Summer approaches and with it, we hope some much-needed rain. Some of our readers overseas have been getting too much rain and with it floods that are exacting a heavy toll. We sympathise because Australian floods generally have a big price; in 1974 alone they cost Australia $2.9 billion.
Even though floods are the most costly natural disaster for us, there are many others that affect Australia. The Australian Government wants to reduce the social and economic impacts of natural disasters and has been considering how they can be better managed.
A review commissioned by the Council of Australian Governments, `Natural Disaster Relief and Mitigation Arrangements in Australia highlighted a desperate need to improve disaster mitigation. The review provides Geoscience Australia with a clearly defined role in helping the Australian
Government to develop and implement a five-year national program of disaster risk assessments.
Geoscience Australia already had strong formal responsibilities for natural disaster monitoring and advice. Its activities include monitoring regional earthquake activity, global nuclear activity, and geomagnetic space weather, and providing alerts of geomagnetic activity that can affect
communications and space craft. It also maintains the geodetic framework that supports all spatial information and associated applications in Australia and its offshore territories.
It was logical therefore to establish a new Geohazards Division that not only builds on this important work, but uses its know-how and tools to identify and apply innovative research to such national issues as security and critical infrastructure protection. This is an exciting direction for the organisation.
The Geohazards Division develops risk-assessment models and tools, and databases of the built environment, critical infrastructure and lifelines. The division is at the forefront in preparing advanced visualisation techniques to explore the data and models. It constantly highlights the crucial and expanding application of spatial information to broader and previously unimagined social, economic, environmental and security issues. Information about some of these activities is published in this issue of AusGeo News.
The reform of natural hazard management in Australia presents significant challenges. It is a
complex issue that requires a focused and strategic approach from all levels of government.
Geoscience Australia looks forward to working with other contributors in this initiative to develop a truly significant and worthwhile outcome that will ensure we better understand the relationship between our Earth and the built environment.