Debarati Guha-Sapir and Indhira Santos (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Natural disasters, in particular climate related ones, are increasing in frequency. Along with this, their socio economic impacts have doubled or even tripled. These trends present important ...
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Natural disasters, in particular climate related ones, are increasing in frequency. Along with this, their socio economic impacts have doubled or even tripled. These trends present important challenges to policy makers at national and international levels, especially within the context of climate change and global warming. This book focuses on the economic impact of these catastrophic events. The first part critically reviews economic tools currently available to measure and analyze impact on national economies as well as household welfare. It also examines ex-ante and ex-post mechanisms to deal with the effects of disasters and the relationship between extreme natural events and climate change. The authors discuss methods related to the valuation of disaster losses and their impact on non-marketed goods like the environment as well as balancing risks, costs and benefits of disaster management. Case studies from different economic settings are then presented. Examples from industrialized countries, including Netherlands and Japan, consider cost benefit analysis, micro-level consumption and insurance patterns. Cases from developing countries such as Nicaragua and Bangladesh cover topics ranging from informal mechanisms of inter-household transfers and their relations to public aid schemes, to flood loss management for adaptation options. The book concludes with concrete research and policy priorities that are relevant at national and international levels. It opens up new avenues for thinking and debate, emphasizing the need for better evidence of the socio economic effects of disasters and better policies to reduce impact.Less
Natural disasters, in particular climate related ones, are increasing in frequency. Along with this, their socio economic impacts have doubled or even tripled. These trends present important challenges to policy makers at national and international levels, especially within the context of climate change and global warming. This book focuses on the economic impact of these catastrophic events. The first part critically reviews economic tools currently available to measure and analyze impact on national economies as well as household welfare. It also examines ex-ante and ex-post mechanisms to deal with the effects of disasters and the relationship between extreme natural events and climate change. The authors discuss methods related to the valuation of disaster losses and their impact on non-marketed goods like the environment as well as balancing risks, costs and benefits of disaster management. Case studies from different economic settings are then presented. Examples from industrialized countries, including Netherlands and Japan, consider cost benefit analysis, micro-level consumption and insurance patterns. Cases from developing countries such as Nicaragua and Bangladesh cover topics ranging from informal mechanisms of inter-household transfers and their relations to public aid schemes, to flood loss management for adaptation options. The book concludes with concrete research and policy priorities that are relevant at national and international levels. It opens up new avenues for thinking and debate, emphasizing the need for better evidence of the socio economic effects of disasters and better policies to reduce impact.
Jerry Skees, Panos Varangis, Donald Larson, and Paul Siegel
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199276837
- eISBN:
- 9780191601620
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199276838.003.0019
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter examines private and public mechanisms for managing natural disasters. It focuses on weather-related risks that impact rural incomes. It argues that the basic information and analysis ...
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This chapter examines private and public mechanisms for managing natural disasters. It focuses on weather-related risks that impact rural incomes. It argues that the basic information and analysis needed to design and value index insurance can also be used to develop a spatial mapping of weather-related risks. It discusses ways of structuring disaster assistance so that it facilitates other forms of risk management, and presents a solution that involves segmenting and layering the natural disaster risk.Less
This chapter examines private and public mechanisms for managing natural disasters. It focuses on weather-related risks that impact rural incomes. It argues that the basic information and analysis needed to design and value index insurance can also be used to develop a spatial mapping of weather-related risks. It discusses ways of structuring disaster assistance so that it facilitates other forms of risk management, and presents a solution that involves segmenting and layering the natural disaster risk.
Mallory McDuff
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195379570
- eISBN:
- 9780199869084
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195379570.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter reveals how churches are transforming the ministry of disaster relief and rebuilding by integrating the environment into their efforts. Many churches and faith organizations are making ...
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This chapter reveals how churches are transforming the ministry of disaster relief and rebuilding by integrating the environment into their efforts. Many churches and faith organizations are making the environment a priority as they respond to the increasing scale of natural disasters precipitated by climate change. The stories in this chapter along the Gulf Coast include the congregation of St. John Baptist Church, which integrated energy efficiency into their rebuilt church; a group of innovative churches called Sustainable Churches for South Louisiana; a program called Desire Street Ministries, which rebuilds churches and educates youth; and the Jericho Road Housing Initiative, which is spearheading energy-efficient, affordable housing. The lessons learned point to the power of hope from faith, the importance of coordinating sustainability among denominations, the potential for partnerships with secular environmental groups, and the long-term economic gains from investing in green building.Less
This chapter reveals how churches are transforming the ministry of disaster relief and rebuilding by integrating the environment into their efforts. Many churches and faith organizations are making the environment a priority as they respond to the increasing scale of natural disasters precipitated by climate change. The stories in this chapter along the Gulf Coast include the congregation of St. John Baptist Church, which integrated energy efficiency into their rebuilt church; a group of innovative churches called Sustainable Churches for South Louisiana; a program called Desire Street Ministries, which rebuilds churches and educates youth; and the Jericho Road Housing Initiative, which is spearheading energy-efficient, affordable housing. The lessons learned point to the power of hope from faith, the importance of coordinating sustainability among denominations, the potential for partnerships with secular environmental groups, and the long-term economic gains from investing in green building.
Debarati Guha-Sapir, Olivia D’Aoust, Femke Vos, and Philippe Hoyois
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The world is facing the impact of natural disasters on human lives and economy on a colossal scale. In 2008, 321 disasters killed 235,816 people, affected 211 million others and cost a total of ...
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The world is facing the impact of natural disasters on human lives and economy on a colossal scale. In 2008, 321 disasters killed 235,816 people, affected 211 million others and cost a total of US$181 billion. Asia account for a large share of these figures. The most frequent disasters are floods and storms, accounting for 70% of the natural disasters that occurred between 1950 and 2008. This chapter builds on the international Emergency Disasters Database (EM-DAT) to provide an overview of both the occurrence and the human and economic consequences of natural disasters across time and space. It also points out that statistics are essential forthe understanding of risk profiles and severity of impact, and calls for more standardized definitions and methods. In particular, the economic damages of natural disasters are largely underreported.Less
The world is facing the impact of natural disasters on human lives and economy on a colossal scale. In 2008, 321 disasters killed 235,816 people, affected 211 million others and cost a total of US$181 billion. Asia account for a large share of these figures. The most frequent disasters are floods and storms, accounting for 70% of the natural disasters that occurred between 1950 and 2008. This chapter builds on the international Emergency Disasters Database (EM-DAT) to provide an overview of both the occurrence and the human and economic consequences of natural disasters across time and space. It also points out that statistics are essential forthe understanding of risk profiles and severity of impact, and calls for more standardized definitions and methods. In particular, the economic damages of natural disasters are largely underreported.
Jon Coaffee
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300228670
- eISBN:
- 9780300244953
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300228670.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
This chapter discusses disaster resilience. Recent major disasters and serious disruptions have put increased emphasis on how quickly an area can recover following a large-scale shock and have meant ...
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This chapter discusses disaster resilience. Recent major disasters and serious disruptions have put increased emphasis on how quickly an area can recover following a large-scale shock and have meant that disaster risk reduction or disaster resilience has grown in prominence. When we look at how to interpret the great transition from risk towards resilience in the early twenty-first century, then we can look to disasters for many explanations. Whether in terms of the relatively simple characterisation that sees risk viewed differently as the modern passes into the postmodern era, or how we get to grips with reframing disaster as a complex human-induced process rather than something that is ‘natural’ or divine, disasters illuminate many reasons why we need to invest in resilience as an urgent futureproofing strategy. Responses to disasters can also teach us lessons about a darker and more unethical side of resilience that needs to be surfaced.Less
This chapter discusses disaster resilience. Recent major disasters and serious disruptions have put increased emphasis on how quickly an area can recover following a large-scale shock and have meant that disaster risk reduction or disaster resilience has grown in prominence. When we look at how to interpret the great transition from risk towards resilience in the early twenty-first century, then we can look to disasters for many explanations. Whether in terms of the relatively simple characterisation that sees risk viewed differently as the modern passes into the postmodern era, or how we get to grips with reframing disaster as a complex human-induced process rather than something that is ‘natural’ or divine, disasters illuminate many reasons why we need to invest in resilience as an urgent futureproofing strategy. Responses to disasters can also teach us lessons about a darker and more unethical side of resilience that needs to be surfaced.
Ajay Chhibber and Rachid Laajaj
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter provides an analysis of the interaction between natural disasters and human development. It provides a decomposition of the channels through which “human made disasters with a natural ...
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This chapter provides an analysis of the interaction between natural disasters and human development. It provides a decomposition of the channels through which “human made disasters with a natural trigger” affect long term growth. It categorizes countries by level of exposure and investigates the approaches which can prevent a vicious cycle between natural disasters and low development. Among highly exposed countries, sustainable development needs to go hand in hand with an increase in resilience through both preparedness and mitigation. The chapter highlights the potential of an adaptive capacity at the institutional level, economic diversification, flexibility in aid disbursement, the use of index micro-insurances, and sustainable agriculture.Less
This chapter provides an analysis of the interaction between natural disasters and human development. It provides a decomposition of the channels through which “human made disasters with a natural trigger” affect long term growth. It categorizes countries by level of exposure and investigates the approaches which can prevent a vicious cycle between natural disasters and low development. Among highly exposed countries, sustainable development needs to go hand in hand with an increase in resilience through both preparedness and mitigation. The chapter highlights the potential of an adaptive capacity at the institutional level, economic diversification, flexibility in aid disbursement, the use of index micro-insurances, and sustainable agriculture.
Harvey Molotch
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691163581
- eISBN:
- 9781400852338
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691163581.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This chapter turns to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to demonstrate command and disarray in the way that city meets river. It describes how threats from nature become part of the social-political ...
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This chapter turns to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to demonstrate command and disarray in the way that city meets river. It describes how threats from nature become part of the social-political apparatus—with the Katrina disaster the unhappy result. It has become rather common to observe that “there is no such thing as a natural disaster,” and Katrina is surely a poster child for that assertion. Much of the history of the New Orleans area was a kind Katrina in the making. Building levees, canals, and other infrastructural elements for the sake of safety yielded eventual mayhem. The chapter traces out some of the details of the “downward precautionary spiral.” Each effort at a fix leads to a successive effort of the same sort, accumulating not as a series of individual safety features but as vulnerability to events of catastrophic proportion.Less
This chapter turns to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to demonstrate command and disarray in the way that city meets river. It describes how threats from nature become part of the social-political apparatus—with the Katrina disaster the unhappy result. It has become rather common to observe that “there is no such thing as a natural disaster,” and Katrina is surely a poster child for that assertion. Much of the history of the New Orleans area was a kind Katrina in the making. Building levees, canals, and other infrastructural elements for the sake of safety yielded eventual mayhem. The chapter traces out some of the details of the “downward precautionary spiral.” Each effort at a fix leads to a successive effort of the same sort, accumulating not as a series of individual safety features but as vulnerability to events of catastrophic proportion.
Jane Mcadam
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199587087
- eISBN:
- 9780191738494
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199587087.003.0010
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
This chapter draws together the themes of Chapters 7 and 8 to consider the overarching normative principles of international cooperation, humanity, and dignity that should underpin State and ...
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This chapter draws together the themes of Chapters 7 and 8 to consider the overarching normative principles of international cooperation, humanity, and dignity that should underpin State and institutional responses to cross-border displacement in the context of climate change and disasters. By placing the needs and rights of the affected individual at the centre of analysis, they mandate that legal and policy responses are human-rights-focused. There is an increasing coalescence of institutional support for the creation of a set of guiding principles, similar in nature to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, to provide a guiding framework in cross-border scenarios. This is coupled with a noticeable shift in emphasis at the international level away from ‘climate change’ displacement, to a focus on ‘disasters’, of which climate change-related disasters are a sub-category. This sits more comfortably with the conceptual problems of isolating ‘climate change’ as a cause of movement, discussed throughout the book.Less
This chapter draws together the themes of Chapters 7 and 8 to consider the overarching normative principles of international cooperation, humanity, and dignity that should underpin State and institutional responses to cross-border displacement in the context of climate change and disasters. By placing the needs and rights of the affected individual at the centre of analysis, they mandate that legal and policy responses are human-rights-focused. There is an increasing coalescence of institutional support for the creation of a set of guiding principles, similar in nature to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, to provide a guiding framework in cross-border scenarios. This is coupled with a noticeable shift in emphasis at the international level away from ‘climate change’ displacement, to a focus on ‘disasters’, of which climate change-related disasters are a sub-category. This sits more comfortably with the conceptual problems of isolating ‘climate change’ as a cause of movement, discussed throughout the book.
Tran Huu Tuan and Bui Dung The
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Lying in the tropical monsoon area of the North West Pacific, Vietnam is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. It is affected by many kinds of natural disasters such as floods, ...
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Lying in the tropical monsoon area of the North West Pacific, Vietnam is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. It is affected by many kinds of natural disasters such as floods, storms, whirlwinds, flash floods, coastline erosion, droughts and landslides. This chapter aims to reach a better understanding of disasters in Vietnam through a review of relevant case studies, policies, plans and strategies. The focus is on the socio-economic aspects of disastersusing documentary research methods. The study finds that disasters in Vietnam cause grave impacts to economic sectors, increase poverty, adversely impactindividual households and the community as large, cause environmental degradation, and induce serious health problems. The review of disaster prevention, response and mitigation measures in Vietnam points to the importance of public education and community awareness about disasters and of enforcement of legislation and policies on disasters.Less
Lying in the tropical monsoon area of the North West Pacific, Vietnam is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. It is affected by many kinds of natural disasters such as floods, storms, whirlwinds, flash floods, coastline erosion, droughts and landslides. This chapter aims to reach a better understanding of disasters in Vietnam through a review of relevant case studies, policies, plans and strategies. The focus is on the socio-economic aspects of disastersusing documentary research methods. The study finds that disasters in Vietnam cause grave impacts to economic sectors, increase poverty, adversely impactindividual households and the community as large, cause environmental degradation, and induce serious health problems. The review of disaster prevention, response and mitigation measures in Vietnam points to the importance of public education and community awareness about disasters and of enforcement of legislation and policies on disasters.
Emily Ying Yang Chan
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- March 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198835479
- eISBN:
- 9780191873140
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198835479.003.0004
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Emergency preparedness to health risk and disaster response to health needs are essential health protection skills and competencies to protect community health and well-being in times of crisis. ...
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Emergency preparedness to health risk and disaster response to health needs are essential health protection skills and competencies to protect community health and well-being in times of crisis. Emergencies and extreme events may disrupt the environmental context and destroy essential life- and health-sustaining infrastructure and environmental context. Crisis often renders a health system ineffective to protect a community from health risks and provide for the overwhelming health and medical needs associated with the disruption. In addition, in the twenty-first century, many of the emergencies and disasters transcend national boundaries and require transnational cooperation. Such a response requires global involvement and collaborations to respond effectively and efficiently. Natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes/typhoons), global disease outbreaks of old and emerging infectious diseases, and population displacements as a result of war, famine, or natural disaster often require just the response capacity of more than a single nation.Less
Emergency preparedness to health risk and disaster response to health needs are essential health protection skills and competencies to protect community health and well-being in times of crisis. Emergencies and extreme events may disrupt the environmental context and destroy essential life- and health-sustaining infrastructure and environmental context. Crisis often renders a health system ineffective to protect a community from health risks and provide for the overwhelming health and medical needs associated with the disruption. In addition, in the twenty-first century, many of the emergencies and disasters transcend national boundaries and require transnational cooperation. Such a response requires global involvement and collaborations to respond effectively and efficiently. Natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes/typhoons), global disease outbreaks of old and emerging infectious diseases, and population displacements as a result of war, famine, or natural disaster often require just the response capacity of more than a single nation.
Robert Audi
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199609574
- eISBN:
- 9780191731822
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199609574.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This book shows how religious commitment can be rational and describes the place of faith in the postmodern world. It portrays religious commitment as far more than accepting doctrines—it is viewed ...
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This book shows how religious commitment can be rational and describes the place of faith in the postmodern world. It portrays religious commitment as far more than accepting doctrines—it is viewed as a kind of life, not just as an embrace of tenets. Faith is conceived as a unique attitude. It is irreducible to belief, but closely connected with both belief and conduct, and intimately related to life’s moral, political, and aesthetic dimensions. Part One presents an account of rationality as a status attainable by mature religious people—even those with a strongly scientific habit of mind. Part Two describes what it means to have faith, how faith is connected with attitudes, emotions, and conduct, and how religious experience may support it. Part Three turns to religious commitment and moral obligation and to the relation between religion and politics. It shows how ethics and religion can be mutually supportive though ethics provides comprehensive standards of conduct independently of theology. It also depicts the integrated life possible for the religiously committed—a life with rewarding interactions between faith and reason, religion and science, and the aesthetic and the spiritual. The book concludes with two major accounts. One, concerning the relation between theism and evil, explains how moral wrongs and natural disasters are possible under a God conceived as having the knowledge, power, and goodness that make such evils so difficult to understand. The other account concerns the metaphysical resources of theism and the nature of persons, human and divine, and it yields a theory that can sustain a rational theistic worldview in the contemporary scientific age.Less
This book shows how religious commitment can be rational and describes the place of faith in the postmodern world. It portrays religious commitment as far more than accepting doctrines—it is viewed as a kind of life, not just as an embrace of tenets. Faith is conceived as a unique attitude. It is irreducible to belief, but closely connected with both belief and conduct, and intimately related to life’s moral, political, and aesthetic dimensions. Part One presents an account of rationality as a status attainable by mature religious people—even those with a strongly scientific habit of mind. Part Two describes what it means to have faith, how faith is connected with attitudes, emotions, and conduct, and how religious experience may support it. Part Three turns to religious commitment and moral obligation and to the relation between religion and politics. It shows how ethics and religion can be mutually supportive though ethics provides comprehensive standards of conduct independently of theology. It also depicts the integrated life possible for the religiously committed—a life with rewarding interactions between faith and reason, religion and science, and the aesthetic and the spiritual. The book concludes with two major accounts. One, concerning the relation between theism and evil, explains how moral wrongs and natural disasters are possible under a God conceived as having the knowledge, power, and goodness that make such evils so difficult to understand. The other account concerns the metaphysical resources of theism and the nature of persons, human and divine, and it yields a theory that can sustain a rational theistic worldview in the contemporary scientific age.
Graciana del Castillo
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199237739
- eISBN:
- 9780191717239
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237739.003.0004
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
The book uses the term ‘economic reconstruction’ in a broad sense to include not only rehabilitation of basic services and rebuilding of physical and human infrastructure, but also the stabilization ...
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The book uses the term ‘economic reconstruction’ in a broad sense to include not only rehabilitation of basic services and rebuilding of physical and human infrastructure, but also the stabilization and structural reform policies, as well as the microeconomic foundations required to create a market economy and reactivate investment and broad-based growth. This chapter argues that countries in reconstruction do indeed share a number of characteristics with countries in the process of normal development but such similarities should not lead to their conflation. The chapter discusses how policymaking in countries coming out of crisis — whether conflict, natural disasters, or financial chaos — differs from policymaking under normal development. Since countries coming out of war have a high risk of relapsing into conflict, the chapter also argues that it may be more effective to use scarce resources in the few countries undergoing reconstruction than in preventive diplomacy across the world.Less
The book uses the term ‘economic reconstruction’ in a broad sense to include not only rehabilitation of basic services and rebuilding of physical and human infrastructure, but also the stabilization and structural reform policies, as well as the microeconomic foundations required to create a market economy and reactivate investment and broad-based growth. This chapter argues that countries in reconstruction do indeed share a number of characteristics with countries in the process of normal development but such similarities should not lead to their conflation. The chapter discusses how policymaking in countries coming out of crisis — whether conflict, natural disasters, or financial chaos — differs from policymaking under normal development. Since countries coming out of war have a high risk of relapsing into conflict, the chapter also argues that it may be more effective to use scarce resources in the few countries undergoing reconstruction than in preventive diplomacy across the world.
Jody Heymann
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195156591
- eISBN:
- 9780199943333
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156591.003.0058
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
This chapter steps back and asks the question of whether the dilemmas that families face, as great as they are, continue to be relevant in the context of other crises from epidemics to natural ...
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This chapter steps back and asks the question of whether the dilemmas that families face, as great as they are, continue to be relevant in the context of other crises from epidemics to natural disasters to the long-term aftermath of wars. It examines what matters and what does not in times of crisis and afterward, beginning with families in Botswana, where the AIDS pandemic has led to a reduction in life expectancy. The chapter next examines the lives of families in Honduras, after massive mudslides displaced more than a million people. It also describes families in Vietnam a quarter-century after a war that led to several million deaths. Even in the midst of these tragedies and their aftermaths, there are glimpses of hope—programs that are truly making a difference in the lives of children. The chapter ends by describing these programs and the chance they provide for profound change.Less
This chapter steps back and asks the question of whether the dilemmas that families face, as great as they are, continue to be relevant in the context of other crises from epidemics to natural disasters to the long-term aftermath of wars. It examines what matters and what does not in times of crisis and afterward, beginning with families in Botswana, where the AIDS pandemic has led to a reduction in life expectancy. The chapter next examines the lives of families in Honduras, after massive mudslides displaced more than a million people. It also describes families in Vietnam a quarter-century after a war that led to several million deaths. Even in the midst of these tragedies and their aftermaths, there are glimpses of hope—programs that are truly making a difference in the lives of children. The chapter ends by describing these programs and the chance they provide for profound change.
John M. Kirk
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813061054
- eISBN:
- 9780813051338
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813061054.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
Cuba’s record in responding to natural disasters and emergencies is examined, from 1960 to the present. The formation of the specially trained Henry Reeve Brigade when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 ...
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Cuba’s record in responding to natural disasters and emergencies is examined, from 1960 to the present. The formation of the specially trained Henry Reeve Brigade when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 (to respond to such emergencies) is analysed. Case histories of some of the responses are studied.Less
Cuba’s record in responding to natural disasters and emergencies is examined, from 1960 to the present. The formation of the specially trained Henry Reeve Brigade when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 (to respond to such emergencies) is analysed. Case histories of some of the responses are studied.
Josef W. Konvitz
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781784992903
- eISBN:
- 9781526103970
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781784992903.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
The ultimate test of how well prepared a society is to cope with and recover from a crisis is another crisis.The lessons of the economic crisis of 2008 show how long it takes to bring about reforms, ...
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The ultimate test of how well prepared a society is to cope with and recover from a crisis is another crisis.The lessons of the economic crisis of 2008 show how long it takes to bring about reforms, and how difficult international co-operation to achieve greater coherence can be. Looking to the future, disasters – global and local – are likely to exceed past trends, challenging the capacity of individual countries to absorb their impact. Cross-border, cross-sectoral, place-based strategies will be difficult for governments to introduce and implement, as illustrated by examples from the past two decades, and by the risks associated with flooding. Earlier in the 20th century, modern networked infrastructure utilities were seen as a point of vulnerability, but bombing in war did not bring about an expected collapse of urban societies and economies. Instead, this experience highlighted the factors of resilience. Strengthening resilience makes sense but it is not a cost-free strategy. The greatest risk to resilience comes from the fragmentation of society and a loss of social capital.Less
The ultimate test of how well prepared a society is to cope with and recover from a crisis is another crisis.The lessons of the economic crisis of 2008 show how long it takes to bring about reforms, and how difficult international co-operation to achieve greater coherence can be. Looking to the future, disasters – global and local – are likely to exceed past trends, challenging the capacity of individual countries to absorb their impact. Cross-border, cross-sectoral, place-based strategies will be difficult for governments to introduce and implement, as illustrated by examples from the past two decades, and by the risks associated with flooding. Earlier in the 20th century, modern networked infrastructure utilities were seen as a point of vulnerability, but bombing in war did not bring about an expected collapse of urban societies and economies. Instead, this experience highlighted the factors of resilience. Strengthening resilience makes sense but it is not a cost-free strategy. The greatest risk to resilience comes from the fragmentation of society and a loss of social capital.
John Patrick Walsh
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781786941633
- eISBN:
- 9781789629200
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781786941633.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, European Literature
The book opens with analysis of Yanick Lahens’ reflection on the disastrous convergence of geological and political time in the Haitian earthquake of 2010. Lahens contemplates the imbrication of ...
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The book opens with analysis of Yanick Lahens’ reflection on the disastrous convergence of geological and political time in the Haitian earthquake of 2010. Lahens contemplates the imbrication of geological, political, and social fault lines to complicate the exceptional image of Haiti as a site of disaster. The introduction considers Lahens’ understanding of fault lines, below and above ground, in light of Rob Nixon’s critique of the slow violence of environmental injustice and Michel Serres’ idea of a natural contract with the planet. It brings together Lahens, Nixon, and Serres to illustrate the different conceptions of time and space that inform the ecological thought of a Haitian writer, an American critic, and a French philosopher. Taking this comparative analysis as its point of departure, the introduction begins to develop a theory of an eco-archive as an ethical and imaginative writing on the environment. It merges ecocriticism with the historical awareness of Haitian studies to argue that Lahens and other Haitian writers challenge the neocolonial and neoliberal political economies that feed the dominant narratives of the Anthropocene.Less
The book opens with analysis of Yanick Lahens’ reflection on the disastrous convergence of geological and political time in the Haitian earthquake of 2010. Lahens contemplates the imbrication of geological, political, and social fault lines to complicate the exceptional image of Haiti as a site of disaster. The introduction considers Lahens’ understanding of fault lines, below and above ground, in light of Rob Nixon’s critique of the slow violence of environmental injustice and Michel Serres’ idea of a natural contract with the planet. It brings together Lahens, Nixon, and Serres to illustrate the different conceptions of time and space that inform the ecological thought of a Haitian writer, an American critic, and a French philosopher. Taking this comparative analysis as its point of departure, the introduction begins to develop a theory of an eco-archive as an ethical and imaginative writing on the environment. It merges ecocriticism with the historical awareness of Haitian studies to argue that Lahens and other Haitian writers challenge the neocolonial and neoliberal political economies that feed the dominant narratives of the Anthropocene.
Angelika Wirtz
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Overall and insured losses of natural disasters are steadily increasing and reach record highs. The worldwide insurance and reinsurance industry plays an important role to provide immediate financial ...
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Overall and insured losses of natural disasters are steadily increasing and reach record highs. The worldwide insurance and reinsurance industry plays an important role to provide immediate financial support to overcome the impact of natural disasters. This chapter provides information about the development of insurance solutions for natural disasters - from a historical perspective up to current insurance schemes, including micro-insurance. It also analyses in detail the impact of natural disasters of the last decades and points out the most affected areas, the costliest and deadliest events, the distribution by peril and the impact in different income groups.Less
Overall and insured losses of natural disasters are steadily increasing and reach record highs. The worldwide insurance and reinsurance industry plays an important role to provide immediate financial support to overcome the impact of natural disasters. This chapter provides information about the development of insurance solutions for natural disasters - from a historical perspective up to current insurance schemes, including micro-insurance. It also analyses in detail the impact of natural disasters of the last decades and points out the most affected areas, the costliest and deadliest events, the distribution by peril and the impact in different income groups.
Yasuyuki Sawada
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199841936
- eISBN:
- 9780199950157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841936.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Japan is vulnerable to a wide variety of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, floods, landslides and avalanches. Of these natural disasters, earthquakes are ...
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Japan is vulnerable to a wide variety of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, floods, landslides and avalanches. Of these natural disasters, earthquakes are the most serious and frequently occurring. In this chapter, after reviewing the two contrasting cases of the Kobe and Chuetsu earthquakes, we discuss the role of public policy in facilitating risk management at the household level in the case of natural disasters. The Kobe earthquake hit the urban centre, where industries and residence are densely located, while the Chuetsu earthquake occurred in mountainous and remote farming areas. A comparison of Kobe and Chuetsu earthquakes shows differences in income, consumption, and other household level socio-economic variables that help us to identify the effectiveness of formal and informal insurance mechanisms.Less
Japan is vulnerable to a wide variety of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, floods, landslides and avalanches. Of these natural disasters, earthquakes are the most serious and frequently occurring. In this chapter, after reviewing the two contrasting cases of the Kobe and Chuetsu earthquakes, we discuss the role of public policy in facilitating risk management at the household level in the case of natural disasters. The Kobe earthquake hit the urban centre, where industries and residence are densely located, while the Chuetsu earthquake occurred in mountainous and remote farming areas. A comparison of Kobe and Chuetsu earthquakes shows differences in income, consumption, and other household level socio-economic variables that help us to identify the effectiveness of formal and informal insurance mechanisms.
Diane C. Bates
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781529202168
- eISBN:
- 9781529209594
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781529202168.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter contributes to the explanation to how environmental migrants are ‘selected’ at the individual and small group level. It argues that individual decisions to migrate depend on the type of ...
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This chapter contributes to the explanation to how environmental migrants are ‘selected’ at the individual and small group level. It argues that individual decisions to migrate depend on the type of environmental change. The author distinguishes between sudden onset environmental problems (e.g. natural disasters) and slow onset environmental problems (e.g. climate change). Sudden onsets make push factors more important- They give migrants less power over their decision to migrate, and therefore include more vulnerable population groups. On the contrary, slow onset events create opportunities for individual agency. Governance can play an important role as it can influence migration and environmental change, especially on the local and state level. The author argues that democratic governance arrangements confer agency to individuals and non-democratic governance delimits it. Moreover, the management of sudden onsets in the short run can be more effective in non-democratic governance, while slow onset environmental changes call for democratic governance arrangements.Less
This chapter contributes to the explanation to how environmental migrants are ‘selected’ at the individual and small group level. It argues that individual decisions to migrate depend on the type of environmental change. The author distinguishes between sudden onset environmental problems (e.g. natural disasters) and slow onset environmental problems (e.g. climate change). Sudden onsets make push factors more important- They give migrants less power over their decision to migrate, and therefore include more vulnerable population groups. On the contrary, slow onset events create opportunities for individual agency. Governance can play an important role as it can influence migration and environmental change, especially on the local and state level. The author argues that democratic governance arrangements confer agency to individuals and non-democratic governance delimits it. Moreover, the management of sudden onsets in the short run can be more effective in non-democratic governance, while slow onset environmental changes call for democratic governance arrangements.
Rob White
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781529203950
- eISBN:
- 9781529204001
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781529203950.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
This chapter examines the consequences of climate change from the point of view of disasters and their consequences for specific interest and population groups. A key focus is the social ...
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This chapter examines the consequences of climate change from the point of view of disasters and their consequences for specific interest and population groups. A key focus is the social intersections that become apparent in such events. For example, the climatic and weather events that form the backdrop to present conflicts in places such as Syria are discussed, as are the gendered vulnerabilities evident in disaster situations such as cyclones and tsunami. Social conflicts stemming from climate change are then elaborated as a more general and increasingly likely scenario. In response to real and perceived threats and risk linked to climate change, issues of security are already generating angst among policy-makers and military planners. Indeed, the securitisation of natural resources, to the detriment of others, is emerging as an important climate-related issue, especially in regard to food, water, land, and air quality.Less
This chapter examines the consequences of climate change from the point of view of disasters and their consequences for specific interest and population groups. A key focus is the social intersections that become apparent in such events. For example, the climatic and weather events that form the backdrop to present conflicts in places such as Syria are discussed, as are the gendered vulnerabilities evident in disaster situations such as cyclones and tsunami. Social conflicts stemming from climate change are then elaborated as a more general and increasingly likely scenario. In response to real and perceived threats and risk linked to climate change, issues of security are already generating angst among policy-makers and military planners. Indeed, the securitisation of natural resources, to the detriment of others, is emerging as an important climate-related issue, especially in regard to food, water, land, and air quality.
