Disasters, like those most recently affecting Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Haiti, and New Orleans - or even the event in Moerdijk - remind the Netherlands that effective strategies for preparedness and response are crucial to reducing loss of life and property. This requires the successful coordination, collaboration and communication of a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations, volunteers and citizens. In consideration of the rise of social media and innovative communication technologies, new opportunities and challenges to share situational awareness and unite efforts are emerging. This international conference addresses the following questions:
How can responders improve coordination, communication and collaboration across organizational boundaries?
How do we apply lessons learned from disasters elsewhere?
At the request of the Dutch government, the 'Netherlands US Water Crisis Research Network' (NUWCReN) explores issues related to planning, preparing, exercising, and learning; human behavioral responses to disasters and catastrophic events; community vulnerability, and resilience; response capacity and capability; public communication and information dissemination, and managing responses to disasters and catastrophic events. American institutes participating in these collaborative efforts include George Washington University, Virginia Tech, the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center, and the University of Colorado's Natural Hazards Center. The network also consists of Dutch representatives from TNO, HCSS, Deltares, COT, HKV Consultants and Wageningen University. The goal of the NUWCReN network is to exchange knowledge, to learn from each other's experiences, and to formulate new insights pertaining to disasters. On 25 May 2011, an international work conference was held at Rijkswaterstaat, The Hague.
The conference participants were welcomed by Henk Geveke (TNO Defense, Safety and Security), Gerrit Dubbeld (director of DG Water) and Gerard Laanen (head of DCC). A key note on Community resilience was held by Jack Harrald (Virginia Tech). The following workshops were held at the work conference:
- Crisis communication and social media - Joe Trainor (Disaster Research Centre, University of Delaware) & Hester Stubbe (TNO)
- Community resilience - John Harrald (Virginia Tech) & Georg Frerks/Jeroen Warner (Wageningen University)
- Public-private partnerships: asset or liability? - Greg Shaw (George Washington University) & Karen Engel (COT)
- How safe is safe enough? - Joe Trainor (Disaster Research Centre, University of Delaware), Bas Kolen (HKV) & Kees van Ruiten (Deltares)
- Decision making and coordination of regional policy teams - Kathleen Tierney (Natural Hazards Centre, University of Colorado) & Josine van de Ven (TNO)
- Community involvement - Liesel Ritchie (Natural Hazards Centre, University of Colorado) & Georg Frerks/Jeroen Warner (Wageningen University)
A report on the conference can be found here. The presentations of the keynote and workshops can be found in the attachments of this page.
Presentations
- Keynote Jack Harrald: Community resilience
- Workshop Crisis communication and social media - presentation University of Delaware
- Workshop Crisis communication and social media - presentation TNO
- Workshop Public-private partnerships: asset or liability?
- Workshop How safe is safe enough?
- Workshop Decision making and coordination of regional policy teams - presentation TNO
- Workshop Decision making and coordination of regional policy teams - presentation University of Colorado
- Workshop Community involvement - presentation WUR
- Workshop Community involvement - presentation University of Colorado