Hazard response early warning and longterm recovery

Hazard response early warning and longterm recovery Guðrún Pétursdóttir Director, Institute for Sustainability Studies CoastAdapt Final Conference March 27-30 2012

Background Iceland is prone to natural disasters Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, mudslides Harsh nature and a long history of lives lost at sea and on land 1995 2010 2000

Hazard and Risk in Iceland Areas Impacted by Sea Ice Major Landslide Areas Major Snow Avalanche Areas Earthquake Hazard Zones Active Volcanic Systems Jökulhlaup - Glacial River Surges

Mitigation and Preparedness Risk mapping recently completed in15 Civil Protection Districts in Iceland Planning and mitigation efforts prioritized Generic response plans quick and easy practical guide for responding to any emergency Iceland may face (all hazard approach) Specific response plans site and situation specific All plans have the same layout and structure

Monitoring, warning and evacuation Danger assessed locally Chief of police and civil protection boards and nationally Joint Rescue Command Centre with two way communication and good cooperation. Expert teams constantly on duty Civil Protection Scientific Council University Earth Sciences Institute seismic monitoring Icelandic Meteorological Office weather, floods, snow etc Local monitoring of e.g. avalanches, floods etc Decision to evacuate made by the Chief of Police or the Centre for Civil Protection and Emergency Management.

Evacuation plans areas designed with respect to access and infrastructure Drills excellent public participation key to success

Evacuation The emergency alert (112) sends out a warning and evacuation message (text message, mobile and phone alert) to inhabitants and others preregistered in the stricken area. Cell broadcasting system will be used to send warning messages and evacuation orders to all mobile phone users in the area (e.g. visitors, tourists) planned in 2012. Runners visit every household (in certain cases e.g. Katla eruption). Public compliance excellent.

Recovery gains attention Recovery formally acknowledged International Red Cross/Red Crescent Disaster Teams now include a recovery specialist Recovery must be planned UNDP Recovery Guidelines, in preparation FEMA guidelines in USA after Katrina Lessons learned must be systematic to be transferable to provide a base for improvements Experience shows that preparation leads to faster and better recovery

Long-term recovery Study lead by University of Iceland, Rainrace Consultants, Dept of Civil Protection, disaster-stricken communities, and others.

Purpose To make disaster relief and long term recovery more effective and efficient by developing methods based on analyses of the needs during and after a disaster Focus on the community level, particularly on towns outside Reykjavik

Aim Improve disaster management in Iceland by cooperation between university experts and other specialists in the field of natural disaster management as well civil protection authorities at national and local levels. Focus on longterm relief and recovery, i.e. when initial rescue and life saving operations are over. Experience from previous natural hazards in Iceland and elsewhere shows that while search and rescue are well planned and carried out, the relief and recovery phases need to be planned more efficiently.

Approach Analyse people s needs in the wake of disasters and how they can be met, how far these services should reach, who should be in charge, who plans, who provides, and who pays? Analyse legal framework and financial aid available Focus on the role of authorities at local levels Much of the frame of daily life is provided by local authorities and recovery rests to a large extent on the services provided by them (housing, welfare, roadworks, water etc, etc)

Output General guidelines to assist local governments in preparing action plans for long-term recovery General guidelines serve as a model for local plans

Methods Consultation with hundreds of people affected by hazards as victims or helpers, e.g. Health sector NGO s such as Rescue teams and Red Cross Police Church Schools Local government and staff etc Information analysed and sorted into clusters Welfare Environment Economics Check-lists composed for each cluster

Tasks in Clusters People Psychological - and physical wellbeing Social affairs Cultural affairs Environment Electricity Water Sewers Constructions Communications Environmental affairs Economic Employment Businesses Insurances Finances Daily Life Lög og regla 1 02 Félagsþjónusta 03 Heilbrigðismál 2 04 Fræðslu- og uppeldismál 05 Menningarmál 06 Æskulýðs- og íþróttamál 07 Brunamál Rescue Relief Leit og björgun 1 Öryggismál, t.d. rýming og lokanir 1 Lokanir, Umferðarskipulag og stjórnun, rýmingar, brottfluttningar, Fylgd fólks inn á lokuð svæði, Gæsla eigna Sjúkraþjónusta 2 Slökkvi- og mengunarstörf Öryggismál, t.d., aðgangur að lokuðum svæðum 1 Heilbrigðisþjónusta 2 Sameining fjölskylda Látnir og fjölsk. þeirra Sálrænn stuðningur; huga að þeim sem eiga um sárt að binda, viðbragðsaðilar, Húsaskjól, fæði, fatnaður, fjárhagsaðstoð. 08 Hreinlætismál 09 Byggingarmál 09 Skipulagsmál 11 Umhverfismál 10 Umferðarmál 10 Samgöngumál 21 Vatnsveita 23 Hitaveita 24 Fráveita Búfénaður Fiskistofnanir Öryggismál, t.d. lokanir vega 3 Aðgerðir vegna heilbrigðiseftirlits Hreinsun gatna og lóða Umsjón almenningsgarða og opinna svæða Bráðabirgðaviðgerðir eða stuðningsaðgerðir við björgunar- og neyðarstörfin vegna vatns-, frá- og hitaveitukerfa, rafmagns og fjarskiptakerfa, gatnamála, umferðarmerkingar, götulýsing, almenningssamgöngur, 13 Atvinnumál Tryggingarmál 4 Fyrirtækjamál Ferðamál Landbúnaður Sjávarútvegur Iðnaðarstarfsemi Rafmagn Fjarskipti Verðmætabjörgun Recovery Heilbrigðismál2 Sálrænn stuðningur Félagsþjónusta Fræðslu- og uppeldismál Æskulýðs- og íþróttamál Menning Byggingarmál Umhverfismál Hreinlætismál Skipulagsmál Umferðarmál Samgöngumál Hafnir Vatnsveita Fráveita Hitaveita Rafmagn Fjarskipti Tryggingarmál 4 Atvinnumál Ferðamál Fyrirtækjamál Landbúnaður Sjávarútvegur Iðnaðarstarfsemi

Clusters All tasks grouped into clusters according to the daily routines of the community Check-lists developed for each cluster Check-lists should be adapted to each municipality or community

Procedure Preparation: Recovery-team appointed Consisting of 3-4 key functionaries in the administration Cluster leaders ready People, Environment, Economics Action: Recovery team coordinates Cluster leaders responsible for each cluster and can recruit help from others forming their own teams. Work-flow, feedback and quality control Long-term (5-10 years) with a formal closure.

We also consulted disaster-champions at municipal levels mayors of the disaster-stricken communities Their advice included: Formal recovery teams need to be established right away not in a year or two. Recovery has not been planned ahead, but rather played by ear people have not realised how specialised and difficult this task is until they are faced with it. Local communities carry the load of recovery and must often face the consequences of decisions that they have not made themselves. Some such decisions caused long-term disputes. Important to keep special accounts of costs directly linked to the disaster. Important to separate external tasks from internal administration. Provisional (short-term) solutions tend to turn into long-term solutions.

Mayors advice cont d The flat-tire syndrome Official institutions burdened with increased work-load and costs that may not be met Rescue teams drained and may loose their best people Important to follow up with emotional assistance Large and small scales Large scale restore jobs, communications, city plan, roads, etc Small scale: leisure activities, social events, clean and decorate the surroundings etc Experience not transferred effectively It was tied to individuals (both locally and centrally in the administration) and was lost as people changed jobs Important to set a timeframe and formally end the process with a celebration (in 5 years? 10 years?) 4.September 2008 The 2 nd European Regional Safe Community Conference

Implementation Several local governments in Southern Iceland adapted and adopted the guidelines for recovery. Following the earthquakes in 2008 and volcanic eruptions in 2010.

Book published in autumn of 2008 English translation for CoastAdapt 2012

Thank you!

Check-list for administration Gátlisti 1 - Gátlisti vegna stjórnsýslu Framkvæmdaaðili: sveitarstjóri eða staðgengill hans í forföllum. Séu báðir aðilar óstarfhæfir tekur forseti bæjarstjórnar/formaður bæjarráðs við þeirra hlutverki. Sé bæjarstjórn öll óstarfhæf ber að leita til ráðuneytis sveitarstjórnarmála. 1. Kanna burðargetu sveitarfélagsins eftir áfall Er sveitarstjórnin starfhæf? Hafa starfsmenn orðið fyrir slysum eða öðrum beinum áhrifum? Geta nefndir sveitarstjórnar starfað eðlilega? Hvernig er andlegt ástand starfsfólks? Hafa fjölskyldur þeirra orðið fyrir áhrifum? Annað sem gæti valdið því að starfsemi starfsmanna sé skert? Geta stofnanir og fyrirtæki bæjarins haldið uppi eðlilegri/nægilegri þjónustu? Þarf að útvega nýtt húsnæði fyrir starfsemi? Hefur sveitarfélagið fjárhaglega burði til að standa straum af kostnaðinum? 2. Sértækar aðgerðir ríkisins í kjölfar áfalla á skaðasvæði fela m.a. í sér áfallahjálp er skipulögð (heilbrigðisráðuneyti) opnun þjónustumiðstöðvar almannavarna á skaðasvæði (dómsmálaráðuneyti) Viðlagatrygging Íslands eykur þjónustu á skaðasvæðinu (viðskiptaráðuneyti) 3. Úrræði vegna skertrar starfsgetu sveitarfélags Meta þörf fyrir utanaðkomandi aðstoð Þörf getur skapast fyrir utanaðkomandi aðstoð og þarf sveitarfélag að gera ráð fyrir því að slíkt ástand geti skapast. Aðkomufólk getur komið með sérþekkingu sem er ekki til staðar í sveitarfélaginu létt undir vegna álags á starfsfólki reynst gagnlegt vegna tilfinningalegrar fjarlægðar við íbúa áfallasvæðis þar sem návígi við áfallið í eigin sveitarfélagi getur verið þung byrði Kanna aðstoð frá ráðuneyti og þingmönnum Sveitarstjórnir geta til að mynda leitað aðstoðar hjá samgönguráðuneyti, sem er ráðuneyti sveitarstjórnarmála. Ráðuneytinu ber að koma að málum þegar sveitarfélag verður óstarfhæft forsætisráðuneyti, varðandi almenn vandamál, vegna samhæfingar aðgerða á vegum ríkisins og til að skera úr um óvissuatriði. Líklegt er að ráðuneytið skipi starfshóp um endurreisnarstarf þingmanna kjördæmisins vegna málefna svæðisins Mikilvægt er að þau erindi sem send eru bréflega frá sveitarfélaginu til ráðuneyta, nefnda og stofnana ríkisins séu vel undirbúin og þeim fylgt eftir. Kanna aðstoð frá Sambandi íslenskra sveitarfélaga Samband íslenskra sveitarfélaga getur aðstoðað sveitarfélög, veitt þeim ráðgjöf og haft milligöngu um aðstoð Sambandið getur þó ekki gripið til beinna aðgerða, nema í umboði samgönguráðuneytis

Civil defence and community recovery after natural disasters Guðrún Pétursdóttir Director, Institute for Sustainability Studies CoastAdapt Final Conference March 27-30 2012

DM Cycle Disaster Management Risk Analysis Evaluation Recovery Disaster Management Cycle Mitigation Planning Relief EVENT Rescue

All tasks start at the same time Time Rescue Relief Recovery Leit Björgun Meðferð slasaðra á vettvangi Sjúkraflutningar Meðferð látinna Slökkvistarf Mengun Rýming Sjúkahúsþjónusta Afdrif fjölskyldu Afdrif ættingja fjöldarhjálparstöð bráðabirgðahúsnæði áfallahjálp Tryggingarmál almennt öryggi fjárhagsaðstoð bráðabirgðaveitur bráðabirgða samgöngur bráðabirgða fjarskipti verðmætabjörgun endanlegt húsnæði skólamál barna Framhaldsaðgerðir; veitur Endanlegur frágangur; veitur Framhaldsaðgerðir; samgöngur Endanlegur frágangur; samgöngur Framhaldsaðgerðir; fjarskipti Hreinsun Félagsstarf Heimilisrekstur

DM Cycle Disaster Management Risk Analysis Evaluation Mitigation DM Cycle Planning Recovery Relief EVENT Rescue

Rainrace Matrix The matrix is a base to develop guidelines and plans Time Tasks Daily Life 1 st Phase 2 nd Phase 3 rd Phase Daily Life Rescue - - - - - Main focus Relief - - - - - Starts Main focus Dies down Completed - - - - - Dies down Recovery - - - - - Starts Picks up Main focus Completed Dies down What are the tasks at hand?... see next slide!

Collaboration with scientific community to issue early warnings Civil Protection Scientific Council (UESI and IMO) Interpretation of scientific data Issue warnings to Civil Protection Provide scenarios for Civil Protection; basis for response plans University Earth Sciences Institute Aerial observation (CG plane & helicopter) Continuous GPS Magmatic output Icelandic Meteorological Office Seismic monitoring Continuous GPS Flood gauging stations

National Weather forecasts Flood forecast Early warning Constant monitoring of seismic activity (seismic measurements, digital GPS data) Snow- and avalanche monitoring Local Local experts monitor potential danger, e.g. avalanches, floods

Civil protection mechanism National level: Joint Rescue Command Centre Planning Coordinates assistance to local authorities Runs local service centres in the stricken area Confers with the scientific community Actors: Police, ICE-SAR, Red Cross, Coast Guard, insurers, various government agencies Local level: Local chief of police and civil protection boards Planning Evacuations Policeing Rescue Relief work Actors: Police, ICE-SAR, Red Cross, local government, health sector, farmers associations