Notifying Civilians in Time - Disaster Warning Systems Based on a Multilaterally Secure, Economic, and Mobile Infastructure

The spread of mobile communication equipment offers new opportunities for disaster management referring to civilians. At the same time, location based services are regarded as privacy invading, and are regulated in many countries by specific legislation. We analyze the requirements of a LBS-based disaster management scenario that enables the timely notification of civilians. In addition, we propose a solution for building a privacy-friendly, multilaterally secure disaster management infrastructure based on robust mobile phone infrastructures with high reachability of citizens. We will also point out additional features based on mobile networks. Traditionally, disaster management is a government domain. We will propose another option to implement and run disaster management. We analyze in how far an early warning system could be profitable for the insurance sector. Our comments will sketch that it is possible to reach a large number of persons, avoid insurance damage, and save costs in disaster warning systems. This work was supported by the IST PRIME project; however, it represents the view of the authors only

Teaching case: Leading the change - ERP implementation at Keda

Recently, several disasters have affected the tourism industry. In order to mitigate the effects of disasters, increasing the level of preparedness is essential. However, despite the devastating effect disasters can have on tourism, few tourism organizations have properly developed disaster strategies as an integral part of their business plans. Emergency management systems that utilize mobile communication infrastructures can provide prompt information delivery to save human lives. Several supra-national initiatives and research projects are working on possibilities to facilitate mobile communication networks for emergency management systems. However, the success of such systems depends on users being familiar with the service, which is difficult to achieve, if the system is solely used for emergency management. Therefore, we propose a system design that allows the integration of mobile value-adding services. We also present exemplary services, which offer value to tourists and create business opportunities for the tourism industry. The central component of our proposed system design is a service platform, which communicates with mobile network operators and provides basic services for service providers from the tourism industry and the emergency manager via service interfaces

Public-private partnerships and sustainable development goals: proposal for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

The importance of non-governmental organizations of achieving the sustainable development goals: The fight against racial discrimination of Roma in Europe / Cristina Hermida del Llano (pp. 15-26). -- Investiment promotion regimes for least developed countries / María Ángeles Cano Linares (pp. 27-45). -- Alliances with international organizations: How the OSCE has contributed to the SDGs / Elena C. Díaz Galán (pp. 47-58). -- Spanish commitment to official development aid with gender perspective / Diana M. Verdiales López (pp. 59-77). -- Project of entrepreneurship of the Guambiano indigenous community: Public-private alliances in the Republic of Colombia / Cristina del Pardo Higuera (pp. 79-95). -- The contribution of petroleum companies to enviromental protection in a framework of compliance with the 2030 Agenda: a necessary alliance / María Sagrario Morán Blanco (pp. 97-122). -- Public-private partnerships and access to water and sanitation in Latin America (SDG 6) / Manuel Rodríguez Barrigón (123-138). -- The renewed commercial and investment agreements: the progressive incorporation of Human Rights and sustainable development goals / Jorge Urbaneja Cillán (pp. 139-152). -- Towards using data as a development lever for cities: the case of Singapore and the smart nation initiative / Benoît Lopez (pp. 153-162). -- Which access to green technologies for developing countries? / Dayana Morales Mina (pp. 163-172). -- Strenght institutional and normative framework to implement effective capacity building actions: a critical regional analysis / Andrés Bautista-Hernáez (pp. 173-185)

Towards Our Common Digital Future. Flagship Report.

In the report “Towards Our Common Digital Future”, the WBGU makes it clear that sustainability strategies and concepts need to be fundamentally further developed in the age of digitalization. Only if digital change and the Transformation towards Sustainability are synchronized can we succeed in advancing climate and Earth-system protection and in making social progress in human development. Without formative political action, digital change will further accelerate resource and energy consumption, and exacerbate damage to the environment and the climate. It is therefore an urgent political task to create the conditions needed to place digitalization at the service of sustainable development

Psychosocial support in emergency situations

In recent decades we have witnessed a growing number of major accidents and emergencies caused by natural hazards (floods, earthquakes, cyclones) and human factors (chemical and nuclear accidents, conflicts, terrorism). In such situations, people’s lives are fundamentally changed and accompanied by various social consequences: loss of loved ones, loss of control over one’s own life, loss of the sense of security, hope and initiative, social infrastructure, access to services and assets. Reactions may be various; shock, tears, anger, rage, a sense of hopelessness and an anxiety are just part of the whole range of unpleasant experiences. However, the intensity of the stress responses differs among individuals, but also communities, and thus the needs for interventions are different. The role of organizations dealing with the protection and rescue is to provide immediate assistance and protection, and also psychosocial assistance and support. The psychosocial support is the process of facilitating the recovery of individuals, family and communities from the effects of hazards and it plays a key role in the interventions at major accidents involving large number of victims. Psychosocial support means that in the approach to a person two dimensions are involved influencing each other mutually: psychological (inner, emotional and meditative processes, feelings and reactions of individual) and social (relationships with other people, family networks, social values and culture of the community). The third dimension involves the first responders. Stress can initiate the development of depression, depressive disorders, anxiety, professional burn-out, depersonalization, distress, emotional exhaustion and related mental health problems, as well as other indicators of psychological distress among members of rescue teams. Bearing in mind the importance of psychosocial programs of the nineties, their implementation is supported in many projects and it is proposed that the psychosocial care becomes an integral part of the emergency response of the public health care system