Recent Disasters in Asia

Quick Response Reports | Disaster Relief Organizations

Web Resources

The Natural Hazards Center maintains a list of helpful Web resources. Below are some related to the recent disasters.

Myanmar and Cyclones

World Health Organization
Communicable Disease Risk Assessment and Interventions for Cyclone Nargis.

USAID
Aggregates information on the death tolls, other relief efforts, food security, health, logistics, and supplies.

Coastal Hazards Web Site
Compiles information on cyclone preparedness, mitigation, information systems, recovery, and safety. Also includes scientific information about cyclones as meteorological phenomena.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
This site includes the most recent OCHA situation reports and other international resources.

ReliefWeb’s Cyclone Nargis Page
Provides multi-agency reports, maps, and updates on funding and coordination.

Earthquakes and Landslides

ShakeOut Scenario
A model of what could happen if an earthquake of roughly the same magnitude as Sichuan struck along the San Andreas Fault. The report, created by the USGS and the California Geological Survey, was released May 22.

Miyamoto
Commentary, photos and technical information from the quake zone, as documented by structural earthquake engineers Miyamoto.

Wikipedia's 2008 Sichuan Earthquake
Includes earthquake details, damage estimates, rescue efforts and aid situation, information on quake lakes and China's response. Links out to maps and other information about earthquakes.

Incorporated Research Institute for Seismology (IRIS)
This website provides scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and overall earthquake information. IRIS is a university organization that collects and distributes research of the Earth’s interior.

ReliefWeb's Sichuan Earthquake Page
Provides multi-agency reports, maps, and updates on funding and coordination.

The International Landslide Research Group
ILRG is an informal group of individuals concerned about mass earth movement and interested in sharing information on landslide research. The ILRG Web site provides back issues of the group's newsletter and information about landslide programs, new initiatives, meetings and publications, the experiences of people engaged in landslide research, and "any other information about landslide research that 'normal' journals will not accept."

MCEER Information Service
This is a comprehensive source of information on earthquake engineering, hazards mitigation, disaster preparedness, and additional related topics.

The USGS Sichuan Earthquake page
The USGS has a wealth of information on the earthquake, including an overview of seismological activity, summary reports, maps and, scientific and technical resources.

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
These Guidelines for Developing an Earthquake Scenario describes how to create an earthquake scenario in any community with seismic risk to increase public awareness and stimulate mitigation planning.

News Coverage

Sichuan Earthquake

Reuters Sichuan AlertNet
This site is one-stop shopping for news and information on the Sichuan region. From the latest information on quake lake mitigation efforts to analysis of what was wrong with collapsed school buildings, the maps, pictures, news and and interviews included here tell the continuing saga of the Sichuan quake.

New York Times
An index of coverage by the New York Times, including photos, videos, blog postings and an in-depth look at disparity in school construction standards.

The Seattle Times
Dispatches from China - A collection of personal accounts from American students, teachers, and relief workers in the earthquake zone.

The Guardian
A comprehensive list of the Guardian's quake coverage including video of confrontations between government officials and the parents of children who died in school collapses.

Myanmar and Cyclone Nargis

Rueters Myanmar AlertNet
This site provides continuing coverage of Myanmar in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, including pictures, maps, videos, forums and links to donation information.

Washington Post
The latest on relief efforts in Myanmar and related articles.

The International Herald Tribune
A rare glimpse into Myanmar and Junta leadership post-cyclone. For full Herald coverage, search Myanmar.

Earthquakes, Schools, and Kids

UNCRD Reducing the Vulnerability of School Children to Earthquakes
A collection of documents and reports prepared by the Hyogo Office of the United Nations Centre for Regional Development. Includes information and specifications for retrofitting schools and school safety efforts in Fiji, Indonesia, India, and Uzbekistan.

Impact of Disasters on the Education Sector in Cambodia
A report examining the need for and possible ways to make disaster risk reduction a mainstream part of the Southeast Asian education sector, including building strengthening and awareness plans.

FEMA Earthquake Safety Activities
Created for kids and teachers, this guide provides a wide range of activities explaining earthquakes, teaching how to prepare for an earthquake and how to stay safe if an earthquake hits. Computer games such as Siesmic Sleuth and hands-on play like Hazard Hunts are included.

What's the Plan Stan?
Lessons on disaster preparedness for kids and teachers, contracted by New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence Emergency Management.

Risk RED
A Web site devoted to ensuring student safety during disasters. Site offerings include a disaster risk reduction library, school disaster reduction checklist, and school community disaster training workshop.

Children, Youth and Environments
This special editon of the CYE journal focuses on children in the context of disasters.

Quick Response Reports

With funds contributed by the National Science Foundation, the Natural Hazards Center Quick Response program offers social scientists small grants to travel to the site of a disaster soon after it occurs to gather valuable information concerning immediate impact and response. The findings of these studies cover a broad range of disasters - both natural and human-caused - in diverse segments affecting all types of human communities.

Below is a list of selected Quick Response Reports dealing with tornadoes and their social impacts.

Cyclones and Hurricanes

QR190: Community Impacts of Hurricane Ivan:
A Case Study of Orange Beach. Picou, Steven J. and Cecelia G. Martin. 2006.

QR186: Reconstructing Childhood: An Exploratory Study of Children in Hurricane Katrina. Peek, Lori and Alice Fothergill. 2006.

QR127: Hurricane Georges: A Multinational Study Examining Preparedness, Resource Loss, and Psychological Distress in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and the United States. Sattler, David N. and Charles F. Kaiser. 2000.

QR123: 'There's a Big Wind a Comin': A Profile of Survival and the Culture of Response After Hurricane Mitch on Isla Guanaja, Honduras. Krausse, Gerald and Christopher L. Dyer. 2000.

Earthquakes and Landslides

QR166: Damage Assessment After the Paso Robles (San Simeon, California) Earthquake: Lessons for Emergency Management. McEntire, David A. and Jill Cope. 2004.

QR160: El Salvador Earthquakes: Resource Loss, Traumatic Event Exposure, and Psychological Functioning. Sattler, David N. 2002.

QR 131: The May 1998 Landslides in the Sarno Area in Southern Italy:
Rethinking Disaster Theory.Caporale, Roco. 2000.

QR130: Information Technology and Efficiency in Disaster Response: The Marmara,Turkey Earthquake, 17 August 1999. Comfort, Louise K. 2000.

Disaster Relief Organizations

CARE (USA):
http://www.careusa.org/

Catholic Relief Services:
http://www.kintera.org/

Church World Services:
http://www.churchworldservice.org/

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:
http://www.ifrc.org/

Mercy Corps:
http://www.mercycorps.org/home/

Oxfam:
http://www.oxfam.org/eng/

Salvation Army:
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Save the Children (USA):
http://www.savethechildren.org/

UNICEF:
http://www.unicef.org/

World Vision:
http://www.worldvision.org/