November 23, 2012

How resilient is your country?


--
posted by Osnat
https://lms.pratt.edu/file.php/52554/moddata/forum/32840/52034/How_resilient_is_your_country_.pdf
--

Extreme events are on the rise. Governments must implement national and integrated risk-management strategies, says Erwann Michel-Kerjan.

As the United States continues to mop up after Superstorm Sandy, we see again our vulnerability to extreme events. The destruction was massive: US$50 billion in economic losses; large-scale evacuations; thousands of businesses closed in anticipation; and millions of Americans without power for days. But the catastrophe had a silver lining: the way that science was used to improve decision-making. Still, much more is required to make nations truly resilient to extreme events — we need to develop national risk-management strategies.
The United States’ response to Sandy contrasted vividly with that to Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, the inability to foresee and effectively communicate the possible failure of the levee system in New Orleans, and the incapacity of the government to address the basic needs of those affected, surprised the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment