Programme of the 1st day

Abstract: Over the years, economic and financial crises have been part of the development process. The recent global downturn, which struck out in a context of exceptional boom in global trade and capital flows following a period of sustained growth fueled by globalization, is not an exception. Indeed, despite the increasing use of complex models and advances in the field of economics, this last crisis was still significant, reflecting the challenges of forecasting and crisis mitigation in a modern world. This last crisis has been dubbed as the “Great Recession” in attempts to draw a parallel with the 1930s Great Depression. Invariably, global downturns have often resulted in major transformation and changes. This presentation provides an overview of economic and financial crises over a long period spanning several decades. It discusses the triggers and determinants of these crises as well as their welfare and social costs. It also reviews various policy responses considered by governments to mitigate inherent costs associated with major global economic downturns. In particular, it assesses how these policy responses have varied over time and across countries and discusses the lessons learned from crisis management.

Povodi Moravy, state enterprise is one of the five river basin managers in the Czech Republic. In addition, it is the manager of significant watercourses and some small streams and operator of many water structures.
The water management control centres exist since 1967 and they are the main information, organization, control and coordination centre and also centre for crisis management. One activity of water management control centre is the flood management. Water management control centre operates automatic monitoring system which is used also for information flood service. Crisis technical staff in Povodi Moravy is prepared to solve the crisis situations during flood events.
There were several floods in the past, about 52 flood events occurred in the period 1965 – 2009. Floods can be natural and special. The system EMOFF is used in the water management control centre since 2006. This system allows to send the multiple messages about actual flood situation and helps to reduce the time necessary for information transfer. During flood events the control centre uses primarily the module for multiple information notification. The system sends a short message about operation on water structures by SMS and longer detailed report by e-mail.
We are preparing continually on possible flood events, but absolute flood protection does not exist.

This paper proposes a TIEMS concept for developing a program for international certification of Emergency & Disaster managers.

Firstly, a brief overview of existing similar programs world-wide is investigated with pro and cons for the different available programs. These programs are looked upon in the context of existing national and international standards for Emergency & Disaster management and national requirements where such exist.

Based on the above findings, a TIEMS concept is outlined offering such a certification in cooperation with international universities and training centres, where necessary courses and training in Civil Emergency & Disaster management, can be offered.

An education and training model is sketched with thematic topics to be covered and actual training to be performed, to reach the three proposed education levels, Bachelor, Master and Doctor, in Emergency & Disaster Management, as well as the different certification steps to be applied for the different levels.

The sketched program is briefly compared with existing courses and training available today in Emergency & Disaster management, and necessary new courses and training needs are outlined.

Based on above findings, a proposed R&D project is briefly outlined, and interested parties are invited for discussion of the concept in a workshop during TIEMS Annual Conference 2009, for concluding further steps to make this project funded and started.

Passing over the poisoned ancient wells and water sources the modern men/soldier met the chemical warfare during the World War I on the western front and biological warfare as well as the use of nuclear weapons in the East Asia during the World War II. Though the total fall of the Nazi Germany and the Great Japanese Empire led to the bipolar arrangement of the world, there had not occurred more significant proliferation of the most destructive weapons. The East as well as the West watched carefully – in spite of several exceptions – recruited German scientists and engineers. The nuclear research information leak – mainly from the USA – resulted surprisingly already in 1949 in the explosion of the Soviet nuclear weapon. The Eastern Bloc collapse and the Soviet Union in particular made unpredictable “export” of raw or finished weapons possible. This is even more valid in case of related knowledge and skills as well as of their bearers. At least temporary but certainly possible cooperation of Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan together with unpredictable North Korea evokes the question of dangers hidden in those parts of the world with no or limited democratic control.

The history of climate change is as long as the recorded history of humanity. Mr.Zupka's paper examines an evolution and reasons of climate change. People has always faced climate change impact and developed techniques how to adopt to its consequences in the best way. For many centuries these efforts had an uncoordinated, spontaneous and often even chaotic nature, with very little, if any coordination and cooperation.
Since the start of industrial revolution human influence on climate changes started to be more important than natural forces. Implementation of climate change mitigation policies related to greenhouse gases emission is slow.
Since an urgent action is required, so called CC adaptation agenda is becomong more and more important. Paper shows a critical importance of disaster risk reduction and preparedness as part of adaptation to climate change.

The majority of prehistorical and historical collapses usually begins with the loss of primary prodictivity that is caused e.g. by soil degradation or climatic changes, but the continuation of the crisis is a highly individual process. This contribution is focused on the longest continuous record of social and environmental collapses - ancient Egypt with its stable kingdoms and chaotic intermediate periods. We are standing very probably at the edge of a new collapse and the beginning of new intermediate period.