|
A
SAFER WORLD IN THE 21st CENTURY
Disaster
and Risk Reduction ISDR genral guideline
INTRODUCTION
- While hazards are inevitable, and the elimination of all risk is impossible,
there are many technical measures, traditional practices, and public experience
that can reduce the extent or severity of economic and social disasters.
Hazards and emergency requirements are a part of living with nature, but
human behaviour can be changed. In the words of the Secretary General,
"We must, above all, shift from a culture of reaction to a culture of
prevention. Prevention is not only more humane than cure; it is also much
cheaper... Above all, let us not forget that disaster prevention is a
moral imperative, no less than reducing the risks of war".
VISION - To
enable all communities to become resilient to the effects of natural,
technological and environmental hazards, reducing the compound risks they
pose to social and economic vulnerabilities within modern societies. To
proceed from protection against hazards to the management of risk through
the integration of risk prevention into sustainable development.
GOALS : I.
Increase public awareness of the risks that natural, technological and
environmental hazards pose to modern societies. II. Obtain commitment
by public authorities to reduce risks to people, their livelihoods, social
and economic infrastructure, and environmental resources. III.
Engage public participation at all levels of implementation to create
disaster-resistant communities through increased partnership and expanded
risk reduction networks at all levels. IV. Reduce the economic
and social losses of disasters as measured, for example, by Gross Domestic
Product.
OBJECTIVES
: 1. Stimulate research and application, provide knowledge, convey
experience, build capabilities and allocate necessary resources for reducing
or preventing severe and recurrent impacts of hazards, for those people
most vulnerable. 2. Increase opportunities for organizations and
multi-disciplinary relationships to foster more scientific and technical
contributions to the public decision-making process in matters of hazard,
risk and disaster prevention. 3. Develop a more proactive interface
between management of natural resources and risk reduction practices.
4. Form a global community dedicated to making risk and disaster
prevention a public value. 5. Link risk prevention and economic
competitiveness issues to enhance opportunities for greater economic partnerships.
6. Complete comprehensive risk assessments and integrate them within
development plans. 7. Develop and apply risk reduction strategies
and mitigation measures with supporting arrangements and resources for
disaster prevention at all levels of activity 8. Identify and engage
designated authorities, professionals drawn from the widest possible range
of expertise, and community leaders to develop increased partnership activities.
9. Establish risk monitoring capabilities, and early warning systems
as integrated processes, with particular attention being given to emerging
hazards with global implications such as those related to climate variation
and change, at all levels of responsibility. 10. Develop sustained
programmes of public information and institutionalized educational components
pertaining to hazards and their effects, risk management practices and
disaster prevention activities, for all ages. 11. Establish internationally
and professionally agreed standards / methodologies for the analysis and
expression of the socio-economic impacts of disasters on societies. 12.
Seek innovative funding mechanisms dedicated to sustained risk and disaster
prevention activities.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Conduct a national audit or assessment process of existing functions
necessary for a comprehensive and integrated national strategy of hazard,
risk and disaster prevention, projected over 5-10 and 20 year time periods.
Conduct dynamic risk analysis with specific consideration of demographics,
urban growth, and the interaction or compound relationships between natural,
technological and environmental factors. Build, or where existing, strengthen
regional/sub-regional, national and international approaches, and collaborative
organizational arrangements that can increase hazard, risk and disaster
prevention capabilities and activities. Establish coordination mechanisms
for greater coherence and improved effectiveness of combined hazard, risk
and disaster prevention strategies at all levels of responsibility. Promote
and encourage know-how transfer through partnership and among countries
with particular attention given in the transfer of experience amongst
those countries most exposed to risks. Establish national, regional/sub-regional,
and global information exchanges, facilities, or websites dedicated to
hazard, risk and disaster prevention, linked by agreed communication standards
and protocols to facilitate interchange. Link efforts of hazard, risk
and disaster prevention more closely with the Agenda 21 implementation
process for enhanced synergy with environmental and sustainable development
issues. Focus multi-year risk reduction strategies on urban concentration
and mega-city environments. Institute comprehensive application of land-use
planning and programmes in hazard prone-environments. Develop and apply
standard forms of statistical recording of risk factors, disaster occurrences
and their consequences to enable more consistent comparisons. Undertake
periodic reviews of accomplishments in hazard, risk and disaster reduction
efforts at all levels of engagement and responsibility. Study feasibility
of specific alternative funding and resource allocation modalities that
can ensure continued commitment to sustained risk and disaster prevention
strategies.
RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
- Governments have the primary responsibility for protecting citizens
from risks and disaster, however, local communities and elements of civil
society most threatened by hazards emerge as key initiators of important
risk and disaster prevention actions. They must work through partnership,
and together, receive necessary encouragement and support to realize the
vision of disaster resilience. Regional/sub-regional and international
collaboration is essential, especially with regard to the dissemination
of experience and information, scientific and technical applications,
continual advocacy and the coordination of strategies to assist in the
development of national capabilities. The United Nations system has a
special leadership role in global risk and disaster reduction by its universal
character, inter-disciplinary and multi-sectoral scope, and role as a
forum for global dialogue. It should address global risk issues, ensure
coherence among humanitarian aid, disaster prevention and development,
and promote collaboration among countries.
REVIEW - The
strategy, A Safer World in the 21st Century: Risk and Disaster Reduction,
should be closely monitored by the risk and disaster reduction community,
and a global review of progress and accomplishments should be undertaken
by all concerned parties within a period of five years.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
UNISDR abstract for poster presented during the COV7 meeting in Colima - Mexico - November 2012
Plan For Major Advance In Global Disasters Risk Modelling
Henry Gaudru (1)
(1) SVE-UNISDR
Correspondence: hgaudru@sveurop.org
UNISDR’s global risk model first published in the 2009 Global Assessment Report has broken new ground in persuading the public and private
sector of the economic and political imperative for investing in disaster risk reduction. It models average annual mortality and economic loss
risk for tropical cyclones, floods, landslides, earthquakes and exposure for tsunamis and drought. The model was updated in 2011 to explore risk
trends over time for geographic and economic regions. New versions will be developed and published progressively over the next four years.
All the hazard models will be improved and other hazards such as volcanoes, wildfires and agricultural droughts will be progressively included.
the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, is to work with its partners over the next four years on developing a global disaster risk
model which will provide the best information available on likely economic losses as climate change kicks in. The risk analysis will use
probabilistic modelling techniques to provide enhanced estimations of economic loss risks for different return periods. Previous work on
resilience will also be enhanced using system modelling.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
CITIES ON VOLCANOES 7 - COLIMA, MEXICO 19 – 23 NOVEMBER 2012
CONFERENCE REPORT
The Cities on Volcanoes conference series has the aim of bringing together all involved in volcanic risk: including the generation of the hazards, analysis of their impact, risk mitigation, education and studies of vulnerability. The idea is to motivate dialogue between earth scientists, social scientists, Civil Protection workers, insurance analysts, the general public, amongst others. Following on from the most recent conferences in Tenerife, Japan and Ecuador, the City of Colima played host to the 7th event of the series, with the University of Colima providing the necessary infrastructure. The conference was a huge success, not only with many splendid talks highlighting research being carried out in many areas, but also the social programme, and how it managed to rekindle the original inclusive aims of this particular meeting. In total 342 subscribed from 35 countries, with particularly large contingents from the UK and New Zealand. Local participation was estimated to include a further 200 people, meaning a total of about 550 participants.
Being situated on the extensive apron of debris avalanche deposits that originated from the most active volcano in Mexico, Colima was an obvious choice for a Cities on Volcanoes conference. Indeed, it is one of the most prolific producers of flank collapses anywhere. The volcano had only recent finished an eruptive period that lasted from 1998 until 2011. The motivation to submit a proposal was also fuelled by the proximity to an important anniversary: the last large eruption was in January of 1913 and the volcano has been through several cycles of an approximate 100 years repose period between Plinian or sub-Plinian events.
COV7 featured traditional academic sessions, but this was supplemented by a range of alternative activities such as open forums, where the microphone was offered to anyone who wanted to raise an issue, photographic and children's art competitions, and art and photography exhibitions. The forums were particularly successful with many interesting debates covering topics relevant both to the local and international community. The programme was supplemented by both pre- and post-excursions to a variety of volcanic regions in Mexico, including El Chichón, Paricutin and Jorullo, and Ceboruco and San Pedro. Two excursions were offered to the Colima Volcanic Complex, one to study debris avalanche deposits and the other an overview of evolution based upon evidence from tephrochronology, petrology and geochemistry. In addition a very popular traditional mid-conference excursion covered local communities to present the opportunity for interaction with the population and civil protection workers, as well as several stops that featured geology, an overview of recent eruptive activity and the influence of the volcano upon prehispanic cultures.
Workshops included one dedicated to monitoring techniques, another organized jointly by the Volcanic Ashfall Impacts Working Group and the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, one to show the strengths of the VHub online network and the last on the critical subject of “Volcanic unrest: Interfacing science and decision-making”. All were well attended. A pre-conference workshop was also given to members of the local media. The idea here was to discuss terminology and the general concepts of volcanology and risk mitigation. The scientific programme consisted of 17 sessions which were divided amongst 4 symposia: Volcanoes and their hazards; Evaluating Volcanic Risk; Volcanic Risk Reduction in Developing Countries; Volcanoes, Society and Government. In total 372 presentations were made, roughly divided equally between posters and oral.
The cultural highlight was certainly a street party organized in the picturesque local village of Nogueras. Here participants had ample opportunity to sample local foods, drinks and watch dancing and listen to a Mariachi band. Many participants took the opportunity to meet the locals. Other tastes of local culture were provided by the local municipalities of both Colima and Villa de Alvarez.
Report prepared by Nick Varley - Universidad de Colima - Mexico
SVE – UNISDR contact : hgaudru@sveurop.org
****************************************************************************************************************
CITIES ON VOLCANOES 8 MEETING - Jogyakarta - September 9-13, 2014 - Final report
The eighth, biennial Cities on Volcanoes (CoV) conference was
held recently in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from September 9-13,
2014. The CoV conference series aims to bring together
geoscientists, emergency managers, social scientists, economists,
city planners, engineers and educators to promote an exchange of
ideas and stimulate dialogue on the generation of volcanic
hazards, the vulnerability of exposed communities and risk
mitigation. The conference theme this year ‘Living in Harmony
with Volcano: Bridging the will of nature to society” sought to
improve volcanic risk mitigation measures, land use planning and
emergency management of densely populated volcanic regions.
The conference was held in the Grha Sabha Pramana at
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta and hosted by
Indonesia’s Geological Agency (Badan Geologi), the local
Government of Yogyakarta (special region), the local
Government of Sleman Regency and Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Support was provided by the International Association of
Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s interior (IAVCEI), the
Commission of Cities and Volcanoes (CaV), the Indonesian
National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), the Bandung
Institute of Technology (ITB), the Indonesian Association of
Geologists and the Indonesian Association of Geophysicists.
Indonesia is considered to the have the greatest volcanic eruption
hazard in the Asia-Pacific region as it has experienced the highest
frequency of VEI 4 or larger eruptions resulting in a loss of more
than 100,000 lives over the last 200 years directly related to
volcanic activity. It therefore seems appropriate that CoV8 be held
in Yogyakarta, a city of population greater than three million
located at the base of one of Indonesia’s most historically active
volcanoes, Mount Merapi. The last major eruption of Mount
Merapi occurred in 2010 and resulted in over 350 deaths. The
hazards posed to communities surrounding the volcanoes are
widespread and varying (e.g., lava dome and flow collapse,
pyroclastic flows, volcanic ash, and lahars). Heavy annual rainfall
events in the region contribute to the initiation of potentially
deadly lahars, which occur frequently and in many cases during
periods of volcanic repose.
The opening ceremony was initiated by Muhamad Hendrasto, of
the Badan Geologi, who welcomed visitors from around the world
to the conference. Opening talks by were followed by a Javanese
dance, entitled “Lereng Merapi”.
Opening ceremony – UGM, Yogyakarta, September 9th 2014
Thematic sessions were organised into four major scientific and
technical symposiums: 1) Volcanology; 2) Living in harmony; 3)
Lessons learned from volcanic crises and 4) The Indonesian
session. The conference was a great success receiving 507
contributions comprised of 4 plenary presentations, 273 oral and
234 poster presentations. In total, 552 delegates from 36 countries
(Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France,
Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, The
Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago,
Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America) attended the
conference. Contact - info - SVE-UNISDR : info@sveurop.org
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
CITIES ON VOLCANOES 10 - Napoli - 2 - 6 September 2018
The meeting Cities on Volcanoes 10 is finished, and in awaiting the final summary, a brief information :
The title of COV 10 was “Millennia of Stratification between Human Life and Volcanoes: strategies for coexistence” and focused the attention on the inherent resilience of human societies to volcanic risk, as millennia of coexistence with volcanoes prove that volcanic environments are fundamentally perceived as resources. At the same time, building and strengthening this resilience in modern and complex societies exposed to volcanic risk, especially on volcanoes with long periods of dormancy where risk is poorly perceived, is a great challenge. Abstracts volume of the meeting : http://www.ingv.it/editoria/miscellanea/2018/miscellanea43/
The first IAVCEI prize for monitoring and managing volcanic crises was awarded to the Indonesian PVMBG
Next meeting COV 11 will be held in Heraklion, Crete in 2021 from 23 to 27th of May (?)
Poster Napoli
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) - The volcano that changed the course of disaster risk management
November 13, 1985 - In 2015 it's the 30th anniversary of the tragic eruption
The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Margareta Wahlström, today described the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano which claimed 25,000 lives in Colombia on November 13, 1985, as “a major turning point in the history of disaster risk management.”
In a statement to mark the 30th anniversary, Ms. Wahlström said: “The tragic failure to evacuate the towns of Armero, Chinchina and surrounding villages despite multiple warnings of volcanic activity led to an enormous loss of life and our sympathies today lie with the survivors and those families who lost loved ones in the terrible events that ensued from the eruption.
“This catastrophe marked a turning point in Colombia and saw the introduction in 1989 of the National System for the Prevention of Disasters which represented an ambitious reform of disaster risk management in Colombia because the new policy not only embraced improved disaster management but also disaster risk reduction as a policy goal.
“It introduced an innovative systems approach to risk governance: integrated horizontally across government ministries and departments, vertically across regional and local governments and with specified roles for scientific and technical institutions, the Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations.
“This is a model that is still valid today as we encourage Member States of the UN to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction adopted in March this year which emphasises the importance of a paradigm shift from disaster management to disaster risk management in an era when extreme weather events are on the rise and economic losses from disasters are escalating.
“The lesson from Colombia is that we need governments to take responsibility for early warnings and other elements of disaster risk management and to avoid the creation of risk in their planning and development activity if we are to succeed in getting substantial reductions in mortality, the numbers of people affected and economic losses from disasters.” Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas (UNISDR AM)
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
2020 - Mount Saint Helens - 40th anniversary - Eruption 1980
Forty years ago, on May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens produced the largest observed eruption in the coterminus United States. This eruption had profound impacts on human life and the science of volcanology, as well as on hazard preparedness, communication, and forecasting.
Mount St. Helens is the most active volcano in the Cascade Range and 40 years ago, a large eruption redefined the field of volcanology. The activity started as a series of small earthquakes on 16 March 1980. By 17 May, after more than 10,000 detected earthquakes, a visible bulge had grown outward by 450 ft on the N flank. On the morning of 18 May, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered a huge landslide, resulting in powerful explosions that ejected hot material above the volcano and laterally outwards to the north. Following the explosion, an eruption column rose more than 80,000 ft into the atmosphere, eventually resulting in heavy ashfall across 22,000 square miles. On the afternoon of 18 May, pyroclastic flows were generated in the crater, traveling as far as 5 miles N of the volcano. Hot rocks and gas melted the snow and ice on the volcano, which caused volcanic mudflows (lahars) to run into the river systems, destroying trees, roads, and bridges along the way.
During the summer and fall of 1980, five smaller explosions resulted in eruption columns and pyroclastic flows. Activity continued through 1986, which included the formation of a new lava dome, minor explosions, and lahars. Since the 1986 activity there have been several periods of increased seismicity and small explosions from the dome. ( from USGS)
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
United Nations - The Sendai Framework – a five year review
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is a set of agreed commitments for member states of the United Nations to act on the prevention of ‘new’ disasters and reduce existing disaster risk through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures. They also seek to address issues that prevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disasters, and increase preparedness for response and recovery, thereby strengthening resilience. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), is tasked to support the implementation, follow-up, and review of the Framework for member states. It is a successor of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, and the Sendai Framework compliments other 2030 agenda agreements including: The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. - Read more
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Documents
IAVCEI NEWSLETTER - N°3 - Octobre 2020
IAVCEI newsletter - N°2 July 2020
IAVCEI newsletter - N°2 July 2021
|
