Disaster Research 180

October 20, 1995

This newsletter is reprinted with the full knowledge and consent of the Natural HazardsResearch and Applications Information Center in Boulder, CO.

Table of contents

1. "Ebola Strikes the Global Village" - A Paper on the Hazards Home Page
2. An Invitation to Publish the Old Fashioned Way
3. Looking for Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Questionnaires
4. PLUM Augments News on Natural Disasters for Communities
5. Study Group Forming on Climate Perception and Decision Making
6. Last Call: Pan-Pacific Hazards

http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html

The paper is provided in a "Zip" format - i.e., it is compressed and, oncedownloaded, must be unzipped (uncompressed) using the PKZIP program. Theresulting file is a Microsoft Word 6.0 document with graphics and graphsthat can be examined with a Word viewer or printed using Microsoft Word.Anyone having trouble unzipping the file is invited to contact theauthors.

The paper is unedited and presented as received from the authors. Indeed,the paper is being published on the Web not only to disseminate theauthors' findings, but also to elicit suggestions, comments, criticism,and discussion from the hazards community. Benini and Bradford can bereached at abenini@slonet.org.

In the future, the Hazards Center anticipates providing full textmanuscripts, as well as compressed ASCII, Word, WordPerfect, Adobe Acrobat(and other format) documents via the Web. Stay tuned . . .

Thanks in advance. Aloha!
Ms. Asha M. George
asha@hawaii.edu

Connect to http://www.media.mit.edu/people/elo/plum.html

If you are interested in applications of natural language processingtechniques to news on natural disasters or in the personalization ofdigitally delivered news, you may like to see the approach I have taken inmy Master's Thesis.

Over the last year, I have developed a computer system called PLUM. PLUMaugments, or adds contextual information, to news on natural disasters.The system analyzes incoming articles from wire services and automaticallyrelates reported facts to the reader's home community. In doing so, PLUMcan help the reader better understand the scope of the disaster and thesimilarities between the home country and the disaster-stricken country.

I would be interested in any feedback on this research, in particular frompeople involved in disaster education/management/preparedness.

Thank you,
Sara Elo
Research Assistant
MIT Media Laboratory
20 Ames Street E15-468C
Cambridge MA 02139 USA
E-mail: elo@media.mit.edu
Phone: (617) 253-9401
Fax: (617) 258-6264
http://www.media.mit.edu/people/elo/welcome.html

[Received the following from isbsg13@cassandra.acru.uq.oz.au]

It is proposed to create a Study Group (Study Group 13 - "ClimatePerception and Decision Making") within the International Society ofBiometeorology to work between the 14th and 15th Congresses 1996-1999 withthe following mission:

• to advance understanding of the perception of climate variability and change and to support the dissemination of this knowledge through educational and communication channels;
• to facilitate and improve the consideration of climate and other atmospheric hazards in decision-making at all levels in the policy process.
• to promote the harmonisation of human socioeconomic activities with a changing and variable atmosphere especially in the context of sustainable development and the objectives of the U.N. framework convention on climate change.

To help launch the work of the study group a meeting will be held inLjubljana at the 14th Congress of the International Society ofBiometeorology, September 1-8, 1996. The meeting will involve workinggroup seminars, paper presentations, and an organisational discussion.Accordingly interested persons are invited to contact the co-chairs withexpressions of interest and suggestions for seminars and papers. Abstractsare due January 31, 1996.

Consideration is being given to the organisation of special sessions andresponses are also invited on the following more specific themes:

• the communication of climate information (including seasonal forecasting and long-term climate change scenarios) and the use of such information in decision-making and the policy process
• the perception of climate and other atmospheric risks, especially in a comparative risk assessment context
• the impacts of multiple atmospheric stresses on socioeconomic systems
• the role of insurance in response to atmospheric hazards
• the resolution of international conflicts concerning the atmosphere (air quality, acid precipitation, ozone layer depletion, climate change, atmospheric extreme events)

Depending upon contributions received, a proceedings volume may bepublished. Suggestions or proposals and requests for further informationcan be addressed to the co-chairs at:

isbsg13@cassandra.acru.uq.oz.au

We look forward to receiving your enquiries.
Dr. Peter Hastings
Co-chair
School of Humanities, Queensland University of Technology, Beans Road,
Carseldine, Qld 4034, Australia.
Tel: (61) 7 3864 4513
Fax: (61) 7 3365 3561

Mr. John Greenway
Co-chair
Applied Climate Research Unit
Dept. of Geographical Sciences & Planning
The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
Tel: (61) 7 3365 3565
Fax: (61) 7 3365 3561

Dr. Ian Burton
Chairperson (pro-term)
Atmospheric Environment Service
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview
Ontario M3H 5T4
Canada.
Tel: (416) 739 4314
Fax: (416) 739 4297

http://hoshi.cic.sfu.ca/epix/hazards96/call.html

or contact: Pan Pacific Hazards '96 Conference, Disaster PreparednessResource Centre, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, 4thFloor, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3, Canada; tel: (604) 822-5518; fax: (604)822-6164; e-mail: dprc@unixg.ubc.ca.

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