Suchergebnisse

En el presente trabajo se efectúa un análisis de la influencia de las acciones de gestión del riesgo de desastres en la reducción de la pobreza en Colombia, partiendo de la hipótesis de que el desarrollo de medidas de gestión del riesgo pueden reducir la vulnerabilidad y por tanto la pobreza. En primer lugar, se señala la diferencia entre los conceptos de pobreza y vulnerabilidad, para lo cual se presentan los enfoques de riesgo amenaza, construcción social del riesgo y de resiliencia ecológica. Posteriormente, se revisan las transformaciones que se dieron en la interpretación de los desastres para llegar a hablar de gestión de riesgo de desastres y como ha sido su implementación en Colombia. Finalmente, se efectúa un análisis del Índice de Pobreza Multidimensional –IPM, se describen los principales fenómenos naturales que se presentan en el país y el comportamiento de la inversión en gestión del riesgo de desastres en el país, con el fin de verificar si el desarrollo de acciones dirigidas a la reducción de la vulnerabilidad, son una medida eficaz en la reducción de los niveles de pobreza, centradas en las capacidades, activos, medios de vida o capitales que tienen las personas y la resiliencia de las mismas. ; Abstract. In the present work there is carried out analysis of the influence of the actions of disaster risk management in the reduction of the poverty in Colombia, from the hypothesis of which the development of dimensions of disaster risk management can reduce the vulnerability and therefore the poverty. Firstly, there is indicated the difference between the concepts of poverty and vulnerability, for which the approaches of risk - threat, social construction of the risk and ecological resilience are presented. Later, there is a review of the transformations that happened in the interpretation of the disasters, to go so far as to speak about disaster risk management and as it has been its implementation in Colombia. Finally, carries out an analysis of the Index of Multidimensional Poverty-IPM, there are described the main natural phenomena that appear and the behavior of the investment in disaster risk management in the country, in order to verify if the development of reduction vulnerability actions has an effect in the reduction of the level of poverty, which it is focused on the capacities, assets, livelihoods or capital that the people have and the resilience of the same ones. ; Maestría

Hydropower has commonly been promoted as an environmentally friendly and renewable energy resource. Despite this, the major negative social and ecological impacts on the environment and its local inhabitants have been well established for a long time, as well as the high risks for large-scale disasters caused by hydropower dam failures. Drawing on a qualitative study that focuses on the Lule River in Sweden, this article analyses the cultural politics of emotions with regard to dams, reservoirs, safety and human security. Annually between one and two major dam failures occur around the world, with major consequences for human and non-human lives, the environment and the economy, and the issue has been addressed in policy making and within the work of power companies since the 1970's. However, more people die due to accidents on dams and reservoirs than due to dam failures. In Sweden, the number of hydropower regulation related deaths within the demographically small municipality of Jokkmokk, where a major part of Sweden's hydropower is being produced, is on average 0,02 per cent per year, or 1-2 persons, which would correspond to 180-360 deaths in the Swedish capital Stockholm. Yet, there are no calls for inquiries, investigations and measurements to ensure public safety around dams in Sweden. Linking these two aspects on hydropower dams and safety through the concept of human security we identify a void of understanding and valuing the importance of humans' – operators - lived experiences and invested emotions in the work to avoid dam failures, accidents on the reservoirs and loss of lives. We address the fact that the operators live and are related to the inhabitants of the regulated Lule River and what role this may play in enhanced human security. We argue that technical reports and studies on dam safety are written in a way that invokes false emotions of control, safety and security for inhabitants as well as political decision makers. New technologies for camera surveillance and monitoring provide opportunities to assemble data on a dam and the water flowing through it (seepage), with the purpose to enhance safety. However, we suggest that these systems actually may produce false emotions of safety and security, reinforcing a paradigm of perceived control of nature's forces and thereby may contribute to decreased safety and human security. ; Dammed: Security, risk and resilience around the dams of sub-arctica

Emergencies – crises, disasters and catastrophes – cannot be managed by individuals or one organization,collaborative actions are needed In the context of this paper, a two-part research on collaborative governance and emergency management in Latvia has been carried out. This research is important because due to extreme weather conditions even "safe" countries should be able to deal with frequently recorded emergencies. It also contributes to the literature on emergency management in the context of Europe. The method of a case study was employed for this qualitative research seeking to clarify the situation and provide answers to the research question. The research showed that much attention is being given to coordinating emergency management systems in Latvia. The new Civil Defence and Disaster Management Law is the legal basis for collaborative actions but it should be amended to ensure not only formal but also practical collaboration. ; Notfälle - Krisen, Desaster und Katastrophen - nicht von Einzelpersonen oder einzelne Organisationen verwaltet werden, weil komplizierte Probleme sind, die Zusammenarbeit von vielen Teilhabern erfordern. Leider ist im Bereich der Notfall-Management ist es nicht ungewöhnlich für die Notfallplanung und Vorsorge vernachlässigt zu werden. Da Notfälle Ereignisse von "geringe-Wahrscheinlichkeit-hohe-Folgen" sind, Organisationen der öffentlichen Verwaltung, Unternehmen und Zivilpersonen halten es nicht für rational Zeit, Geld und Energie in Etwas, das "vielleicht nie passieren wird" zu investieren. Dies kann zu Selbstüberschätzung, mangelndes Fachwissen, materiellen, technologischen und personellen Ressourcen, unangemessene Planung, Koordination und Kommunikation, und viele andere Probleme führen, die effektive und effiziente Verwaltungsmaßnahmen in Zeiten der Not untergraben.Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird eine zweiteilige Forschungsfrage gestellt in Bezug auf 1) die Arten und 2) Aktivitäten der gemeinschaftlichen Verwaltung, die im Bereich des Notfallmanagements in Lettland identifiziert werden können. Um die Forschungsfrage zu beantworten, die Fallstudie Methode von Lettland wird benutzt. Der theoretische Rahmen wird aus dem Katastrophenmanagement - Zyklus konstruier, der wird mit Aktivitäten und 4 Typen der gemeinschaftlichen Verwaltung kombiniert werden. Kurzer Systemkontext wird auch zu Verfügung gestellt. Schwierigkeiten kann man identifizieren in der ersten Linie in Bezug auf der Terminologie. In Lettisch "Kollaboration" und "Kooperation" haben dieselbe Übersetzung.In Bezug auf die Forschungsfrage die folgende Antwort kann man geben: 1) im Bereich der Notfall-Management im Falle von Lettland 3 Arten/Typen der Zusammenarbeit/Kollaboration können identifiziert werden: Typ 1 oder der zwischenstaatlichen Kollaboration unter unterschiedlichen Agenturen und Spielern, Typ 2 oder die Kollaboration zwischen verschiedenen Regierungen auf verschiedenen Ebenen; und Typ 3 Kollaboration zwischen den Regierungen und externen Drittanbietern von Waren und Dienstleistungen. Die Unfähigkeit Typ 4 Zusammenarbeit zu identifizieren könnte man mit der Gesamtunterentwicklung der Forschung im Bereich das Notfallmanagement in Lettland erklären. Die folgenden Aktivitäten der Kollaboration in Notfallmanagement würden identifiziert: verbunden Trainingsübungen für Profis (Ersthelfer), private Organisationen / Unternehmen und Gemeinde-Organisationen; Austausch von Informationen, Erfahrungen, Know-how und Ressourcen; indem Beratung von und Zusammenarbeit VUGD (Feuerwehren und Rettungsdienste) in der Entwicklung Zivilverteidigungsplänen. Mehrere Kommunen nützen auch die Möglichkeit Zivilschutz Management Räte und Pläne zu verbinden. VUGD geben bekannt auch Einschätzungen von Trainingsübungen und Empfehlungen für zukünftige Verbesserungen.Obwohl der neue Zivilschutz und Katastrophenmanagement Gesetz ist nur erst vor kurzem in Kraft getreten (01.10.2016), kann man schon jetzt Probleme identifizieren: Abneigung Autorität und Ressourcen zu teilen von der Seite des Innenministeriums und der Regierung, Mangel an Forschung, Betonung auf Koordination und nicht Kollaboration. Insgesamt gibt es Potenziell für Entwicklung von gemeinschaftlichen Verwaltung in dem Bereich des Notfallmanagements in Lettland. Aber nur Zeit und weitere Forschungen werden zeigen ob und wie der neue Gesetzt umgesetzt wird und welche Auswirkungen wird es auf die Aktivitäten der gemeinschaftlichen Verwaltung haben.

Closing the ninety-nineties Central America was drastically affected by the hydrometeorological phenomenon "Mitch", the disaster exposed the structural weaknesses with which the human settlements were built for decades and especially the extreme vulnerability of the exposed population. Different international institutions and the national government have supported actions to reduce vulnerability and generated more knowledge and awareness about disaster risks and hazards; The OAS, CEPREDENAC, CEPAL, World Bank, IDB, UNDP, LA RED are among the ones with the largest presence in the region.The advances in the subject have clarified concepts, generated instruments for risk management and disaster prevention; this from the point of view that disasters are not natural, human intervention plays a fundamental role in deepening the effects of the hazards.This discussion is carried upon the need to include risk management as part of the urban planning matrix, and not as something external, is of particular interest the relationship between the geophysical landscape and the layout and land use of the human settlements. With the Concept of Urban Slopes, we delve into the specificity of this particular type of city that is common to many cities on the planet.Revista Ciencias Espaciales, Vol.4(1) 2011, 41-61 ; Cerrando la década de los noventa Centroamericana fue afectada drásticamente por el fenómeno hidrometeorológico Mitch, el desastre puso de manifiesto las debilidades estructurales con las que se construyeron por varias décadas los asentamientos humanos especialmente la tremenda vulnerabilidad de la población.Diferentes organismos internacionales y gobiernos nacionales han apoyado acciones para disminuir la vulnerabilidad y se ha generado un mayor conocimiento sobre amenazas y riesgos de desastre (OEA, CEPREDENAC, CEPAL, Banco Mundial, BID, PNUD, LA RED) entre los de mayor presencia en la región.Los avances en la temática han aclarado conceptos, generado instrumentos para la gestión y prevención del riesgo de desastre; desde el punto de vista de que los desastres no son naturales, la intervención humana es definitiva en la profundización de los efectos de las amenazas.Esta reflexión avanza sobre la necesidad de que se incluya la gestión del riesgo como parte de la matriz de planificación urbana, y no algo externo, interesa especialmente la relación entre el emplazamiento físico y las formas de ocupación del suelo por los asentamientos humanos. Con el Concepto de Ladera Urbana, ahondamos en la especificidad de este tipo particular de asentamientos humanos, común a muchas ciudades del planeta.Revista Ciencias Espaciales, Vol.4(1) 2011, 41-61

RESUMEN El aumento de los gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera ha traído como consecuencia el aumento de temperatura media a nivel planetario que conocemos como calentamiento global. Este fenómeno se ha producido en los últimos siglos, pero de manera más crítica a partir de la revolución industrial. La situación actual es crítica, deforestación, subida del nivel del mar, contaminación, problemas de salud, disminución de los recursos energéticos convencionales, catástrofes naturales, conflictos bélicos, escasez de agua y alimentos… Somos posiblemente la última generación que puede evitar el desastre climático. Se presentan como soluciones el uso de las energías renovables, la eficiencia en el consumo, la plantación de árboles y la aplicación de avances científicos como las ciudades inteligentes. Los gobiernos cada vez más conscientes de que el problema es global aúnan sus voluntades políticas en acuerdos internacionales. Es nuestra responsabilidad como docentes concienciar a nuestros alumnos sobre el problema del cambio climático que afecta a nuestro presente y futuro y tomar las medidas que estén a nuestro alcance. Partiendo de este tema de especial relevancia intelectual y afectiva se elaborarán propuestas que den respuesta a los interrogantes de los alumnos mediante el desarrollo de las competencias básicas, en especial con la competencia matemática y competencias básicas en ciencia y tecnología y las transversales relacionadas con la colaboración, solidaridad y justicia. ; ABSTRACT Increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has resulted in an average temperature increase on a global level that we know as global warming. This phenomenon has occurred in recent centuries, but more critically from the industrial revolution. The current situation is critical, deforestation, sea level rise, pollution, health problems, reduction of conventional energy resources, natural disasters, armed conflicts, shortages of water and food . possibly we are the last generation that can prevent climate disaster . Solutions are presented as using renewable energy, fuel efficiency, tree planting and application of scientific advances such as smart cities. Increasingly aware that the problem is global, governments have joined their political will in international agreements. It is our responsibility as teachers to educate our students about the problem of climate change that affects our present and future and take measures within our reach. Based on this topic of special intellectual and emotional relevance, proposals that respond the questions of the students through the development of basic skills will be developed, especially mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology and the transverse related to collaboration, solidarity and justice. ; Máster en Formación del Profesorado de Educación Secundaria

The article explores the problem of globalization in the context of geopolitics. The author examines the transformation of particular geopolitical space in the context of modern globalization processes. He analyzes the "new world order", claimed by the subjects of globalization. The author argues that the government of the world on the basis of unipolarity is not effective as it leads to multiplication of disasters and sufferings of many nations. The historical development of Russia proves that the spiritual anthropology can not be personalistic only as moral anthropology investigates moral health of the nation and family. Moreover, the unique and the general are interrelated. The author argues that alternative projects of globalization should be based on the primacy of spiritual values that develop fundamental values, in contrast to the unattainable human values; the so-called "globalization of the spirit". The ideological foundation of the new projects can be, firstly, the idea of how the entire human civilization all humanity achieved sequential or joint development of cultural-historical types of people. Secondly the idea of unity and coevolution with nature, based on the philosophy of Russian cosmism - the phenomenon of global-historical dimension, expressing the spirit of Russian-Russian civilization; spirit, their aspiration for the future, to the disclosure of the meaning of human destiny and human capital opposing spirit, the spirit of market-capitalist civilization. ; В статье рассматривается проблема глобализации в контексте геополитики. Автор исследует особенности трансформации геополитического пространства в условиях протекания глобализационных процессов современности. Особое внимание уделяется анализу «нового мирового порядка», на который претендуют субъекты глобализации. Автор доказывает, что управление миром на базе однополярности не является оптимальным, поскольку несет в себе умножение бедствий и страданий многим народам. Историческое развитие России доказывает, что духовная антропология не может быть исключительно персоналистической, ибо духовное здоровье нации, семьи в равной степени входит в круг проблем духовной антропологии, более того - единичное и всеобщее здесь взаимозависимы. Автор доказывает, что альтернативные проекты глобализации должны базироваться на примате духовных ценностей, позволяющих выработать общие фундаментальные ценности, в отличие от недостижимых общечеловеческих ценностей; предполагается «глобализация духа». Идейной основой новых проектов может стать, во-первых, идея всечеловечества как всечеловеческой цивилизации, достигаемой последовательным или совместным развитием всех культурно-исторических типов народов; во-вторых, идея всеединства и коэволюции с природой, базирующаяся на философии русского космизма - явления глобально-исторического измерения, выражения духа русско-российской цивилизации; духа, своей устремленностью к будущему, к раскрытию смысла предназначения человека и человечества, противостоящего духу капитала, духу рыночно-капиталистической цивилизации.

Belize has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The country was first inhabited by the Mayans with records of their presence dating from 1500 BC. The first recorded European settlement was established circa 1638 by the British who called the country the Colony of British Honduras. The official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973, and full independence was granted on September 21, 1981. There were several obstacles in the path toward independence, as illustrated by Guatemala's long-standing claim to the entire territory. It was only in November 1980, after several frustrated negotiations with Guatemala that Belizean diplomacy managed to obtain international support that led to the United Nations passing of a resolution that demanded the independence of Belize, but it was only in 1992 that Guatemala formally recognized Belize's independence. After independence, Belize successfully implemented a development strategy which emphasized economic diversification and private sector development at a time where the terms of trade were favorable to the country. As a small, open economy, that is also extremely vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, Belize's ability to promote faster poverty reduction and greater shared prosperity will depend on how well the country deals with its main sources of vulnerability. In addition to weaknesses in infrastructure and in the skills of the labor force, several studies have pinpointed crime and violence and problems in the financial sector as important deterrents to growth. The analysis in this report confirms the centrality of these two factors. The predicament in the financial sector is largely driven by the small economic size of the country and the lack of competition in the banking sector, a common feature in small state economies that limits the availability of credit to small and medium enterprises. Stability issues in the sector complicate matters as these impose non-negligible risks to the health of the financial sector. On the other hand, the rise in the inflow of migrants from neighboring Central American countries with a history of crime and violence has been raised as a potential cause for high crime rates in Belize, but there is not enough evidence to substantiate that claim at this point. Policy interventions that could help halt the rise in criminality rates include ramping up the quality of education, keeping children at school, promoting education equivalency programs and job training, besides more direct approaches such as investing in safe neighborhood programs.

ЦЕЛЬ. Создание автономного источника электрической энергии на базе обкаточно-тормозных стендов Всероссийского научно-исследовательского технологического института ремонта и эксплуатации машинно-тракторного парка (ГОСНИТИ), предназначенных для испытаний и обкатки автомобильных двигателей внутреннего сгорания (ДВС), является особенно актуальной задачей для регионов, пострадавших вследствие аварий на электроэнергетических объектах, стихийных бедствий и военных конфликтов. МЕТОДЫ. В настоящей статье предложен комплекс мероприятий по переоборудованию обкаточно-тормозного стенда в электрогенераторную установку, выполнен анализ ее энергетической эффективности при применении различных моделей автомобильных ДВС и рекомендованы оптимальные параметры трансмиссии. РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ. В ходе экспериментальной части исследования был переоборудован стенд модели КИ-5543 с двигателем УМЗ-4216 в электрогенераторную установку. Полученные данные позволили создать и апробировать методику оптимизации, позволяющую подбирать передаточное число трансмиссии с целью обеспечения минимального удельного расхода топлива при применении различных моделей автомобильных ДВС. ВЫВОДЫ. Результаты, полученные на основании исследований, показывают, что созданный на базе стенда рассматриваемого типа источник электрической энергии может обладать необходимыми параметрами вырабатываемого тока и напряжения, а также имеет сопоставимую с серийными моделями автономных генераторов топливную экономичность. ; THE PURPOSE of the study is to create a stand-alone source of electric energy based on a roller test benches of the All-Russia scientific research technological institute of maintenance and operation of machine and tractor rolling stock (GOSNITI) designed for testing and running of automotive internal combustion engines (ICE). This task is particularly relevant for the regions affected by the breakdowns at electric power facilities, natural disasters and military conflicts. METHODS. The paper proposes a set of measures for the conversion of the rolling test bench into an electric generating unit, analyzes its energy efficiency when using different models of automotive ICE as well as recommends optimal transmission parameters. RESULTS. In the course of the experiment, a test bench of KI-5543 model with the motor YMZ-4216 has been converted into an electric generating unit. The results obtained permitted to design and test an optimization procedure allowing to select a transmission gear ratio in order to ensure minimum specific fuel consumption when using different models of automotive ICE. CONCLUSIONS. The results obtained in the experiments show that electric power source created on the basis of the test bench of the examined type may have the necessary parameters of produced current and voltage, as well as obtain fuel efficiency comparable to the production models of stand-alone generators.

Governments and business leaders are increasingly aware of the role that innovation plays in economic growth, development and competitiveness. There are imperative challenges for Latin American countries, among them, poverty, social inclusion, sustainable development, climate change, natural disasters, productivity, improve the quality of education and health. Innovations are essential to drive economic growth and prosperity in the region. According to the Global Innovation Index (2015), Mexico is ranked 57th. Most of the research on innovation performance is mostly focused on technological innovation. Therefore, the main variables used, such as patents and number of scientific publications, do not always reflect the other types of innovations (i.e. business model, organizational, etc.) that are developing in emerging markets. The aim of this paper is to analyze the Mexican innovation system using a broad concept with a focus on other types of innovation including cultural aspects to identify the main characteristics that distinguish and determine how innovation in Mexico is formed. Although the Mexican government has improved its institutional structure for innovation and its support policies, they need to evaluate programs and adjust incentive schemes based on performance to improve their innovation policy. Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the Mexican National Innovation System using a broad concept with a focus on other types of innovation and including cultural aspects to identify some of the main characteristics that determine how innovation in Mexico is formed. Design/methodology/approach - The national innovation systems framework is used to review the Mexican innovation policy.A review of relevant literature on national innovation systems and Mexican innovation policies with data from the Global Innovation Index and INEGI were used for this paper. Findings - Higher private investment in R&D is needed to enhance innovation, the Mexican government needs to incentivise the private sector investment and collaboration with higher education institutions on innovation projects is essential. Mexico has improved its institutional structure for innovation and its support policies.An explicit innovation policy is recent and it is difficult to evaluate its effectiveness. Research limitations/implications - This study contributes to the debate on how to improve the Mexican innovation system with emphasis on a broad concept of innovation.The Mexican innovation data is limited. Originality/value - This paper provides a landscape from which policy makers and academics can build on to present proposals for ways to improve innovation performance in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

There are many examples of unpredicted natural and man-made disasters occurring over the past few decades, for example Hillsborough (1989) and the 7/7 Bombings (2005). Most of these incidents led to legislative reform to either improve infrastructure or the operational response, in an attempt to minimise future risks. However, suggested changes have not taken into consideration how to manage and communicate risk to the public. This is despite the impact that ineffective risk communication could have on both potential casualties and the environment. For example, during the Fukushima accident (2011) people were evacuated from light radioactive areas and ended up in more heavily contaminated areas, partly due to poor risk communication (Robertson et al., 2012). In order to investigate the current status of acceptance from the public when receiving risk information in an emergency, a large-scale live multi-agency training event was developed. This event was based on a ferry collision, which resulted in the release of a potential contaminant, requiring members of the public to undergo mass decontamination. Data was collected using questionnaires and conducting post incident debriefs with a total of 53 members of the public who played the role of 'passengers' on-board the ferry. Data was analysed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings indicate that the operational element was accepted, and often praised, but participants had problems with the non-technical side of the response, particularly the communication; this had a significant impact on the perception of the services involved. It is recommended that there is more frequent, clear and direct communication given to the public throughout a disaster as it will potentially increase the level of compliance and reassurance, and will reduce anxiety. This will benefit the agencies involved as effective communication has been found to increase trust and promote future confidence in agencies (Carter et al., 2013). This research has future implications for policy making, disaster management, and improving risk communication to members of the public. ; Non UBC ; Unreviewed ; This collection contains the proceedings of ICASP12, the 12th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engineering held in Vancouver, Canada on July 12-15, 2015. Abstracts were peer-reviewed and authors of accepted abstracts were invited to submit full papers. Also full papers were peer reviewed. The editor for this collection is Professor Terje Haukaas, Department of Civil Engineering, UBC Vancouver. ; Faculty

The president reconstituted his cabinet in early December, focusing primarily on the economic team. The highly experienced Boediono was appointed as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, while Sri Mulyani Indrawati was promoted from chair of the planning agency to become Minister of Finance. The former economics coordinating minister, Aburizal Bakrie, was made Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs-out of the economic limelight, but still with considerable influence. These changes overall have been well received by the markets, as indicated by a considerable strengthening of the rupiah. The challenges facing the new cabinet remain immense, however. On a range of macroeconomic variables, performance has fallen well short of the government's targets. Output growth declined to just 4.9% p.a. in the December quarter from 6.5% a year earlier. Investment growth has fallen to a very low level, giving rise to concern about the creation of job opportunities. In a booming global economy, exports grew by only 7.4% in the four quarters to December, despite Indonesia's wealth of natural resources. The inflation rate doubled from September to October to almost 18% p.a., although subsequent price increases have been much slower. The president's anti-corruption campaign continues to generate much attention. The number of corruption cases involving government officials and state enterprise managers brought to the courts continues to increase. Some high-profile cases have resulted in convictions, but others have not. The campaign seems likely also to be extended to judicial reforms, which are clearly crucial, but one urgent issue yet to be tackled directly is the widespread suspicion that funding of major political parties derives largely from abuse of power by government officials. Numerous floods and landslides early in 2006 resulted in deaths, injuries and considerable physical damage. The frequency of such natural disasters has risen significantly over time, suggesting that governments at all levels need to develop mechanisms to manage them and implement policies to mitigate or prevent them. Reconstruction progress in Aceh and Nias during 2005 was disappointingly slow. The reconstruction authority predicts dramatic improvement in 2006, but there appears to be a need to clarify the relationships among its three components, and to make some adjustments to its master plan, particularly in relation to land use planning. A reallocation of available funds among major activities, better coordination of implementing organisations, and a rethinking of conflicts between the authority's roles as implementation agency and coordinating agency may all be needed if the ambitious and urgent targets are to be met.

The president reconstituted his cabinet in early December, focusing primarily on the economic team. The highly experienced Boediono was appointed as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, while Sri Mulyani Indrawati was promoted from chair of the planning agency to become Minister of Finance. The former economics coordinating minister, Aburizal Bakrie, was made Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs-out of the economic limelight, but still with considerable influence. These changes overall have been well received by the markets, as indicated by a considerable strengthening of the rupiah. The challenges facing the new cabinet remain immense, however. On a range of macroeconomic variables, performance has fallen well short of the government's targets. Output growth declined to just 4.9% p.a. in the December quarter from 6.5% a year earlier. Investment growth has fallen to a very low level, giving rise to concern about the creation of job opportunities. In a booming global economy, exports grew by only 7.4% in the four quarters to December, despite Indonesia's wealth of natural resources. The inflation rate doubled from September to October to almost 18% p.a., although subsequent price increases have been much slower. The president's anti-corruption campaign continues to generate much attention. The number of corruption cases involving government officials and state enterprise managers brought to the courts continues to increase. Some high-profile cases have resulted in convictions, but others have not. The campaign seems likely also to be extended to judicial reforms, which are clearly crucial, but one urgent issue yet to be tackled directly is the widespread suspicion that funding of major political parties derives largely from abuse of power by government officials. Numerous floods and landslides early in 2006 resulted in deaths, injuries and considerable physical damage. The frequency of such natural disasters has risen significantly over time, suggesting that governments at all levels need to develop mechanisms to manage them and implement policies to mitigate or prevent them. Reconstruction progress in Aceh and Nias during 2005 was disappointingly slow. The reconstruction authority predicts dramatic improvement in 2006, but there appears to be a need to clarify the relationships among its three components, and to make some adjustments to its master plan, particularly in relation to land use planning. A reallocation of available funds among major activities, better coordination of implementing organisations, and a rethinking of conflicts between the authority's roles as implementation agency and coordinating agency may all be needed if the ambitious and urgent targets are to be met.

At the UN climate negotiations, developed countries pledged to mobilise US$ 100 billion of climate finance per year from 2020 onwards to support developing countries in dealing with climate change. Since this money is supposed to come from private sources too – some of which is to be spent on climate change adaptation – this briefing paper explores the potential of the international tourism industry to contribute to adaptation finance, with a focus on Small Island Development States (SIDS). The SIDS is a group of low-lying coastal countries that are particularly susceptible to natural disasters and climate change impacts. Tourism is the main economic sector for most of them. Given the sector's vulnerability to climate change (e.g. rising sea levels or extreme weather events), high levels of investment in adaptation will be needed to maintain the high number of visitors. A diverse landscape of modalities for funding adaptation through the tourism sector is available, with corresponding limitations and challenges in their implementation. The tourism sector represents a diverse array of businesses. The adaptive capacities of these businesses, their operational scales and customer demands are key determining factors behind the potential to contribute to, or finance, adaptation. Different options are available on various scales. For example, on a local scale, hotels and resorts can contribute to adaptation by investing in sea walls, or in water- and energy-efficiency measures. Governments can endorse this through, for instance, building codes and policies for sustainable water and energy use. On a sub-national or national scale, adaptation funds (i.e. financed by public and private sources) or adaptation taxes could be suitable instruments for involving a range of private actors operating in tourism and generating financial resources. Insurance schemes could help to share in and deal with risks. Tourism enterprises can contribute to and invest in adaptation in SIDS. Regardless of whether such investments would count as part of the US$ 100 billion, we recommend governments in SIDS to endorse this. However, in developing such mechanisms to mobilise pri¬vate financial contributions, it must be considered that tourists and multinational tourism corporations have the highest adaptive capacities. They can simply change destinations if climate impacts are too extreme or if the costs of adaptation make a destination relatively more expensive. The price sensitivities of the industry thus need to be factored in, and taxes or levies should theoretically be applied as uniformly as possible across tourist destinations in different countries in order to prevent travellers from substituting more expensive destinations (where adaptation taxes are adopted) for cheaper ones.

Las crisis sanitarias de las últimas décadas han sido al mismo tiempo crisis mediáticas, históricas y socioculturales. En este contexto, numerosos autores han señalado la importancia de las narrativas de ficción en la transformación y transmisión de los valores morales e ideológicos implicados. En el siguiente trabajo presentamos el estudio comparativo de dos obras de ficción narrativa literaria en las que el relato se estructura en torno a la gestión de una crisis epidémica de consecuencias catastróficas. En estas novelas, publicadas y ambientadas en diferentes momentos históricos, hemos analizado cómo se construyen las nociones de epidemia y contagio, las representaciones sociales de la ciencia médica, las autoridades sanitarias, y las acciones de las instituciones políticas, la sociedad y sus ciudadanos frente a un grave riesgo sanitario. Las obras analizadas reflejan los cambios históricos en las construcciones sociales de las catástrofes epidémicas, desde el positivismo científico en el que se enmarca la crónica de Daniel Defoe —The Journal of the Plague Year, 1772—, a la crítica reflexiva frente a la utilización política del conocimiento científico implícita en La peste de Albert Camus (1947). Estas novelas, de carácter realista, constituyen el precedente literario de la actual ficción narrativa epidémica, principalmente de ciencia-ficción apocalíptica o post-apocalíptica, cuya popularidad ha crecido significativamente en los últimos años. ; The latest public health crises have also been media, historical and socio-cultural crises. In this context, many authors have highlighted the importance of fiction narratives in the transformation and transmission of the moral and ideological values involved. In this paper, I exposed a comparative study of two pieces of literary narrative fiction in which the plot is structured around the management of a catastrophic epidemic. These novels have been published and set in different historical scenarios. Therefore I have analyzed how the notions of epidemic and contagion are historically constructed, as well as the social representations of medical science, of public health authorities, and the actions of the political institutions, society and its citizens in front of a severe health risk. These pieces reflect the historical changes in social construction of epidemic disasters, from scientific positivism which framed the Daniel Defoe's chronicle —The Journal of the Plague Year (1772) — to the reflexive criticism against the political use of scientific knowledge implied in Albert Camus' La peste (1947). These novels, largely realists, constitute the literary model for the current epidemic fiction narrative, mainly apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic science fiction, which popularity has grown significantly in the last years.

Funkcionalna suradnja NATO-a i Ruske Federacije u suvremenim međunarodnim odnosima je nužna, ali zbog još uvijek obostranog nepovjerenja i natjecateljski postavljenih ciljeva teško se ostvaruje. Autorica polazi od prikaza i analize postojećih odnosa suradnje ta dva aktera oko globalnih pitanja (borba protiv terorizma, krijumčarenje droga i narkotika, elementarne nepogode, obuka afganistanskih sigurnosnih snaga) najvećim dijelom operacionaliziranih u Afganistanu. Potom prikazuje prostor Arktika kao prostor na kojem se NATO i Ruska Federacija tek interesno pozicioniraju. Globalni izazovi sigurnosti (klimatske promjene, sigurnost transportnih ruta, eksploatacija energenata) ponovno mogu približiti stavove ta dva aktera, ali iz dosad poduzetih akcija autorica zaključuje da će i taj prostor biti poprište konfrontacija. Na kraju analizira dva osnovna problema (raketni štit u Europi i daljnje širenje NATO-a) koji su od završetka Hladnog rata pa do danas glavni problemi u odnosima NATO-a i Ruske Federacije. Bez obzira na trenutnu ukrajinsku krizu očito je da će se i budući odnosi NATO-Ruska Federacija paralelno odvijati na dva kolosijeka: funkcionalnoj suradnji i odnosima hladnog mira. ; Functional cooperation between NATO and the Russian Federation is a necessity within the contemporary international relations. However, due to a lack of mutual trust which is still being felt and competitively set objectives of both players, such cooperation is sometimes difficult to achieve. Author starts by presenting and analyzing the existing examples of cooperation between the two states on global issues (fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, natural disasters, training of security forces in Afghanistan) – most of which is taking place in Afghanistan. She continues by elaborating on the situation in the Arctic territories where both NATO and the Russian Federation are just starting to position their interests. Again, it is the global challenges to security that might bring the positions of the two players closer in this area (such as climate changes, safety of transport routes, energy exploitation), but based on their activities so far the author concludes that this area might also become an area of confrontation. Finally, the author analyses two major issues (missile defense in Europe and further NATO enlargement) that have been principal problems in NATO-Russia relations ever since the end of the Cold War. Regardless of the current crisis in Ukraine it is apparent that future relations between NATO and the Russian Federation will continue on two parallel tracks: functional cooperation on one, and "cold peace" on the other.