August 12, 1998 Special Presentation

by Claire Rubin
Claire B. Rubin & Associates

What Hazards and Disasters are Likely in the 21st Century - or Sooner?

SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Library Online Presentation
Wednesday - August 12, 1998 - 12:00 Noon EDT

What Hazards and Disasters are Likely
in the 21st Century - or Sooner?

Special Presentation
by

Claire Rubin
Claire B. Rubin & Associates

The August 12, 1998 Virtual Library featured a presentation by Claire Rubin, Claire B. Rubin & Associates, Arlington, Virginia. Claire is a social scientist and an independent consultant in the field of emergency management. Her work includes basic and applied research; the development and conduct of training programs; and the creation and operation of various information dissemination and utilization efforts regarding natural hazards and disasters. Claire's work and interest in disasters was the reason for her paper, "What Hazards and Disasters are Likely in the 21st Century - or Sooner?"

Claire has been thinking about the new threats and hazards that emergency managers face for more than a year. She plans to continue working on this topic and would appreciate feedback from practitioners because she believes future disasters are likely to be more complex and require more sophistication in response and recovery. Claire suggests that failing to be futuristic in our thinking may result in short sighted planning, resource allocation, and hiring decisions. Sited in the examples of the types of disasters we should consider were recent severe weather resulting from El Niño, the failure of a communications satellite that disrupted service for 90% of the pagers in the U.S. and the two simultaneous bombings of American Embassies in Africa. With slides to demonstrate new hazards, disasters, and challenges for consideration, Claire's paper and presentation strongly emphasizes we cannot wait until the 21st Century to take action.

CLAIRE RUBIN

Claire B. Rubin & Associates

Ms. Rubin is a social scientist who is an independent consultant in the field of emergency management. She heads her own firm, Claire B. Rubin & Associates, in Arlington, VA. She has worked for many organizations -- private, non-profit and governmental -- during the past 20 years that she has been a consultant. Her work includes basic and applied research; the development and conduct of training programs; and the creation and operation of various information dissemination and utilization efforts regarding natural hazards and disasters. From 1993 to present, she has been a consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office. Other recent clients include ICF Kaiser, the National Academy of Public Administration, the University of Massachusetts, The George Washington University, Dept. of Engineering, and Innovative Emergency Management, Inc.

Ms. Rubin was recently appointed Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management at The George Washington University. From l983-1990, Ms. Rubin was a Research Scientist at The George Washington University, Center for International Science and Technology Policy and Director of Natural Disaster Research Projects.

Ms. Rubin holds a Bachelor's degree from Simmons College and an M.A. from Boston University, in Political Science. She has authored numerous publications, including a book, chapters in textbooks, articles, handbooks, monographs and reports on hazards and disasters. In addition, she has given many lectures and talks on emergency management topics.

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