Towards a Best Practice for Developing Best Practices in Ocean Observation (BP4BP): Supporting Methodological Evolution through Actionable Documentation

IOC Manuals and Guides, 84 Abstract Ever-increasing complexity and multi-dimensionality of ocean investigations present a challenge for the ocean community as we collaboratively (co-)develop methods to research, monitor, and use our oceans. To support transparent sharing of methods, and ultimately agree on best practices in ocean research, operations, and application, the IOC Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) was initially developed as an Ocean Data Standards project deliverable of the International Oceanographic Data Exchange (IODE) who in 2017 joined with the AtlantOS/ODIP/RCN Best Practices Working Group (BPWG) to develop it into a System. In 2019 the IOC Ocean Best Practices System was approved as a UNESCO/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Project, jointly funded by the IODE and GOOS Programmes. In this document, we provide guidance on how to best use the OBPS templates, allowing greater discovery, machine readability, sharing, and understandability of methods and best practices. We clarify how to optimally populate the different sections of an OBPS template, and describe how those sections support the evolution of each OBPS submission, towards a global best practice. Further, we discuss some general challenges in developing methods into community-accepted best practices. While this document focuses on the OBPS, it also offers a perspective on the general challenge of structuring and harmonising method documentation. We invite the community to provide feedback on this document (link to Community review), to contribute towards a generalised best practice for advanced methodological management across the ocean community

Natural disaster risk management in South Asia a dissertation

Global economic growth and unprecedented population expansion coupled with climate change and unsustainable development will continue to cause an increase in the frequency, intensity and severity of natural disaster events into the future. Only through a clear understanding and appreciation of disaster risks can decision makers adequately prioritise the implementation of resilience building measures into development programs. The aim of this dissertation is to critically analyse the natural disaster risk management strategies, emergency preparedness and response readiness of South Asian countries. To this end the available literature and statistical data was first analysed before a comparative study was undertaken of how the frameworks and mechanisms of the South Asia Region compare to global standards. Three South Asian countries, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were studied in detail in an attempt to measure the region against these world standards. As part of this analysis a study of the roles that the various actors play in disaster risk management, specifically the restoration of engineering services after a disaster event was undertaken. Further detailed case studies were conducted to analyse how these frameworks and mechanisms were actually implemented during disaster events. This combination of research methods revealed that significant advancements have been made in recent years towards individual communities, districts, states, countries and regions becoming more resilient to natural disaster events. The available literature and statistics reveal that there are vast areas for improvement available particularly with regard to reducing the damage to infrastructure caused by floods, earthquakes and storms. It has been conclude that a holistic approach towards disaster risk management that includes improved regional and global cooperation is vital to public safety and economic well being. One of the key outcomes of this research suggests that private companies have a responsibility to place greater importance on disaster risks when investing in infrastructure and development programs

Disaster Management in India: Analysis of Factors Impacting Capacity Building

Governments are responsible for administrative arrangements dealing with disasters. Effective policies play a vital role in mitigating the impact of disasters and reducing likely losses of life and property. Yet, it had been noted that such losses were increasing, raising questions about efficacy of government policies and the factors that made them effective. This study adopted a comparative method, responding to a long-standing demand of disaster research, for examining the record in India. There were noticeable differences among its states, with some having undertaken comprehensive reform in an all-hazards approach, while others continued with old policies. This research studied four states with the objective of identifying variables that were critical in undertaking policy reform for building capacities. The roles of economic resources, democratically decentralized institutions, political party systems and focusing events were examined. Findings revealed that these factors had varying impact on state capabilities. Economic resources were an inevitable part of disaster management, but did not necessarily translate into policy reform. Panchayati Raj Institutions, which were democratically decentralized bodies, displayed tremendous potential. However, their role was limited mostly to the response phase, with states severely circumscribing their involvement. The nature of political party systems was able to explain policy reform to an extent. Cohesive systems in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Orissa correlated with administrative capacities, unlike in fragmented Bihar. However, anti-incumbency sentiments and strong community mobilization impacted contestation more than electoral salience of public goods. The most nuanced and significant explanation was provided by experience of focusing events. States that suffered major disasters revealed unmistakable evidence of double-loop learning, leading to comprehensive policy reform and capacity building. This research provides empirical support to theory about the role of focusing events and organizational learning in policy reform. Methodologically, it underscores the importance of the comparative approach, and its successful application in a federal framework. The significance of this research is most for policy makers and practitioners, as it serves to alert them on the need for reform without waiting for the next big disaster to catch them unprepared

The Production of Safety School Space from Climate Disasters in Doi Mae Salong Forest, Upland Northern Thailand

This research is conducted in Santikhiri, a hilltop village on the highest peak in the Doi Mae Salong forest, where climate change increases the intensity and frequency of natural disasters that immensely affect the local children in the mountainous area in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. There is only one secondary-level school in this forest landscape educating around 900 schoolchildren from various minority hill-tribe ethnic groups. This paper examines everyday life experiences recentering the village school's role as the producer of safe space for the forest children from climate disasters. School safety is a global framework for recognizing the importance of child-centered efforts in building disaster resilience for the education sector. Parameters and variables used to measure the disaster resilience of schools are adapted from the Climate Resilience Model and School Safety Model by Tong et al. (2012), covering three dimensions: 1) institutional issues, 2) physical conditions, and 3) external relationships. Lefebvre's Spatial Triad Framework is applied to dialectically interconnect dimensions to produce a safe space at the village school to protect the students from climate disaster threats. A mix-method method is applied with several techniques to collect data, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis. Furthermore, a scale Likert survey examined statements on school safety from educational practitioners in the rural forest area. The research argues that the production of safe space at the school is intertwined with budget allocation for disaster preparedness and response (institutional issue as l'espace concu), environmental protection campaign to create a hygienic school environment (physical conditions as l'espace percu), and support from the local community (external relations as l'espace vecu). However, the school is also two contradicting spaces of conceived and lived. Through the critical examination of the production of safe space, the school is a planned space of hierarchical power relations in institutional issues focusing on impacts from rapid-onset disasters. Concurrently, the forest children are still marginalized from external relationships and natural conditions' slow-onset climate change impacts

Post-Disaster Recovery Efforts in Japan and New Zealand: What Worked Well? What Hasn't?

Natural disasters present significant threats to the infrastructure, economy, and most importantly, people. Land-use planning is fundamental to post-disaster management and the effects are often reflected in the efficiency of the policies and regulations in place. Post-disaster management in Japan is arguably regarded as the state of art, and this research seeks to evaluate the planning frameworks and policies that were developed in response to the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Tōhoku, Japan. Disaster management comes in four stages: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Mitigation measures can include a soft or hard approach. A softer approach can include maintaining the protective natural features such as sand dunes, wetlands and forests. A harder approach ranges from building retaining walls on hillslopes to sea walls in the coastal environments. Preparedness on the other hand, include educating the communities in case of an emergency; and responses to a disaster are often short-term measures such as providing food and water. This research intends to focus on the final stage of disaster management- recovery. The recovery stage involves responses to not just the physical destruction, but also the social and economic repercussions from natural disasters. This requires major financial and scientific inputs from a range of sectors, including the national government. A comparison of the disaster management frameworks between Japan and New Zealand is carried out to determine whether these policies have been effective in practice and to identify where improvements can be made to disaster management in New Zealand following the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake