Suchergebnisse

Today landslide science is more complete than at the time of the Vajont catastrophe, although some way from being perfect. However, a factor is still present that allowed the Vajont disaster, and a number of other catastrophes since, to occur- organisational and governmental reluctance to acknowledge the unacceptably high probability of a specific disaster and take actions to avert it. At three tourism centres in New Zealand there is substantive evidence that a large landslide can be triggered by an earthquake; and that each event can cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage and up to several hundred deaths (depending on the timing of the event). There can be no useful warning of any of these events. Risk analyses suggest that the risks are in all cases some orders of magnitude greater than acceptable societal levels. Further investigation could clarify all these risks, but local and national authorities are reluctant to pursue this. The uptake of science by decision - and policy-makers is constrained by short-term economic and political considerations. The relevant science needs to published and publicised in such a way that it can neither be misunderstood nor ignored.

In 2005 the settlement of Matatā on Awatarariki fan, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand was devastated by a >3 x 105m3 debris flow; several dwellings were destroyed and many damaged, but no fatalities occurred. In the 7 years following the event, design options for a debris-flow containment structure in the catchment were developed. Following a formal determination by the Government's building control agency in 2006, building consents were granted for a number of replacement dwellings on the fan. In 2012, the previously chosen containment structure project was cancelled due to effectiveness and cost concerns. Subsequent investigations confirmed there were no viable engineering solutions to manage debris-flow risk from this catchment, and risk analyses have demonstrated that no debris-flow management systems, warning and evacuation systems, or individual dwelling protection mitigation measures, independently or in combination, could deliver a residential environment with tolerable risk-to-life levels. Since 2013, Whakatāne District Council (the Council) has been working towards a non-legislated managed voluntary retreat from the area where the risk to life is greater than about 10-4a-1, which is also the area of boulder deposition in the 2005 event. This has involved many meetings with affected landowners, including legal counsel and experts, but the currently 13-year delay in resolving uncertainty about landowners' futures has generated considerable stress and even hostility. A parallel legislation-based workstream the Council has undertaken to fulfil its statutory responsibilities has exacerbated tension between the Council and some property owners. From a technical perspective, this study emphasises the danger of lay officials and consultants placing too much confidence in immature technologies to reliably modify debris-flow occurrence. From a public management perspective, it highlights the immaturity of New Zealand's natural hazard management policy framework, in particular the significant disconnect between policy intent and policy implementation and its polarising effects on a small provincial community.

International audience ; While many governments are now committed to release Open Government Data under non-proprietary standardized formats, less attention has been given to the actual consequences of these standards for knowledge workers. Unpacking the history of three open data standards (CSV, GTFS, IATI), this paper shows what is actually happening when these standards are enacted in the work practices of bureaucracies. It is built on participant-observer enquiry and interviews focussed on the back rooms of open data, and looking specifi cally at the invisible work necessary to construct open datasets. It shows that the adoption of open standards is increasingly becoming an indicator of the advancement of open data programmes. Enacting open standards involves much more than simple technical operations, it operates a quiet and localised transformation of bureaucracies, in which the decisions of data workers have substantive consequences for how the open government data and transparency agendas are performed.

International audience ; While many governments are now committed to release Open Government Data under non-proprietary standardized formats, less attention has been given to the actual consequences of these standards for knowledge workers. Unpacking the history of three open data standards (CSV, GTFS, IATI), this paper shows what is actually happening when these standards are enacted in the work practices of bureaucracies. It is built on participant-observer enquiry and interviews focussed on the back rooms of open data, and looking specifi cally at the invisible work necessary to construct open datasets. It shows that the adoption of open standards is increasingly becoming an indicator of the advancement of open data programmes. Enacting open standards involves much more than simple technical operations, it operates a quiet and localised transformation of bureaucracies, in which the decisions of data workers have substantive consequences for how the open government data and transparency agendas are performed.

Open data has rapidly moved from being a niche interest, to being part of the global policy mainstream. Government-led open data initiatives have spread across the globe, and civil society or technologist experiments using data to improve governance have been spreading organically, from budget monitoring in Nigeria, to court transparency projects in Argentina. It is increasingly seen as enabler of a "data revolution" in the process of decision-making and accountability. However, understanding how experience of open data will vary from country to country and context to context, and, understanding the common features of open data that are shaping its implementation in these diverse settings, requires broad-based research framework. It requires research that can engage with both existing realities of decision-making in sectors, acknowledging the growing complexity of this process in an increasingly networked society. In this paper we have reviewed the framework of the "Open Data in Developing Countries"(ODDC) project, the largest research project on the impact of open data in developing countries to date. The framework was designed to help explore the link between openness in the data ecosystem, decentralized changes in decision-making, and positive and negative emerging impacts such as transparency and accountability, inclusion and empowerment as well as innovation and economic development. It was tested to generate cross-learning from 17 in-depth cases studies in 14 countries, as well as generate policy-relevant findings. This paper reviews and updates the original framework based on the findings and reflections developed during the research project.

Prizes and ability influence both choices of tournaments and effort exerted during a tournament. The number of participants close in ability to an individual also impacts his effort. These are two of the novelties of our model with which we quantify the sorting and incentive effects of tournament prizes using unique data of road running race results. We show that the sorting and incentive effects are inter-related and that the impact of prizes is heterogeneous across runners in the same race. The study sheds light on the nature of other economically significant tournaments where data is less available.

This bibliography is a continuation of and a complement to those published in the Urban History Yearbook 1974–91 and Urban History since 1992. The arrangement and format closely follows that of previous years. The list of abbreviations identifies only those periodicals from which articles cited this year have been taken, though many other journals are also checked. There is an index of towns on p. 567.

This bibliography is a continuation of and a complement to those published in the Urban History Yearbook 1974–91 and Urban History 1992–2002. The arrangement and format closely follows that of previous years. There is an index of towns on p. 597. The list of abbreviations identifies only those periodicals from which articles cited this year have been taken.

"Why do so many doctors have profound misgivings about the push to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide? Ole Hartling uses his background as a physician, university professor and former president of the Danish Council of Ethics to introduce new elements into what can often be understood as an all too simple debate. Alive to the case that assisted dying can be driven by an unattainable yearning for control, Hartling concentrates on two fundamental questions: whether the answer to suffering is to remove the sufferer, and whether self-determination in dying and death is an illusion. He draws on his own experience as a medical doctor to personalize the ethical arguments, share patients' narratives and make references to medical literature. Here is a sceptical stance towards euthanasia, one that is respectful to those who hold different opinions and well-informed about the details and nuances of different euthanasia practices. Written from a Scandinavian perspective, where respect for autonomy and high quality palliative care go hand in hand, Hartling's is a nuanced, valuable contribution to the arguments that surround a question doctors have faced since the birth of medicine. He shows us how the intentions of doing something good can sometimes lead to even greater dilemmas, opening us up to those situations where an inclination to end suffering by ending life is deeply conflicting both for the clinician and for any fellow human being"--

"Landslides are the most costly geo-hazard in the world, and they're often the cause or the result of other hazards and disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions. Landslide Hazards, Risks, and Disasters makes a close and detailed examination of major mass movements and provides measures for more thorough and accurate monitoring, prediction, preparedness, and prevention. It takes a geoscientific approach to the topic while also discussing the impacts human-induced causes such as deforestation, blasting, and building construction--underscoring the multi-disciplinary nature of the topic"--

This editorial essay presents an overview of the contributions in the Special Issue. It also raises critical questions for further research and thinking about Open Government Data.