Disasters Preparedness and Mitigation - Issue No. 75 - January, 1999 (PAHO): Other Organizations

Disasters Preparedness and Mitigation - Issue No. 75 - January, 1999 (PAHO)

		(introductory text...)
		SUMA: A Versatile Tool for Management and Good Governance
		Hundreds Meet to Evaluate Georges and Mitch
		News from PAHO/WHO
		Other Organizations
		Member Countries
		Review of Publications
		Upcoming Meetings
		Selected Bibliography
		The Devastating Path of Hurricane Mitch in Central America

Other Organizations

Research Publications Available Electronically from NAP

The information age has advanced to a new level for hazard researchers with the creation of the National Academy Press (NAP) Reading Room on the World Wide Web. At that site, http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/, NAP documents, reports, and books may be viewed, printed or ordered on-line.

Recent titles include: "Reducing Disaster Losses Through Better Information" (1998, 60 pp); "Review of Recommendations for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis: Guidance on Uncertainty and Use of Experts" (1997, 85 pp); "Earthquake Prediction: The Scientific Challenge" (1996, 128 pp.); "Report of the Observer Panel for the U.S.-Japan Earthquake Policy Symposium" (1998, 72 pp.); and "Cooperating With Nature: Confronting Natural Hazards with Land-Use Planning for Sustainable Communities" (1998, 368 pp.).

For more information, contact the National Academy Press, fax: (202) 334-2451 or e-mail the Customer Service staff at amerchan@nas.edu.

Advanced Degrees in Disaster Management and Policy

GWU Offers New Graduate-Level Disaster Courses

The George Washington University's Department of Engineering Management, supported by the GWU Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, is offering the degrees of Master of Science and Master of Engineering Management with a concentration in Crisis and Emergency Management. This 36-credit-hour program is designed to provide interdisciplinary graduate education for persons engaged in or seeking professional careers in crisis, disaster, and emergency management.

A Certificate Program will also be offered this spring in addition to the degree programs. For more information, please visit: http://www.seas.gwu.edu/seas/emgt; phone: (703) 729-8271; e-mail: crisismgt@seas.gwu.edu.

University of Delaware

Last August, the University of Delaware initiated a new interdisciplinary, inter-college M.A. and Ph.D. program in Environmental and Energy Policy. Among its five major concentrations is one on disaster policy supported by staff of the Disaster Research Center at the University. The concentration curriculum will include FEMA Higher Education Project emergency management courses. For additional information, contact the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, fax: (302)831-3098; e-mail: patricia.grimes@mvs.udel.edu.

Final Stretch for the IDNDR

As the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction draws to a close, what has been achieved and what still needs to be done to reduce the impact of disasters in the Americas? What have we learned throughout the 1990s? What patterns will future disasters follow?

These are the themes of the Hemispheric Meeting of the IDNDR for the Americas: Toward a Reduction in the Impact of Disasters for the 21st Century. This meeting, scheduled from May 31- June 5, 1999 in San José, Costa Rica, forms part of the global closing ceremonies for the IDNDR.

The meeting is being organized by the Government of Costa Rica's National Emergency Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDNDR Secretariat and PAHO.

Co-sponsoring agencies (the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the OAS, CDERA, CEPREDENAC, OFDA/USAID, and the World Meteorological Organization) will organize parallel sessions and workshops on: Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development; Information and Technology Transfer; Risk Assessment; and Public/Private Partnerships for Disaster Prevention.

Organizations, agencies and institutions are invited to become cosponsors of this meeting by organizing and financing a session or parallel meeting on a related topic.

This process of reviewing and defining a strategy for disaster reduction into the 21st century will culminate in the Global Forum of the IDNDR, to be held later this year in Geneva.

The Organizing Committee is calling for country and sectoral reports on progress and pending challenges for disaster reduction. Send abstracts or proposals for presentations showing specific progress, before April 15, to the Organizing Committee, email: hmolin@undpcos.nu.or.cr; fax: (506) 257-2139 or visit www.disaster.info.desastres.net/idndr.