Narrow Results

Emergency plans are exempt from undergoing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). However, the measures they include to minimise the effects of disasters can have environmental impacts. The study underlying this paper assessed UK emergency plans for their possible environmental impacts, identified which types of plan would not fulfil the criteria necessary to require SEA and which ones would but are then exempt. Further consideration of the likely practical involvement of environmental authorities in the plan-making process of regulated processes and in emergency responses provided a view on whether the SEA exemption results in environmental impacts not being minimised. This work has highlighted that the implementation of emergency plans is as important as the plans themselves in terms of providing scope for the protection of the environment for the management of spatially generic disasters. Site-specific disaster management tends to include detailed environmental protection measures through regulatory processes.

This study aimed to explore emergency planning requirements for managing disasters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study adopted interpretivism; an inductive approach; a descriptive survey; and qualitative methods to address its aim. The techniques used included a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The study sample consisted of 13 experts from the KSA General Directorate of Civil Defence (GDCD). The data were analyzed by using content analysis. The study findings revealed that the emergency planning requirements are administrative requirements, including regulations and legislation; technical requirements, which include equipment; human resources, including staff and responders; identifying, analyzing, and evaluating risks; determining the tasks and responsibilities of the relevant agencies and stakeholders; qualified leadership; determining the chain of command at national and local levels; coordination and cooperation among stakeholders; knowledge gained from local or international experiences; updated database; the availability of sufficient financial resources; completed infrastructure; and improved training and practice. The study also found that although emergency planning requirements are more or less in place, there is a need for further improvement and development; specifically, there is a need for better understanding, knowledge, and awareness. Consequently, it strongly recommends that all emergency planning requirements developed from this study should be implemented simultaneously and as an integrated whole. By doing so, it could help decision makers and emergency planners at government emergency agencies to improve, develop, and reinforce emergency planning, specifically in reducing disaster risks.

Emergency plans are exempt from undergoing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). However, the measures they include to minimise the effects of disasters can have environmental impacts. The study underlying this paper assessed UK emergency plans for their possible environmental impacts, identified which types of plan would not fulfil the criteria necessary to require SEA and which ones would, but are then exempt. Further consideration of the likely practical involvement of environmental authorities in the planmaking process of regulated processes and in emergency responses provided a view on whether the SEA exemption results in environmental impacts not being minimised. This work has highlighted that the implementation of emergency plans is as important as the plans themselves in terms of providing scope for the protection of the environment for the management of spatially generic disasters. Site-specific disaster management tends to include detailed environmental protection measures through regulatory processes.

The handling of certain quantities of hazardous materials (toxic, flammable and/or explosive) can potentially create major accidents endangering the public and worker's health, as well as the environment. Emergency response planning consists in assessing protective actions (evacuation, building protection of various degrees) for each and every area section around a hazardous facility. This chapter presents a methodology for the optimization of the response to an emergency situation around chemical plants processing hazardous substances (e.g. oil refineries, pesticide plants) by taking into account multiple criteria. A Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm for the determination of the efficient set of solutions is presented.

The handling of certain quantities of hazardous materials (toxic, flammable and/or explosive) can potentially create major accidents endangering the public and worker’s health, as well as the environment. Emergency response planning consists in assessing protective actions (evacuation, building protection of various degrees) for each and every area section around a hazardous facility. This chapter presents a methodology for the optimization of the response to an emergency situation around chemical plants processing hazardous substances (e.g. oil refineries, pesticide plants) by taking into account multiple criteria. A Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm for the determination of the efficient set of solutions is presented.