COVID-19 Vaccine, Asymptomatic Cases, Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa

African region will probably be the last region in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. But that shouldn’t be a problematic issue if the emphasis is maintained on the role Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) can play in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic through the adoption of preventive measures. We used the issue of asymptomatic cases to illustrate the importance that should still be given to preventive measures such as hand washing, mask wearing, physical and social distancing, knowing that vaccines have never been 100% effective. Also with the issue of variants in COVID-19, the vaccine couldn’t be considered as a panacea. Lessons from the Nordic countries are strong arguments to put emphasis on preventive measures in the region.

Decision Making for Managing Community Flood Risks:Perspectives of United States Floodplain Managers

To reduce flood losses,floodplain managers make decisions on how to effectively manage their community’s flood risks.While there is a growing body of research that examines how individuals and households make decisions to manage their flood risks,far less attention has been directed at understanding the decision-making processes for flood management at the community level.This study aimed to narrow this research gap by examining floodplain managers’perceptions of the quality of their community’s flood management decision-making processes.Data gathered from interviews with 200 floodplain managers in the United States indicate that most floodplain managers perceive their community’s flood management decision-making processes to be good.The results also indicate that communities participating in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System,as well as communities with a higher level of concern for flooding and a lower poverty rate,are significantly more likely to report better flood management decision-making processes.

Global Community of Disaster Risk Reduction Scientists and Decision Makers Endorse a Science and Technology Partnership to Support the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

At the first gathering of its kind on the role of science in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030,over 750 scientists,policymakers,business people,and practitioners met in Geneva from January 27–29,2016.The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 fea-

Leveraging Hazard,Exposure,and Social Vulnerability Data to Assess Flood Risk to Indigenous Communities in Canada

This study integrates novel data on 100-year flood hazard extents,exposure of residential properties,and place-based social vulnerability to comprehensively assess and compare flood risk between Indigenous communities living on 985 reserve lands and other Canadian communities across 3701 census subdivisions.National-scale exposure of residential properties to fluvial,pluvial,and coastal flooding was estimated at the 100-year return period.A social vulnerability index(SVI)was developed and included 49 variables from the national census that represent demographic,social,economic,cultural,and infrastructure/community indicators of vulnerability.Geographic information system-based bivariate choropleth mapping of the composite SVI scores and of flood exposure of residential properties and population was completed to assess the spatial variation of flood risk.We found that about 81%of the 985 Indigenous land reserves had some flood exposure that impacted either population or residential properties.Our analysis indicates that residential property-level flood exposure is similar between non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities,but socioeconomic vulnerability is higher on reserve lands,which confirms that the overall risk of Indigenous communities is higher.Findings suggest the need for more local verification of flood risk in Indigenous communities to address uncertainty in national scale analysis.

Health and Risks:Integrating Health into Disaster Risk Reduction,Risk Communication,and Building Resilient Communities

In recent years,‘‘health’’has been recognized explicitly as both a determinant and an outcome of the human dimension of disaster risk reduction(DRR).Every disaster creates significant public health needs that can exceed local capacity to respond,resulting in excess mortality and morbidity.The European Union report on Science