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Disasters & the Law

UC Berkeley School of Law

12 entriesexpand all

+Ahmad, Hassan, et al., Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with the support of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, The Effectiveness of Foreign Military Assets in Natural Disaster Response

"This study examines the advantages, limitations and implications of involving foreign military assets—personnel, equipment and expertise—in the relief operations that follow major natural disasters. It presents the findings of a research project carried out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Foreign military assets have made large contributions to several recent natural disaster relief operations, yet their use in such operations remains controversial. The questions asked range from matters of principle—is it appropriate for foreign forces to take part in humanitarian work?—to more practical considerations such as cost, how effectively foreign military assets can participate in civilian-led humanitarian operations and how the presence of foreign military assets affects the ability of civilian humanitarian organizations to act independently and safely. This study provides an overview of the current use of foreign military assets in natural disaster response, including how and why they are deployed. It also analyses the role played by foreign military assets in several major disaster relief operations: in Mozambique following the floods in 2000, in Haiti following floods and tropical storm Jeanne in 2004, in Aceh province, Indonesia, following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir following the South Asia earthquake of 2005."—Executive Summary

+Berkeley Electronic Press (bePress), Hurricane Katrina and Economic Loss (provided by: Berkeley Electronic Press)

This special issue features articles on the economic loss impact of Hurricane Katrina. Contents include: Bradley T. Ewing, Jamie Brown Kruse & Daniel Sutter, An Overview of Hurricane Katrina and Economic Loss; William A. Carden, Sound and Fury: Rhetoric and Rebound after Katrina; Kivanc Kirgiz, Michelle Burtis & David A. Lunin, Petroleum-Refining Industry Business Interruption Losses due to Hurricane Katrina; Mark J. Kaiser, David E. Dismukes & Yunke Yu, The Value of Lost Production from the 2004-2005 Hurricane Seasons in the Gulf of Mexico; Mark A. Thompson, Hurricane Katrina and Economic Loss: An Alternative Measure of Economic Activity; Benjamin Kleidt, Dirk Schiereck & Christof Sigl-Grueb, Rationality at the Eve of Destruction: Insurance Stocks and Huge Catastrophic Events; Ron S. Jarmin & Javier Miranda, The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma on Business Establishments; Mark A. Yanochik & Risa Kumazawa, Interest Rate Manipulation, Environmental Damage, and Loss Valuation; Douglas M. Walker & John D. Jackson, Katrina and the Gulf States Casino Industry; and Apoorv Dabral & Bradley T. Ewing, Analysis of Wind-Induced Economic Losses Resulting from Roof Damage to a Metal Building.

+Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; United States Senate; Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Far From Home: Deficiencies in Federal Disaster Housing Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and Recommendations for Improvement (PDF — 4.93M)

"In February 2008, this Subcommittee began a bipartisan investigation into Federal disaster housing response, which was authorized by the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. The Subcommittee investigated the Federal Government's coordinated disaster housing response after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In 2006 the full Senate Committe on Homeland Security and Government Affairs concluded an alternatively focused investigation with a report on preparation and emergency response in Hurricane Katrina.This Subcommittee Report focuses exclusively on housing, specifically the Federal response to housing needs in major disaster declarations." — Executive Summary

+Department for International Development, United Kingdom (DFID), Publications Theme: Humanitarian Disasters

"DFID produces many publications, such as white papers, reports and policy documents on the ways we fight poverty. Find what you need here." — Website

+Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership; Emergency Management Forum (EMForum), America's Under Served Communities: A Group Discussion on the Challenges of Rural Emergency Management

"With the [] ice storms that have hit rural areas of the country, we were reminded of the discrepancies between the have’s and have nots when it comes to emergency management programs." &mdash: Introduction

+Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Accommodating Individuals With Disabilities In The Provision Of Disaster Mass Care, Housing, And Human Services: Reference Guide (Release no. HQ-07-169) (July 13, 2007)

"The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a new reference guide that outlines existing legal requirements and standards relating to access for people with disabilities. A Reference Guide for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities in the Provision of Disaster Mass Care, Housing and Human Services is the first of a series of disability-related guidelines to be produced by FEMA for disaster preparedness and response planners and service providers at all levels."—Press release (August 21, 2007)

+Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Myths & Facts About FEMA Housing Following Katrina (FNF-08-046) (May 26, 2008)

FEMA release discussing several myths and facts regarding FEMA housing following Hurricane Katrina.

+Frey, William H., Audrey Singer & David Park, The Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program, Resettling New Orleans: The First Full Picture from the Census (September 12, 2007) (PDF — 6.3M)

"This report provides the first full picture of who lived in New Orleans and its region after the hurricanes of 2005, and what types of residents moved in, stayed, or remained displaced one year after the storm. This analysis is critical for moving beyond speculation to informed assessments about how best to serve both existing and displaced households in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita."—Press Release

+Inomata, Tadanori, Joint Inspection Unit, United Nations, Towards a United Nations Humanitarian Assistance Programme for Disaster Response and Reduction: Lessons Learned from the Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster (A/61/699-E/2007/8) (JIU/REP/2006/5) (2006)

"Objective: To strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to coordinate and support humanitarian assistance for disaster reduction and response through:
  • Integration of programme, resource management and coordination, and
  • Streamlining and standardization of operational, administrative and financial practices related to disaster reduction and response."
—Executive Summary.

+Peek, Lori (Editor), Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design, Special Issue: Children and Disasters Children, Youth and Environments Journal, v. 18, no.1 (2008)

This special issue includes a collection of 20 papers from around the world, 4 book reviews, a media review and and an annotated compilation of resources focusing on children and youth before, during and after disasters occur.

+United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights and Mass Exoduses: Report of the Secretary-General, A/60/325 (PDF — 87K)

"The Secretary-General proposed a number of reforms which, in particular, would enhance the capacity of the United Nations to respond promptly and comprehensively to situations of mass exodus, whether arising from armed conflict or from massive natural disasters like the tsunamis of 4 December 2004."—Summary. Although the report focuses on human rights, Part VI specifcially addresses mass exoduses caused by natural disasters.

+Welborn, Angie A. & Aaron M. Flynn, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Price Increases in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Authority to Limit Price Gouging (Updated September 15, 2005) (PDF — 28 KB)

"This report addresses the authority of state and federal governments to control price gouging in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."—Summary.