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The Natural Hazards Center's newest Quick Response report Field Observations of Lower Manhattan in the Aftermath of the World Trade Center Disaster: September 30, 2001 is now available on the Hazards Center web site. The report examines perishable information, such as posters and environmental changes, in Manhattan shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Towers. The Natural Hazards Center sponsors Quick Response investigations that allow researchers to visit the site of a disaster immediately after impact in order to assess response and recovery. In turn, the researchers publish summaries of their findings on the Hazards Center web site. QR #139, however, is an exception. The research was not funded through the Center's QR program. However, this post-disaster research study is characteristic of the Quick Response program, and the Center is pleased to publish the findings. The newest report, by James K. Mitchell et al. from Rutgers University, is on-line at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr139/qr139.html.
The Universities Council on Water Resources Research (UCOWR) is soliciting applicants for the 2002 PhD Dissertation Awards. The annual awards recognize two outstanding PhD dissertations that examine water issues. One dissertation is picked from each category: 1) Water Policy and Socio-Economics and 2) Natural Science and Engineering. Dissertations by students from a UCOWR member university completed within the last two years, or those near completion (all graduation requirements met by June 21, 2002), are eligible. Applications must be to the university's UCOWR lead delegate by January 31, 2002. Winners receive a certificate, $750 cash, reimbursement up to $1,000 for travel expenses to and free registration for the annual UCOWR meeting to be held July 23-26, 2002, in Traverse City, Michigan. For more information, contact UCOWR Headquarters, 4543 Faner Hall, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-4526; (618) 536-7571; fax: (618) 453-2671; e-mail: mskerly@siu.edu; WWW: http://www.uwin.siu.edu/ucowr/.
The International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM), formerly the Asia Pacific Disaster Management Centre (APDMC), is accepting applications for the following graduate certificate programs for professional development in disaster and risk management.
- International Disaster Risk Management Course (IDRMC-1): Leads to a graduate certificate in emergency management, May 06-17, 2002.
- Conflict Prevention, Resolution, and Post Reconstruction (CMC-2): Leads to graduate certificate in dispute resolution, July 08-19, 2002.
- Executive and Leadership Development Program for Emergency Managers (EDP-2): Leads to graduate certificate in executive development, August 19-30, 2002.
- Local and Community Level Disaster Risk Management Course (LCLDRM-5): Leads to graduate certificate in emergency management, October 14-25, 2002.
All are residential courses in collaboration with Charles Sturt University, Australia, and will be held at the AIM Conference Center, Makati City, Philippines. For more information and registration, contact, John W. Barrett, Chief Executive Officer, IDRM, P.O. Box 1005, Makati Central Post Office, 1250 Makati City, Philippines; (632) 817-1434 or (632) 813-1668; fax: (632) 817-0894; e-mail: info@idrmhome.org; WWW: http://www.idrmhome.org.
The American Society of Professional Emergency Planners (ASPEP) needs articles and papers discussing new ideas in emergency management for the November 2002 edition of the organization's peer-reviewed journal. Papers should be 1,500 to 4,500 words, formatted in Microsoft Word, if possible, and submitted via e-mail (preferred) to bbinder@myexcel.com or on a computer disk. Papers are due by June 15, 2002. Authors of selected papers will be notified by July 15. For more information, contact Bruce Binder, (503) 590-2953; e-mail: bbinder@myexcel.com.
The Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana seeks applicants for tenure track, assistant professor positions in structural/geotechnical/materials engineering. Candidates must have a PhD in civil engineering or related field and be interested in one or more of the following areas: steel structures, behavior of structures under dynamic loads, mechanics of advanced composites, engineering materials, soil dynamics, geotechnical engineering, and natural hazard mitigation. The successful candidates will teach, develop externally-funded research programs, and perform professional service. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. For more information, visit http://www.nd.edu/~cegeos/. To apply, send a letter describing research and teaching interests and goals, a curriculum vita with employment and publication history, and a list of four references to: Civil Engineering Search, Ahsan Kareem, Chair, Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0767.
Those interested in evacuation issues are invited to join the newly formed Transportation Research Board (TRB) Subcommittee on Emergency Evacuations. The committee's first meeting is scheduled for January 14, 2002, at the TRB Annual Conference in Washington D.C. The goals of the committee are to improve evacuation practices through information exchange and to develop research needs and best practices documents. For more information, contact Brian Wolshon, Committee Chair, LSU Hurricane Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; (225) 578-5247; fax: (225) 578-4813; e-mail: brian@rsip.lsu.edu; WWW: http://www.hurricane.lsu.edu (select "Workshops.") .
A correspondent from Kathmandu asks if DR readers have any reports, studies, or references on disasters in Nepal that address the current or predicted status of prevention activities, the work of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in disasters, etc.? There are new dimensions of disasters that are coming to the forefront–especially with increased knowledge of Glacial Lake Outbursts resulting in uncontrollable flash floods in the Himalayas. Earthquake related disasters are very well documented. However, strangely, not many NGOs are involved in direct action, except a few leading groups, even though it is quite clear that Kathmandu sits on a very vulnerable earthquake prone zone. Many thanks for providing a lead in preparing a media report for the International Day of Disasters Prevention for Nepal.
C.P.Jayalakshmi
Networking Specialist
Mountain Forum Secretariat
c/o ICIMOD
GPO BOX 3226
Kathmandu, Nepal
E-mail: secretariat@mtnforum.org
(DR received the following request from a Russian researcher. If interested in helping with his requests, please contact the author directly.)
Since 1986, I have studied problems of emergency situations. During the last 10 years, I have lived in Gomel in the zone of Chernobyl Power station and studied different aspects of consequences of that disaster. Currently, I am professor at St. Petersburg State Architectural and Civil Engineering University investigating urgent construction in extreme conditions of emergency situations. I have authored 20 scientific works in this area.
Let me emphasize that this is very actual problem at the moment. Elimination of sequences of emergency situations (earthquakes, production and transport accidents, etc.) connects with the problem of construction in the shortest time for people from destroyed zones. For instance, after earthquakes and floods, as history shows, hundreds of thousands of people lose their homes. Their houses are destroyed, and it is necessary to construct more in a short time. Some managers may say it is no problem. If there is enough money we will be able to build any volume in any time period. But if we analyze past projects, they show 1) millions U.S. dollars have been invested with not enough efficiency and 2) problems might be solved in less time.
Today it is necessary to create a new system of organization or construction in emergency situations. Fragments from this future system already exist in my doctoral work but they reflect a Russian base of knowledge (without modern Western achievements) and can be considered a foundation for a future system.
I request help in two areas:
1. I am interested in establishing contacts with scientists who are engaged with emergency construction (management, building technologies, cost, and other aspects) or who are familiar with or have experience (or even separate fragments) in rapid construction.
2. I am also interested in training at a Western university, scientific center, private firm, or other entity connected with the hazards field that would be interested in the above investigations and have the accordant opportunities to take me on in a free position with the intent of creating a new system for urgent construction in emergency situations.
Many thanks.
Andrey Egorov
Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture & Civil Engineering
198320, Russia, St. Petersburg, Narvskaja, 8/1v20
E-mail: felaane@ae6231spb.edu or anriE2000@mail.ru
Graduate students interested in developing solid professional skills before they leave school should apply for the 2002 Christine Mirzayan Internship Program of the National Academies. Graduate students through postdoctoral candidates in any physical, biological, or social science field or any field of engineering, medicine/health, veterinary medicine, business, and law are welcome to apply. The session runs from June 3 through August 9, 2002. During the internship, a senior staff member mentors the intern who works on National Academy studies and activities. One of the duties includes planning and organizing a seminar series for other Washington area government interns. The program is designed to engage graduate students from various disciplines in the analysis and creation of science and technology policy and to familiarize them with the interactions of science, technology, and government. As a result, students develop essential skills different from those attained in academia and make the transition from being a graduate student to a professional. To apply, candidates should submit the on-line application, found at http://www4.nas.edu/pd/pdsurvey.nsf/webapplication?openform, and reference letter forms that meet the requirements described at the web site located at http://www4.nas.edu/pd/pdsurvey.nsf/reference?openform. Application materials must be received by March 1, 2002.
The New Directions Initiative (NDI) will award up to six grants to support collaborative partnerships between scholars in the earth/environmental sciences and the humanities. Interdisciplinary teams made up of at least one earth/environmental scientist and one humanist can apply for up to $10,000 per team, contingent upon 1:1 matching support by the team's home (or other) institution, for a total of up to $20,000. The projects being proposed should focus on the theme of water and should be tied to environmental issues of concern to local, state, regional, national, or international governments; private corporations; and/or community groups. Some topical issues include environmental remediation, global climate change, pollution control and abatement, water quality and quantity, the long-term storage of nuclear waste, and the discovery of life on other planets. Projects selected will present their work at the New Directions national conference September 27-29, 2002 in Golden, Colorado, and will publish an essay in the proceedings volume. Proposals are due by January 15, 2002, and decisions will be made by January 30, 2002. For examples of projects, application instructions, and general information, visit the NDI web site at http://www.mines.edu/newdirections/ or e-mail rfrodema@mines.edu for more information.
Competitive fellowships are available for first-year, full-time graduate students studying atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Students entering a U.S. university in the Fall 2002 semester are eligible for the awards, which are sponsored by major high-technology firms and government agencies. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0-point scale and be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status. The American Meteorological Society Executive Committee will evaluate applicants based on undergraduate academic records, recommendations, and graduate record examination (GRE) scores. Recipients receive a $15,000 stipend for the 2002-2003 academic year. Application deadline is February 15, 2002. For more information, visit the fellowship application web site at http://www.ametsoc.org/ams/amsedu/scholfeldocs/#5 or download the application form in PDF format at http://www.ametsoc.org/ams/amsedu/scholfeldocs/appfellow2002.pdf.
A DR reader writes:
As part of a research project that I have with the Corps of Engineers, we are developing a life loss prediction model for dam safety risk assessment. Based on our investigation of case histories, the fate of people who are left behind in a flood is closely tied to the fate of buildings that they shelter in. We are therefore interested in any work that has been done on predicting the survival or destruction of buildings in floods.
We are also interested in the effectiveness of evacuation prior to the arrival of dam break and non-dam break floods. If you have any suggestions for sources or contacts on this topic, we would also be interested.
If you can suggest any sources or contacts that may be able to provide procedures or ideas in connection with the topic of building performance in floods, I would greatly appreciate it.
David S. Bowles
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director, Institute for Dam Safety Risk Management
Utah Water Research Laboratory
Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-8200
Phone: (435) 797-4010
E-mail: bowles@cache.net
[Below is a new Internet resource we've discovered. For an extensive list of good Internet sites dealing with hazards, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/sites.html]
GuaranteedWeather.com features weather risk management information for businesses with weather sensitive risk, such as those in agriculture, transportation, and energy. The site, run by Aquila Energy, a company that deals with weather derivatives and energy, is touted as a place where businesses can learn about weather risk management, can quantify it, and can buy financial derivatives to manage it. The company wishes to publish weather risk management-related studies on the site, especially those dealing with uses of weather derivatives, effects of weather on specific industries, pricing methodologies, climate events, and seasonal forecast methodologies. Authors receive worldwide exposure, full authorship, a golf shirt, and the opportunity to win a $1,000 cash prize through a quarterly contest. For more information and contest rules, visit http://www.guaranteedweather.com.
[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings andtraining is available from our World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html]
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach. Sponsor: International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC). New York, New York: February 5-6, 2002; Chicago, Illinois: February 12-13, 2002; San Francisco, California: February 19-20, 2002. Contact: IQPC, 150 Clove Road, PO Box 401, Little Falls, NJ 07424-0401; (800) 882-8684; fax: (973) 256-0205; e-mail: info@iqpc.com; WWW: http://www.iqpc.com.
Symposium on Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Exchange. Organized by: ReliefWeb Project and Field Information Support Project, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland: February 5-8, 2002. Contact: Dennis King, Symposium Coordinator; e-mail: kingdj@un.org; or visit the web site at http://www.reliefweb.int/symposium for announcements, agendas, and participant lists.
Critical Incident Stress Management Conference. Sponsored by: International Critical Incidence Stress Foundation. In association with: Idaho Emergency Medical Services. The four-day conference offers 11 different one- and two-day courses. Boise, Idaho: February 7-10, 2002. Contact: International Critical Stress Foundation, Inc., 10176 Baltimore National Pike, Unit 201, Ellicott City, MD 21042; (410) 750-9600; fax: (410) 750-9601. See http://www.icisf.org/dates.htm for brochure in PDF format.
27th European Geophysical Society General Assembly. Includes an extensive Natural Hazards section with sessions on tsunamis, landslides, volcanoes, flooding, seismology, avalanches, and more. Nice, France: April 21-26, 2002. Abstracts due January 11, 2002. Information about submitting and preparing abstracts as well as conference registration, accommodations, and program can be found at http://www.copernicus.org/EGS/egsga/nice02/nice02.htm. Contact: EGS Office, Max-Planck-Str. 13, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany; tel: +49-5556-1440; fax: +49-5556-4709; e-mail: egs@copernicus.org.
Emergency Management Higher Education Project Conference. Will be held with the Hurricane Andrew +10 Conference. Miami, Florida: May 30-31, 2002. Sessions under consideration and development include Model Emergency Manager breakout sessions and Terrorism and Emergency Management Implications panel discussion. Recommendations and thoughts about these topics are welcome. Send comments to B. Wayne Blanchard, Higher Education Project Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Training Center, Emergency Management Institute, (301) 447-1262; e-mail: wayne.blanchard@fema.gov. For general conference information and registration, contact: Ricardo Alvarez, Deputy Director, International Hurricane Center, Florida International University, University Park Campus, EAS 2710, Miami, FL 33199; (305) 348-1607; fax: (305) 348-1605; e-mail: alvarez@fiu.edu; WWW: http://www.ihc.fiu.edu/.
The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century City (In honor of William H. Whyte.). Organized by: The Ecological Cities Project, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the Environmental Conservation Education Program, New York University. Sponsored by: The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. New York, New York: June 6-7, 2002. For further information contact: Ecological Cities Project, c/o Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-5820; (413) 577-6060; fax: (413) 545-1200; e-mail: ecologicalcities@cas.umass.edu; WWW: http://www.umass.edu/ecologicalcities.
Global Disaster Information Network Conference. Hosted by the Italian National Institute of Health. Rome, Italy: June 18-22, 2002. To post messages on the GDIN2002 Interactive Forum, go to http://www.gdin.org/forum/gdin2002. For the preliminary agenda and other information, see http://www.gdin.org or contact: GDIN Secretariat, c/o AmTech, 497 Seaport Court, Suite 102A, Redwood City, CA 94063 USA.
Engineering Symposium (to honor Alan G. Davenport). London, Ontario, Canada: June 20-22, 2002. Pre-register via e-mail, fax, or on-line to receive future registration and program mailings. Contact: AGD Symposium, Alan G. Davenport Wind Engineering Group, Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada N6A 5B9; (519) 661-3338; fax: (519) 661-3339; e-mail: agd-conf@blwtl.uwo.ca; WWW: http://www.blwtl.uwo.ca/agd2002/callagd.htm.
5th New Zealand Natural Hazards Management Conference. Wellington, New Zealand: August 14-15, 2002. Registration and program details will be sent out late May 2002. To receive registration and program details, visit http://www.gns.cri.nz/news/conferences/hazconf2002.htm and pre-register on-line or via the form in the printable, on-line brochure. For more information, contact: Diane Tilyard, Wairakei Research Centre, Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, Private Bag 2000, TAUPO; tel. (07) 374 8211; fax: (07) 374 8199; e-mail: d.tilyard@gns.cri.nz.
International Conference on Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (QPF). University of Reading, United Kingdom: September 2-6, 2002. Sponsored by: World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) and the Royal Meteorological Society. Co-sponsors: WMO's Hydrology and Water Resources Programme, the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, EUMETSAT, and the British Hydrological Society. Abstract deadline is March 1, 2002. For more information, visit http://www.met.rdg.ac.uk/qpf/announcement.html or e-mail the Executive Secretary at execsec@royal-met-soc.org.
Dam Safety 2002. Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Tampa, Florida: September 8-11, 2002. Abstracts due February 15, 2002. Contact: Association of State Dam Safety Officials, 450 Old Vine Street, 2nd Floor, Lexington, KY 40507; (859) 257-5140; fax: (859) 323-1958; e-mail: info@damsafety.org; WWW: http://www.damsafety.org/conferences.cfm?content=annual.
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