When Strikes ….

When Disaster Strikes………

Dr. Iraphne Childs

Geography of hazards

Now more important than ever !

What do you already know about hazards?

The Geographical Perspective…

• hazard/ risk - spatial distribution

• people & hazards: relative location, perception

• landscapes - adaptation to hazards

• communities - risks, vulnerability & resilience

How can we describe / identify hazards?

Hazard Geography

Some questions to consider…..• What are “extremes”, “hazards” & “disasters”?• How can we describe hazards?

• What makes people & places vulnerable or resilient to hazards?

• How do we respond to hazards?

What are “extremes”, “hazards”, “disasters”…?

Some definitions…..•Extremes – beyond what we would normally expect

•Hazards

– a potential threat to humans & their welfare

•Disaster

– levels of disruption and loss beyond a community’s ability to cope by themselves

•Risk

– probability of occurring & resulting in a given level of damage

How many major hazards do you think occurred last week ? Where?

http://www.earthweek.com/

Which hazards may affect where you live ?

Tropical Cyclone Yasi, Feb.2011

Bureau of Meteorology

January 2011 - Brisbane Flooding

• South West Flooding 4 – 10 February – Feb 4 Maranoa River at Roma and Mitchell– Feb 8 Balonne River at St George peaks at 13.96m

• Sunshine Coast Region Flooding 25 – 27 February– Feb 25 Six Mile Creek flood peaks at 11.1m– Feb 26 Mary River flood peaks at 15.7m at Gympie

• East Coast Low – Sunshine Coast to Fraser Coast 4 – 7 March– March 5 Mary River flood peaks at 5.35m at Maryborough– March 6 Mary River flood peaks at 14.65m at Gympie

• Townsville Storm 20 March– 162 buildings storm-damaged– 22 buildings severely impacted including 18 homes– Thousands without power

Queensland, 2012 Events

St George

When Disaster Strikes….

What can geographers do ?

AEM Handbook #2 Community Recovery. Fig. 4.1: Effect of disaster on ongoing community development and interface with relief and recovery

How do we respond to hazards?

Emergency Management

“PPRR” Framework

Risk Assessment

Prevention

Preparedness

Response

Emergency ManagementAustralia

Recovery

Links to Geography syllabus…

• geographic setting (phys. & human landscape features)e.g.− settlement patterns− vulnerable populations− lifelines− land-use planning

What makes people & places vulnerable or resilient to hazards ?

Population Patterns

Over 65 & living alone Socio-economic disadvantage

People, Settlement and Landuse

How Prone is Cairns to Natural Hazards?

• Who will need help?• Where are they?• How, where & when to evacuate

• Will hospitals, power, water (“lifelines”)be affected?

Spatial Science – Mapping / GIS

AGSO / Granger,K. Cities Project 1996 Community risk in Cairns: a multi-hazard risk assessment

AGSO / Granger,K. Cities Project 1996 Community risk in Cairns: a multi-hazard risk assessment

Community Vulnerability Community Vulnerability AnalysisAnalysis

• topographic maps • google earth• air photos• written reports

• scenario of 2m storm surge• what are the disaster management options ?vulnerable groups? evacuation ? lifelines? critical infrastructure?

How do we responds to hazards?

Emergency Management

“PPRR” Framework

Risk Assessment

Prevention

Preparedness

Response

Emergency ManagementAustralia

Recovery

St George resident pumps water over his fence to protect his house from the rising

Balonne River

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1226261605051?page=2

SES ON THE JOB

When Disaster Strikes….

Response and recovery What can geographers do ?

Evacuation Center:Monday Feb.6, 2012, key agencies meetings….daily, 8.00am& 4.00pm

• Police (chair)• Red Cross (centre management)• Dalby Mayor or Council rep. LGDMC • Daly showgrounds facilities manager• Dept. of Community Services (DOCs)• Centrelink• Lions Club/Zonta/Rotary/Salvo’s – catering• St.John’s ambulance• Lifeline• Chaplains

2011 Flood Event – Remote sensing & clever mapping - Alluvial Soils & Vegetation Layer (Queensland Reconstruction Authority)

Recovery – planning for increasing resilience

• Focus on hazard areas – which areas of town ? • Analyse results in levels of risk for land use

purposes – low, medium and high• Which parts of town are at ‘high’ risk ? – retreat

from these areas • Other properties closer to centre of town ‘low’ or

‘medium’ risk – adapt these areas to the risk

Queensland Reconstruction Authority

Geography deals with “Geography deals with “real worldreal world” ” problemsproblems

What do you get?What do you get?• Where & how to get key information about places/regions

• How to interpret information & statistics, patterns & trends

• How to present & report information

• Using maps, new mapping & spatial technologies

• Working “in the field” - people or environment (surveys etc.)

• Working in teams, with other cultures, in other places

• Ability to integrate information & apply to practical problems

• A broad & practical knowledge base

WORK SMARTER WITH GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS – gives you the edge

Common Career Paths for Geographers:

• Local and state government• Hazard management• Natural resource management• Teaching• Mapping (Geographic Information Systems)• Government Policy Development/ Analysts• Demography• Tourism Industry• Town Planning

… and more

Geographers & Planners in the real world….

Jobs for geographers…

Some jobs for Some jobs for geographers …geographers …

Emergency Management Planning Officer (City of Bendigo) … to use a risk based framework, to engage with key stakeholders and plan within an agreed set of priorities to prepare for, respond to and recover from fire and emergency situations.

Project Officer, SA Department for Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation …responsible for providing support to the Hazards Team for assisting in the project management and delivery of water-related and emergency management projects within South Australia.

Land Resources Officer… knowledge of …GIS; coordinate activities with multi-disciplinary teams; knowledge of factors affecting land use and land suitability.

Extension Officer (ICM/Landcare)… ability to facilitate the development of Community Based Natural Resource Management Groups and solutions to natural resource issues; communicate and network effectively

Some jobs for Some jobs for geographers …geographers …

Project Officer (Riverine Assessment)… ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams

Natural Resource Officer … ability to coordinate, integrate, and disseminate information

Some jobs for geographers…

Research Officer, Local Government Grants Commission -

Undertake collection, research and analysis of financial, demographic and statistical data

Queensland Reconstruction AuthorityDisaster recovery monitoring

Michael Kraus Business Analyst – GPEM Graduate (Geography/Planning)

http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/michael-kraus

Planning for a resilient QueenslandLand Use Planning

Manager, (GPEM graduate, Geography/Planning)Senior Planner (GPEM Planning graduate)

28 May 2012

References

World Bank/ Queensland Reconstruction Authority (June 2011) Queensland Recovery and Reconstruction in the Aftermath of the 2010/2011 Flood Events and Cyclone Yasi http://www.qldreconstruction.org.au/publications-guides/reports/world-bank-report

AGSO / Granger,K. (1999) Cities Project 1996 Community risk in Cairns: a multi-hazard risk assessment

Queensland Government, Disaster Management http://www.disaster.qld.gov.au/

Australian Emergency Management Handbook http://www.em.gov.au/Publications/Australianemergencymanualseries/Pages/default.aspx

Queensland Reconstruction Authority (2012) Planning for stronger, more resilient floodplains http://qldreconstruction.org.au/publications-guides/land-use-planning/planning-for-stronger-more-resilient-flood-plains

Thank youQuestions ?