These publications on droughts and other disasters may be of interest to our readers. The ADPC Library can offer assistance in locating them.

Abrupt Climate Change: Inevitable Surprises. Committee on Abrupt Climate Change, Ocean Studies Board, Polar Research Board, Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and National Research Council, 2001, National Academy Press, 205 pages, US$ 39.95 (US$ 31.96 if purchased on-line). Copies soon available from National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055, (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313, http://www.nap.edu. A full-text pre-publication version is available for on-line reading at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10136.html?do_se52

According to this report, the possibility that abrupt regional or global climate changes might be spurred by global warming needs more research. Recent evidence shows that periods of gradual climate change in the earth’s past were punctuated in some places by episodes of rapidly changing average temperatures, as well as severe floods and droughts. This report examines current scientific evidence and theoretical understanding of abrupt climate change and identifies gaps in knowledge, including those aspects most important to societies and economies. A research strategy to close the gaps is outlined.

Changing by Degrees: The Potential Impacts of Climate Change in the East Midlands. Simon Shackley, Jim Kersey, Rob Wilby and Paul Fleming, 2001, Ashgate Publishing Company, 306 pages, US$ 79.95. To order, contact Ashgate Publishing Company, 2252 Ridge Road, Brookfield, VT 05036-9704, (802) 276-3162, fax (802) 276-3837, http://www.ashgate.com

This book is the result of a study commissioned by the East Midlands Sustainable Development Round Table to look at the rapidly changing climate of this region and how its impacts could be minimized. The findings elaborate the kinds of impact sudden climatic change can bring and makes recommendations for action to be taken.

Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India’s Poorest Districts. P Sainath, 1996, ISBN 0-1402-5984-8, Penguin Books, US$ 26.00. Order at www.amazon.com

This book is based on a series of reports the author filed for The Times of India from some of the poorest parts of India. The sixty-eight reports cover stories from eight of the poorest districts in the country and tell a tale of people’s lives, coping mechanisms and aspirations. It presents us with the true face of development in the country.

Floods, Droughts, and Climate Change. Michael Collier and Robert H Webb, to be published in November 2002, ISBN 0-8165-2250-2, University of Arizona Press, US$ 17.95. 

This book shows that floods and droughts do not happen by accident, but are the products of patterns of wind, temperature and precipitation that produce meteorologic extremes. It introduces the mechanics of global weather, puts these processes into the longer-term framework of climate, and then explores the evolution of climatic patterns through time to show that floods and droughts, once considered isolated “acts of God”, are often related events driven by the same forces that shape the entire atmosphere.

Hands-On Social Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide. Nedra Kline Weinreich, 1999, ISBN 0-7619-0867-6, Sage Publications, US$ 34.95. Order from www.sagepub.com

This publication demystifies the process of developing and implementing a social marketing campaign. It is a comprehensive guide which leads the reader through the steps involved in developing, implementing and evaluating a social marketing program. The main message of this book is that you can do social marketing yourself.

Living with Risk: A Global Review of Disaster Reduction Initiatives (Preliminary Version). UNISDR Secretariat, Government of Japan, WMO and Asian Disaster Reduction Center, 2002. The book can be downloaded from www.unisdr.org

Living With Risk is a preliminary version of a study of the lessons learned by experts and communities on reducing risks to hazards presented by natural forces – volcanoes, fires, hurricanes, tsunamis, landslides and tornadoes – and technological accidents and environmental degradation. It is a first attempt to collect and systematize information on disaster risk reduction initiatives, and to look at the full range of activities, even though still limited geographically, with a goal to reach common understanding of the issues. The report provides users with reference materials and serves as a directory to the many international, national and educational programs dedicated to risk reduction.

Overview of Early Warning Systems for Hydrometeorological Hazards in Selected Countries of Southeast Asia. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, 2002.

This report summarizes the findings of a study of early warning systems in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines and Vietnam, the countries in the Disaster Preparedness Program of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (DIPECHO). It raises awareness of the early warning systems in the respective countries and provides a basis for further enhancing institutional mechanisms, technical capacities and community response options for reducing vulnerability to extreme climate events.

Transportation Disaster Response Handbook. Jay Levinson and Hayim Granot, 2002, ISBN 0-12-445486-0, Academic Press, London.

Transportation-related disasters can cause extensive damage to people and property. Despite the best preventive measures, transportation officials and emergency personnel need to know how to react during these events. This practical handbook is aimed at responders, who must understand transportation disasters, and at the transportation industry, which must be acquainted with disaster response. The main thrust of this book therefore is transportation disasters and responses to them. The book also gives an overview of general aspects of disaster response, search and rescue, warning and evacuation.

Condemned to Repeat? The Paradox of Humanitarian Action. Fiona Terry, 2002, ISBN 0-8014-8796-X, Cornell University, 304 pages, US$ 19.55. Order on-line at www.rbookshop.com/law/h/Human_Rights_Law/

In this volume, the author synthesizes history of complex emergencies to demonstrate the difficult trade-offs faced by aid agencies. She observes that the use of refugee camps as bases for rebels is not a new phenomenon in history, nor are complex emergencies, contrary to much recent rhetoric. The book is replete with examples of cases from Afghanistan, El Salvador, Nicaragua and others, the refugees they generated, she shows that much humanitarian aid given by donors and implemented by NGOs follows lines of political favoritism, but not the core concepts of impartiality, need, and neutrality.