EQUIPPING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL “HELPING

HANDS TEAMS” FOR ACTION WHEN THE INEVITABLE HAPPENS

Making a Difference When it Really Counts

ANYTIME

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

OUR WORLD IS AT RISK FROM:

• FLOODS

• SEVERE WINDSTORMS

• EARTHQUAKES

• TSUNAMIS

• DROUGHTS

• VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

• LANDSLIDES

• WILDFIRES

FLOODS

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

Floods (e.g., USA; 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

Floods (e.g., Turkey; 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

Floods (e.g., CHINA; 2007)

FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

MUDFLOWS (e.g.,

Madeira, 2010)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

MUDFLOWS (e.g.,

Madeira, 2010)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric interactions cause:

MUDFLOWS (e.g., Machu Picchu, 2010)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

• WHEN A MUDSLIDE TRIGGERED IN OCTOBER 2005 DURING HURRICANE STAN BURIES A TOWN, SEARCH AND RESCUE BECOMES VERY URGENT AND VERY COMPLICATED.

MONITORING, FORECASTING, WARNING SYSTEMS, AND

SANDBAGGING

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after flood disasters in many

parts of the world (1900 – 2,000) and extended to the present.

EARTHQUAKES

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Earthquakes (e.g., Haiti; January 12, 2010)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Earthquakes (e.g., Haiti; January 12, 2010)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Earthquakes (e.g., L’Aquilla, Italy; April, 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Earthquakes (e.g., China; May 12, 2008)

URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born in the rubble of earthquakes

in Mexico City, El Salvador, and Armenia, (1985 - 1988) and extended to

the present.

TSUNAMIS

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Tsunamis (e.g., American Samoa; 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Tsunamis (e.g., Banda Ache, Indonesia, 2004)

TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after tsunamis following

subduction zone earthquakes in Japan, Alaska, and Chile (1957 - 1960) and

extended to the present.

SEVERE WINDSTORMS(Hurricanes, Typhoons,

Cyclones, and Tornadoes)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic interactions cause:

Typhoons (e.g., Ketsana; 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic interactions cause:

Cyclones (e.g., Nargish; 2008)

HURRICANE DEAN: DAMAGE IN SAINT LUCIA (2007)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-oceanic interactions cause:

Hurricanes (e.g., Katrina; 2005)

MONITORING, FORECASTING, AND WARNING SYSTEMS

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after disasters in the USA, the

Caribbean, Bangladesh, and other locations (1900 - 1970) and extended to

the present.

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters

Planet Earth’s Restlessness causes:

Volcanic eruptions (e.g.,Philippines)

VOLCANO MONITORING, EARLY WARNING, AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after 23,000 Colombians were

killed in the 1989 Nevada Del Ruiz disaster and extended to the present.

WILDFIRES

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause:

Wildfires (e.g., Greece, USA; 2009)

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause:

Wildfires (e.g., Australia; 2009)

WILDFIRE MONITORING, EARLY WARNING, AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after wildfires in Australia,

USA, and other locations in the 1990’s and extended to the present.

DROUGHTS

A Time for “Helping Hands”

Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions causes:

Droughts (Locations in Africa; other locations)

DROUGHT MONITORING AND FAMINE EARLY WARNING

SYSTEMS

Concepts for “helping hands teams” were born after severe droughts and famines in Africa in the 1990’s and

extended to the present.

“HELPING HANDS TEAMS” FOR CAPACITY BUILDING

GOAL: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR “HELPING HANDS TEAMS” GOAL: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR “HELPING HANDS TEAMS” GOAL: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR “HELPING HANDS TEAMS” GOAL: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR “HELPING HANDS TEAMS”

FLOODS

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

EARTHQUAKES

TSUNAMIS

LANDSLIDES

WILDFIRES

HURRICANES

TYPHOONS

DROUGHTS

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

INCREASED TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL CAPACITY

INCREASED TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL CAPACITY

(FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION (INCLUDING TRAINING)

(FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION (INCLUDING TRAINING)

IMPROVE ON PAST IMPROVE ON PAST PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE

IMPROVE ON PAST IMPROVE ON PAST PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE

BOOKS OF

BOOKS OF

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

- Perspectives

- Perspectives

On Science, Policy,

On Science, Policy,

And EDUC.

And EDUC.

BENEFITS OF CAPACITY BUILDING

• Intensifies efforts in high-risk situations.