Dale Dominey-Howes

The potential for combining indigenous and western knowledge in reducing vulnerability to environmental hazards in small island developing states

Abstract The benefits of indigenous knowledge within disaster risk reduction are gradually being acknowledged and identified. However, despite this acknowledgement there continues to be a gap in reaching the right people with the correct strategies for disaster risk reduction. This paper identifies the need for a specific framework identifying how indigenous and western knowledge may be combined to mitigate against the intrinsic effects of environmental processes and therefore reduce the vulnerability of rural indigenous communities in small island developing states (SIDS) to environmental hazards. This involves a review of the impacts of environmental processes and their intrinsic effects upon rural indigenous communities in SIDS and how indigenous knowledge has contributed to their coping capacity. The paper concludes that the vulnerability of indigenous communities in SIDS to environmental hazards can only be addressed through the utilisation of both indigenous and Western knowledge in a culturally compatible and sustainable manner.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Management

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis is the increasing global incidence of infectious diseases affecting the human population, which are untreatable with any known antimicrobial agent. This crisis will have a devastating cost on human society as both debilitating and lethal diseases increase in frequency and scope. Three major factors determine this crisis: (1) the increasing frequency of AMR phenotypes among microbes is an evolutionary response to the widespread use of antimicrobials; (2) the large and globally connected human population allows pathogens in any environment access to all of humanity; and (3) the extensive and often unnecessary use of antimicrobials by humanity provides the strong selective pressure that is driving the evolutionary response in the microbial world. Of these factors, the size of the human population is least amenable to rapid change. In contrast, the remaining two factors may be affected, so offering a means of managing the crisis: the rate at which AMR, as well as virulence factors evolve in microbial world may be slowed by reducing the applied selective pressure. This may be accomplished by radically reducing the global use of current and prospective antimicrobials. Current management measures to legislate the use of antimicrobials and to educate the healthcare world in the issues, while useful, have not comprehensively addressed the problem of achieving an overall reduction in the human use of antimicrobials. We propose that in addition to current measures and increased research into new antimicrobials and diagnostics, a comprehensive education program will be required to change the public paradigm of antimicrobial usage from that of a first line treatment to that of a last resort when all other therapeutic options have failed.

Tsunami and palaeotsunami depositional signatures and their potential value in understanding the late-Holocene tsunami record

In recent years, much research on modern and palaeotsunami deposits has been published. From these studies, a range of signature types has been identified. Identifying and dating such deposits is an important element in understanding late-Holocene tsunami hazard and risk. However, important questions such as, ‘do modern and palaeotsunami leave similar or dissimilar traces?’ ‘do tsunami leave the same signatures all around the world or are there significant variations?’ and ‘what is the actual record of tsunami in different parts of the world?’ still remain. Answering these questions is not an easy task but examining megatsunami flood deposits should shed some light on these questions because such high-magnitude events should leave very clear and detailed traces within the coastal landscape. The coast of SE Australia is reported to have been affected by numerous palaeomegatsunami in the late Holocene. As such, the coast of New South Wales offers an important natural laboratory to examine in detail deposits associated with such events. Here, we summarize the published characteristics of modern and palaeotsunami deposits globally and within Australia. We briefly outline the tsunami risk to Australia before examining a site called Minnamurra Point on the coastline of SE Australia (south of Sydney) that has previously been described as containing evidence for a palaeomegatsunami of an unknown age. We describe the results of a detailed coastal survey, field stratigraphic investigation and various standard laboratory analyses. Surprisingly, we are unable to replicate the previously reported findings of tsunami deposits. Whilst we prefer the interpretation that the sequence is an in situ soil (the sediment sequence examined contains none of the usually reported lines of evidence to demonstrate tsunami provenance), we recognize and discuss the significance and difficulty of identifying tsunami deposits in the field and consider the implications of our findings to the wider debate about the preservation of tsunami-deposited sediments.

High energy marine flood deposits on Astypalaea Island, Greece: possible evidence for the AD 1956 southern Aegean tsunami

High energy marine sediments are described from Livadia and Stavros, Astypalaea Island, Greece, which are tentatively interpreted to be associated with the southern Aegean tsunami of 9th July AD 1956. At Livadia, the marine provenance of imbricated pebble deposits (referred to here as the Imbricated Clast Unit, or ICU) are inferred from two observations. Firstly, the similarity between the clasts comprising the ICU and contemporary beach sediments, and secondly the inclusion of foraminiferal tests within the sediment matrix. Derivation from the AD 1956 tsunami, rather than from a storm surge, is inferred from the uniqueness of the deposits within the sedimentary record, their distinct imbrication, and 137Cs and 210Pb dating of overlying and underlying sediments. The top of the ICU occurs at +2.00 metres above sea level (m a.s.l.) indicating a minimum flood level at this location. At Stavros, a gravel with rounded clasts incorporating marine mollusca is found on exposed cliff surfaces up to an elevation of +10.00 m a.s.l. These gravels are also interpreted as having been deposited by the AD 1956 tsunami. The elevation of the deposits and topographic observations indicate that previously reported run-up elevations were over-estimated. The results shown here represent the first systematic investigation into sedimentary deposits possibly associated with a modern tsunami within the Aegean Sea region of Greece.

A re-analysis of the Late Bronze Age eruption and tsunami of Santorini, Greece, and the implications for the volcano–tsunami hazard

The paroxysmal eruption of Santorini (ca. 3500 BP), referred to as the Late Bronze Age (LBA) eruption, probably generated multiple tsunami; their occurrence and impacts being cited frequently in scientific papers and articles. This paper examines what is known about any LBA tsunami, noting possible mechanisms of generation and identifying sedimentological traces. Firstly, the eruption sequence is outlined providing the context in which tsunami genesis may have occurred. Secondly, the arguments forwarded for the tsunami and a summary of the evidence is given. Thirdly, results of a new geological investigation for LBA tsunami deposits at 41 coastal sites from Crete and Kos are presented. The data are used to test the hypothesis that the LBA eruption generated an east Mediterranean-wide tsunami. It will be seen that no terrestrial geological evidence is identified. The paper re-examines the original arguments presented for LBA tsunami, challenging them because their founding assumptions are flawed. Together, the new data and the re-analysis of the original tsunami hypothesis indicate that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that any significant far-field tsunami propagated throughout the entire east Mediterranean as frequently purported. Some terrestrial evidence exists to suggest localised near-field tsunami inundation. There is good submarine evidence however, to suggest that a tsunami was focused to the W and WSW. The results have important implications for understanding the volcano-related tsunami hazard within the region and elsewhere.

From vulnerability to transformation: a framework for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of tourism destinations

Tourism is a key driver of global socio-economic progress. However, its sustainability is at risk from multiple shocks and hazards that threaten livelihoods. Surprisingly little is known about the complex drivers of destination vulnerability, leading to the creation and application of ineffective resilience-building solutions. The paper presents the Destination Sustainability Framework (DSF) designed to assess destination vulnerability and resilience, and support successful resilience-building initiatives. Holistic in nature, the DSF comprises: (1) the shock(s) or stressor(s); (2) the interconnected dimensions of vulnerability – exposure, sensitivity, and system adaptiveness; (3) the dynamic feedback loops that express the multiple outcomes of actions taken (or not); (4) the contextualised root causes that shape destinations and their characteristics; (5) the various spatial scales; and (6) multiple timeframes within which social-ecological change occurs. This innovative framework is significant because its the first framework to chart the complex manifestation of vulnerability and resilience in tourism destinations. Further, it brings tourism sustainability research in line with wider debates on achieving sustainability within the dynamic coupled human–environment system, doing so through the inclusion of insights from contemporary systems approaches, including chaos–complexity theory, vulnerability approaches, sustainability science, resilience thinking, along with the geographies of scale, place and time.

Documentary and Geological Records of Tsunamis in the Aegean Sea Region of Greece and their Potential Value to Risk Assessment and Disaster Management

Understanding the nature and impacts of tsunamis within the Aegean Sea region ofGreece is of importance to both the academic community and those organisationsconcerned with tsunami disaster management. In order to determine hazard and riskand consequently pre-plan mitigative strategies, it is necessary to analyse historical(documentary) and geological records of former tsunami events. Therefore, firstlythis paper provides a summary of the written sources of information on Aegeantsunamis paying particular attention to published catalogues. From the availabledata, it is noted that a large number of events have been reported during the last3500 years. Secondly, the paper provides a review of the published on-shore(terrestrial) geological records of tsunamis within the region. From this analysisit is seen that little geological evidence has been identified for the large numberof tsunamis reported in the catalogues. Thirdly, the paper considers the reliabilityof the written and geological records and how problems of accuracy, coverage,extent and reliability, may have potential implications for the estimation of hazardand risk. The paper concludes by making recommendations for disaster managers,geologists and historians to work closely together.

Geological and historical investigation of the 1650 Mt. Columbo (Thera Island) eruption and tsunami, Aegean Sea, Greece

This paper reviews geological andhistorical evidence for the eruption and tsunamireported to have occurred in 1650 in the areaof Mt. Columbo, Thera Island, Greece. The tsunami isbelieved to have been generated as a consequence ofthe eruption of Mt. Columbo 6.5 km NE of Thera Island.Historical documents state that the tsunami flooded upto 2 miles inland and destroyed many engineeredstructures. We present lithostratigraphic evidencefrom one abandoned trench and two trench excavationsclose to sea level in the villages of Kamari andPerissa respectively, which lie well within thereported inundation zone of the tsunami. The resultspresented show that no marine- (tsunami) depositedsediments are preserved at these locations.Alternative hypotheses of discontinuous sedimentdeposition and over estimation of the event magnitudeare considered to explain the observations presentedhere. The data may have important implications for thedevelopment of hazard zone maps, risk assessment,vulnerability reduction and for emergency managementofficials.

Queering disasters: On the need to account for LGBTI experiences in natural disaster contexts

This article seeks a queering of research and policy in relation to natural disasters, their human impacts, management and response. The human impacts of natural disasters vary across different social groups. We contend that one group largely absent from scholarly and policy agendas is sexual and gender minorities, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual and intersex (LGBTI) populations. To demonstrate that these minorities have particular experiences that need to be addressed, we critically review five case studies that comprise the limited scholarly and policy research on LGBTI populations in disasters to date. Building on this, we offer some specific ways forward for queer disaster research that accounts for the vulnerabilities, needs and resilient capacities of LGBTI populations. In doing so, we recognise and urge researchers, policy-makers and aid agencies to acknowledge that LGBTI populations are not homogeneous and have different needs wrought by intersections of socio-economic resources, gender, race/ethnicity, age and regional or national location.

The experiences of weak and non-swimmers caught in rip currents at Australian beaches.

ABSTRACT Beach rip currents present a risk to weak and non-swimmers, whose limited open water swim competencies may render them incapable of swimming out of these common and strong offshore flows. Here, the aim has been to explore this groups vulnerability by identifying how the limits of their swimming competencies influence their abilities to successfully execute a rip current exit strategy. It provides empirical detail on their knowledge of rip currents, their behavioural responses when caught in the rip current, the advice they recalled and the educational messages they recommend to other swimmers. A secondary aim has been to begin a dialogue that recognises the capacity of the Australian beach cultures—as places of relaxation and natural beauty—to influence peoples decisions to enter the water. This cultural contextualisation may help explain why some self-identified weak and non-swimmers still enter the water despite their limited competencies. Through a synthesis of survey and interview data, we argue that weak and non-swimmers need to take the threat of rip currents seriously. Pre-emptive safety advice should be sought, especially if people intend to swim regardless of their swimming ability.