DISASTER RESEARCH 317

March 28, 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS:


  1. A New Special Publication from NHRAIC on the Hazards of Responding to El Nino

  2. Seeking Information on Natural Hazards Affecting Road/Highway Networks

  3. Seeking Information on Community Hazard Awareness

  4. Seeking Information on Earthquake Impact and Response in Turkey

  5. Draft Report Available from National Drought Policy Commission

  6. NFPA Promoting "Firewise" Communities

  7. USFA Funds Fire Safety Education

  8. Corps Revises Permitting Program to Protect Wetlands

  9. FEMA Issues Acquisition and Relocation Grants

  10. IG Issues FEMA Top 10 List

  11. House Subcommittee Hearing Testimony Posted on Web

  12. Introducing DRM

  13. FEMA Says Floyd Claims Second Highest

  14. 1999 Fifth Worse for Insured Losses

  15. A Certificate Program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance

  16. Certificate and Graduate Specializations in Disaster Management at Georgia State University

  17. New Courses and Other Resources Available from FEMA's Higher Education Project

  18. Some Recent Research Grant Awards

  19. Electronic Journal of Emergency Management Seeking Articles

  20. Help Wanted: HA/DR Recruit - OFDA Support Project

  21. Work Wanted: Student Seeks Internship

  22. Conferences and Training


1)----------
A New Special Publication
from the Hazards Center:

The Hazards of Responding to El Nino in South America

Having experienced a major El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event in 1982-1983, the South American countries of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia should have been better prepared to deal with the next major ENSO in 1997-1998. Or so one would think . . .

Alas, in a careful analysis of the organized governmental/institutional response in these countries, authors Richard Olson, Juan Pablo Sarmiento Prieto, Robert Olson, Vincent Gawronski, and Amelia Estrada found that many of the lessons from the earlier event were lost - primarily because of a lack of prior planning and the political exigencies that emerged when the 1997-98 El Nino became a "catastrophe" that received national and global attention.

The principal finding of The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions: The 1997-1998 El Nino Experience in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador is that while the civil defense organizations in the respective countries were the nominal "national emergency organizations" at the outset of this most recent ENSO, each was rapidly pushed to the sidelines ("marginalized") by one or more new but temporary governmental organizations charged with supposedly managing the response. The result was 1) confusion and duplication at the institutional level and 2) a serious loss of credibility and morale in each country's civil defense structure. In all cases, the 1997-98 ENSO became a major domestic media and political issue.

Following their analysis of these events, the authors of The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions assess likely institutional readiness for the next ENSO, and, perhaps most importantly, suggest how standing national emergency management agencies can better prepare - not just for the physical consequences of a future ENSO event, but for the political consequences, as well.

The Marginalization of Disaster Response Institutions: The 1997-1998 El Nino Experience in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador (Natural Hazards Center Special Publication #36, 2000, 44 pp.) can be purchased for $10.00, plus shipping ($5.00 for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $8.00 for international mail beyond North America). Orders should be directed to the Publications Clerk, Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, Campus Box 482, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482, (303) 492-6819; fax: (303) 492-2151; e-mail: janet.kroeckel@colorado.edu.


2)----------

Seeking Information on Natural Hazards Affecting Road/Highway Networks

Opus is researching strategies for managing natural hazards risk for road networks, for Transfund New Zealand.

We have our fair share of natural hazards in New Zealand, and roads are particularly vulnerable given the steep terrain, young geology, seismicity, and weather patterns. Our objective is to develop a systematic approach to manage risks associated with natural hazards affecting road networks. A structured approach is being considered to assess the consequences to road networks from natural hazards; consider mitigation, contingency, and emergency preparedness measures; and develop a long-term risk management strategy. The economic and social impacts of road damage and economics of mitigation would require consideration. Such a strategy will help communities become more resilient to natural hazards.

Note the emphasis on road networks rather than specific structures such as bridges.

I would appreciate a response from others who are aware of similar research, studies, or strategies that are being considered or have been developed or applied elsewhere. This will help us to build on the good work already done.

Thank you,
P. Brabhaharan
Opus, P.O. Box 12003, Wellington, New Zealand
E-mail: p.brabhaharan@opus.co.nz
Tel: +64-4-471 7842; Fax: +64-4-471 1397
WWW: http://www.opus.co.nz/


3)----------

Seeking Information on Community Hazard Awareness

Hello,
I am interested in finding out information about any prior research into measuring levels of awareness in the community of disasters that could affect people. For example, identifying whether people living in a landslide risk area know that that is a possible event. The aim of measuring this awareness is to get a baseline measure that can be tracked over time as education campaigns are carried out. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Jessica
E-mail: Jessica.Enders@justice.vic.gov.au


4)----------

Seeking Information on Earthquake Impact and Response in Turkey

Dear Friends,

I urgently need information on earthquakes in Turkey. I am particularly interested in impact data as well as insight into how effective the response may have been.

I am writing a book on information management in earthquakes. I am focusing in the first part of the book on the role and scope of information for post-disaster impact response management in earthquakes. I am covering topics such as identifying the type of data required for response management, techniques for storing data, the process of transforming data into information, and methods for communicating data for decision support. In the second part of the book I show the steps needed to create a spatial decision support system for earthquake response management.

I would be particularly interested to hear from academics, engineers, government officials, and anyone with an interest in earthquake response management.

Dr. Michael Francis
Senior Lecturer
Dubai Polytechnic
P.O. Box 14t57
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 (0)4 2072663
+071 (0)50 457 8851 Mobile
E-mail: mikhul1@emirates.net.ae


5)----------

Draft Report Available from National Drought Policy Commission

A long-awaited draft report from the National Drought Policy Commission is now available for public comment on the World Wide Web at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/drought/Report/report.htm. The comment period ends March 31, 2000.

This draft report outlines recommendations that will be made to Congress and the President regarding national drought issues. Written comments should be mailed directly to the commission c/o Leona Dittus, Executive Director, National Drought Policy Commission, USDA/FSA/AO, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Mail Stop 0501, Washington, DC 20250-0501. Comments can also be submitted by e-mail to leona_dittus@wdc.fsa.usda.gov or faxed to (202) 720-9688.


6)----------

NFPA Promoting "Firewise" Communities

The impact of severe wildfire on communities, states, and the nation as a whole is considerable. Since 1970, we have spent more than $20 billion fighting fire at the fringes of population centers - the area that fire professionals call the wildland/urban interface - and in the last quarter century, hundreds of lives (most of them firefighters) and more than 30,000 homes and other structures have been lost.

With the growth of this hazard has come increasing recognition that, through wise community design and judicious use of prescribed fire, these costs can be reduced. Hence, in the last decade, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other wildland fire agencies have mounted major efforts to champion such solutions. For example, as part of its National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Protection Program, NFPA has produced a Web site and a host of publications, videos, and case studies aimed at promoting "firewise" behavior in every corner of the country. This work has resulted in new partnerships and improved the ability of firefighters, citizens, and our built and natural environments to deal with inevitable wildland fire.

To further their work of stimulating a grassroots response to this threat, NFPA is currently inviting concerned community leaders to participate in Firewise Communities Workshops. Using state-of-the-art simulation exercises, presentations, and support materials, participants will learn what it takes to create a firewise community in which wildland fire is planned as naturally as air and water quality or floodplain management. For more information about the Firewise Communities Workshop series, see the Firewise Communities Web site: http://www.firewise.org/communities.


7)----------

USFA Funds Fire Safety Education

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, wants to strengthen fire safety awareness among high-risk groups and has created the National Fire Safety Campaign grant program to deliver educational services and materials to the elderly, children, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and rural and urban populations.

This new grant program is designed to help organizations that are currently working within their respective communities to continue their efforts to educate high-risk groups about the importance of fire safety and prevention. Funding is available to organizations such as civic clubs, sororities and fraternities, youth groups, senior citizen groups, fire departments, fire associations, and schools.

For more information and to obtain an application package, contact Cindy Adams, Office of Financial Management, U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1221; fax: (301) 447-1092; e-mail: cindy.adams@fema.gov.


8)----------

Corps Revises Permitting Program to Protect Wetlands

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revised its Nationwide Permit (NWP) process to increase protection of floodplains and critical water courses. On March 6, 2000, the Corps announced that it had replaced NWP 26, which was the general permit involving potential impacts on wetlands used most frequently, with five new permits and numerous modifications to other permits (see the Federal Register, Vol. 65, No. 47, pp. 12818-12899). The replacement permits continue to authorize many of the same activities as before, although they are now more specific, containing terms and conditions that ensure minimal adverse effects on aquatic environments.

According to the agency:

The Corps of Engineers is very concerned with the loss of life and property resulting from unwise development in the floodplain. The Corps has recently advocated the strengthening of floodplain policy and the use of non-structural measures to reduce flood damages. We believe that the changes to the NWP program . . . will play an important role in reducing damages associated with development in the floodplain.
Not only are the new permits and permitting process more stringent, but the Corps has also established pre-construction notification (PCN) thresholds to ensure that any activity that may have more than minimal adverse effects is reviewed by a Corps district engineer on a case-by- case basis. The Corps emphasizes that FEMA-mapped floodplains and FEMA-approved local floodplain construction requirements will be incorporated into their decisions when issuing permits.

The complete text of the "Final Notice of Issuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits" can be found in the Federal Register, available via the Internet at http://www.access.gpo.gov. To obtain further information about this notice, contact David Olson or Sam Collinson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, attn: CECW-OR, 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20314-1000; (202) 761-0199. Interested persons can also see the Corps of Engineers Regulatory Home Page: http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg.


9)----------

FEMA Issues Acquisition and Relocation Grants

Following a generous appropriation from Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the availability of $215 million in grants to states for "acquisition and relocation of properties affected by Hurricane Floyd and surrounding events for hazard mitigation purposes."

The agency stresses that the "overriding aim of the Hurricane Floyd supplemental appropriation is to clear the floodplain by helping occupants to move out of harm's way . . . we intend to use the funding to meet the needs of lower income households in the areas that are most affected by flood damage."

The Interim Final Rule that explains this process can be found in the February 11 edition of the Federal Register (Vol. 65, No. 29, pp. 7270-7274.) The rule states that funds are to be used for acquisition and relocation only, and that eligible properties must be:

Funds will be allocated to states that received a presidential disaster declaration resulting from Hurricane Floyd, and states will in turn distribute grants to interested communities, tribal organizations, or appropriate private, nonprofit organizations. Properties purchased with this funding must remain open space in perpetuity and may receive no future disaster assistance from any federal source. All funds must be obligated by January 1, 2002, and local sources must contribute up to 25% of the eligible costs.

For further information about these grants, contact Robert F. Shea, Mitigation Directorate, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-3619; fax: (202) 646 3104; e-mail: robert.shea@fema.gov.


10)----------

IG Issues FEMA Top 10 List

In its 21st Semi-Annual Report to Congress (April 1, 1999 - September 30, 1999), FEMA's Inspector General's (IG) Office reviewed, among other items, the 10 most serious management challenges facing the agency. They are: 1) containing disaster costs, 2) clarifying disaster declaration criteria, 3) sustaining the national mitigation program, 4) assessing state and local preparedness for emergencies, 5) enhancing the financial soundness and equity of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), 6) updating flood maps, 7) developing reliable procedures for complying with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, 8) enhancing financial management operations, 9) developing a viable grants management program, and 10) implementing and maintaining information management systems.

Further, the Inspector General assessed the effectiveness of FEMA's Substantial Damage Rule as a mitigation tool. The rule requires communities participating in the NFIP to ensure that flood-prone structures damaged equal to or greater than 50% of their value be replaced with flood-resistant structures and (usually) elevated. After an examination of insurance claim data, the Inspector General found that many communities are not implementing mitigation under this rule, resulting in higher insurance premiums for the owners. The office recommends that FEMA centralize management of substantially damaged structures; notify policyholders prior to payment that their homes may be substantially damaged and eligible for mitigation funding; re-rate flood policies based on a structure's flood risk; require communities to use market value capped at replacement cost to calculate substantial damage; increase training regarding this rule; and visit communities to monitor compliance.

The Semi-Annual Report (1999, 40 pp., free) also describes numerous investigations regarding attempted fraud, inappropriate grant awards, and bribery of government employees. It describes the agency's Fraud Hotline, the Disaster Fraud Training course currently being developed, the IG's participation in other FEMA activities, and reviews of legislative and regulatory activities.

Copies of the Semi-Annual Report are free and can be obtained from Rita Rios, FEMA, Office of Inspector General, 500 C Street, S.W., Room 506, Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646-4166; fax: (202) 646-3901; e-mail: Rita.Rios@fema.gov; WWW: http://www.fema.gov/ig.


11)----------

House Subcommittee Hearing Testimony Posted on Web

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science examines issues relating to science and public policy. Recently, the committee posted testimony from hearings that may be of interest to hazards professionals.

The Subcommittee on Basic Research held a hearing on Wednesday, October 20, 1999, on "The Turkey, Taiwan, and Mexico Earthquakes: Lessons Learned." Witnesses testified regarding the role of the USGS's National Earthquake Information Center during those recent quakes, structural failures due to the quakes and their relevance for the U.S., the geological characteristics of the quake areas and their similarities to U.S. locales, and urban search and rescue efforts following the quakes. These documents can be viewed at http://www.house.gov/science/106_hearing.htm.

The minutes from several other hearings held by the committee are also available from that Web site, including "Tornadoes: Understanding, Modeling, and Forecasting Supercell Storms," conducted on June 16, 1999; and "Year 2000 Computer Problem: Did the World Overreact, and What Did We Learn?", conducted January 21, 2000.


12)----------

Introducing DRM

Although developed countries have substantially increased local capabilities to reduce disasters, in many cases developing countries have not been able to adapt such capabilities for their own localities. To address this problem, the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and Virginia Tech University recently created the World Institute for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Alexandria, Virginia, to develop disaster risk reduction approaches that promote both public safety and sustainable development.

The DRM program is interdisciplinary, addressing prevention strategies, implementation activities, education, and knowledge dissemination in relation to both human-caused technological risks and natural disasters. The DRM will also play an active role in the ProVention Consortium on Natural and Technological Catastrophes of the World Bank (see DR #313).

The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) represents numerous research centers that study a broad range of hazard-related issues, from risk management to engineering to public policy. Virginia Tech has multidisciplinary capabilities and experience in natural and technological disaster management, including in the areas of seismology, water resource management, environmental and hazardous materials studies, transportation research, and public policy.

Several affiliated universities from around the world are also part of the DRM network. Basically, DRM will provide services to aid the private sector, governments, and community groups in defining and dealing with hazards and risks.

To obtain further information about this effort, contact DRM, World Institute for Disaster Management, Alexandria Research Institute, 206 North Washington Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 518- 8080; fax: (703) 518-8085; e-mail: widrm@vt.edu; or DRM, c/o ETH Board, Haldelwig 15, ETH Centre, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland; tel: +41 1 632 20 02; fax: + 41 1 632 11 90; e-mail: DRM@ethrat.ch.


13)----------

FEMA Says Floyd Claims Second Highest

Last September, Hurricane Floyd ravaged more than a dozen states - from Florida to Maine - resulting in significantly more flood insurance payments than originally anticipated. According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), more than $310 million has been paid to settle 15,000 claims for flood damage, and the average paid claim was $21,237. The NFIP estimates that total insurance payments for Floyd will eventually reach $460 million, making these floods the second most expensive in the history of the program, exceeded only by the Louisiana floods of May 1995, which resulted in $584 million in claims.

Although flood insurance claims were large, the majority of victims had no flood insurance. In North Carolina, the state hardest hit by the hurricane, only 81,000 policies were in force, and much of the flooding there occurred in areas outside high-risk zones protected by flood insurance.


14)----------

1999 Fifth Worst for Insured Losses

In 1999, U.S. property and casualty insurers paid $8.2 billion to homeowners and businesses for losses caused by 27 catastrophic events. The number of claims filed was the third highest posted in a single year, and the Property Claim Services division of Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) says the total cost was the fifth highest for catastrophe losses since 1949, when ISO's record-keeping began. ISO defines a catastrophe as an event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses and affects a significant number of policyholders and insurers.

The 10 states that suffered the highest losses were:

1) Oklahoma       $1.1 billion     May tornadoes
2) North Carolina $928 million     Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd
3) Texas          $515 million     Severe weather
4) Virginia       $485 million     Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd
5) Michigan       $375 million     Severe weather
5) Ohio           $375 million     Severe weather
7) Arkansas       $325 million     Severe weather
8) Pennsylvania   $255 million     Hurricane Floyd
9) New York       $230 million     Severe weather
10) Florida       $222 million     Hurricanes Floyd and Irene

ISO notes that 1999 was the first time in 25 years that California did not suffer a single catastrophe, while Florida, the state that incurred the greatest insured losses this decade, was only tenth, despite an active hurricane season. Although the number of events was the second lowest in the decade, eight hurricanes struck the U.S., five of which were category 3 or higher in intensity. The record year for losses was 1992, when Hurricane Andrew struck the U.S., causing insured losses of $22.9 billion.

The top 10 states for losses from 1990 to 1999 were:

1) Florida                    $19.3 billion
2) California                 $17.5 billion
3) Texas                      $6.6 billion
4) North Carolina             $3.4 billion
5) Oklahoma                   $2.6 billion
6) New York                   $2.4 billion
7) Minnesota                  $2.3 billion
8) Kansas                     $2.0 billion
9) Illinois                   $1.7 billion
9) Colorado                   $ 1.7 billion
For more information about these data, contact Christopher Guidette, Insurance Services Office, Inc., 7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10048-1199; (212) 898-6609; e-mail: cguidette@iso.com; WWW: http://www.iso.com.


15)----------
From the University of Hawaii . . .

A Certificate Program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance

On January 13, the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CEDMHA) and the University of Hawaii-Manoa introduced the foundation course for a new multidisciplinary training and research program leading to a Certificate in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. The initial seminar, and, indeed, the entire new program, will draw on the Asia-Pacific expertise of the university faculty and the extensive field experience of CEDMHA staff. In addition, the course developers plan to invite experts from various international response and relief agencies and other universities to contribute to the program. Participants will include both civilian and military students. For additional information about the new certificate program, contact the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, c/o Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White road (MCPA-DM), Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000; (808) 433-7035; fax: (808) 433-1757; WWW: http://coe.tamc.amedd.army.mil or http://coe-dmha.org. Interested persons can also contact the program coordinator, James. D. White, (808) 956-3265; e-mail: jwhite@hawaii.edu.


16)----------

Certificate and Graduate Specializations in Disaster Management at Georgia State University

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, offers a graduate certificate in disaster management as a professional credential for students preparing for careers in the field, public and nonprofit agency administrators working in public safety and emergency response agencies, and other administrators who require an understanding of emergency management principles and processes to be prepared for emergencies. Students may choose disaster management as a concentration in the Master of Public Administration and the Master of Science in Urban Policy Studies programs, and students in the Ph.D. in Public Policy program offered by GSU and Georgia Tech may choose disaster management as one of their two areas of specialization.

Completion of the certificate program requires 12 semester hours of graduate work, including the courses "Disaster Management," "Disaster Relief and Recovery," and two electives. This curriculum provides an overview of disaster management in public and nonprofit agencies; an introduction to emergency management policies and programs with a focus on disaster mitigation; and specialized work on land-use planning geographic information systems, terrorism, environmental planning, the economic impact of disasters, and other issues.

For more information about the programs available from Georgia State University, contact William L. Waugh, Jr., Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303; (404) 651-4592; fax: (404) 651-1378; e-mail: wwaugh@gsu.edu.


17)----------

New Courses and Other Resources Available from FEMA's Higher Education Project

One of the goals of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to encourage and support the spread of emergency-management-related education in colleges and universities across the United States. To further this end, FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI), which focuses on providing skills-based training to existing emergency management personnel, has undertaken several initiatives promoting college-based emergency management education for future emergency managers.

First the project has compiled an annotated list of colleges, universities, and other institutions offering emergency management courses, certificates, and degrees. This catalog is available on-line at http://www.fema.gov/emi/edu/higher.htm.

Next, EMI has developed an outline of a potential emergency management curriculum consisting of a series of classroom-based, upper-division, baccalaureate-level classes, and the institute is working with a variety of colleges and universities to develop these courses. Several are now complete and available on-line. Courses currently available, or soon to be posted, include:

In addition, as an aid to academics working on hazards and emergency management-related courses, a working draft Emergency Management Bibliography has been developed.

Recently, EMI also designed a "Prototype Curriculum for Associate Degrees in Emergency Management," based on existing EMI training courses that could be used or adapted by colleges.

For additional information about the FEMA Higher Education Project or to obtain background and course materials, see http://www.fema.gov/emi/edu/higher.htm or contact the project director, Wayne Blanchard, FEMA Higher Education Project, Emergency Management Institute, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1262; fax: (301) 447-1598; e-mail: wayne.blanchard@fema.gov.


18)----------

Some Recent Research Grant Awards

[Listed below are some recently awarded contracts and grants for the study of hazards and disasters. An inventory of contracts and grants awarded from 1995 to the present (primarily those funded by the National Science Foundation) is available on the Natural Hazards Center Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/grants.html.]

Cooperative Agreement to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to Initiate the Post Hurricane Reconstruction of the Public Healthcare System in Central America and the Caribbean. Funding: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $1 million, 12 months. Contact: PAHO, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination Program, 525 23rd Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037; (202) 974-3520; fax: (202) 775-4578; e-mail: disaster@paho.org; WWW: http://www.paho.org/english/ped/pedhome.htm.

An Investigation of the Geotechnical Aspects of the June 1999 Central Mexico Earthquakes - Preliminary Assessment. Funding: National Science Foundation, $12,110, 12 months. Principal Investigator: Jonathan D. Bray, Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center and National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE), University of California, 1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804; (510) 231-9554; fax: (510) 231-9471; e-mail: bray@ce.berkeley.edu; WWW: http://nisee.ce.berkeley.edu.

Ranking Risk Factors Affected by Coastal Storms. Funding: Public Entity Risk Institute, 24 months. Principal Investigator: Robert S. Young, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723; (828) 227-3822; fax: (828) 227-7647; e-mail: rsyoung@wcu.edu.

Processes Mediating Judgements of Likelihood. Funding: National Science Foundation, $178,664, 36 months. Principal Investigator: Paul D. Windschitl, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; e-mail: paul-windschitl@uiowa.edu.

IM-AWARE (Instructional Meteorology - Applications of Weather for Awareness, Readiness and Education). Funding: National Science Foundation, $73,848, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Kevin A. Kloesel and Renee A. McPherson, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; e-mail: kevin@redrock.ocs.ou.edu.

Impacts of Disasters on Small, Not-for-profit and Business Organizations. Funding: Public Entity Risk Institute, $307,995, 36 months. Principal Investigator: Daniel J. Alesch, Center for Organizational Studies, Department of Public and Environmental Affairs, Suite 324, Rose Hall, 2120 Nicolet Drive, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001; (920) 465-2045; fax: (920) 465-2791; e-mail: aleschd@uwgb.edu.


19)----------

Electronic Journal of Emergency Management Seeking Articles

The Electronic Journal of Emergency Management is a peer-reviewed on-line journal that specializes in articles dealing with emergency management, business continuity, and disaster science. The editors are currently seeking contributions from students, faculty, researchers, and emergency management and business continuity practitioners. Disaster case studies and historical analyses are particularly welcome, as are summaries of both qualitative and quantitative research. The editors are also interested in papers on new or emerging topics that would normally not be examined in other publications. Articles should be less than ten pages, doubled spaced. For more information about the journal, submission requirements, and the peer review process, or to view the current issue, see: http://members.tripod.com/~Richmond_ESM/index.html; or contact Walter Green, Assistant Professor of Emergency Services Management, School of Continuing Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173; (804) 287-1246; e-mail: wgreen@richmond.edu.


20)----------

Help Wanted: HA/DR Recruit - OFDA Support Project

Chemonics International, a leading international economic development consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., is recruiting numerous senior and mid-level positions for its bid to implement a USAID project to support the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

The five-year project, to be based in Washington, D.C., will support OFDA's activities in contracting/grant making, information gathering and reporting, recruiting, and training. It will also provide administrative support to these operations. Chemonics is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions:

To request additional information or to submit your cv, contact Jeffrey Rasmussen, Recruitment and New Business Specialist, via e-mail: jrasmussen@chemonics.net; or fax: (202) 955-7540, attn: Jeff R. Anticipated project start up is late summer. Please see http://www.chemonics.com for information on Chemonics and our work.


21)----------

Work Wanted: Student Seeks Internship

Desperately Seeking Placement!
I am currently a second year, independent, mature (25) degree student at Coventry University, studying Development and Health in Disaster Management. I am looking for a placement for a period of 9-12 months, beginning in Sept/Oct 2000. I am interested in gaining first-hand experience in any of the following areas: If you can help, please e-mail me.
Thank you.
Paula Jane Busby
E-mail: pbusby@cov.ac.uk


22)----------

Conferences and Training

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings and training is available from our World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html]

First Regional Training Course on Urban Flood Mitigation (UFM-1). Offered by: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Bangkok, Thailand: April 3-14, 2000. See: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/course/ufm/ufm1.htm, or contact: Learning and Professional Development, ADPC, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; tel: (66 2) 5245386 or 5245391; fax: (66 2) 5245350; e-mail: tedadpc@ait.ac.th.

Corporate/Public Agency Coordination and Interdependence. Sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley Certificate Program in Emergency Management. San Francisco, California: April 11-14, 2000. To register, or for more information, contact: UC Berkeley Extension, (510) 643-7143; e-mail: env@unx.berkeley.edu; WWW: http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/em.

Emergency Management (Disaster) Planning Workshop for Business, Industry and Government. Sponsors: American Red Cross, [Florida] Capital Area Chapter, in cooperation with Leon County [Florida] Sheriff's Office, Division of Emergency Management, Apalachee Regional Planning Council. Tallahassee, Florida: April 24-27, 2000. For additional information, see: http://www.tallytown.com/redcross; or contact the Disaster Services Office, American Red Cross, 187 Office Plaza Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301; (850) 878-6080. [Note: A Self Study version of this workshop is available for $85.00. To order, contact the Disaster Services Office above.]

Floods and Flooding in a Changing Environment. Sponsors: School of Environmental Science - University College Northampton, Association of British Climatologists, and St. James Community Forum. Northampton, U.K.: April 28-29, 2000. The deadline for abstracts has been extended to April 4. Papers are invited on following themes: causes, hydrology, and climatology of flood events in the UK; management of floodplains to reduce flood risk; past flood events in the UK; flood risk and climate change. Contact: Dr. Chris Holt, Course Leader, University College Northampton, Park Campus, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, U.K. NN2 7AL; tel: +44(0)1604-735500, ext. 2091; fax: +44(0)1604-720636; WWW: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/aps/env/envsci.html.

Earthquake Conference 2000: "It's Our Fault" (first Mississippi state earthquake conference). Tunica, Mississippi: May 24-26, 2000. Government and private, nonprofit employees will be eligible for reimbursement. Contact Patrick Wanker, (601) 352-9100; e-mail: pwanker@memaorg.com.

Advancing Community Sustainability. Sponsored by Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs with support from numerous federal agencies and other organizations. Roanoke, Virginia: June 1-3, 2000. "Plenary and roundtable sessions will examine the practice of sustainability in each of three areas of community life: a) physical development; b) infrastructure design; and c) economic structure." For more information, see: http://www.conted.vt.edu/advcom.htm, or contact: Prof. Richard C. Rich, Chair, Department of Political Science, 531 Major Williams Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0130; (540) 231-6571; fax: (540) 231-6078; e-mail: urban@vt.edu.

17th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. Taipei, Taiwan: September 18-20, 2000. In memory of last year's 921 Ji-Ji (Taiwan) earthquake, a session entitled "Hazard Management Technology" will be included in this year's symposium. The deadline for abstracts is March 31. More information is available via: http://www.ce.ntu.edu.tw/~isarc17; or contact: Walter Chen, Ph.D., Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology; e-mail: waltchen99@yahoo.com.

Applications of Risk Analysis in Industry and Government. Sponsor: Society for Risk Analysis. Arlington, Virginia: December 3-6, 2000. Proposals due May 12. Contact: Society for Risk Analysis, 1313 Dolley Madison Boulevard, Suite 402, McLean, VA 22101; (703) 790-1745; fax: (703) 790-2672; e-mail: sra@burkinc.com.


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