Emergency Management and Evacuation
Selected Events:
When the Dust Settles
How Do We Hold People to Account After Disasters?
Oct. 29, 2019
Sink or Swim
Decisions in Emergency Management
Sept. 25, 2018
Understanding emergency response and evacuation
Both natural disasters and human-induced emergencies play a role in triggering mass evacuations and other forms of emergency response.
Executing mass evacuations during disasters pose significant challenges: sourcing and coordinating limited resources, often in trecherous conditions, making decisions that are consequential, time-constrained, and sometimes irreversible.
The MacEachen Institute is a leader in Atlantic Canada in the area of emergency and mass evacuation, and a go-to source for media across Canada when disaster strikes.
RESEARCH: Transportation modelling for evacuating the Halifax Peninsula
Transportation plays a crucial role during emergency evacuations by facilitating the swift and safe movement of people away from a potentially hazardous situation. By modelling transportation habits, we can better understand how evacuation may look in a real-life emergency and can improve the efficiency of evacuations.
Read more about DalTRAC's transportation modelling research.
RESEARCH: Emergency management for people with disabilities
People with disabilities have unique considerations when it comes to evacuation. There are many access and functional needs to consider, particularly relating to communication methods, transportation, sheltering, access to assistive devices, emergency social services, and transition back to the community.
Read more about our research on emergency management for people with disabilities.
A walker lies among the debris following hurricane Fiona in Burnt Island, NL., on Sept. 28. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
MEDIA COVERAGE
Researchers at the Institute are regularly asked to provide expert commentary for both regional and national news publications following both natural and human-made disasters.
See all news stories and op-eds here.
Other Research
Coastal Risk Governance in Light of the COVID-19 Crisis
Disasters are receiving more attention in Canada and around the world. In Canada, risk is governed by the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, a document that guides federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) roles and responsibilities in disasters.
If both COVID-19 and climate change are to be treated as emergencies, the response by our leadership should have many of the same characteristics, including a clear, adaptable, and coordinated approach. This panel will explore viable policy options for the climate during and following the challenges brought about by COVID-19.
- This event took place on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. Watch the panel here.
- Briefing Note [152 kB]
Climate Adaptation in Nova Scotia: Overblown or Underwater?
With over 13,000 km of coastline and more than 70% of the population living within 20 km of the coast, Nova Scotia’s population, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and economy are highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, flooding, hurricanes, and storm surges. This extreme weather is becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. How should the province adapt to this new reality and how should communities increase their resiliency to withstand these disasters? What are some ecological, financial, governance, and disaster resilience perspectives?
- This event took place on Thursday March 4, 2021. Watch the panel here.
- Briefing Note [123 kB]