New online - May 2018

All new journal articles and reports on CRC research have been made available this month and are available online.

The following papers were published in the Australian Journal of Emergency Management.

Christine Owen from the Improving-decision making in complex multi-team environments project has had her paper published. The paper discusses how emergency services organisations can, and do, utilise research in practice and how effective research utilisation can create wide-scale sector development, community and economic wellbeing. The paper focuses on a 2016 survey by the research team that concluded that agencies have different approaches of staying stay up-to-date with advances in research and found that there needs to be greater development of evidence-informed practice across agencies.

Melanie Taylor and Megan McCarthy’s paper focuses on managing animals in emergencies. The paper analyses the Sampson Flat bushfire case study and investigates how South Australia incorporates animal welfare into emergency management planning and response arrangements. The paper draws on the responses of interviews with people who were directly involved in animal care in the aftermath of the bushfire and offers an evidence based outcome for the best animal welfare practices in emergency management.  

Stephen Dovers and his team from the Scientific diversity and uncertainty in risk mitigation policy and planning project have published a paper about the influences and successes of post-disaster reviews and inquiries. The journal article examines 1,336 recommendations made in 55 Australian post-disaster reviews since 2009. The paper evaluates the common themes outlined in those reviews and inquiries and argues that Australia and New Zealand emergency management agencies can utilise the data as a resource for lessons management.

Celeste Young and Roger Jones have had their paper on Valuing recovery through risk ownership published. The paper discusses the constraints associated with the recovery funding, which is currently limited to two years. This raises concern for communities who are unable to recover in this two-year period. The paper argues that there needs to be better planning for long-term recovery needs by identifying the longer-term risks and their consequences.

A number of papers were also featured in other journals. 

Dr Marta Yebra from the Mapping bushfire hazard and impacts project has had her paper featured in Remote sensing of environment. The paper analyses fuel moisture content and how it can affect fuel flammability in the lead up to fires. Marta and the research team conducted satellite observations of highly climatological and ecological regions across Australia to create a map that can predict the risks of bushfires. Marta spoke about her experiences in a webinar that you can read about here.

PhD student Miles Crawford from the How risk informs natural hazard management: a study of the interface between risk modelling for tsunami inundation and local government policy and procedure project have had their paper published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. The paper explores the use of risk modelling as a tool that can help local governments in New Zealand better understand, manage and communicate natural hazard risk. The paper explores the ‘RiskScape’ risk modelling tool and how future tools can become more effective to better communicate risk and better inform natural hazard policy and procedures.

Associate student Simone Ruane has had her paper published in The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. Simone’s journal article looks at how bushfire management measures can be adapted to minimise the interrelated social, environmental and economic impacts of fire in the landscape. The paper investigates the bushfire prone region in the South West of Australia and applies the Integrative Worldview Framework to determine the success of Australian bushfire policy.