Public-private Partnerships (PPP) in Disaster Management in Developing Countries: A Conceptual Framework

With loss and damages from disasters increasing globally, reports from international agencies show that developing and the least developed countries are most affected by natural disasters. Much of the literature refers to two major problems that these countries face when managing disaster: the role of government and financial restrictions. As a result, it is difficult for these countries to develop a comprehensive disaster management framework and programs. Public-private partnerships (PPP) have become a popular way for governments to engage private actors in the delivery of government infrastructure and services with the aim of increasing quality and providing better value for money. This study will explore whether Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) can be used as a strategic approach to overcome or at least to minimise the negative impacts of disasters in developing countries. Based on a study of previous literature, this paper develops a conceptual framework that describes how the partnership between public and private actors, with certain characteristics, can establish a platform for all actors to contribute towards the objectives of disaster management in developing and least developed countries

Participatory healthcare service design and innovation

This paper describes the use of Experience Based Design (EBD), a participatory methodology for healthcare service design, to improve the outpatient service for older people at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. The challenges in moving from stories to designing improvements, co-designing for wicked problems, and the effects of participants' limited scopes of action are discussed. It concludes by proposing that such problems are common to participatory service design in large institutions and recommends that future versions of EBD incorporate more tools to promote divergent thinking

Climate adaptation manual for local government: embedding resilience to climate change

This manual highlights leading case studies and practical resources from Australian municipalities and overseas, and includes a step-by-step framework for effectively embedding climate risk into council operations. The resource will be useful for council staff involved in climate risk assessment and planning such as asset managers, strategic planners, and corporate and community services staff.   This ACELG Research Partnership Scheme project was undertaken with local councils from all Australian states: City of Canada Bay (NSW), City of Randwick (NSW), Pittwater Council (NSW), City of Greater Geelong (VIC), City of Port Phillip (VIC), City of Melbourne (VIC), City of Townsville (QLD), City of Onkaparinga (SA), City of Clarence (Tas) and City of Greater Geraldton (WA)

Investments in the imaginary:commercial drone speculations and relations

Drones are increasingly understood and imagined as important actors, inhabiting and transforming aerial space. From their entrenched establishment within battlefield operations, drones have spawned into a diverse ecosystem of platforms and applications, increasingly punctuating domestic urban airspace. While occupying a status as exemplars of urban innovation, the drone poses, and remains bound to, a range of techno-cultural contestations – from challenges around airspace integration, to concerns around privacy, safety and pollution. Thinking with commercial drone futures, and specifically the logistics sector, this article interrogates the role of speculation in this unfolding techno-landscape. In so doing we turn to two key sites through which the drone is anticipated – namely patents and adverts – as lenses through which to investigate projected visualisations underpinning the emergent, envisioned and anticipated drone. We argue that such drone speculations do not simply and solely envision new means of circulating goods, people and information, but rather embody and act to promote a particular set of aerial desires and social relations. Critically unpacking envisioned notions of frictionless mobility, instant consumption, and the appropriation of vertical spaces and spectra, we argue that such speculative sites and practices importantly participate in a techno-fetishist agenda positing drone technology as a privileged and panacea agent of futurity, while often eliding its implications

Trans-disciplinary Collaboration to Enhance Coastal Resilience: Envisioning a National Community Modeling Initiative

This section presents a synthesis of the major outcomes from the coastal resilience workshops. This paper is based on the presentations and discussions that have been guided by the Chair and numerous stakeholders such as university researchers, Non Governmental Organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. SURA’s workshop series promotes collaboration and fully-integrated processes, and it should be noted that the actual workshop is only a first step; the follow-up work is likely to continue for years. The major results from this workshop relate to the development of trans-disciplinary approaches that help a community to bounce back after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply rebuilding in the aftermath. The workshops have included participants from academia, industry, and government. They provide opportunity to share coastal resilience research and projects focused on helping the community to rebound quickly from climate and extreme weather related events, including sea level rise. The purpose of the paper is to showcase how social and natural scientists can collaborate to reduce the negative human health, environmental, and economic effects of coastal hazards

Trans-disciplinary Collaboration to Enhance Coastal Resilience: Envisioning a National Community Modeling Initiative

This section presents a synthesis of the major outcomes from the coastal resilience workshops. This paper is based on the presentations and discussions that have been guided by the Chair and numerous stakeholders such as university researchers, Non Governmental Organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. SURA’s workshop series promotes collaboration and fully-integrated processes, and it should be noted that the actual workshop is only a first step; the follow-up work is likely to continue for years. The major results from this workshop relate to the development of trans-disciplinary approaches that help a community to bounce back after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply rebuilding in the aftermath. The workshops have included participants from academia, industry, and government. They provide opportunity to share coastal resilience research and projects focused on helping the community to rebound quickly from climate and extreme weather related events, including sea level rise. The purpose of the paper is to showcase how social and natural scientists can collaborate to reduce the negative human health, environmental, and economic effects of coastal hazards

The role of the European Commission during the COVID-19 pandemic in fostering coordination and solidarity among member states

In the first weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak in the European Union, Member States reacted in a unilateral and nationalist manner that was contradictory to a spirit of solidarity. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to assess the European Commission’s role regarding the challenges of the Member States’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially regarding solidarity and coordination among them. The definition of European Solidarity is however weak, as demonstrated in the Literature review chapter. For a concept to gain its meaning and be defined, constant practice is needed. Through a qualitative document analysis of documents issued by the European Commission addressing the sanitary crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this dissertation aimed to answer its research question and validate its hypothesis. It was concluded that the European Commission played an active role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and fostering coordination and solidarity among Member States. During the analysis, it was also concluded that in its actions to respond to the pandemic, the Commission put in place the constant practice of European Solidarity, demonstrating what it means to act in a solidarity manner and pushing for Member States to act in such a manner through the indication of concrete actions. It was also concluded that in its action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the von der Leyen Commission was also coherent with its six policy priorities that guided the undertaken efforts.Nas primeiras semanas do surto de COVID-19 na União Europeia, os Estados Membros reagiram de uma forma unilateral e nacionalista contraditória ao espírito de solidariedade. Assim, esta dissertação procurou avaliar o papel da Comissão Europeia no que se refere aos desafios colocados pelas respostas dos Estados Membros à pandemia de COVID-19, especialmente relativamente à solidariedade e coordenação entre estes. A definição de Solidariedade Europeia é, no entanto, fraca, como demonstrado no capítulo da Revisão de Literatura. Para um conceito ganhar o seu significado e ser definido, é necessária a prática constante. Através de uma análise documental qualitativa de documentos emitidos pela Comissão Europeia relativamente à pandemia de COVID-19 em 2020, esta dissertação procurou responder à sua pergunta de partida e validar as suas hipóteses. Foi, então, concluído que a Comissão Europeia assumiu um papel importante ao responder à pandemia de COVID-19 e fomentar a coordenação e solidariedade entre Estados Membros. Durante a analise, concluiu-se também que nas suas ações em resposta à Covid-19, a Comissão colocou em prática a Solidariedade Europeia de forma constante, demonstrando como se age de maneira solidária e incentivando os Estados Membros a assim agir através da indicação de ações concretas. Conclui-se ainda que na sua ação em resposta à pandemia de COVID-19 em 2020, a Comissão von der Leyen foi coerente com as suas seis prioridades políticas, que guiaram os seus esforços

A New Dimension of International Relations: The Role of Science Diplomacy in Jordan’s Response to COVID-19

Science diplomacy is a rapidly growing field in foreign policy and international relations, gaining even greater importance since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study explores the substantial role of science diplomacy and international institutions in promoting coordinated efforts during Jordan’s response to the pandemic. It examines science diplomacy within the country and its increasing significance in addressing global challenges, with particular emphasis on its contributions to health diplomacy amid the pandemic. The researcher adopts a qualitative research methodology guided by a case study approach. Data were collected from various resources, including journal articles, official international and domestic reports, news reports, and website documents. The thematic analysis of the data highlights the crucial role of Jordan’s international collaboration in its response to Covid-19. Notably, international institutions such as WHO, GAVI, CEPI, UNICEF, USAID, EU, and the World Bank played instrumental roles in supporting Jordan\u27s efforts in combating the pandemic

Potential impact assessment of climate-related hazards on urban public health services: interaction of changing climate-related hazards and urban development in the future, Khon Kaen City, Thailand

Current understanding of the interactions between the future urban development change and climate change in the local context, considering infrastructure operation & functionality, is still primitive, especially in public health services. This study offers a climate-resilient operationalization framework for urban public health services considering the interaction between urban development change and climate change across scales, the so-called Health Integrative Climate Resilience and Adaptation Future (HICRAF). HICRAF integrates collaborative scenario planning and composite indicators developed based on the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) 's climate risk concept. It combines a mixed-methods approach of quantitative and qualitative techniques and demonstrates how different methods and scales (spatial and temporal) can be linked and create new knowledge on cascading risk patterns in a medium-sized city with a universal health care coverage setting; Khon Kaen city, Thailand. The results show that the approach allows local public health care to operationalize their potential impact and climate-resilient targets in a forward-looking manner with multiple service operation aspects. The scenario assessment outcomes prove that public health devotions can help their operation and functionality fail-safe when confronting future climatic and non-climatic challenges. However, achieving climate-resilient targets requires sectoral integration with urban development and health determining domains. Hence, more integrated spatial planning of public health services and critically revisiting conventional cost-benefit assessments on public health infrastructure investment are key entry points for creating climate-resilient urban health services. In addition to addressing missing links between global climate trajectories and local climate adaptation scenarios that involved stakeholders' normative judgements and cross-sectoral interests. HICRAF highlights a clear constraint of applying a purely place-based concept on climate vulnerability/risk assessment in reflecting the realities of network operation and functionality of urban systems. Thus, the co-existing paradox between the place-based and network-based concepts should be investigated further in climate vulnerability/risk assessment studies. Furthermore, exploration and disputation of HICRAF and its composite indicators with a wider scale and diversified settings are invited to enhance its robustness and universality