, and the broad range of policy andmanagement issues associated with building, maintaining andrestoring robust social-ecological systems at regional scales.
Page 28

The primary format of contributions are research articles, presenting
new evidence from analyses of empirical data or else more theoreticalinvestigations of regional environmental change. In addition toresearch articles, we also publish editorials, short communications,invited mini-reviews on topics of strong current interest, as well as
special features that provide multifaceted discussion of complex topics
or particular regions.
-Website:http://www.springer.com/environment/global+change++climate+change/journal/10113• Natural Hazards Review:-

Objective: The Natural Hazards Review stands on the realization thatnatural disaster losses result from interactions between the physicalworld, the constructed environment, and the character of the societiesand people who occupy them. The journal is dedicated to bringing
together the physical, social, and behavioral sciences; engineering;and the regulatory and policy environments to provide a forum for
cutting edge, holistic, and cross-disciplinary approaches to natural
hazards loss and cost reduction. The journal offers a means forresearchers and practitioners working together to publish the results oftruly interdisciplinary and partnered approaches to loss reduction andlong-term disaster resiliency. Engineering topics covered include thecharacterization of hazard forces and the planning, design,
construction, maintenance, performance and use of structures in thephysical environment. Social and behavioral sciences topics
addressed include a range of issues related to hazard mitigation andhuman response as well as significant issues related to the built
environment such as land use, building standards, and the role offinancial markets and insurance. The specific physical science topics
covered include those pertinent to understanding the hazardous
character of the world and the performance of the structures that webuild to accommodate our way of life. More importantly, the journal
features papers co-authored by people from a variety of specializations
who bring a cross-disciplinary perspective to the complex factors that
contribute to disasters in today's-and especially tomorrow's-world.

-

Website: http://ascelibrary.org/nho/Page 29

Address list of already listed journals in back issues:•

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management (IJCCSM):
www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=ijccsm•

Journal of Natural Disaster Science:
http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jsnds/contents/jnds/about.html•

Disasters:
http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0361-3666&site=1•

Environmental Hazards: http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=37213•

Natural Hazards:
www.springer.com/earth+sciences+and+geography/hydrogeology/journal/11069•

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Environmental Change
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences+and+geography/meteorology+%26+climatolog
y/journal/11027•

Extremes
http://www.springer.com/statistics/journal/10687•

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment
http://www.disaster-resilience.salford.ac.uk/international-journal-of-disaster-resilience•

Journal of Disaster Research
http://www.fujipress.jp/JDR/JDR_about.html•

Asian Journal of Environment and Disaster Management (AJEDM)
http://rpsonline.com.sg/journals/101-ajedm/ajedm.html•

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science
http://www.ijdrs.org•

Disaster Advances
http://www.disasterjournal.net/•

International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters
http://www.ijmed.org/•

International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
http://www.sersc.org/journals/IJDRBC/

Page 30

•Disaster Prevention and Management
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=dpm•

Risk Analysis
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0272-4332&site=1•

Journal of Risk Research
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=13669877&linktype=1•

International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management (IJRAM)
http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=24

Page 31

7. New Books
Extreme Environmental Events: Complexity in Forecasting and Early Warning
Authors : Robert A. Meyers (Editor)
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-1441976963
Content: Extreme Environmental Events is an authoritative single source forunderstanding and applying the basic tenets of complexity and systems theory,
as well as the tools and measures for analyzing complex systems, to theprediction, monitoring, and evaluation of major natural phenomena affecting lifeon earth. These phenomena are often highly destructive, and include
earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, climate change,, and weather. Early warning,damage, and the immediate response of human populations to these
phenomena are also covered from the point of view of complexity and nonlinear
systems. In 61 authoritative, state-of-the art articles, world experts in each field
apply such tools and concepts as fractals, cellular automata, solitons gametheory, network theory, and statistical physics to an understanding of thesecomplex geophysical phenomena.
Dynamics of Disaster: Lessons on Risk, Response and Recovery
Authors :Rachel A Dowty et al. (Editor)
Year: 2011
Publisher: Earthsscan Pulbications Ltd
ISBN: 978-1849711432
Content: Disasters are the result of complex interactions between social andnatural forces, acting at multiple scales from the individual and community to theorganizational, national and international level. Effective disaster planning,
response and recovery require an understanding of these interacting forces, andthe role of power, knowledge and organizations. This book sheds new light onthese dynamics, and gives disaster scholars and practitioners new and valuablelessons for management and planning in practice. The authors draw on methods
across the social sciences to examine disaster response and recovery as viewed
by those in positions of authority (Part I) and the recipients of operations (Part II).
These first two sections examine cases from Hurricane Katrina, while Part III
compares this to other international disasters to draw out general lessons andpractical applications for disaster planning in any context. The authors also offer
guidance for shaping institutional structures to better meet the needs ofcommunities and residents.

Page 32

Calculating Catastrophe
Authors : Gordon Woo
Year: 2011
Publisher: Imperial College Press
ISBN: 978-1848167384
Content: This book explains the underlying quantitative basis for understanding
catastrophe phenomena, both natural and man-made. The catastrophes covered
range from geological, meteorological and hydrological hazards to politicalviolence, industrial, ecological and financial risk.
Global Aerospace Monitoring and Disaster Management
Authors : Anatoly N., Menshikov, Valery A., Urlichich, Yuri M.
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-3-7091-0809-3
Content: In this book, space systems are situated in the global processes of the
21st century’s information society and the role that space information systems
could play in risk management is determined; methods of detecting andforecasting of both natural disasters and technogenic catastrophes and existing
global and regional monitoring systems are described; and the IGMASS is
introduced with its architecture and design concept and social and economic
aspects and estimates of its creation, development, and utilization. Finally,
results of the international symposium held in Limassol, Cyprus, in November
2009 in preparation of the IGMASS project’s submission to the United Nations
are discussed.
The Wenchuan Earthquake of 2008
Authors :Chen, Yong, Booth, David C.
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-3-642-21158-4
Content: "The Wenchuan Earthquake of 2008: An anatomy of disaster" gives adetailed account of the damage, seismology and tectonics of the event anddiscusses earthquake prediction, seismic hazard and risk management, thecreation and implementation of building codes, and new practices used in
rescue, relief and reconstruction. It will be of significant interest to researchersand practitioners engaged in seismology, geophysics, engineering, the social
sciences, and disaster management and recovery. It also offers a valuable new
and uniquely Chinese perspective with many insights for future mitigation ofearthquake risk.

Page 33

Coping with Climate Change: Principles and Asian Context
Authors: Chandrappa, Ramesha, Gupta, Sushil, Kulshrestha, Umesh Chandra
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-3-642-19673-7
Content: The Environmental and climatic issues varies from continent tocontinent and is unique to Asia. Understanding the issues does need lot of
research and study material which students may not be able to gather due toshortage of time and resources. Hence an effort is made by authors gathering
there experience and academic input from renowned universities of world.
Climate change is real and coping with it is major concern in coming days. Mostof the books written and sold in the past need updating and customizing. The
general description of climate change and world will not help the professionals
and students. It needs to seen area wise as a professional will work in specificgeographic area. Hence an effort is made to collect data from Asia which host
most populated countries along with ecological hot
In Extremes: Disruptive Events and Trends in Climate and Hydrology
Authors : V. Pisarenko, M. Rodkin
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-3-642-14862-0
Content: The book addresses a weakness of current methodologies used in
extreme value assessment, i.e. the assumption of stationarity, which is not given
in reality. With respect to this issue a lot of new developed technologies arepresented, i.e. influence of trends vs. internal correlations, quantitative
uncertainty assessments, etc. The book not only focuses on artificial time series
data, but has a close link to empirical measurements, in order to make thesuggested methodologies applicable for practitioners in water management andmeteorology.
Post-Disaster Reconstruction of the Built Environment: Rebuilding for Resilience
Authors :Dilanthi Amaratunga, Richard Haigh
Year: 2011
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 978-1-4443-3356-5
Content: The construction industry is typically engaged in a range of criticalactivities after a disaster: providing temporary shelter after the disaster;
restoration of permanent shelter and public services such as hospitals, schools,
water supply, power, communications, and environmental infrastructure. This
book identifies the challenges that face the industry and highlight best practices
to enable the construction industry to address those problems which make aneffective response to these unexpected events difficult. Written by aninternational team of experts, this book will help researchers and advanced
students of construction understand the problems faced by communities and thePage 34

construction industry when faced with a natural or man made disaster, andidentify the planning and management processes required by the industry tomount an effective response.
Environmental Hazards and Disasters: Contexts, Perspectives and Management
Authors: Bimal Kanti Paul
Year: 2011
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
ISBN: 9780470660027
Content: Environmental Hazards and Disasters: Contexts, Perspectives andManagement focuses on manifested threats to humans and their welfare as aresult of natural disasters. The book uses an integrative approach to addresssocio-cultural, political and physical components of the disaster process. Humanand social vulnerability as well as risk to environmental hazards are exploredwithin the comprehensive context of diverse natural hazards and disasters. In
addition to scientific explanations of disastrous occurrences, people andgovernments of hazard-prone countries often have their own interpretations forwhy natural disasters occur. In such interpretations they often either blame
others, in order to conceal their inability to protect themselves, or they blame
themselves, attributing the events to either real or imagined misdeeds. The bookcontains a chapter devoted to the neglected topic of such reactions andexplanations. Includes chapters on key topics such as the application of GIS inhazard studies; resiliency; disasters and poverty; climate change andsustainability and development. This book is designed as a the primary text for
an interdisciplinary course on hazards for upper-level undergraduate andGraduate students. Although not targeted for an introductory hazards course,
students in such a course may find it very useful as well. Additionally, emergency
managers, planners, and both public and private organizations involved indisaster response, and mitigation could benefit from this book along with hazard
researchers. It not only includes traditional and popular hazard topics (e.g.,disaster cycles, disaster relief, and risk and vulnerability), it also includes
neglected topics, such as the positive impacts of disasters, disaster myths anddifferent accounts of disasters, and disasters and gender.
Crisis Information Management: Communication and Technologies
Authors:Christine Hagar
Year: 2011
Publisher: Woodhead Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 9781843346470
Content: This book explores the management of information in crises,
particularly the interconnectedness of information, people, and technologies
during crises. Events, such as the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and 9/11,
have demonstrated that there is a great need to understand how individuals,
government, and non-government agencies organize, manage, access,communicate, and disseminate information within communities during crisis
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situations. Information management problems and information technology
failures have been cited as significant factors in the failed responses to manycrises. This edited book brings together papers written by researchers,
academics, and practitioners from a variety of information perspectives in crisis
response and management (e.g., information science, information management,
information systems, and librarians).
The Causes and Behavioral Consequences of Disasters
Authors:
Year: 2011
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9781461403166
Content: "The Causes and Behavioral Consequences of Disasters" brings apublic health perspective to the literature, reflecting the increasing importance ofthe field in both disaster preparedness and disaster response. Arguing that adisaster is not only the event but its aftermath as well, the authors apply salient
local content to the study of scenarios ranging from the Cuzco, Peru, earthquakeof 1950 to the Columbine school shooting, the Oklahoma City bombing, and9/11. These case studies form the basis for models of vulnerabilities to disasters
and population behavior following disasters, illustrating how careful pre-event
planning and coordinated post-event response strategies can minimize the initialdamage and negative aftereffects. "The Causes and Behavioral Consequencesof Disasters" will further professional discussion and understanding among awide range of professionals and students across public health, mental health,education, health administration and policy, social work, and the social sciences.
Forecasting, Warning and Responding to Transnational Risks
Authors:Chiara De Franco, Christoph O. Meyer
Year: 2011
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780230297845
Content: What does it take to recognize and prevent impending harm, which has
transnational causes and consequences? How can we handle the risks related tofinancial instability, terrorism, pandemics, air pollution, flooding, and climatechange? The book brings together scholars and senior practitioners fromdifferent areas to conceptualize and empirically study the interlinked problems offorecasting, warning and mobilizing preventive action. Contributors comment on
key generic problems such as uncertainty, silo-mentality, spotting weak-signals,
cultures of blame, conflicts of interest and divergent risk perceptions, but are also
sensitive to differences between actors and types of risk. The overall thrust is tochallenge both technocratic and popularized accounts of the warning-response
problem. Successful prevention or mitigation involves difficult cognitive,
normative and political judgements. Whilst these difficulties cannot be eliminated,
contributors suggest ways in which organizations, journalists, scientists anddecision-makers can at least mitigate them.
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Disaster Education
Authors: Rajib Shaw, Koichi Shiwaku, Yukiko Takeuchi
Year: 2011
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISBN: 9780857247377
Content: Education is the key to risk reduction, be it environmental management
or disaster risk reduction, and is a process which needs to be embedded at
different levels of management and practices to collectively reduce the risk.
While school education forms the foundations of the knowledge cycle, foreffective knowledge use, it is necessary to link school and community education.
Education is linked to enhanced awareness and a key reflection of education isseen in terms of actions. Divided into four sections this book begins with aninformative introduction to the subject of disaster risk reduction education andproceeds to highlight key places of education such as family, community, school,
and higher education. It then examines approaches, methods and tools before
providing a future perspective and pointing to the way ahead. This is the firstbook of its kind on disaster risk reduction education. A ready reference forpractitioners in the field, this book describes and demonstrates different aspectsof education in an easy-to-understand form with current academic research andpractical field experiences included throughout.
The Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters
Authors: Debarati Guha-Sapir, Indhira Santos, Alexandre Borde
Year: 2011
Publisher: Earthscan Ltd
ISBN: 9781844077694
Content: Research on the economics of natural disasters has not kept up withthe tremendous impacts of these phenomena on people's lives. However, large
scale events such as Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami in Asia and the more recent
2008 hurricane in Myanmar and earthquake in Sichuan, China, have sparked
new interest in the field. This book brings together the work of academic
researchers and practitioners covering methodological aspects of measuring
natural disasters as well as relevant macro and microeconomic theory andevidence, trying to put forward a research agenda and policy options for the next
decade. The book has two parts. Part I first provides an overview of the generaltrends in natural disasters and their effects, and later focuses on a criticalanalysis of different methodologies to assess the economic impact of natural
disasters, as well as on the ex-ante and ex-post mechanisms to deal with theeffects of disasters and the relationship between extreme natural events andclimate change. Part II covers six case studies from both the developed and thedeveloping world, and from three different continents: Bangladesh, Vietnam,
India, Nicaragua, Japan and the Netherlands. Using both country-level data andhousehold surveys, these case studies analyse and quantify the impact of natural
hazards - hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, among other types of disasters - onhousehold welfare and macroeconomic performance. This is an indispensible
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volume for researchers, academics and policy professionals addressing the shortand long term economic effects of natural disasters.

List of already listed new books in back issues:
Heavy-Tailed Distributions in Disaster Analysis
Authors: V. Pisarenko, M. Rodkin
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer, New York
ISBN: 978-9048191703
When the Planet Rages: Natural Disasters, Global Warming and the Future of the
Earth
Authors: Charles Offices, Jake Page
Year: 2010
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0195377019

Early Warning for Geological Disasters
Authors: Friedemann Wenzel, Jochen Zschau (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer, Berlin
ISBN: 978-3642122323

Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters
Authors: World Bank, United Nations
Year: 2010
Publisher: Word Bank
ASIN: 978-0739124161
Mitigation of Natural Hazards and Disasters: International Perspectives
Authors: C. Emdad Haque (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN-10: 9048167965
Systems Approach to Management of Disasters: Methods and Applications
Authors: Slobodan P. Simonovi
Year: 2010
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN-10: 978-0739124161
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Extreme Events in Nature and Society
Authors: Sergio Albeverio, Volker Jentsch, Holger Kantz
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642066798
Natural and Anthropogenic Disasters: Vulnerability, Preparedness and Mitigation
Authors: M.K. Jha (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9048124972
Natural Disasters as Interactive Components of Global-Ecodynamics
Authors: Kirill Ya Kondratyev, Vladimir F. Krapivin, Costas A. Varostos
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642068448
Catalogue of Risks: Natural, Technical, Social and Health Risks
Authors: Dirk Proske
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642098487
In Extremis: Disruptive Events and Trends in Climate and Hydrology
Authors: Jürgen Kropp, Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 364214862X
Natural Disasters and Sustainable Development
Authors : Riccardo Casale, Claudio Margottini (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642075800
Assessing Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change: Making Research
Useful for Adaptation Decision Making and Policy [Paperback]Authors : Anthony G. Patt et al. (editor)
Year: 2010
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1849711542
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8. Book Review
Vulnerable India: A Geographical Study of Disasters
Anu Kapur, Sage Publications India, 2010:
300 Pages
Anu Kapur is an associate Professor of Geography at the Delhi School of
Economics and a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The
book, while written in an emotional style, maintains (mostly) a scientificallyrigorous manner. The focus of the work is less on natural scientificadvancements of disaster loss assessments or risk management in India,
but more on the socio-economic realities which cause disasters to happen
and the responsibilities society has to lessen them. As one of thenecessary conditions in dealing with disasters is the notion that they are
results of human activity and not “acts of god,” much focus is given to thehistorical development of the perception of disasters within India andresponsibilities and failures in due course, which increased vulnerability - inthe authors view - to unacceptable levels. Throughout the book, disasterstatistics from various sources are used to underpin some arguments aswell as to show geographically hazard prone areas and give a clearer
picture of the problems discussed. The data used is from a relatively shorttime period (1977-2002) and therefore not able to show possible future
hotspots, nor a complete risk picture; however, it is useful for a descriptionof the past and provides a good overview, which was the author’s goal.
From a methodological viewpoint, various (relatively simple) quantitative
indices are developed (e.g. to show multi hazard prone areas for Indian
districts), in addition to more advanced statistical methods such as cluster
analysis (used to shed light on specific issues). Another focus is, as the title
suggests, vulnerability and how it can be identified and measured within aholistic approach, incorporating both quantifiable tangible dimensions aswell as intangibles. While interesting, it lacks in incorporating these ideas
into the current scientific literature dealing with this issue. The frameworks
proposed, with the components of vulnerability analyzed at the regional
scale, in combination with the historical description of disaster perception inIndia, makes the book a valuable and rewarding read, not only for peopleinterested in India.

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The book is organized in three sections: Fact, Response and Reality. In
the first section, there are two chapters: Chapter 1 gives a detailed
overview of historical and recent natural disasters in India. The word
“disasterscape” is introduced on p. 5, defined “… as a place where humanlife is lost or damaged, relationships ripped and livelihoods disrupted”.
Hence, the focus in this book is not only on tangible losses such as
population killed and affected, or monetary losses and financing issues, butalso on intangible effects on livelihoods and communities. This allows for abroader look at disaster effects and possible responses in later chapters.
The disasterscape attributed to (in total sixteen) different natural
phenomena is described in chapter 2. This include disasters due to heavy
snowfalls, cold waves, hailstorms, lightning, thunderstorms, squall, dust
storms, heat waves, cloudbursts, gale, cyclones, heavy rain, flooding, flash
floods, droughts, as well as earthquakes. For each of these meteorologicalevents, the numbers of disastrous occurrences, as well as the number of
persons killed, are shown for a 26 year time period, from 1977to 2002.
Additionally, statistics about the disaster frequency for each hazard areshown on spatial maps for the 593 districts in India, and discussed on moreaggregated levels where necessary throughout the text. This supplies agood overview of the spatial dimension of the problem; however, the shorttime period looked at, as well as neglecting the intensity of events (a short
discussion is given) limits the value of such an analysis. Based on theoccurrence and fatalities between 1977 and 2002, weights to each of thesehazards were attached to a composite index created to show hotspot
regions within India. As noted by the author, the hotspot regions canchange quite dramatically (p.85) if different weights are applied. Therefore,
other weighting methods, as well as the total fatalities in each district for all
hazards, was analyzed, attempting to round out the picture, which isachieved with only mild success, as these efforts also lead to additional
problems.. Overall, the two chapters give a comprehensive overall picture
on past and recent disasters happened in India.
Section II is called Response and includes 4 chapters about the historical
understanding of disasters in India through time. Naturally, chapter 3 starts
with a discussion about the traditional conceptualization of disasters (likethe Vedic conception), traditional systems to forecast disasters (divination,using stars, transcendental perception) as well as folk paradigms todisaster. The chapter proves very interesting to read, with much information
about religious and philosophical disputes. Chapter 4, called “Colonial: The
idea of ‘natural’ disaster” discusses the shift in thinking of the perception ofPage 41

disasters via the separation of the natural process from the human process.
A large section is given to the history of European philosophical reflections
about nature and the consequences (separation of the natural from thedivine) of these ideas as they were introduced via British colonists.
Following this background, chapter 5 discusses the time period from 1947
to 1990 and blames a neglect of some important dimensions, which
increased the vulnerability of people to hazards and ultimately led to thecurrent widespread losses. This argument is supported by a range ofquantitative and qualitative information on governmental, administrative,
and academic efforts to deal (or not deal) with disasters over the time
period. The entire chapter is rewarding due to its comprehensive analysis,
as well as in providing frameworks to specific issues such as the language
used to condemn natural processes, however, sometimes there is a lack ofintegration of these ideas. Chapter 6 discusses the period after 1990 within
the theme of globalization. While the author sees greater recognition of theimportance of disasters and discusses programs established to lessen theirimpacts in India, she also sees ignorance of this topic in recent times andcalls for greater attention, as “the reason for disasters is not the naturals
but a vulnerable India” (p. 192).
Hence, section III takes a closer look at why and how India is vulnerable
against disasters (chapter 7). Again, this is emphasized via the constructionof several indices and geographical mapping of exposures of different risk
bearers on various scales. While interesting, the chapter lacks a discussionof the recent literature on this issue and comparison to other approaches.
The last chapter, called “a disaster divide,” presents various statistics forshowing which sub-groups of society have to bear the greatest costs.
Based on these findings, the author concludes that the “human suffering isa consequence of neglect and apathy” and therefore suggests a change invocabulary, to reflect the idea that the causes of disasters are primarily due
to human interaction. The literature used is a bit outdated in some cases,
and more efforts could have been made to incorporate other approaches
as well.
In summary, this book is an excellent introduction into the issues of natural
disasters in India, geographic location of natural hazards, causes ofvulnerability, historical development of perceptions and approaches todisasters and management, and deserves special attention.
.
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9. Ongoing Field Work
Investigating Drought Impacts, Perceptions and Prevention in
Iran.
Masoud Yazdanpanah
Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture,
Shiraz University, Iran

Iran is a very drought prone country and due to anthropogenic climatechange, drought repetition and its severity is predicted to increase. Thesenatural disasters have severe effects in Iran. One estimate by The United
Nations stated that drought-related costs to Iran in 2000 alone were 3.5billion US dollars, and the mid-year estimate for the following year was
already 2.5 billion. From 1998 to 2001, drought events cost Iran over 4.2
billion dollars. In 2000, fifty villages in the Kerman province were evacuated
due to lack of water, and more than one million head of livestock perishedthroughout the country. It is estimated that in that year, three million tons ofwheat and barley were lost (12 million tons of wheat being the estimate of
the amount of grain needed to feed the Iranian population for one year). In
2001 things were even worse: in Esfahan Province, 100,000 farm workers
lost their jobs because of the drought, and in the southeast of the country
Lake Hamoun – formerly the largest body of freshwater in Iran – ceased toexist by September. Up to that point, fishermen from the villages around
Hamoun had taken 12,000 tons of fish from the lake every year. Beyond
the loss of the fishermen, the lake’s disappearance has resulted in strong
winds and sandstorms, which have increased soil erosion in 94 of thesouth-eastern villages.
In this regard and based on my research interests, I focus on
investigating drought and water crisis effects on rural areas, with anadditional focus in drought management and water conservation behavior
at the households level and policy making in these two areas (droughtmanagement and water management). Also, I have done research on
adoption of crop insurance and investigating farmers' satisfaction with crop
insurance. In drought management, I recently undertook a qualitative andquantitative study in southern Iran. The qualitative aspect investigatesdrought effects on farmers and their coping with drought in three economic
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groups (poor, moderate and rich). In this study, I investigated centralism
drought management through the perception of farmers. In the quantitative
study, I used “Planned behavior theory” to investigate farmers’ behavior
and factors which affect their actions. Also in this sub-section of this study, I
investigated experts’ attitudes towards drought management. This research
was a collaborative effort with Dr Nouzar Monfared.
Currently, I work on water management at both the policy-making andhousehold levels. Also, I did a study about adoption of crop insurance andfarmers’ satisfaction with it, using a diffusion model, farm structure modeland combination of the two for investigating Iranian farmers’ adaptation
behavior. The models were tested with three groups, insured, previously
insured, and uninsured farmers. To analyze the currently and previously
insured farmers’ satisfaction with the programs, I used Swedish customer
satisfaction, the American satisfaction index, and many other indices.. At
the policymaking level, I work on two well defined theories, reflexive
modernity and cultural theory. Indeed, in water management we recognizethat modernization theory can't solve our current challenges and therefore
we’re seeking an alternative theory. At the individual level, I work on a
combination of cultural theory and planned behavior theory to design a newframework to investigate farmers’ behavior related to water management.
Right now I am gathering data in the south of Iran, the Bushehr province,
for a water management project. In the last phase, I designed two surveys,
one for farmers and another for experts. While many farmers in Iran aren’twell educated, after sampling I had to find them and do face to faceinterviews for fill out surveys. It is very difficult work, and time consuming.
I should do 420 face to face interviews across the Bushehr provinces while
the temperature is around 40 C, but for second group, the situation ismuch easier; I can post surveys to experts or just deliver the paperwork tothem. I hope to complete this phase in around 3 months; I started on thestarted on the 15th of May, and hope to be finish by the 15th of August.

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10.

Miscellaneous

Other Newsletters:-

Disaster Research: DISASTER RESEARCH (DR) is a moderated newsletter for
creators and users of information about hazards and disasters.
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/dr/currentdr.html-

Emergency Manager’s Weekly Report:
Website:http://www.6pinternational.com/news.php?category=Emergency%20Managers%20
Weekly%20Report&-

KatNet-Newsletter: (mostly in German language)
Website: http://www.katastrophennetz.de/-

EM-DAT: International Disaster Database Newsletter (CRED)
Website: http://www.emdat.be/publications-

DSCRN: Disaster and Social Crisis Research Network Newsletter
Website: http://www.dscrn.org/cms/index.php?page=newsletter-

International Institute for Sustainable Development Newsletter: IISD Reporting
Services.
Website: Climate Change: http://climate-l.iisd.org/about-the-climate-l-mailing-list/
General Information: http://www.iisd.ca/-

Society of Risk Analysis Newsletter:
Website: http://www.sra.org/newsletter.php-

ULC Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction Newsletter:
Website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/rdr/irdr/newsletter/

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Newsletter Committee:
Head:
Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler
IIASA- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
Email: hochrain@iiasa.ac.at
Muneta Yokomatsu
Research Center for Disaster Reduction Systems,
Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University
E-mail: yoko@drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Ana Maria Cruz
Consultant, Natech Risk Management
Bordeaux, France
E-mail: cruzanamaria2000@yahoo.com
Wei XuBeijing Normal University ( BNU)
Beijing, China
E-mail: xuwei@bnu.edu.cn

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