A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The map is of the block bordered by Barbadoes Street, Worcester Street, Gloucester Street, and Fitzgerald Avenue. Many of the buildings have been highlighted in blue, with some smaller buildings highlighted in orange. Numbers and messages have been written on the map with biro.
A photograph of emergency management personnel examining the earthquake damage to the Flight Centre's Link Centre on High Street. A brick wall on the neighbouring building has collapsed, falling through the roof of the store, and spilling out into the street. To the left, USAR codes have been spray-painted on the windows of the Coffee Culture.
A photograph of emergency management personnel walking down Manchester Street towards the intersection of High and Lichfield Streets. Many of the buildings on the left side of the road have been damaged by the earthquakes. In the distance rubble from the earthquake-damaged buildings has spilled onto the road. Steel fences have been placed along the footpath to the left.
A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The block between St Asaph, Antigua, Montreal, and Acton Street has been outlined with a red felt-tip pen. Some of the buildings in the block and below Acton Streets have been coloured orange. A few other buildings have been coloured blue.
A photograph of emergency management personnel examining the back of a building on Tuam Street. Scaffolding has been constructed up the sides of the building and wire fencing has been placed around the back. To the right is a large pile of rubble from other earthquake-damaged buildings. Rubble is also piled up on the side of the road in the distance.
A photograph of a member of an emergency management team standing in the middle of the intersection of Manchester, High, and Lichfield Streets. In the background an excavator is sitting on top of a pile of rubble from several earthquake-damaged buildings. Other emergency management personnel are also standing on the corner of High and Manchester Streets. Behind the excavator another excavator is working to clear rubble. To the right there is a block of earthquake-damaged buildings and more building rubble to be cleared.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a building on the corner of Hereford and Madras Street. Sections of the façade have crumbled, bricks spilling onto the road in front. Wire fencing has been used to block off half of Madras Street. In the background, emergency management personnel are working through the rubble of the CTV building site. A digger and a crane are parked on the site.
A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The map is of central Christchurch. Almost all of the blocks outside four streets (Moorhouse Avenue, Oxford Terrace, Kilmore Street, and Barbadoes Street) have been highlighted in yellow. Latimer Square has also been highlighted. A message written at the top of the map reads, "Query pile checked by dogs".
A photograph of a portable shower unit set up in Hagley Park for the emergency management personnel who travelled to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A clothes line has been set up by tying ropes to the shower unit and a digger.
A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The map is of the block bordered by Barbadoes Street, Worcester Street, Gloucester Street, and Fitzgerald Avenue. Many of the buildings have been highlighted in blue, with some smaller buildings highlighted in orange. Two blocks of buildings have been outlined in dark-blue felt-tip pen. Numbers and messages have been written on the map with biro.
A photograph of emergency management personnel walking in a line down Lichfield Street towards the intersection of Madras Street . The members in white hazmat suits are holding their hands over their heads while members of the New Zealand Army take the lead and follow from behind. Rubble from several earthquake-damaged buildings has scattered across the street to the right. Plastic fencing has been placed along the left side of the road as a cordon. In the background there are several earthquake-damaged buildings along Lichfield Street.
A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The map is of the block bordered by Barbadoes Street, Worcester Street, Gloucester Street, and Fitzgerald Avenue. Many of the buildings have been highlighted in blue, with some smaller buildings highlighted in orange. Numbers and messages have been written on the map with biro. One of the messages reads, "forced entry to garage at back". A few of the buildings have also been crossed off with pen.
A photograph of emergency management personnel examining a block of earthquake-damaged rooms at Stonehurst Accommodation on Gloucester Street. The bottom storey of the block has collapsed and the remaining rooms are now resting on an incline. The front walls of these rooms have also collapsed and the rubble has spilled in to the courtyard in front. Cordon tape has been draped across the courtyard in front of the rubble. In the foreground there is liquefaction on the ground from a liquefaction volcano.
A photograph of the intersection of Lichfield, Manchester, and High Streets, taken from the corner of Lichfield and High Streets. Emergency management personnel are crossing the intersection. To the right an excavator is parked on Manchester Street in front of the rubble from a demolished building. In the background the ANZ Building has been partially demolished and an excavator is sitting in front. To the right of the excavator there are several chairs, tables, and a couch under a red umbrella. Another member of an emergency management team is sitting on the couch.
A view of Worcester Boulevard, looking east towards Christ Church Cathedral. Bricks from the front of the building and the tower can be seen on the ground. People are making their way down the street out of the central city. Members of the Emergency Management personnel, in high-visibility vests, can be seen.
A photograph of a portable shower unit set up in Hagley Park for the emergency management personnel who travelled to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A clothes line has been set up by tying ropes to the shower unit and a digger. To the right, a number of portaloos can also be seen.
A photograph of emergency management personnel guarding a cordon on Gloucester Street near the intersection with Park Terrace. Road cones have been used to block off the street.
A photograph of signs on the windows of the Christchurch Art Gallery. The art gallery was used as the temporary Civil Defence headquarters after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The signs read, "Today is Thursday 3 March 2011" and "Wash your hands!". In the background, emergency management personnel and a New Zealand Fire Service truck can be seen.
A photograph of emergency personnel entering a cordon on Montreal Street near the intersection with Bealey Avenue. The cordon has been set up with road cones and a "Road closed" sign. Two members of the New Zealand Army are guarding the cordon.
The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) photographed outside their headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Al Dwyer, and members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) outside their headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) setting up a tent in Latimer Square after their early-morning arrival in Christchurch. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Al Dwyer, leader of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. Members of DART can be seen behind him. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and the New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue Team conferring in a tent full of equipment in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Prime Minister John Key preparing for a photograph with Al Dwyer, leader of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), and members of DART, outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency managements personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Prime Minister John Key preparing for a photograph with Al Dwyer, leader of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), and members of DART, outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency managements personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Prime Minister John Key preparing for a photograph with Al Dwyer, the leader of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), and members of DART, outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. Latimer Square was set up as a temporary headquarters for emergency managements personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. Waste volumes from a single event can be the equivalent of many times the annual waste generation rate of the affected community. These volumes can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and personnel. Mismanagement of disaster waste can affect both the response and long term recovery of a disaster affected area. Previous research into disaster waste management has been either context specific or event specific, making it difficult to transfer lessons from one disaster event to another. The aim of this research is to develop a systems understanding of disaster waste management and in turn develop context- and disaster-transferrable decision-making guidance for emergency and waste managers. To research this complex and multi-disciplinary problem, a multi-hazard, multi-context, multi-case study approach was adopted. The research focussed on five major disaster events: 2011 Christchurch earthquake, 2009 Victorian Bushfires, 2009 Samoan tsunami, 2009 L’Aquila earthquake and 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The first stage of the analysis involved the development of a set of ‘disaster & disaster waste’ impact indicators. The indicators demonstrate a method by which disaster managers, planners and researchers can simplify the very large spectra of possible disaster impacts, into some key decision-drivers which will likely influence post-disaster management requirements. The second stage of the research was to develop a set of criteria to represent the desirable environmental, economic, social and recovery effects of a successful disaster waste management system. These criteria were used to assess the effectiveness of the disaster waste management approaches for the case studies. The third stage of the research was the cross-case analysis. Six main elements of disaster waste management systems were identified and analysed. These were: strategic management, funding mechanisms, operational management, environmental and human health risk management, and legislation and regulation. Within each of these system elements, key decision-making guidance (linked to the ‘disaster & disaster waste’ indicators) and management principles were developed. The ‘disaster & disaster waste’ impact indicators, the effects assessment criteria and management principles have all been developed so that they can be practically applied to disaster waste management planning and response in the future.
The University of Canterbury Dept. of Chemistry has weathered the Canterbury Earthquake of September 4, 2010 very well due to a combination of good luck, good planning and dedicated effort. We owe a great deal to university Emergency Response Team and Facilities Management Personnel. The overall emergency preparedness of the university was tested to a degree far beyond anything else in its history and shown to be well up to scratch. A strong cooperative relationship between the pan-campus controlling body and the departmental response teams greatly facilitated our efforts. Information and assistance was provided promptly, as and when we needed it without unnecessary bureaucratic overheads. At the departmental level we are indebted to the technical staff who implemented the invaluable pre-quake mitigation measures and carried the majority of the post-quake clean-up workload. These people put aside their personal concerns and anxieties at a time when magnitude-5 aftershocks were still a regular occurrence.