"Assessing the Effectiveness of Early Warning Systems in Flood Emerrgency Response"

 
ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS IN FLOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE Student’s Name: Code + Course name Professor’s name University City, State Date Abstract The current society has to deal with the increasing prevalence of natural and technological threats such as floods and earthquakes among others. The emergency management system defines the measures implemented in responding to such threats. The objective of the integrated emergency management systems is to prepare and respond to the emergencies. The preparation for such emergencies aims at enhancing the recovery process. An important aspect in the flood management strategy is the need to understand the changing nature of the emergency in both severity and frequency in response to the recent changes in the climate. The United Kingdom (UK) and Turkey are some of the countries that have encountered the devastating effects of flood disasters in the recent years. Despite the fact that both countries have an already established flood management system, the systems have been unable to meet their preparedness and response roles effectively. It is evident that poor response to such disasters that emanates from poor preparation has turned out to be one of the reasons behind the failure of the already established emergency management systems to respond to flooding emergencies. The study assesses the effectiveness of the early warning systems in two coastal cities, Southampton in England and Izmit in Turkey. CHAPTER 1: Introduction Dealing with the flooding emergency has proven to be a significant challenge to the UK and Turkey. It is clear that the emergency management systems of both countries have depended on previous experiences to strengthen their resilience towards floods. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the flood management systems, the countries have embedded flood preparedness, response, and recovery into the policy and public discourse. However, the evolution of emergency in the affected areas and the extension of flood-prone areas have necessitated a similar enhancement in the resilience of the flood management approach adopted by both parties. It is clear that the effectiveness of such systems depends on several factors. The ability of the systems to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination determines the success of the system in dealing with flooding emergencies. A system that exhibits exceptional performance on the factors ensures that the response approach integrates all stakeholders from the government agency to the community response plan. Effective communication guarantees the immediate relaying of warning and proper response measures as well as potential evacuation routes in a bid to reduce the impact of the disaster. The paper intends to unearth the hidden failures of the flood management system by assessing the effectiveness of the flood emergency response approach in both countries. The paper targets thirty respondents from each coastal city. The research would consider the input of the Government and the civil protection agency in warning local communities before the occurrence of the flooding emergency. 1.1 Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to assess the effectiveness of the flood emergency response of both countries. The research intends to gather feedback from the communities that encountered the flooding emergency in both cities regarding the conveyance of early warning information, the reliability of the warning, the effectiveness of the response and recovery operations, and the contribution of early warning towards improving the outcomes of the response and recovery operations. 1.1.1 Main Objective To assess the effectiveness of the flood emergency response employed by both countries 1.1.2 Other Objectives To determine whether the community receives warning information before the occurrence of floods To determine how the community responds to flooding disasters after their occurrence To determine whether the community received information concerning the effective ways of responding to the flood following its occurrence To determine the reliability of the early warnings relayed by the local authorities 1.2 Rationale It is evident that early warning systems enable people to flee from tsunamis, tornados, and flash floods. Effective early warning systems play a massive role in enabling local authorities to implement advance measures of sheltering individuals or evacuating individuals from an area that anticipates a flooding incidence. In the case of a hurricane or a tropical cyclone, early warning systems enable the local community and the emergency response teams to prepare for the emergency by availing food, shelter, and other supplies in advance thereby guaranteeing a faster response to the flooding emergency. It is also clear that issuing warnings early enough provides ample time for individuals to protect some of their infrastructure and property. Preparation measures san across all stakeholders from the emergency responders to the affected individuals. Upon hearing about a potential flooding incidence, reservoir operators can respond by reducing the level of water in the reservoirs thereby allowing the reservoirs to hold more floodwater. The warning signs also enable local authorities to avail the necessary equipment and supplies required to cater for the needs of the victims after the occurrence of an emergency. Early warning also reduces the time required for aid agencies to mobilise their resources and assets. Rather than fleeing, flood victims can also reinforce their rooftops and shutter their windows.