Theater Shaping with Allies & Partners Scene Setter: Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief Pacific Operational Science & Technology Conference 19 March.

Theater Shaping with Allies & Partners Scene Setter: Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief

Pacific Operational Science & Technology Conference19 March 2012Jessica Ear, J.D.

Key Points

Disaster• Trends• Expectations• Needs

S&T• Considerations• Challenges• Opportunities• Cooperation

Summary Observations

What are the trends?

Urbanization and Poverty

IFRC World Disaster Report 2010

World

Low and middle income nations

Asia

8,000

Numbers of people affected by climate –related natural disasters

54%

People affected by climate-related disasters 1980 to 2007 (millions) with forecast to 2015

Source: CRED Source: CRED

Number of people reported affected by natural disasters 1975-2010

Number of people reported killed by natural disasters 1975-2010

Estimated damages (US billion) caused by reported natural disasters 1975-2010

What can we expect?• Complexities• Inclusion• Expansion

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein

What are disaster needs?

Mitigation

Preparedness

ResponseRecovery

For ALL HAZARDS

Disaster

How can S&T assist?

Risk = Hazard + Vulnerability Capacity

Hazar

dVulnerability

Capacity

Risk

S &T Considerations• Comprehensiveness• Community• Capacity• Communication• Context

S&T Opportunities

• Space based technology– Satellites, telecom, internet

• Robotics, electronics

• Environmental science

• Agricultural adaptations

• Systems and education

• Social, cultural adaptations

S&T Cooperation

• Education, Training • Technical Skill Exchanges• Resource, Expertise Sharing• Regional Centers• Partnerships• Ownership

Summary Observations

• Expect more complex disasters• S&T communities can help• Solutions must meet disaster needs• S&T solutions are only as smart as the

people managing them• S&T opportunities require cooperation"Any intelligent fool can make

things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

Albert Einstein

Thank You