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Natural Hazards Center Publications Descriptions and links to publications of the Natural Hazards Center are provided below. In most cases, downloadable versions of the publications are available, along with archives of past publications. An updated PDF file listing all of the Natural Hazards Center Publications is available. For information on ordering hard copies of any publications, visit our publications purchasing page. Natural Hazards Observer The Natural Hazards Observer is the bimonthly periodical of the Natural Hazards Center. It covers current disaster issues; new international, national, and local disaster management, mitigation, and education programs; hazards research; political and policy developments; new information sources and Web sites; upcoming conferences; and recent publications. Disaster Research Disaster Research (DR) is a biweekly e-newsletter that includes some news items that also appear in the Natural Hazards Observer as well as other timely articles about new developments, policies, conference announcements, job vacancies, Web resources, and information sources in the field of hazards management. Quick Response Reports With funds contributed by the National Science Foundation, the Natural Hazards Center Quick Response program offers social scientists small grants to travel to the site of a disaster soon after it occurs to gather valuable information concerning immediate impact and response. Scholars participating in the program submit reports, which the Center makes available for free online. Research Digest Research Digest is a quarterly online publication that compiles recent research into an easily accessible format for the hazards and disasters community. It provides complete references and abstracts (when available) for current research in the field. The issues include more than 35 peer reviewed publications. Natural Hazards Review The Natural Hazards Review is a joint publication of the Natural Hazards Center and the American Societ

Asset Specificity and Transaction Structures: A Case Study of @Home Corporation Spring, 2010 15 Harv. Negotiation L. Rev. 77 Author Brian J.M. Quinn 1 Excerpt I. Introduction   While broadband Internet access seems commonplace today, during the mid-1990s the technology required to support the development of high-speed residential Internet access was still nascent. Before service providers could introduce such technology nationwide, proponents of a broadband vision had to overcome a series of technical and economic challenges, not the least of which involved coordinating large investments in dedicated infrastructure capable of supporting such a network. This article is a case study of how the largest cable companies in the United States used contract and transaction structures to overcome these challenges and build the first nationwide high-speed network.

Assessment and management of environmental risks: cost-efficient methods and applications Igor Linkov, José Palma-Oliveira 0 Resenhas Springer, 2001 - 440 páginas The management of environmental contamination requires decision makers to weigh existing risks against the potential effects of implementing environmental policies, considering both the benefits and disruptions that may result from different courses of action. The present book represents an major advance in the development and application of cost-efficient methods of risk assessment, especially under circumstances of budget constraints and in developing countries. The book explores the potential of risk assessment to act as a unified and unifying technique for addressing a wide range of environmental problems. A wide range of issues are discussed, ranging from specific and local studies through global decision and management frameworks. The approaches developed range from specific methods through widely applied public policies. The book shows that the use of risk assessment can provide the scientific basis for environmentally sound, cost-effective policies, strategies and solutions to our environmental challenges.

What is women's relationship with the environment? Is it distinct from that of men's? The growing literature on ecofeminism in the West, and especially in the United States, conceptualizes the link between gender and the environment primarily in ideological terms. An intensifying struggle for survival in the developing world, however, highlights the material basis for this link and sets the background for an alternative formulation to ecofeminism, which I term "feminist environmentalism." In this paper I will argue that women, especially those in poor rural households in India, on the one hand, are victims of environmental degradation in quite gender-specific ways. On the other hand, they have been active agents in movements of environmental protection and regeneration, often bringing to them a gender-specific perspective and one which needs to inform our view of alternatives. To contextualize the discussion, and to examine the opposing dimensions of women as victims and women as actors in concrete terms, this essay will focus on India, although the issues are clearly relevant to other parts of the Third World as well. The discussion is divided into five sections. The first section outlines the ecofeminist debate in the United States and one prominent Ino dian variant of it, and suggests an alternative conceptualization. The next three sections respectively trace the nature and causes of environmental degradation in rural India, its class and gender implications, and the responses to it by the state and grass-roots groups. The concluding section argues for an alternative trans-formative approach to development.

you do not happen to be a disaster researcher or know the history of disaster research, you might not realize how unusual Catastrophe in the Making is. Disaster research has been a sociological specialty since the late-1940s, but the field has faced several challenges, particularly on a theoretical level. One challenge stems from the fact that the original funders of disaster research, which were primarily military and civil defense institutions at the federal level, were not particularly interested in theory. Rather, they were interested in solid empirical research about social and organizational responses during disasters that could provide practical insights into how people might behave should the United States become involved in an extreme nuclear confrontation or all-out nuclear war. This focus in turn led to another problematic outcome, which is that researchers conceptualized and studied disasters primarily as events-as occurrences that were, in the words of the pioneering researcher Charles Fritz, "concentrated in time and space." Put another way, early social science researchers thought about disasters in more or less the way the general public did: as events that have a beginning, middle, and end, with the "beginning" of the disaster being the time when the disaster "agent"-the flood, earthquake, hurricane, fire, or other threat-appears on the scene and begins to threaten human communities. Most research has focused on such topics as responses to pre-disaster warnings; patterns of social behavior during the period following disaster impact; organizational adaptation and improvisation during disasters; and the disaster response activities of specific types of organizations and institutions. There has also been an emphasis on developing empirical generalizations and insights on the basis of the study of specific disasters, which subsequently developed in an incremental fashion into a body of empirical findings. This is not to claim that th

Managing Food Safety And Hygiene Governance and Regulation as Risk Management Bridget Hutter Bridget M. Hutter, Professor of Risk Regulation, Department of Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK 2011 224 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 570 0 Hardback £65.00 on-line price £58.50 Qty This book is also available as an ebook  978 0 85793 571 7 from - www.EBSCOhost.com www.myilibrary www.ebooks.com www.ebookscorporation.com www.dawsonera.com www.ebrary.com/corp/ www.books.google.com/ebooks Description 'One of the most thorough and considered studies we have of the relationship between regulation and business risk management practices. Food regulation provides a revealing canvas for understanding the dynamics of the governance of risk.' - John Braithwaite, Australian National University Contents Contents: Preface Introduction: Setting the Scene 1. Risk Regulation and Business Organizations Part I: The Food Retail and Hospitality Industry and Risk 2. The Food Retail and Hospitality Industry in the UK: A Research Approach 3. The Food Industry and Risk: Official Data and Workplace Understandings Part II: Risk Regulation 4. State Governance of Food Safety and Food Hygiene: The Regulatory Regime and the Views of Those in the Food Sector 5. Risk Regulation Beyond the State: Research Responses about Non-State Regulatory Influences 6. Business Risk Regulation: Inside the Business Organization Part III: Conclusions and Policy Implications 7. Conclusions: Why Manage Risk? What Can We Learn and Improve? Appendix 1: Profile of Phase 2 Respondents Appendix 2: Phase 2 Questionnaires Appendix 3: Phase 3 Interview Schedule Bibliography Index Further information 'One of the most thorough and considered studies we have of the relationship between regulation and business risk management practices. Food regulation provides a revealing canvas for understanding the dynamics of the governance of risk.' - John Braithwaite, Australian National University

Natural disaster reduction: South East Asian realities, risk perception and global strategies Dilip Kumar Sinha 0 Resenhas Anthem Press, 2007 - 141 páginas In the aftermath of considerable seismic unrest caused by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, this volume focuses on exposing the coastal vulnerability of the region. Despite a plethora of enquiries into natural disasters in different parts of the globe, there is now a more conspicuous concern than ever for the South East Asian region. This global concern has become all the more prevalent since the Hyogo Declaration in January 2005 and the recent Asian Summit in Indonesia. The purpose of this treatise is to bring the characteristics of the disastrous events of the region to the fore, seeking to present not only the continuing fatalities and fragilities of the area, but also the possibilities for coping with natural disasters. The book's layout is specifically shaped by the nature of the damage and threat caused by these disasters, particularly concerning the communities at risk and their responses. This book will appeal to those involved in both global and local organizations as administrators, facilitators, stakeholders and activists, as well as Governmental / Non Governmental agencies, societies including organizations such as ESCAP, UNDP, WMO, UNESCO, UNCRD.

Flood hazards and health: responding to present and future risks Roger Few, Franziska Matthies 0 Resenhas Earthscan, 2006 - 219 páginas With the tragedy of New Orleans still the focus of the world's media, this highly topical book combines rigorous analysis of the human health impacts of flooding with an appraisal of how individuals and society respond to those risks. The first detailed discussion of the global health implications of flooding and future flood risk, the book sets these findings in light of potential future increases in flood hazard as a result of climate change. The volume brings together findings from epidemiological, environmental, social, and institutional studies, with analysis rooted in an approach that emphasizes the developmental as well as environmental causes of flood risk and the socially differentiated nature of vulnerability and coping capacity. The first part of the book sets out the scope of the issues and provides a detailed discussion of the global health impacts of floods and how humans respond to the health risks posed. The second part presents new research evidence on specific health aspects of floods covering mental health, water and sanitation, local level responses, and the responses of health systems--drawing on case study material from North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The conclusion synthesizes insights from the previous chapters and discusses priorities for policy, practice, and research. It draws out implications for present and future adaptation to flooding, and emphasizes the need to integrate action on health with the broader agenda of long-term risk reduction.

Flood Problem and Management in South Asia M. Monirul Qader Mirza, Ema. Manirula Kādera Mirjā, Ajaya Dixit, Ainun Nishat 0 Resenhas Springer, 2002 - 210 páginas Flood Problem and Management in South Asia focuses on both the hazard and the vulnerability aspects of floods. This book addresses floods in South Asia from a multidisciplinary approach. The characteristics and nature of the flood problem and its management aspects are examined. It is suggested that flood control and management focused on structural solutions using embankments and reservoirs are insufficient. Effective solutions must go beyond structural measures and require major restructuring of both legal systems and institutions responsible for management. For those people living in the vast flood plains of South Asia to be able to overcome social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities, an adaptive approach to management of flood risks that identifies specific strategies is needed.

Managing disaster risk in Mexico: Market Incentives for Mitigation Investment Alcira Kreimer, World Bank 0 Resenhas World Bank Publications, 1999 - 57 páginas Disaster Risk Management Series. Since 1980, Mexico has suffered from 79 disaster events. Over half of these disasters were weather related, such as hurricanes or flooding. One fourth of them were geology related, that is, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or earthquakes. The rest of them were instigated by humans in the form of industrial accidents, chemical and oil spills, explosions, and structural fires. Mexico was chosen for the first appraisal mission due to its experience with natural disaster losses, and because it is considering significant public policy changes in the realm of insurance regulations. The World Bank established the Disaster Management Facility in July 1999 to provide proactive leadership in coordinating efforts to introduce disaster prevention and mitigation practices in development-related activities. This report synthesizes the findings of a World Bank mission to Mexico on disaster management, mitigation, and financing, which was followed up by a workshop to discuss those findings. The scope of this study is quite broad and examines the following issues: -- Mexico's experience with disasters of all kinds; -- how risk and vulnerability are assessed and can be assessed as a means toward greater mitigation, that is, better planning and construction standards; -- disaster mitigation in practice; -- the specific contribution that the insurance industry can make to disaster mitigation in Mexico, and why this industry is so underutilized at present; and, -- the government's role in risk transfer as a way of enhancing mitigation especially through the operation of its Natural Disaster Fund, FONDEN.

From the oil spill to the financial crisis, why we don't plan for the worst Network News X PROFILE View More Activity TOOLBOX Resize Print E-mail Yahoo! Buzz Reprints   COMMENT 50 Comments  |  View All »  COMMENTS ARE CLOSED WHO'S BLOGGING » Links to this article By Richard A. Posner Sunday, June 6, 2010 The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the latest of several recent disastrous events for which the country, or the world, was unprepared. Setting aside terrorist attacks, where the element of surprise is part of the plan, that still leaves the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the global economic crisis that began in 2008 (and was aggravated by Greece's recent financial collapse) and the earthquake in Haiti in January. THIS STORY If it seems unthinkable, plan for it Why is BP's CEO still on the job? In all these cases, observers recognized the existence of catastrophic risk but deemed it to be small. Many other risks like this are lying in wait, whether a lethal flu epidemic, widespread extinctions, nuclear accidents, abrupt global warming that causes a sudden and catastrophic rise in sea levels, or a collision with an asteroid. Why are we so ill prepared for these disasters? It helps to consider an almost-forgotten case in which risks were identified, planned for and averted: the Y2K threat (or "millennium bug") of 1999. As the turn of the century approached, many feared that computers throughout the world would fail when the two-digit dates in their operating systems suddenly flipped from 99 to 00. The risk of disaster probably was quite small, but the fact that it had a specific and known date made it irrational to postpone any remedies -- it was act now or not at all. Such certainty about timing is rare; indeed, a key obstacle to taking preventive measures against unlikely disasters is precisely that they are unlikely to occur in the near future. Of course, if the consequences of the disaster would be very grave, t

Responsabilidade Penal e Análise Econômica Horas-aula: 30 Professor(es): Giácomo Balbinotto Neto, Tupinambá Pinto de Azevedo Súmula A teoria econômica do comportamento humano Introdução a Teoria Econômica do Crime A contribuição de Gary Becker A Contribuição de Gordon Tullock As bases teóricas da econômica do crime O modelo básico de análise - Gary Becker O modelo de alocação do tempo O modelo de migração O modelo de portfólio O modelo de agente principal O modelo de interação social A teoria do crime organizado A teoria econômica da corrupção A organização industrial da corrupção O sistema de justiça criminal e a economia das prisões Aplicações: controle de armas, roubos a bancos; evasão fiscal, pena de morte. Evidências empíricas para o caso brasileiro. Objetivos da Disciplina Introdução de conceitos econômicos fundamentais, autores, abordagem referentes à teoria econômica do crime, bem como aplicações a temas correlacionados e aplicações ao caso brasileiro. Metodologia de Ensino Aulas expositivas com lâminas de power point e debates em aula sobre temas e textos específicos. Critérios de Avaliação A avaliação será baseada no desempenho de uma prova escritas, com conteúdo bem como num conjunto de exercícios que serão propostos ao longo do curso. As datas das provas serão marcadas em datas oportunas. A nota final será obtida da seguinte forma: provas escritas (0,80) + exercícios propostos (0,20). Aulas Teoria Econômica do Crime Artigos para leitura ARAÚJO, A.F.; FAJNZYLBER, P. Crime e Economia: um estudo das microrregiões mineiras. In: IX Seminário sobre a Economia Mineira, UFMG, 2000. ARAÚJO, A.F.V.; RAMOS, F.S. Estimação da Perda de Bem-estar causada pela Criminalidade: o caso da cidade de João Pessoa-PB. In: XII Encontro Regional de Economia, 19 e 20 de julho de 2007, Fortaleza-CE. BERGER, Luiz Marcelo. Um modelo baseado em agentes para estudo das propriedades emergentes decorrent

As with his 1994 book, Advanced Blowout and Well Control, Grace offers a book that presents tested practices and procedures for well control, all based on solid engineering principles and his own more than 25 years of hands-on field experience. Specific situations are reviewed along with detailed procedures to analyze alternatives and tackle problems. The use of fluid dynamics in well control, which the author pioneered, is given careful treatment, along with many other topics such as relief well operations, underground blowouts, slim hole drilling problems, and special services such as fire fighting, capping, and snubbing. In addition, case histories are presented, analyzed, and discussed. Provides new techniques for blowout containment, never before published, first used in the Gulf War. Provides the most up-to-date techniques and tools for blowout and well control. New case histories include the Kuwait fires that were set by Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War.

As with his 1994 book, Advanced Blowout and Well Control, Grace offers a book that presents tested practices and procedures for well control, all based on solid engineering principles and his own more than 25 years of hands-on field experience. Specific situations are reviewed along with detailed procedures to analyze alternatives and tackle problems. The use of fluid dynamics in well control, which the author pioneered, is given careful treatment, along with many other topics such as relief well operations, underground blowouts, slim hole drilling problems, and special services such as fire fighting, capping, and snubbing. In addition, case histories are presented, analyzed, and discussed. Provides new techniques for blowout containment, never before published, first used in the Gulf War. Provides the most up-to-date techniques and tools for blowout and well control. New case histories include the Kuwait fires that were set by Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War.

Offshore Risk Assessment was the first book to deal with quantified risk assessment (QRA) as applied specifically to offshore installations and operations. Risk assessment techniques have been used for some years in the offshore oil and gas industry, and their use is set to expand increasingly as the industry moves into new areas and faces new challenges in older regions. This updated and expanded second edition has been informed by a major R&D programme on offshore risk assessment in Norway (2002-2006). It starts with a thorough discussion of risk analysis methodology with subsequent chapters devoted to analytical approaches to escalation, escape, evacuation and rescue analysis of safety and emergency systems. Separate chapters analyze the main hazards of offshore structures: fire, explosion, collision and falling objects. Risk mitigation and control are discussed, as well as a thorough discussion of how the results from quantitative risk assessment studies should be presented.Not only does Offshore Risk Assessment describe the state of the art of QRA, it also identifies weaknesses and areas that need development. A comprehensive reference for academics and students of marine/offshore risk assessment and management, the book should also be owned by professionals in the industry, contractors, suppliers, consultants and regulatory authorities.

ArticlesOnline Exclusives Questioning World Risk Society: Three Challenges for Research on the Governance of Uncertainty By Fabrizio Cantelli, Naonori Kodate, Kristian Krieger The concept of the World Risk Society (Beck, 1998) is often associated with major disasters and accidents. And indeed, safety from the forces of nature can no longer be taken for granted even by the population of industrialised countries, as an increasing number of floods, hurricanes and winter storms over the last two decades demonstrates. Similarly, industrial accidents, such as Chernobyl, Sandoz and Bhopal, cause severe and lasting damages to human health and the environment (Perrow, 1999). In view of accelerating technological change and increased competitive pressures, as well as climate change, it is reasonable to expect that such disasters will continue to undermine the safety of the population and commentators will keep on referring to the idea of a 'risk society'. While the association of the concept of a risk society with disasters is not wrong, it is incomplete. Developed by the German sociologist Ulrich Beck in the mid-1980s (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998), the idea of an emergent risk society refers to a fundamental transformation or modernisation of industrial societies. More specifically, increasingly individualised and disembedded citizens question - partly in view of the devastating consequences of industrial production - the very foundations of the society, most notably the belief in economic growth, and political, technological and scientific control of production. This 'questioning' of the foundations results in 'reflexive modernisation'.