37 research outputs found
Responsibility and liability in emergency management to natural disasters: A Canadian example
No full textAbstractMost provincial emergency management legislation (Quebec excepted) fails to include regulatory guidelines as to how local authorities reduce community vulnerability. This exposes individual(s) and groups to greater vulnerability to disasters if the local authority decides not to act or provide inadequate management. In addition, access to financial resources to assist or compensate local governments and/or private landowners for damages endured often come with attachments or do not exist. When damages result from a government's action or inaction in the event of an emergency, provisions in provincial legislation and court findings have reduced government exposure to civil liability at common law further exposing private landowners to financial risk.This paper argues that a lack of standards in emergency management legislation, restrictive access to financial assistance and/or compensation and reduced government exposure to civil liability at common law expose private landowners to greater vulnerability to disasters and the liability attached. It is essential that those responsible for proactive/preventative planning for disasters work from a standard playbook, one which sets minimum safeguards for the public. Absent of clear and fulsome compensation guidelines, private landowners will bear an unfair and disproportionate financial risk
The great and grievous oppression of the subject; exhibited in a remonstrance to the Parliament: [electronic resource] : wherein-is more particularly set forth, the unjust dealings of the two corporations of Hull and Headon in the county of York.
No full textAnnotation on Thomason copy: "July 12".Reproduction of the original in the British Library.Wing (2nd ed.)ThomasonElectronic reproduction
Institutional response to disaster risk: the City of Vancouver and District of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
No full textPre-disaster planning and preparedness for floods and droughts : A systematic review
No full textIncreasing intensity and frequency of climate-related disasters such as floods and droughts challenge existing governance models of disaster risk reduction. This paper systematically reviews 147 articles on pre-disaster planning and preparedness for floods and droughts in developed countries. The results show: 1) the formal adoption of an integrated system of disaster risk reduction and human development remains fragmented due to a lack of legislative and policy frameworks; 2) there is a trend toward the privatization of risk management by devolving responsibility for disaster liability to landowners; 3) planning and preparedness is more common for floods than droughts in the disaster literature; and 4) flood management is increasingly risk-oriented, whereas drought management in the disaster literature remains dominated by a crisis management framework. Integration of pre-disaster planning and preparedness with human development initiatives requires further investigation to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international scales
The influence of international agreements on disaster risk reduction
No full textGlobal frameworks established in 2015 - including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement - provide a comprehensive foundation for states to improve disaster risk management. However, the degree to which these frameworks are driving necessary changes to public policies and practices for disaster risk reduction remains questionable. This article explores the influence of these frameworks on flood and drought risk management in two federal states, Canada and Australia, and from the perspective of government practitioners. Through two Delphi studies and semistructured interviews, the research found that although international agreements are considered valuable to the maturation of disaster risk management principles and practices, their perceived application in flood and drought risk management has been more limited. Government practitioners warn that using these frameworks to drive meaningful change to disaster risk management systems and structures risks further politicizing the field because of existing complex and deeply entrenched socio-political infrastructures. The findings highlight the fact that the ability of these global frameworks to facilitate meaningful changes toward more equitable, resilient, and sustainable disaster risk management is challenged not only by the institutional design of these agreements, but by resistant institutional structures that are embedded across levels of governance.</p
Introduction to The Tragedy of Macbeth
No full textA Hidden Treasure play, first broadcast in 1971. An innovative stereo version of The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Joss Ackland, Googie Withers and Robert Hardy.
For many years this innovative production of The Tragedy of Macbeth was thought lost since its original live broadcast on Radio 3 in July 1971. Now it has been painstakingly reassembled by The British Library, The Radio Circle and Essential Radio. It stars Joss Ackland as Macbeth, Googie Withers as Lady Macbeth and Robert Hardy as Macduff, and has a full orchestral score by Stephen Dodgson, conducted by Rae Jenkins. The production was produced and directed by the celebrated and Prix Italia winning Raymond Raikes, and contains an extra scene, as Shakespeare and radio history scholar Dr Andrea Smith explains in her introduction.
With thanks to Dr Andrea Smith of the University of Suffolk, Keith Wickham and Dr Steve Arnold of The Radio Circle, Vedita Ramdoss, Stephen Cleary, Jonathan Summers and Karl Jenkins of the British Library, and Matthew Dodd of BBC Radio 3
Our brothers across the ocean? : Unionist diplomacy, the Lansdown Foreign Office, and the Anglo-American 'special relationship', 1900-1905
No full textThis study is intended as a detailed exploration of British diplomacy with the United States in the first five years of the twentieth century, that is, the period during
which the Marquis of Lansdowne presided at the Foreign Office. Without doubt, this was a critical time in the readjustment (both in substance and style) of Anglo-American
diplomatic relations, initiating the amicable 'special relationship' which, broadly speaking, has endured to the present day. The efforts made by Lansdowne and the
Unionist Administration to 'clear the slate' of nagging Anglo-American disputes, and to encourage a closer diplomatic bond, helped to bring to an end decades of mutual
suspicion and antagonism, whilst representing a significant change of course for British foreign policy. In this light, the study here presented aims to provide a close analysis of
the Unionist Government's American diplomacy, their motives and diplomatic ambitions, in the appropriate imperial and strategic contexts.
An examination of this topic prompts the conclusion that, although Lansdowne fully appreciated the importance of Anglo-American friendship, he approached each dispute with a separate agenda, always gauging the strength of
American feeling before committing himself to a set policy. Lansdowne was perfectly prepared to concede non-vital interests to the United States in the Western Hemisphere
when serious tension arose, and this was particularly evident during the Isthmian canal and Alaskan boundary negotiations. With these two issues successfully concluded, the rapprochement was effectively ensured. Thus, Lansdowne's determination to uphold British interests (and those of her Western Hemispheric colonies), while occasionally placing a strain on Anglo-American relations, threatened no lasting danger. Above all, Britain relied upon vocal protestations of friendship, both for the United States and the Monroe Doctrine, to extinguish the risks of serious diplomatic tension and to cement a permanent friendship.
The major successes of Anglo-American relations, however, came to an abrupt end after the Alaskan verdict of late 1903, and a barren period followed. The
relationship had been set upon an entirely new course, but hopes for an Anglo- American partnership, sadly, remained hazy, naive, and frequently ill-conceived. In the Far East, where British and American interests broadly coincided, no joint policy emerged; instead, the two nations became separated over their responses to the Russo-Japanese conflict. Equally, the outstanding issues in North America proved incapable of settlement.
Although these final stages of Lansdowne's American diplomacy were marred by diplomatic inactivity and occasional friction, the Unionists' contribution to the Anglo-American 'special relationship' left an impressive and lasting legacy. By 1905, Britain and the United States, while not formally allied, had at least become mutually sympathetic. This was an essential factor in the readjustment of British global strategy, allowing Britain to abandon her defences in the Western Hemisphere and despatch her forces to more pressing areas of the globe
Disaster risk reduction and climate policy implementation challenges in Canada and Australia
No full textDisaster risk reduction is central to managing the risks of climate change at global, national, and sub-national levels. The operationalization of disaster risk reduction, however, has been met with challenges that have restricted successful policy implementation. Drawing from document analyses and Delphi studies with government practitioners, this article examines the policy context for disaster risk reduction in Canada and Australia and investigates the state of flood and drought planning and preparedness. Results are organized around two central themes: risk (ownership and sensitivity) and engagement (stakeholder involvement and capacity-building). The findings show that public policies on disaster risk reduction in Canada and Australia reflect international discourse that advocates for a whole-of-society, risk-sensitive, and risk-informed approach. However, implementing this approach in household planning and preparedness, cross-sector planning and policy integration, terminology, and socio-cultural representation, has been hampered by several factors. Government practitioners in both countries argued that while disaster risk reduction and climate risk management continue to evolve in multi-level governance, policy implementation is constrained by the legacies of past governance arrangements that have enabled disaster risk creation and accumulation. The results presented herein suggest a need for institutional reform that better reflects the holistic and systemic relationships between disaster risk, climate change, and other policy problems. We argue that disaster risk reduction and climate risk management policies require bridging governance arrangements between these and related policy domains to foster effective multi-level implementation. Key policy insights Implementing disaster risk reduction has been inconsistent, exacerbating exposure to climate change and increasing socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster impacts. Managing climate and disaster risk requires a holistic approach that targets vulnerable groups, tackles underlying drivers of risk, and builds capacities to support disaster risk reduction. Although disaster risk reduction and climate risk management policies continue to evolve, implementation is hindered by legacy governance arrangements that favour economic growth over sustainable, climate-sensitive disaster risk management. Transformation through the integration of disaster risk reduction and human development offers potential pathways to reduce vulnerabilities via a holistic disaster risk and climate policy approach.</p
Linking disaster risk reduction and human development
No full textAs disaster risks from floods and droughts continue to increase and affect communities, the relationship between disaster risk and human development has become increasingly important. Despite international attempts to mobilize governments and relevant stakeholders to address disaster risk more holistically, disaster risk reduction and human development remain detached from each other in many countries and communities. This paper explores government practitioners' views on an integration of disaster risk reduction and human development in the context of floods and droughts in Canada and Australia. The paper draws from a comparative case study analysis involving two Delphi studies and semi-structured interviews with Canadian and Australian practitioners at local, provincial/state, and federal levels. The findings from this study show a dominant view among participants that disaster risk reduction requires a broader engagement with human development systems that is adaptable to local contexts. This includes considerations - such as poverty, health and well-being, climate action, social equity and equality, and human agency - as well as mainstreaming disaster risk information in human development processes and activities. The research identifies mechanisms perceived as being critical to developing integrated approaches, including in effective legislation, policy frameworks, evidence-based decision-making, and cross-sector collaboration. While an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and human development challenges the political and programmatic complexities for flood and drought risk reduction, approaches to disaster risk governance that reflect the capacities and needs of individuals and vulnerable populations must be developed
Age group, location or pedagogue: factors affecting parental choice of kindergartens in Hungary
No full textHungary has experienced significant political, economic, demographic and social changes since the end of Soviet domination in the 1990s. The gradual move towards liberal-democracy has been accompanied by growing emphasis on individualism, choice and diversity. Universal kindergarten provision for 5-6 year olds is a long established feature of the Hungarian education system, but little is known about parental choice (Török, 2004). A case study (Yin, 2004) of factors influencing parental choice and satisfaction was undertaken in one Hungarian town. This was based on a survey of 251 parents of children attending both mixed-age and same-age groups across 12 kindergartens. Parents suggested that the most important influences were geographical location and the individual pedagogue(s). Given that traditionally each pedagogue follows ‘their’ cohort from kindergarten entry to primary school, their influence appears heightened. Although generally satisfied with their chosen arrangement, parents from same-age groups expressed significantly more confidence and satisfaction, particularly in relation to cognitive development and preparation for school. Parents appear less convinced about the trend towards mixed-age groups and questions are raised about sufficiency of evidence of their benefits in a Hungarian context and the driving factors behind change
