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Major technology investments:
<br />• Complete risk assessments for federal facilities, critical
<br />facilities, and at -risk communities
<br />• • Develop comprehensive pre -event recovery plans
<br />Grand Challenge #6— Promote risk -wise behavior. De-
<br />velop and apply principles of economics and human be-
<br />havior to enhance communications, trust, and understand-
<br />ing within the community to promote "risk- wise" behav-
<br />ior. To be effective, hazard information (e.g., forecasts
<br />and warnings) must be communicated to a population that
<br />understands and trusts the messages. The at -risk popula-
<br />tion must then respond appropriately to the information.
<br />Significant progress is being made, but this is an ongoing
<br />challenge that can only be met by effectively leveraging
<br />the findings from social science research.
<br />Key research requirements:
<br />• Facilitate research in the social sciences to understand
<br />and promote individual and institutional mitigation ac-
<br />tions in the face of hazards
<br />• Develop an enhanced understanding of effective tech-
<br />niques for educating the public and gaining community
<br />support for preparedness and disaster prevention activities
<br />• Research the effectiveness of, and human responses to,
<br />new communications technologies, including mobile
<br />phones, the Internet, and cable television on the deliv-
<br />ery and successful use of public warnings
<br />Major technology investments:
<br />• Design and implement a standardized messaging system
<br />•for the general public and specific audiences
<br />• Assemble and coordinate an integrated emergency
<br />communications system among response organizations
<br />at the federal, state, and local levels
<br />Once these challenges are met, the United States will
<br />be more resilient to disasters. But first, disaster resilience
<br />must become inherent in our culture, and investments in
<br />science and technology are critical to achieving that goal,
<br />as are changes at the policy level and in the societal per-
<br />ception of risk. The reality is that we cannot avoid haz-
<br />ards, but we can act to minimize and reduce their impacts.
<br />After all, hazards do not become disasters unless the
<br />communities they touch are unprepared to deal with them.
<br />Successfully reducing disasters depends upon sustained
<br />investment in these grand challenges and in recognizing
<br />that hazards are a natural part of our complex environ-
<br />mental, constructed, agricultural, political, and social sys-
<br />tems —and they are here to stay.
<br />Helen Wood (helen.wood @noaa.gov)
<br />David Applegate (applegate @usgs.gov)
<br />Dori Akerman (dori.akerman @noaa.gov)
<br />Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction
<br />Gene Whitney (gwhitney @ostp.eop.gov)
<br />Office of Science Technology Policy
<br />®To find out more about the grand challenges and re-
<br />search requirements and technology investments broken
<br />down by hazard, download a free copy of the publication
<br />Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction (26 pp.) from
<br />the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction at http: / /www
<br />. sdr. gov/.
<br />`Mileti, Dennis. 1999. Disasters by design: A reassessment of
<br />natural hazards in the United States. Washington, DC: National
<br />Academies Press.
<br />Call for Manuscripts:
<br />Hurricane Katrina
<br />Quick Response Research
<br />The Natural Hazards Center is preparing an ed-
<br />ited volume, tentatively titled "Learning from Catas-
<br />trophe: Quick Response Research in the Wake of
<br />Hurricane Katrina," of the quick response social sci-
<br />ence research conducted after Hurricane Katrina. We
<br />strongly encourage researchers who have performed
<br />work in the immediate postdisaster timeframe, either
<br />through the Center's own Quick Response program,
<br />the National Science Foundation's Small Grants for
<br />Exploratory Research program, or through inde-
<br />pendently funded research, to submit manuscripts. If
<br />you are interested in submitting a chapter, your
<br />manuscript should be 30 -40 double - spaced pages
<br />(average of 250 words per page) and should address
<br />the following issues:
<br />• What was the research question?
<br />• What was the methodology of the study?
<br />• What were the sample size and sample
<br />characteristics?
<br />• What were the findings?
<br />Contributions are due no later than May 1, 2006.
<br />However, we ask that you let us know whether you
<br />intend to submit a chapter by January 15, 2006. If
<br />you intend to make a submission, please plan to send
<br />the Center an abstract, chapter outline, and title by
<br />January 15, 2006, so that we may begin organizing
<br />the book.
<br />The schedule for publication is:
<br />January 15, 2006 Title, abstract, and outline due
<br />May 1, 2006 Manuscripts due
<br />May -July 2006 Peer review of manuscripts
<br />August 1, 2006 Manuscripts returned for revision
<br />September 1, 2006 Final manuscripts due
<br />Additional details about submission will be an-
<br />nounced in Disaster Research and posted on the Web
<br />at http: / /www. colorado. edu /hazards/ as they become
<br />available. Direct questions to Greg Guibert at (303)
<br />492 -2149 or greg.guibert @colorado.edu.
<br />Natural Hazards Observer November 2005
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