Recovering From Supply Chain Disasters
UN: World’s Refugees And Displaced To Exceed 60 Million This Year
“One in every 122 humans is today someone who has been forced to flee their homes.”
Do you see this as an emergency management concern?
A Fitting End for the Hottest Year on Record.
There may be arguments about the cause, but the facts are that 2015 was the hottest year on record.
Interesting example of how the history of rebuilding of German after WWII is serving as a model for Syrians. See: German Museums Are Helping to Battle Refugees’ Culture Shock
“When the Syrian refugees visiting the German historic museum saw how badly this now-flourishing country was destroyed after World War II it gave them hope for their own country,” said Zoya Masoud, a 28-year-old architect from Latakia, Syria, who came to Germany four years ago and now works as one of the guides.
From Bloomberg News: Deaths From Disasters Double This Year as Planet Heats Up
At least 26,000 people died in heat waves, earthquakes, floods and other disasters during a year that was probably the warmest on record, more than double the number of deaths in 2014, Swiss Re AG said in an annual report.
Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters cost the world economy $85 billion, falling from $113 billion in 2014, according to preliminary figures from the company’s research unit. Insured losses dropped to $32 billion from $35 billion in 2014.
The article mentioned Swiss Re as the source of these data, and the Diva thinks this is the report discussed.
A dubious distinction for the NY City Public Housing Authority: not following up on lessons indicated, but not learned after H. Sandy. See: Post-Hurricane Sandy Chaos Could Happen Again at City Public Housing: Audit.
The Diva wonders if HUD bears some responsibility for not following up on its investments in public housing. Be glad to hear from someone at HUD on this matter.
Why This El Niño May Be The Strongest Ever, And What That Means For You. The ongoing tropical weather event has already caused havoc around the globe.
For much of 2015, ProPublica has been harshly critical of the Red Cross. Here is the latest in their reports. See: The Corporate Takeover of the Red Cross. “Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern, who was hired to revitalize the charity, has cut hundreds of chapters and thousands of employees.”
The Diva is not in a position to make a judgment on this matter, but offers up this news article for your consideration.
We all lament the state of affairs in Washington these days, but here is an interesting analysis of the problems. From the WashPost: Government ‘breakdowns’ thwart turning policy into action. And here is a direct link to the report. An excerpt from the 46-page report:
Mr. Volcker proclaimed that “a gap between vision and action undermines the government’s ability to execute.” Research by Professor Light released at the event by the Volcker Alliance demonstrates that the number of federal government agency breakdowns has steadily increased over the past 30 years. He predicts that, at the current rate, the federal government under President Obama will set a record for the number of breakdowns in a two-term presidency.
See this article on the new UN report dealing with Climate Change Related to Agricultural Disasters. Direct link to the 53-page report is here.