Tag Archives: disaster risk reduction
The Power is Off!
The electricity is off today at the farm. Only for the day and due to a couple of power pole replacements on our rural road. This is not an emergency, but only an inconvenience. But it is a reminder of the incredible dependency we have for this energy source. There are all the lights, cooking, […]
Legacy of my Mother
Last month, I spoke of my father’s life that allowed him to accumulate wealth, pay cash for a farm, and therefore reduce the primary agricultural risk – market risk. Please indulge me to tell you my mother’s story, which has been equally impactful on my life. I mentioned that my mother met Dad when he […]
Legacy of my Father
All risk in agriculture can be summed up into one: economic risk. As I reflect back to my family’s farming experience that was largely positive, I see one incredible advantage and wise choice taken by my father: He paid cash for the farm! We had no debt. All the land, equipment, and cattle were paid […]
Musings while on a Dog Walk
My daughter, Rachel, is on a trip in Europe. She has two loves, each with four legs – a golden retriever and a border collie. Guess who is called upon to exercise the dogs daily – actually, twice daily — especially that energetic border collie. Over the course of these three weeks, I have lots of time […]
Early Recovery
This month, I attended a training with the United Nations in the area of ‘early recovery’. Among other things, it was a flashback my past before having a family, when I was based and worked overseas. This course was led by the UN Development Program, and I was impressed by the 25+ who attended, from […]
Training Wheels
I spent most of today assisting in a local mobile medical unit training. The International Red Cross Federation calls it an Emergency Response Unit. The ERU can be deployed worldwide when a disaster occurs. This weeklong exercise takes an enormous amount of time, money, and human effort. The operative word is ‘training’. The question is whether the […]
Defining Risk
My consulting company is called Risk Reduction Strategies. I gave it this name after careful consideration. What is risk? Risk is the probability of something negative happening in the future, which will cause loss, harm, or suffering. Although risk is part of everyday life, risk can be “managed”. Risk management is the identification and prioritization […]
Disaster Risk Reduction
Because of my interest in “Disaster Risk Reduction”, I am often asked its meaning. DRR emerged from the 10th anniversary of the a deadly Kobe, Japan earthquake, held in early 2005 only a few weeks after the devastating SE Asian tsunami. There was renewed emphasis on reducing the impact of disasters, rather than only the […]
The Season of Wildfires
All of us were shocked and saddened by news of an elite crew of firefighters in Arizona who died on July 2 when the wind suddenly changed and they were trapped. It is a reminder of the deadly danger that wildfires pose, and the risk that is taken by both homeowners and those battling the flames. Virtually every summer, […]
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