A Marshall Plan for the 21st century: Addressing climate change in the Asia-Pacific through diplomacy, development, and defense
Journal of Emergency Management
The inevitable climate challenges facing the Asia-Pacific territory require a massive whole-of-go... more The inevitable climate challenges facing the Asia-Pacific territory require a massive whole-of-government approach comparable to the Marshall Plan of 1948. While many political leaders have called for such a plan, no policy currently exists for this region or purpose. With nearly eight trillion dollars in trade revenue passing through crucially strategic straits daily, seven of the 10 largest militaries in the world (five of which are nuclear capable) operating throughout this territory, and a forecast for nearly exponential population growth, the geopolitical provenance of the United States (US), ties inextricably to this portion of the globe. A document analysis assessing existing diplomatic, developmental, and defensive policies concludes that a modern-day Marshall Plan for the 21st century Asia-Pacific is achievable by realigning lines of effort within current frameworks. As long as the US continues to deny climate change, other nation-state actors within the area will rise to f...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background: Prehospital care provided by emergency medical services (EMS) plays an important role... more Background: Prehospital care provided by emergency medical services (EMS) plays an important role in improving patient outcomes. Globally, prehospital care varies across countries and even within the same country by the geographic location and access to medical services. We aimed to explore the prehospital trauma care and in-hospital outcomes within the urban and rural areas in the state of Qatar. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing data from the Qatar National Trauma Registry for trauma patients who were transported by EMS to a level 1 trauma center between 2017 and 2018. Data were analyzed and compared between urban and rural areas and among the different municipalities in which the incidents occurred. Results: Across the study duration, 1761 patients were transported by EMS. Of that, 59% were transported from an urban area and 41% from rural areas. There were significant differences in the on-scene time and total prehospital time as a function of urban and r...
Emergency management and HAZMAT mitigation: Strategic planning for new developments
Journal of Emergency Management
In cases of accidental hazardous materials (HAZMAT) release, several emergency management respons... more In cases of accidental hazardous materials (HAZMAT) release, several emergency management responses can be taken to maintain the safety of the living environment. This study focuses on building a long-range planning, urban development model for hazards addressing where development zones should be located to mitigate exposure to HAZMAT and minimize evacuations. Interviews and meta-analytic manipulation of data were used to demonstrate flaws in three industrial cities’ disaster management plans. These data were also used to influence development in plain model areas where hydrogen sulfide or other hazardous materials could accidentally be released. The Areal Location of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) model was used to simulate physical conditions affecting the hydrogen sulfide gas released from Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, and Mapping Application for Response, Planning, and Local Operational Tasks mapping was used to display ALOHA threat estimates. Findings represent...
Practical flood risk reduction strategies in South Sudan
Journal of Emergency Management
More extreme weather patterns caused by climate change are leading to more intense and frequent f... more More extreme weather patterns caused by climate change are leading to more intense and frequent flooding in some of the world’s most vulnerable locations. The Republic of South Sudan faces obstacles mitigating rivers and urban floods caused by heavy rainfall in many of its regions. Through a focused review of the related literature, this study will first analyze the effectiveness and failures of the South Sudanese government’s attempts to mitigate flood risks, save lives, and prevent property damage. Study data are derived from various sources including peer-reviewed research, government and nongovernment documents, and the news media. Next, using similar qualitative review methods, a parallel case study from Bangladesh will be used to glean comparative findings and help formulate flood risk reduction recommendations for South Sudan. Findings include that government efforts are highly reactive and lack adequate resources to address flood mitigation. Analysis also indicates that loca...
Improving the resiliency of the United States healthcare system before, during, and after disasters
Journal of Emergency Management
The current emergency standards for training, exercises, communication, coordination, and respons... more The current emergency standards for training, exercises, communication, coordination, and response utilized by the United States (US) healthcare system are inadequate to meet patient needs before, during, and after disasters. Through a focused review of the literature and supporting expert interviews, this study aims to identify major barriers to US healthcare system resiliency in an emergency management context. Findings include that organizations across the healthcare system remain fragmented, often acting as standalone entities instead of being part of a larger ecosystem, which weakens the overall healthcare response framework. Despite advances in collaborative technology, many healthcare organizations rely on technologies that cannot meet their needs during a major emergency or disaster. Additionally, this research indicates that training and education standards need updates to match current and future disaster healthcare needs. Finally, based on the findings, seven recommendati...
Cash-based aid distribution—Case study: Typhoon Yolanda
Journal of Emergency Management
Cash-based humanitarian responses tend to empower locally driven recoveries. However, in-country ... more Cash-based humanitarian responses tend to empower locally driven recoveries. However, in-country barriers can prevent that recovery stimulus from achieving its full potential for the impacted population. This study discusses issues surrounding cash-based responses, opposite traditional food, or material aid. Next, this project produced a pilot case study that focused on soliciting information from two sets of respondents, namely, community leaders and households located in the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) disaster area to gauge sentiment of whether relief funds had a positive impact on recovery. Findings reveal that the lack of clarity in government and nongovernment stakeholders combined with an onerous bureaucratic process restricted the access to funds. Additionally, poor information dissemination and communication strategies resulted in inefficiencies in distributing funds. Recommendations to address the identified gaps, both in funding protocols and communication strategies, w...
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2021
As climate change focuses more frequent and intense disasters on vulnerable communities across th... more As climate change focuses more frequent and intense disasters on vulnerable communities across the globe, mitigation and response resources need to be allocated more efficiently and equitably. Vulnerability assessments require time, skill, and cost money. In the United States (US), these assessments are mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to qualify for federal funding. However, new trends in the literature clearly question their practical value. This study begins with a focused literature review which demonstrates that popular social vulnerability indices that create a single vulnerability score can diminish the significance of a lone variable, overlook the relevancy of all interconnected variables, and can result in contradictory policy recommendations. Next, existing case studies that used popular vulnerability assessment frameworks were compared to maps generated of the same study area that employed the single variable of poverty. These case study comparisons demonstrated how considering this greatest common variable among different vulnerable groups can often-quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively-reveal close to the same county and subcounty level community vulnerabilities detailed in costly assessments. Finally, a national survey of emergency managers was conducted to determine how much current social vulnerability indices were actually governing the ongoing distribution of resources to the communities being served. Results indicate that, while these indicator models may be underused nationally, those who do find them effective tend to be from higher income areas. This study questions the practical value of these indices for emergency management practice in the US and for meeting the goals of the Sendai Framework and other compacts.
Evidence of past events and modeling of potential future events suggest that tsunamis are signifi... more Evidence of past events and modeling of potential future events suggest that tsunamis are significant threats to communities on the open-ocean and Strait of Juan de Fuca coasts of Washington. Although potential tsunami-inundation zones from a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake have been delineated, the amount and type of human development in tsunami-prone areas have not been documented. A vulnerability assessment using geographic-information-system tools was conducted to document variations in developed land, human populations, economic assets, and critical facilities relative to CSZ-related tsunami-inundation zones among communities on the open-ocean and Strait of Juan de Fuca coasts of Washington (including Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties). The tsunami-inundation zone in these counties contains 42,972 residents (24 percent of the total study-area population), 24,934 employees (33 percent of the total labor force), and 17,029 daily visitors to coastal Washington State Parks. The tsunami-inundation zone also contains 2,908 businesses that generate $4.6 billion in annual sales volume (31 and 40 percent of study-area totals, respectively) and tax parcels with a combined total value of $4.5 billion (25 percent of the study-area total). Although occupancy values are not known for each site, the tsunami-inundation zone also contains numerous dependent-population facilities (for example, schools and child-day-care centers), public venues (for example, religious organizations), and critical facilities (for example, police stations and public-work facilities). Racial diversity of residents in tsunami-prone areas is low-89 percent of residents are White and 8 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native. Nineteen percent of the residents in the tsunami-inundation zone are over 65 years in age, 30 percent of the residents live on unincorporated county lands, and 35 percent of the households are renter occupied. Employees in the tsunami-inundation zone are largely in businesses related to health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and retail trade, reflecting businesses that cater to a growing retiree and tourist population. Community vulnerability, described here by exposure (the amount of assets in tsunami-prone areas) and sensitivity (the relative percentage of assets in tsunami-prone areas) varies among 13 incorporated cities, 7 Indian reservations, and 4 counties. The City of Aberdeen has the highest relative community exposure to tsunamis, whereas the City of Long Beach has the highest relative community sensitivity. Levels of community exposure and sensitivity to tsunamis are found to be related to the amount and percentage, respectively, of a community's land that is in a tsunami-inundation zone. This report will further the dialogue on societal risk to tsunami hazards in Washington and help risk managers to determine where additional risk-reduction strategies may be needed.
A Framework for Using GIS and Stakeholder Input to Assess Vulnerability to Coastal Hazards: A Case Study from Sarasota County, Florida
ABSTRACT Continued development in coastal communities results in an increase in the number of peo... more ABSTRACT Continued development in coastal communities results in an increase in the number of people and assets exposed to the type of catastrophic hazards recently displayed by Hurricane Katrina. Traditionally, the vulnerability of coastal communities has been measured either on a micro (community) or a macro (regional) scale. We present research that suggests vulnerability assessments need to be conducted on both micro and a macro scales to more fully address many of the components that contribute to localized community vulnerability. Research presented in this chapter utilizes a GIS methodologically heavy case study of Sarasota County, Florida, in conjunction with an extended version of a vulnerability framework developed by Füssel (2007) to consider traditional components of vulnerability at both the micro and macro scales. This is accomplished through the theoretical concept of geospatially dependent vulnerability where it is demonstrated that local community vulnerability is multi-scalar and thus must be measured at multiple geographic scales to provide a vulnerability analysis sufficiently robust to adequately aid communities in hazard mitigation and resilience enhancement.
Visualization of Slow-Developing Hazards: Influencing Perceptions and Behaviors to Facilitate Adaptation Planning
"Many of major global environmental problems are chronic rather than acute. Climate change, ... more "Many of major global environmental problems are chronic rather than acute. Climate change, food insecurity, and water scarcity are prime examples. While science is advancing rapidly at being able to describe, model, and predict these phenomena, the communication of scientific findings to people ‘on the ground’ can be limited by the availability of tools to depict the full depth and breadth of available data. At the same time, people facing hazards can be limited in their ability to communicate their depth of knowledge to researchers and policymakers by differences in organizational knowledge and access to technology, among other concerns. In this white paper, we discuss both the importance and difficulty of visualizing slow-developing hazards as a way to influence the perceptions of people in vulnerable communities and motivate action to mitigate and adapt to the hazards. We define visualization broadly, to encompass multiple modes and audiences in place-specific situations. We outline some of the key concerns when developing intervention strategies, with a focus on the role of media in addition to communitybased social, occupational, and organizational networks. We present several brief case studies from rural Jamaica, Colombia, Mexico, and Southern California as a way to explicate the opportunities and constraints for visualization efforts in diverse settings across the Americas. "
Sustainable land-use planning requires decision makers to balance community growth with resilienc... more Sustainable land-use planning requires decision makers to balance community growth with resilience to natural hazards. This balance is especially difficult in many coastal communities where planners must grapple with significant growth projections, the persistent threat of extreme events (e.g., hurricanes), and climate-change-driven sea level rise that not only presents a chronic hazard but also alters the spatial extent of suddenonset hazards such as hurricanes. We examine these stressors on coastal, long-term landuse planning by reporting the results of a one-day community workshop held in Sarasota County, Florida that included focus groups and participatory mapping exercises. Workshop participants reflected various political agendas and socioeconomic interests of five local knowledge domains: business, environment, emergency management and infrastructure, government, and planning. Through a series of alternating domain-specific focus groups and interactive plenary sessions, participants compared the county 2050 comprehensive land-use plan to maps of contemporary hurricane storm-surge hazard zones and projected storm-surge hazard zones enlarged by sea level rise scenarios. This interactive, collaborative approach provided each group of domain experts the opportunity to combine geographically-specific, scientific knowledge on natural hazards and climate change with local viewpoints and concerns. Despite different agendas, interests, and proposed adaptation strategies, there was common agreement among participants for the need to increase community resilience to contemporary hurricane storm-surge hazards and to explore adaptation strategies to combat the projected, enlarged storm-surge hazard zones.
Although the potential for hurricanes under current climatic conditions continue to threaten coas... more Although the potential for hurricanes under current climatic conditions continue to threaten coastal communities, there is concern that climate change, specifically potential increases in sea level, could influence the impacts of future hurricanes. To examine the potential effect of sea level rise on community vulnerability to future hurricanes, we assess variations in socioeconomic exposure in Sarasota County, FL, to contemporary hurricane storm-surge hazards and to storm-surge hazards enhanced by sea level rise scenarios. Analysis indicates that significant portions of the population, economic activity, and critical facilities are in contemporary and future hurricane storm-surge hazard zones. The addition of sea level rise to contemporary storm-surge hazard zones effectively causes population and asset (infrastructure, natural resources, etc) exposure to be equal to or greater than what is in the hazard zone of the next higher contemporary Saffir-Simpson hurricane category. There is variability among communities for this increased exposure, with greater increases in socioeconomic exposure due to the addition of sea level rise to storm-surge hazard zones as one progresses south along the shoreline. Analysis of the 2050 comprehensive land use plan suggests efforts to manage future growth in residential, economic and infrastructure development in Sarasota County may increase societal exposure to hurricane storm-surge hazards.
With the changes in America's demographics comes a need to provide improved accommodation of ... more With the changes in America's demographics comes a need to provide improved accommodation of individuals with reduced capabilities. To date, research has focused upon assistive pedestrian signal technologies for pedestrians with impaired vision. Such individuals must learn to cross complex intersections safely using a range of sensory inputs, including auditory cues from traffic surge and beaconing systems. Unfortunately, reduced vehicle noise, particularly for hybrid or electric vehicles, combined with increases in background sound levels, reduces the effectiveness of this approach. Furthermore, once the signal changes and the pedestrian starts to cross, there is very little communication with the pedestrian other than the possibility of active beaconing. The traffic controller has no way of knowing how far pedestrians have progressed and whether they are still in the crosswalk. This project is proposing the integration of commercial technologies commonly found in smartphones a...
Serwan M.J. Baban, ed. 2009. Enduring Geohazards in the Caribbean: Moving from the Reactive to the Proactive. Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press. 300 pp
The ski industry in the United States is being threatened by climate change due to rising snowlin... more The ski industry in the United States is being threatened by climate change due to rising snowlines, earlier spring melt, and more winter precipitation falling as rain. Snow depth, duration, and timing all are critical factors in the number of skier visit days. The ski industry, worth over $10 billion nationally, is important for the economic vitality of mountain communities in thirty-seven states, but profits decline in warm, dry winters. There are limited climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies available to the industry. Artificial snowmaking is utilized to ameliorate the experience of limited snowfall but is energy-intensive, water-demanding, and has high upfront costs. In addition, artificial snowmaking may be limited by warming winter temperatures and, in certain basins, access to water in the next few decades. In order to better plan future investments in snowmaking equipment and other adaptations, climate projections are needed at a sub-regional scale. However, un...
This research compiled information on past landslides, including date-referencing and geo-locatin... more This research compiled information on past landslides, including date-referencing and geo-locating events; analyzed and mapped variables contributing to slide susceptibility; demonstrated the conditions of the future climate models that may increase landslide hazards; and designated the transportation routes most vulnerable to weather-triggered landslides. The study area was reduced to the northern and central counties, as primary and secondary transportation routes in the remainder of Idaho rarely cross areas of high topographic relief. The slide events located in this pilot study generally occur in areas of high susceptibility based on aspect, slope, and geology. The transportation routes most at risk given projections of climate change are in the northern-most counties of Idaho: Interstate 90 and northern sections of U.S. Highway 95. Luckily, these areas generally have dense canopy cover, an indicator of slope stability. However, land use changes, forestry management policy chang...
The literature indicates that conflict can result in food insecurity due to economic or political... more The literature indicates that conflict can result in food insecurity due to economic or political crisis. However, few studies have investigated the effects that nonviolent interstate conflict has on food security in the Middle East. Evidence from this study, based in Qatar, indicates that conflict can result in food insecurity due to economic or political crisis. This research critically examines the lingering political and economic blockade of the State of Qatar and the extent to which this blockade has impacted food security of residents. The study employed a sequential mixed methods approach to gain better insight into the nature of food security in Qatar. A focused qualitative review of the relevant literature was followed by a quantitative analysis which revealed that there was no significant effect of interstate conflict on food security, while the economic and political blockade correlated significantly with food security. Three groups were sampled, including government offi...
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