A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

2Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiativesCommunity risks in Australiaaspects of vulnerability/capacity, especiallythose related to the social nature of these concepts,pose a different range of challenges torisk assessment.Often there is a huge gap in the understandingand application of vulnerability/capacityassessments between the institutions undertakingthese tasks, and the local authoritiesand communities involved in the exercise.A great deal of work has been focused on theassessment of the physical aspects of vulnerability.This has been done mainly in relationto more conventional hazardous phenomenon,such as windstorms, earthquakes andfloods. A high percentage of the vulnerabilitymapping developments at an earlier stageis reflecting this trend. This was accentuatedby the wide utilisation of GIS techniques forthe spatial integration of different variables inthe 1980s. The spatial overlapping of hazardzones with infrastructure such as airports,main highways, health facilities and powerlines, amongst others, is one of the commonOne of the advantages of GIS techniques is the possibility tocarry out multi-hazard analysis. Community Risk in Cairns isthe first of a series of multi-hazard case studies by the AustralianGeological Survey Organization (AGSO). It considersearthquakes, landslides, floods and cyclones.A report detailing the hazard history of Cairns, the riskassessment methodology and results has been prepared byseveral researchers and AGSO, in collaboration with CairnsCity Council and ERSIS Australia.The AGSO Cities Project undertakes research towards themitigation of the risks posed by a range of geo-hazards toAustralian urban communities. Extensive use of GIS hasbeen made to drive analysis and assessment. Risk-GIS, as ithas been christened in the Cities Project, is a fusion of the decisionsupport capabilities of GIS and the philosophy of riskmanagement. An interactive online mapping system for GeoscienceAustralia’s Community Risk in Cairns project isavailable online as well as an advanced mapping system forexperienced GIS users.Source: http://www.agso.gov.au/pdf/UC0001.pdfexercises, highly focused on in the examinationof the physical aspects of vulnerability.The Organization of American States (OAS)has been one of the pioneers in Latin Americain using GIS tools for physical vulnerabilityassessment, focused on infrastructure andcritical facilities. A pilot project launchedearly in the 1980s on GIS Applications forNatural Hazards Management in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, implementedmore than 200 applications in 20 countries ofthe region, integrating hazards, naturalresources, population and infrastructuredata. The fact that it was discovered that allof the main airports in Guatemala are locatedwithin high intensity seismic areas, or that670 kilometers of paved routes in Ecuadorwere located within a 30 kilometre radius ofactive volcanos, have been instructive, to saythe least.Several initiatives towards comprehensiverisk assessments are currently going on in thePacific islands states. In the Cook Islands, forexample, risk assessments related to tropicalcyclones and associated flooding have beenundertaken. These include both the technicalaspects of hazard mapping, vulnerabilityassessments of building stock, infrastructure,lifelines and critical facilities, and the socialaspects of potential economic losses andimpacts on communities. The risk assessmentinformation provided input for communityearly warning systems for tropicalcyclones, ERWIN, as well as primary informationfor reports and technical supportmaterials such as: Cook Islands BuildingCode; Disaster Management Work Plan;National Disaster Management Plan;Cyclone Response Procedures; TsunamiResponse Procedures.Another good example for this region is providedby Fiji, where in recent years, severalcomprehensive risk assessment projects havebeen undertaken. These have always involvedthe relevant government departments andinfrastructure agencies, and include representationfrom NGOs and the private sector.The participation of international agenciesand/or consultants which has ensured that70