Dr. Yajie Song
Yale University

This lecture will focus on helping urban environmental leaders anticipate and respond to crises. A follow-up exercise is optional for each participant to develop an urban crisis management outline of his or her region.

The event of Sept. 11 and the SARS crisis have brought increased attention to crisis-response plans. Urban environment have always been at risk for a variety of emergency situations. Those with effective crisis management plans are able to work through such situations with minimal risk of injury or operational disruptions as it was proven during the August 14th 2003 blackout in Northeastern U.S.A. and the successful control over SARA in Asia.

Issues may have value for better urban environmental crisis management are:

a) Definition of urban and environmental crisis

b) Delimitation of urban and environmental crisis

c) Information and warning of the public with focus on social issues

d) Communication problems from emergency to crisis

e) Urban authorities confronting disasters and emergencies

f) Transbountary co-operation regarding disaster management in urban regions

g) Urban environment crisis management team.

Emphasis will be given to knowledge and practices of urban environmental crisis management with comparative cases.

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