A crisis is a period of uncertainty that may or may not lead to disaster, depending in part on the capacity of actors to make sense of what is happening and respond effectively. Disasters in different spheres occur and recur at different speeds and in idiosyncratic ways, but in essence they follow the same pattern. In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis and Eurozone upheavals this timely book argues that the disaster cycle - a framework normally used in the context of natural disasters - is equally applicable to the analysis of other types of catastrophe.Employing a modified version of the disaster cycle framework to compare and analyse a range of catastrophes in different spheres, the author draws on ideas from a variety of disciplines including economics and economic history, disaster studies, management, and political science. This unique comparative approach presents case studies of several important disasters: Hurricane Katrina, the First World War, the depression of the early 1930s, Welsh coal mining accidents, the deadly effects of smoking tobacco, and the Global Financial Crisis and Eurozone catastrophe of the early twenty first century. The author argues that economists and economic policy makers routinely misuse the term crisis to describe episodes that ought to be called disasters. This accessible and fascinating exploration will appeal to students and scholars in economic history, disaster studies, management, public policy, and related disciplines. The comparison of crisis and disaster management is also essential reading for policy makers.

Did 9/11 revive a North American guns-butter trade-off? Established in the largest administrative overhaul since World War II, the Department of Homeland Security was charged with keeping the United States safe within a wider security community, but confronted the Washington Consensus-based Western Hemisphere free trade movement, beginning with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and extending to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2003, to materialize a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) compact. Whether 9/11 restrictions impeded these trade-related thrusts or not, embracing neoliberalism permitted Canada and Mexico to pursue their own initiatives, such as proposing free-trade to the US--Canada in 1985, Mexico in 1990, but, as during the Cold War, security imperatives ultimately prevailed.

This work investigates Canada's and Mexico's Department of Homeland Security responses through three bilateral studies of policy responses along comparative lines, case studies of security and intelligence apparatuses in each of the three countries, and a post-9/11 trilateral assessment. Ultimately, they raise a broader and more critical North American question: Will regional economic integration continue to be trumped by security considerations, as during the Cold War era, and thereby elevate second-best outcomes, or rise above the constraints to reassert the unquenchable post-Cold War thirst for unfettered markets replete with private enterprises, liberal policies, and full-fledged competitiveness?

A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the sudden displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calving, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. These waves are very different from normal sea waves, because their wavelength is far longer. Large events can generate wave heights of tens of metres and therefore, although the main impact of tsunamis is to coastal areas, their potential destructive power is enormous and they can affect entire ocean basins; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with over 230,000 people killed in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean. Tsunami: from fundamentals to mitigation comprises seven chapters, dealing with the different aspects of the field. The first chapter deals with the different types of tsunami and their historical data. Chapter 2 describes an inverse type solution to find a posteriori of the tsunami waveform.One of the main problems with tsunamis, described in Chapter 3, is how to assess the flooding they produce. Chapter 4 deals with the very important topic of Early Warning Systems. Chapter 5 not only studies the behaviour of RC buildings under the 2011 Japanese Tsunami but puts forward a series of recommendations. One of the most damaging aspects of Tsunamis is the damage to infrastructure and building systems. Chapter 6 discusses this along with providing guideline measures to take in the future. Finally Chapter 7 studies the important problem of health and related issues due to tsunami disasters.

This reference resource describes both the scientific background and the economic and social issues that resulted from environmental disasters resulting primarily from human activity. Categorized by the type of tragedy--including coal mine tragedies, dam failures, industrial explosions, and oil spills--this one-stop guide provides students with descriptions of some of the world's most tragic environmental disasters. Entries clearly describe each disaster by defining the cause, the consequences, and the clean-up efforts. Readers will learn who the responsible parties were, the effect on the environment and people living in the immediate area, and the economic impact of each disaster. In addition, the long-term consequences, the likelihood of a repeat disaster in the same area, and the measures that have been taken to prevent a repeat incident are discussed. Entries include the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Who will step up to meet the challenge of the next rural crisis?
Rural practice presents important yet challenging issues for psychology, especially given uneven population distribution, high levels of need, limited availability of rural services, and ongoing migration to urban centers. It is critical that mental health professionals and first responders in rural areas become aware of recent research, training and approaches to crisis intervention, traumatology, compassion fatigue, disaster mental health, critical incident stress management, post-traumatic stress and related areas in rural environments. Critical issues facing rural areas include:
Physical issues such as land, air, and water resources, cheap food policy, chemicals and pesticides, animal rights, corruption in food marketing and distribution, and land appropriation for energy development. Quality of life issues such as rural America's declining share of national wealth, problems of hunger, education, and rural poverty among rural populations of farmers and ranchers. Direct service issues include the need to accommodate a wide variety of mental health difficulties, client privacy and boundaries, and practical challenges. Indirect service issues include the greater need for diverse professional activities, collaborative work with professionals having different orientations and beliefs, program development and evaluation, and conducting research with few mentors or peer collaborators. Professional training and development issues include lack of specialized relevant courses and placements. Personal issues include limited opportunities for recreation, culture, and lack of privacy.
Doherty's first volume in this new series "Crisis in the American Heartland" explores these and many other issues. Each volume available in trade paper, hardcover, and eBook formats. Social Science: Disasters & Disaster Relief
For more information please visit www.RMRInstitute.org

In a world of earthquakes, tsunamis, and terrorist attacks, it is evident that emergency response plans are crucial to solve problems, overcome challenges, and restore and improve communities affected by such negative events. Although the necessity for quick and efficient aid is understood, researchers and professionals continue to strive for the best practices and methodologies to properly handle such significant events. Emergency Management and Disaster Response Utilizing Public-Private Partnerships bridges the gap between the theoretical and the practical components of crisis management and response. By discussing and presenting research on the benefits and challenges of such partnerships, this publication is an essential resource for academicians, practitioners, and researchers interested in understanding the complexities of crisis management and relief through public and private partnerships.

- Many Americans alive today who experienced the Great Hurricane of 1938 firsthand remember the day as the most terrifying of their lives.- SUDDEN SEA is an enthralling addition to the disaster narrative genre, which includes such megahits as "The Perfect Storm, Into Thin Air, and "Isaac's Storm.- The Great Hurricane of 1938 was the most financially destructive storm on record. The estimated cost in today's dollars would exceed $47 billion. Only 5 percent of the losses were covered by insurance.- The hardcover edition has over 35,000 copies in print to date and is in its 3rd printing.- Paperback publication will coincide with the peak of the summer 2004 hurricane season.

When a disaster strikes, having every possible resource available is an urgent need for those practitioners and government officials put in charge of aid and recovery to those in need. Managing Crises and Disasters with Emerging Technologies: Advancements offers the most vital, up-to-date research within the field of disaster management technologies. Since the first disaster information network was set up nearly fifteen years ago, information technologies have advanced at an exponential rate, allowing those managing emergencies, crises, and disasters to effectively manage and utilize data in a safe, efficient way. This collection includes research and updates from authors from around the world, with a variety of perspectives and insights into the most cutting edge technology the field has to offer.

"Measuring Disaster Preparedness" is the seminal work on using measurement to manage the disaster preparation process. Its audience is that diverse group of local leaders and public servants whom communities of various types and sizes will hold to account to plan for, mitigate, and if necessary, respond to natural--and unnatural--disasters.

Written by a seasoned expert with almost two decades of institutional and field experience in indicator development and application, "Measuring Disaster Preparedness "describes the elements of performance measurement, and provides guidance on how to manage the indicator development process, summarize data, and use indicator data to improve readiness.

"Measuring Disaster Preparedness" is an essential resource for all who are involved in working to strengthen the resilience of their communities in the face of unpredictable disasters, including terrorist acts.

The phenomenon of poverty and its consequences affects the entire world and is on the agenda of many authorities and researchers. The repercussions of the economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19 are perceptible and has led several countries to regress their social indicators to 1990 levels. Economic development and inequality reduction programs have not been able to provide solutions that could minimize the impact of the pandemic on social indicators, even in more advanced economies. The issue prompted authorities to close their borders to avoid displacement, further aggravating regional differences. The phenomenon of poverty, despite being aggravated by the crisis, is recurrent and very harmful in peripheral countries and there seems to be no single solution, as each country faces its specificities, requiring an immersion in its causes and consequences. This book discusses the results of research conducted on the causes of hunger and poverty and how the pandemic has aggravated this problem. It explores the local development initiatives that have been implemented to mitigate the problem and identifies the different causes for the chronic problem of hunger and underdevelopment in the countries studied to present proposals in public policies to intervene, combat and improve poverty situations. It includes points in different scientific areas, such as sociology, economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, education, among others, that add to the efforts to combat poverty and current means and methods to modernize countries that are less developed. This book is intended for those who work or study within the scientific fields related to the phenomenon of hunger, poverty and local development, as well as for universities, students, teachers and researchers. Additionally, the book is aimed at policy makers related to the topic under study and practitioners dealing with the problem so that they can utilize the wide range of studies that will be presented in the book, which will also be of interest to the general public.

This book explores the planning knowledge that can be gleaned from the experiences of the urban poor, a group frequently affected by floods. Further, it examines the relationship between lifeworld analysis and adaptation planning through the sociology of knowledge, which plays a significant part in determining the adaptation pathway of the urban poor. The book brings together empirical data to translate self-reflective planning theory into the practical context, examines community planning, and enriches the discourse on urban adaptation. Lastly, it provides an adaptation-planning model that can benefit academics, practitioners and policymakers who wish to provide more socially accepted plans.

The Horn of Africa has suffered repeated disasters: wars, drought, famine, mass refugee movements and environmental decline. This book explains the historical and political background to these crises and outlines the prospects for development in the region. Experts on the Horn cover a broad range of topics, including ethnic conflict, gender and refugees, food security, the survival of pastoralism, the future of independent Eritrea, operations of intelligence agencies and the possibilities for regional co-operation.

This open access book covers comprehensive but fundamental principles and concepts of disaster and accident prevention and mitigation, countermeasures, and recovery from disasters or accidents including treatment and care of the victims. Safety and security problems in our society involve not only engineering but also social, legal, economic, cultural, and psychological issues. The enhancement needed for societal safety includes comprehensive activities of all aspects from precaution to recovery, not only of people but also of governments. In this context, the authors, members of the Faculty of Societal Safety Science, Kansai University, conducted many discussions and concluded that the major strategy is consistent independently of the type and magnitude of disaster or accident, being also the principle of the foundation of our faculty. The topics treated in this book are rather widely distributed but are well organized sequentially to provide a clear understanding of the principles of societal safety. In the first part the fundamental concepts of safety are discussed. The second part deals with risks in the societal and natural environment. Then follows, in the third part, a description of the quantitative estimation of risk and its assessment and management. The fourth part is devoted to disaster prevention, mitigation, and recovery systems. The final, fifth part presents a future perspective of societal safety science. Thorough reading of this introductory volume of societal safety science provides a clear image of the issues. This is largely because the Japanese have suffered often from natural disasters and not only have gained much valuable information about disasters but also have accumulated a store of experience. We are still in the process of reconstruction from the Great East Japan earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. This book is especially valuable therefore in studying the safety and security of people and their societies.

This volume discusses 14 different types of disasters and their implications on the social, emotional and academic development of young children, from birth through age eight. It focuses on human-related crises and disasters such as community violence exposure; war and terrorism; life in military families; child trafficking; parent migration; radiation disasters; HIV/AIDS; and poverty. The environment-related disasters addressed in this book include hunger; hurricanes; earthquakes; frostbites; wildfires; and tornadoes. The volume includes suggestions for interventions, such as using picture books with young children in coping with natural disasters and human crises. In addition, each chapter provides research-based strategies for early childhood and related professionals to be used in the classroom. Many children in our world today experience some type of disasters and/or crises. These crises or disasters can either be human- or environment-related and can interrupt children's daily lives. They often negatively impact children's development, education, and safety. Bringing together authors representing a variety of countries including Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Haiti, Hungary, Kenya, USA, and Zimbabwe, this book provides truly global perspectives on the various types of disasters and their implications for our work with young children.

Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism analyzes the emergency response to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.
Terrorism is a complex threat, and the American government is expected to deter or intervene in every attack. For that reason, the government must be better prepared to respond to acts of terror. One critical element is to understand what constitutes an "effective response."
To answer this key question, the author examined the existing literature and interviewed thirty-one elite participants in the emergency response to the bombing. The result is a unique qualitative case study that analyzes the response efforts undertaken after the bombing to draw conclusions about their relative success or failure.
Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism looks at the nature and interrelationship of bureaucratic structures involved in the response, the organizational networking between the response bureaucracy, and the impact of bureaucratic culture on the response.
The work contributes to the existing literatures in both emergency response and bureaucracy. First, theoretical arguments about bureaucracies and their function are put to the test as they are applied to a specific crisis situation. Second, interview materials with key individuals who were on the scene of this American terrorist disaster are provided. Third, the emergency response literature is examined to determine whether the Oklahoma City bombing exhibited the anticipated response challenges. In addition, the work provides insights into the extent to which response communities are familiar with federal response guidelines. The overall results of the study are applicable to emergency response to terrorist incidents and to natural disasters.
By bringing together the academic and the practical aspects of emergency response, the work will appeal to students, practitioners, and policymakers. Further, it will foster better understanding of public policy and public administration in general.

Not many people realize it, but the world is coming apart-and it's probably not going to get better anytime soon. Terrorism, natural disasters, economic collapses, riots, and civil unrest continue to spread throughout cities, states, and nations. It's more important than ever to prepare to survive such events.

David Browne, a Vietnam veteran who was assigned to the CIA and flew out of Udorn Thailand along the Ho Chi Minh trail with Air America, relies on his experiences during the war and after to help you survive the tough times ahead. As the former operator of Pioneer Survival School, he has lived "off the grid" with his family for twelve years, and he's an expert on survival.

This guidebook to family preparedness can teach you how to survive riots and civil unrest; decide when to ignore governmental orders; plan an escape from the city where you live; and protect your family even when you don't have guns.

You'll also learn what foods and other tangible goods to have on hand in order to keep yourself and your loved ones alive. When the going gets tough, this guide can help you to survive this new millennium.

Rev. Emeka Obiezu, OSA has attained a remarkable achievement in his book. Both academics and workers in the field focusing on contemporary Africa, especially Nigeria, as well as those interested in our global reality can all find that Fr. Obiezu speaks clearly and urgently to them. I can think of only one audience who will not gladly welcome these well-researched, well-written pages--those people who now profit from an oppression that causes suffering for others. John Paul Szura, OSA, St. Augustine Center of Studies, Quezon City, Philippines What Emeka Obiezu offers with his particular type of analysis is a Christian political theology applicable to the specific situation of Nigeria, but whose implications are global as well. As I read him, Obiezu seems to be advocating for a more robust political theological action that blends the best of Christian theological views and values of compassion with a realistic approach to the actual situation in Nigeria. Marsha Hewitt, Professor of Ethics and Contemporary Theology, Trinity College, University of Toronto Towards a Politics Compassion. includes a wide range of reading in various different areas: philosophy and theology of suffering and compassion; socio-political theologies of liberation and current socio-political issues in Nigeria. It brings the areas of spirituality, political theology, and socio-moral thought into constructive and integrative dialogue. This is a significant contribution from a fine young scholar. Michael Stoeber, Professor of Spirituality and Pastoral Theology, Regis College, University of Toronto. Emeka's book, Towards a Politics of Compassion., exposes his dogged power of reasoning and down-to-earth response to duty.He typically makes a very strong case for the functionality of compassion in operative theology. Emeka's diligent analysis and illustration, makes Christ's participation in sinful humanity without being a sinner very lucid, and thus compels every reader to participate in the cause of poverty eradication in Nigeria and other lands. I am glad that it is coming to Nigeria now that we need such a powerful proposal to reinvent our nation Nigeria. Bartholomew Chidili, OSA, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria. Among other noticeable virtues of Towards a Political Compassion: Socio-political Dimensions of Christian Responses to Suffering are its simplicity of structure and clarity of focus. The case made on behalf of "politics of compassion" is done in the light of two viewpoints: (a) an explicit recognition of the inadequacy - even bankruptcy - of self-interest, ambition and force for achieving political and economic justice, and (b) it takes its stand on a Christian premise: that the "way" of Jesus is in fact the most promising 'way' for empirically healing and advancing genuine community at all levels of human and environmental relationships in Nigeria. Jack Costello, SJ, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Regis College, University of Toronto Emeka Xris Obiezu, OSA, an Augustinian priest, is a doctoral student of Political Theology at Regis College, University of Toronto, Canada. He has special interest in issues that relate to the socio-political dimension of the mission of the Church especially the Church's relation with international organizations.

Disability and Disaster adds disaster research to the expanding area of disability studies. The book includes writings by international scholars and first-hand narratives from individuals with disabilities affected by disasters around the globe. Hazards described in these narratives include earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and war.

Japan's March 11, 2011 triple horror of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown is its worst catastrophe since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Recovery remains an ongoing ordeal. Japan's Responses to the March 2011 Disaster: Our Inescapable In-between uncovers the pivotal role of longstanding cultural worldviews and their impact on responses to this gut-wrenching disaster. Through unpacking the pivotal notion in Japanese ethics of aidagara, or "in-betweenness," it offers testament to a deep-rooted sense of community. Accounts from survivors, victims' families, key city officials, and volunteers reveal a remarkable fiber of moral grit and resilience that sustains Japan's common struggle to rally and carve a future with promise and hope. Calamities snatch us out of the mundane and throw us into the intensity of the moment. They challenge our moral fiber. Trauma, individual and collective, is the uninvited litmus test of character, personal and social. Ultimately, whether a society rightfully recovers from disaster has to do with its degree of connectedness, the embodied physical, interpersonal, face-to-face engagement we have with each other. As these stories bring to light, along with Michael Brannigan's extensive research, personal encounters with survivors, and experience as a volunteer in Japan's stricken areas, our degree of connectedness determines how we in the long run weather the storm, whether the storm is natural, technological, or human. Ultimately, it illustrates that how we respond to and recover after the storm hinges upon how we are with each other before the storm.

This timely volume describes and analyzes the collaborative nursing response to a variety of historic and recent global disasters that occurred between 1908 and 2012, including Hurricane Sandy. The book is unique in its discussion of the trans-national character of disaster response regarding the mobilization of individuals across national borders and continents. It examines how these transnational partnerships developed, their implications for policy, and how we can use lessons learned to improve care in the future. The book addresses such questions as: How did local, regional, and national communities mobilize for emergency care? What was the role of local nurses in emergency care after disasters? What was the role of the national or international Red Cross, local and federal government, physicians, nurses, and other first responders? What was the impact of social attitudes and issues of race, class, and gender on the ways nurses and other health care professionals reacted to the disasters? How did food shortages and food insecurity, and /or violence reshape health care goals? How did unpreparedness for the type or scope of the disaster affect the response? How can our ideas about trans-national exchange and/or transformation of health care knowledge be enhanced when nurses from across the globe contribute their experiences to the disaster response? The book will be of value to a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate students in nursing, social work, history, health policy, women's studies, public health, and urban studies. Key Features: Addresses the trans-national character of disaster response Explains in detail what nurses can expect during disasters and what measures to take when disaster strikes Examines previous natural disasters and calls into question whether disasters were caused by accidents or intentional/unintentional human error Discusses policy implications of the different disasters, focusing on transnational partnerships