Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/51863

Title

Natural disaster preparation and response: a guide for state housing authorities

Author(s)

Williams, Stewart;  Jacobs, Keith;  Newton, Peter W.;  Blakely, Edward J.

Abstract

A natural disaster is a rapid onset event that threatens or causes death, injury or damage to property or the environment, requiring a coordinated multi-agency and community response. It can include a bushfire, earthquake, flood, storm, cyclone, storm surge, landslide, tsunami, meteorite strike and/or a tornado. Natural disasters have huge impacts on individual households and communities which extend to regions and the nation. Their significance varies by type between each state and territory but floods, severe storms and tropical cyclones are the most costly, and bushfires cause the most deaths and injuries. In key government reports, natural disasters are defined as those events with costs exceeding $10 million, and in the period 1967-1999 they occurred on average eight times each year (BTE, 2001; COAG, 2004). However, there are many other, smaller but still devastating events, described here as environmental emergencies. Together, natural disasters and environmental emergencies occur on average more than 50 times each year (Blong, 2005). Population growth, demographic structure, and internal migration to high-risk locations (coastal areas and the urban fringe) are placing more people at risk of disaster in Australia. The predicted effects of climate change also suggest that there will be more frequent and/or intense weather events in Australia such as severe storms and tropical cyclones. Warmer and drier weather could result in greater bushfire risks with longer seasons, while sea level rise is likely to be linked to coastal erosion and flooding of infrastructure, especially when coupled with intense rainfall episodes and storm surges. Many communities that, up until now, have been relatively unaffected may in the future be affected adversely unless better prepared. The most costly and significant impacts of natural disasters and other environmental emergencies are on buildings. Damage or total loss of residential dwellings and social infrastructure especially accentuate hardship, homelessness, displacement and psychological trauma. For this reason, State Housing Authorities (SHAs) have critical roles in disaster management that link all levels of government, their agencies and other organisations, and extending to the wider community. They all engage in planning and preparation, and provide response and recovery measures during disasters as appropriate. However, a fuller understanding of their roles and responsibilities and actual experiences in coping with such events can facilitate improved policy and practice in the management of natural disasters and other environmental emergencies.

Publication type

Report

Source

AHURI Positioning Paper, No. 113

Publication year

2009

FOR Code(s)

040604 Natural Hazards;  120501 Community Planning;  120505 Regional Analysis and Development

Keyword(s)

Australia;  Climate change;  Disaster management;  Economic impact;  Environmental emergencies;  Natural disasters;  SHAs;  State housing authorities

Publisher

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute

ISSN

1834-9250 (series ISSN)

ISBN

9781921610035, 1921610034

Publisher URL

http://www.ahuri.edu.au/publications/projects/p40520

Research Projects

Preparing for and responding to natural disasters and environmental emergencies: a guide for state housing authorities, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) grant number 40520

Peer reviewed