Near-Real-Time Analysis of Publicly Communicated Disaster Response Information

Analysis of a disaster event can identify strengths and weaknesses of the response implemented by the disaster management system;however, analysis does not typically occur until after the response phase is over.The result is that knowledge gained can only benefit future responses rather than the response under investigation. This article argues that there is an opportunity to conduct analysis while the response is operational due to the increasing availability of information within hours and days of a disaster event. Hence, this article introduces a methodology for analyzing publicly communicated disaster response information in near-real-time. A classification scheme for the disaster information needs of the public has been developed to facilitate analysis and has led to the establishment of best observed practice standards for content and timeliness. By comparing the information shared with the public within days of a disaster to these standards,information gaps are revealed that can be investigated further. The result is identification of potential deficiencies in communicating critical disaster response information to the public at a time when they can still be corrected.

Service and Responsibility： Reinforcing the Environmental E-government of China

Environmental E-government plays an important role in the progress of uniting the harmonious development between human and nature, and building the environment-friendly-society. This paper discusses the relationship between environmental E-government and government function of the environmental management. To develop environmental E-government can better the executive ability of the government to manage the environment and serve the public. It can realize the over-all covering of environmental information beyond time and space. Also, it can enhance the mutual action between the society and the government, and improve the effectiveness of the government to manage the environment as well.

Development and application of a water pollution emergency response system for the Three Gorges Reservoir in the Yangtze River, China

There are many watercraft and production accidents in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area （TGRA） of the Yangtze River in China every year. Accidents threaten the water quality of the 1085 km 2 surface area of the TGRA and millions of local people if oil and chemical leakage were to occur. A water pollution management system for emergency response （WPMS ER） was therefore designed for the management of pollution in this area. An integrated geographic information system （GIS）-based water pollution management information system for the TGRA, called WPMS ER TGRA, was developed in this study. ArcGIS engine was used as the system development platform, and Visual Basic as the programming language. The models for hydraulic and water quality simulation and the generation of body-fitted coordinates were developed and programmed as a dynamically linked library file using Visual Basic, and they can be launched by other computer programs. Subsequently, the GIS-based information system was applied to the emergency water pollution management of a shipwreck releasing 10 tons of phenol into the Yangtze River during two hours. The results showed that WPMS ER TGRA can assist with emergency water pollution management and simulate the transfer and diffusion of accidental pollutants in the river. Furthermore, it can quickly identify the affected area and how it will change over time within a few minutes of an accident occurring.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ACT IN NORWAY

Making market operators responsible for having and giving access to information about their impact on the environment is an important part of changing the way the economy operates in relation to environmental sustainability. To this end, the Norwegian access to environmental information act has established a right for the public to access to environmental information from private entities such as business enterprises. In this point, the Norwegian Act goes further than international rules, such as the Aarhus Convention, and also further than any other national legislation. This article presents the rules on access to information from business enterprises, and presents and discusses examples from the implementation of these rules.