Tim Prior | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) (original) (raw)

Papers by Tim Prior

Research paper thumbnail of Social Vulnerability in Affluent Contexts

This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the ... more This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the potentially important dynamics that could have an influence on social vulnerability in the city. To better understand social vulnerability in Zürich, CSS’s research team conducted interviews with experts working with very different social groups in the city of Zürich on a day-to-day basis. Three hazards were chosen for detailed spatial analysis: chemical accidents, flooding, and heatwave. A first key finding of this project has been the observation that locally specific social vulnerability characteristics can be difficult to represent cartographically. Second, the project demonstrated that while disasters incite extreme impacts, vulnerability in everyday lives translates to vulnerability in the context of a disaster. Last, given society’s dynamism, disaster managers must also adopt adaptive and flexible approaches to understand how societal changes might influence social vulnerability. The results suggest that social vulnerability can most effectively be addressed by a network of various governmental and non-governmental actors

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Research paper thumbnail of International Civil Protection: Adapting to new challenges

This report compares and contrasts national approaches to addressing three important challenges t... more This report compares and contrasts national approaches to addressing three important challenges to modern civil protection: the interdependency of modern threats/risks; austerity and the need for economic efficiency; and the changing nature of communication. Each challenge is examined in the context of an organizational response, and explored from the perspective of two countries where the challenge has been institutionally recognized. The work identified three principle results from these national comparisons of approaches to key challenges: there are no ‘best’ practices high-impact events drive system adaptations; system adaptations coincide with political and economic windows of opportunity.

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Research paper thumbnail of Internationale Katastrophen-Politik nach Sendai

ISSN:2296-023

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Research paper thumbnail of The Environment and Security. Ending the Vicious Circle

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Research paper thumbnail of Trusting Technology: Smart Protection for Smart Cities

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Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Resilience: Benefits and Limitations of Resilience Indices

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Research paper thumbnail of NATO: Pushing Boundaries for Resilience

Global connectivity presents new security challenges for NATO, especially in relation to critical... more Global connectivity presents new security challenges for NATO, especially in relation to critical infrastructure interdependence. Building resilience though civil preparedness will be a paradigm changer for deterrence. However, resilience requires adaptation and cultural change in the alliance. Non-state actors need to be engaged to maintain and enhance the security of allies.ISSN:2296-024

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Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Critical Infrastructure Resilience: Possible Indicators

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Research paper thumbnail of OTAN: repousser les limites pour la résilience

La connectivité universelle place l’OTAN face à de nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité, notamme... more La connectivité universelle place l’OTAN face à de nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité, notamment liés à l’interdépendance des infrastructures critiques. Dans ce contexte, le renforcement de la résilience par la préparation du secteur civil modifiera fondamentalement le modèle de dissuasion. Cette évolution exige toutefois des adaptations et un changement de culture au sein de l’Alliance, en particulier quant à l’implication d’acteurs non étatiques.ISSN:2296-022

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards people-centred approaches for effective disaster risk management: Balancing rhetoric with reality

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of An ecosystem services framework to support statutory water allocation planning in Australia

International Journal of River Basin Management, 2014

ABSTRACT During the past decade the concept of ecosystem services (ES) – the benefits that nature... more ABSTRACT During the past decade the concept of ecosystem services (ES) – the benefits that nature provides to humans – has increasingly been embraced as a promising avenue towards sustainable resource management. Initially pitched to incentive-based biodiversity conservation, the ES concept is now being applied to a diversity of environmental resources in a multitude of policy, planning and management contexts. In the context of water planning, the ES concept is increasingly rivalling the Integrated Water Resource Management paradigm. Despite the omnipresence of the ES language, significant challenges remain in terms of ES implementation and governance. This paper reports on lessons learnt from the collaborative development of an ES Framework within the context of statutory water allocation planning in Australia. The Framework consists of seven components, three of which match key planning steps in existing Australian statutory water planning guidelines. Central to the Framework is a benefits table for water planning. The benefits table is based on the ‘ES cascade’ model, a metaphor which makes clear distinctions between ecosystem processes, functions, services, benefits, values and beneficiaries. The benefits table is intended for bidirectional use, confronting demands of water system beneficiaries with the biophysical mechanisms that render the services. The Framework is innovative in three ways. First, it was jointly designed with Australia's national water agency (the National Water Commission), based on statutory guidelines for water planning and management. Second, it addresses a statutory requirement for water planning processes to better consider public benefits from aquatic systems, thus providing a direct incentive for water planners to engage with the Framework. Third, the Framework emphasizes the need for comprehensive, a-priori analysis of ES beneficiaries. Comprehensive evaluation of the ES Framework will be required to document successful applications and share lessons learnt amongst the water planning and ES research communities.

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Research paper thumbnail of The phosphorus mass balance: identifying ‘hotspots’ in the food system as a roadmap to phosphorus security

Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2012

Phosphorus is a critical element on which all life depends. Global crop production depends on fer... more Phosphorus is a critical element on which all life depends. Global crop production depends on fertilisers derived from phosphate rock to maintain high crop yields. Population increase, changing dietary preferences towards more meat and dairy products, and the continuing intensification of global agriculture supporting this expansion will place increasing pressure on an uncertain, but finite supply of high-quality phosphate rock. Growing concern about phosphorus scarcity and security, coupled with the environmental impact of phosphorus pollution, has encouraged an increase in research exploring how phosphorus is used and lost in the food system-from mine to field to fork. An assessment of recent phosphorus flows analyses at different geographical scales identifies the key phosphorus 'hotspots', for example within the mining, agriculture or food processing sectors, where efficiency and reuse can be substantially improved through biotechnological approaches coupled with policy changes.

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Research paper thumbnail of Learning from Disaster Events and Exercises in Civil Protection Organizations

This report focuses on understanding how civil protection organizations learn from direct or indi... more This report focuses on understanding how civil protection organizations learn from direct or indirect experiences(events), and planned learning processes (exercises). The work is based on information gained from desktop analysis and interviews with civil protection representatives or researchers from the case study countries concerning international events and exercises. We examined how these events were reported, evaluated, and then (if at all) acted on organizationally, and how the information was used to inform adaptive processes in the context of the national civil protection system. An implicit assumption of the authors was that civil protection organizations should be learning organizations that document and respond to operational, coordination, and planning issues if and when they are recognized. By exploring a range of international cases, this study seeks to provide recommendations on good practice, reporting and evaluation, and provide insights into how international civil protection organizations have responded to challenging events or informative exercises.

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Research paper thumbnail of Bulletin 2014 zur schweizerischen Sicherheitspolitik

ISSN:1024-060

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Research paper thumbnail of Social Vulnerability in Affluent Contexts: An in-depth analysis of social vulnerability in Zürich

This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the ... more This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the potentially important dynamics that could have an influence on social vulnerability in the city. To better understand social vulnerability in Zürich, CSS’s research team conducted interviews with experts working with very different social groups in the city of Zürich on a day-to-day basis. Three hazards were chosen for detailed spatial analysis: chemical accidents, flooding, and heatwave. A first key finding of this project has been the observation that locally specific social vulnerability characteristics can be difficult to represent cartographically. Second, the project demonstrated that while disasters incite extreme impacts, vulnerability in everyday lives translates to vulnerability in the context of a disaster. Last, given society’s dynamism, disaster managers must also adopt adaptive and flexible approaches to understand how societal changes might influence social vulnerability. The results suggest that social vulnerability can most effectively be addressed by a network of various governmental and non-governmental actors.

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Research paper thumbnail of Vision 2040: Mining, minerals and innovation - A vision for Australia's mineral future

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Research paper thumbnail of Factsheet expressions of resilience: From "bounce back" to adaptation

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Research paper thumbnail of Preventing and Managing Large-Scale Disasters in Swiss Cities

While risk managers at the city level have generally been found to favor a stronger involvement b... more While risk managers at the city level have generally been found to favor a stronger involvement by, and engagement with, the federal government in the predisaster phase, the clash of ‘cultures’ between the operationally-oriented city risk managers and the more strategically-oriented federal agencies needs to be acknowledged and addressed. The federal concepts are “...useful, but very general. [...] What we needed is a much more operational basis for planning, much more focused on the ground. [...] It is important that the Table 2: Stated events and processes influencing city-level risk analysis. Preventing and Managing Large-Scale Disasters in Swiss Cities 10 Confederation understands this...”12 A possible reason for this clash, mentioned by the interviewees, is that cities are only rarely actively involved in the risk identification and analysis process of higher political levels. Following the interviewees’ perspective, by developing concepts and scenarios for risks that are direc...

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Research paper thumbnail of Mapping Social Vulnerability in Switzerland: A pilot study on Flooding in Zürich

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Research paper thumbnail of National Peak Minerals Forum: Summary and future directions

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Research paper thumbnail of Social Vulnerability in Affluent Contexts

This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the ... more This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the potentially important dynamics that could have an influence on social vulnerability in the city. To better understand social vulnerability in Zürich, CSS’s research team conducted interviews with experts working with very different social groups in the city of Zürich on a day-to-day basis. Three hazards were chosen for detailed spatial analysis: chemical accidents, flooding, and heatwave. A first key finding of this project has been the observation that locally specific social vulnerability characteristics can be difficult to represent cartographically. Second, the project demonstrated that while disasters incite extreme impacts, vulnerability in everyday lives translates to vulnerability in the context of a disaster. Last, given society’s dynamism, disaster managers must also adopt adaptive and flexible approaches to understand how societal changes might influence social vulnerability. The results suggest that social vulnerability can most effectively be addressed by a network of various governmental and non-governmental actors

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Research paper thumbnail of International Civil Protection: Adapting to new challenges

This report compares and contrasts national approaches to addressing three important challenges t... more This report compares and contrasts national approaches to addressing three important challenges to modern civil protection: the interdependency of modern threats/risks; austerity and the need for economic efficiency; and the changing nature of communication. Each challenge is examined in the context of an organizational response, and explored from the perspective of two countries where the challenge has been institutionally recognized. The work identified three principle results from these national comparisons of approaches to key challenges: there are no ‘best’ practices high-impact events drive system adaptations; system adaptations coincide with political and economic windows of opportunity.

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Research paper thumbnail of Internationale Katastrophen-Politik nach Sendai

ISSN:2296-023

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Environment and Security. Ending the Vicious Circle

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Trusting Technology: Smart Protection for Smart Cities

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Resilience: Benefits and Limitations of Resilience Indices

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of NATO: Pushing Boundaries for Resilience

Global connectivity presents new security challenges for NATO, especially in relation to critical... more Global connectivity presents new security challenges for NATO, especially in relation to critical infrastructure interdependence. Building resilience though civil preparedness will be a paradigm changer for deterrence. However, resilience requires adaptation and cultural change in the alliance. Non-state actors need to be engaged to maintain and enhance the security of allies.ISSN:2296-024

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Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Critical Infrastructure Resilience: Possible Indicators

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of OTAN: repousser les limites pour la résilience

La connectivité universelle place l’OTAN face à de nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité, notamme... more La connectivité universelle place l’OTAN face à de nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité, notamment liés à l’interdépendance des infrastructures critiques. Dans ce contexte, le renforcement de la résilience par la préparation du secteur civil modifiera fondamentalement le modèle de dissuasion. Cette évolution exige toutefois des adaptations et un changement de culture au sein de l’Alliance, en particulier quant à l’implication d’acteurs non étatiques.ISSN:2296-022

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards people-centred approaches for effective disaster risk management: Balancing rhetoric with reality

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of An ecosystem services framework to support statutory water allocation planning in Australia

International Journal of River Basin Management, 2014

ABSTRACT During the past decade the concept of ecosystem services (ES) – the benefits that nature... more ABSTRACT During the past decade the concept of ecosystem services (ES) – the benefits that nature provides to humans – has increasingly been embraced as a promising avenue towards sustainable resource management. Initially pitched to incentive-based biodiversity conservation, the ES concept is now being applied to a diversity of environmental resources in a multitude of policy, planning and management contexts. In the context of water planning, the ES concept is increasingly rivalling the Integrated Water Resource Management paradigm. Despite the omnipresence of the ES language, significant challenges remain in terms of ES implementation and governance. This paper reports on lessons learnt from the collaborative development of an ES Framework within the context of statutory water allocation planning in Australia. The Framework consists of seven components, three of which match key planning steps in existing Australian statutory water planning guidelines. Central to the Framework is a benefits table for water planning. The benefits table is based on the ‘ES cascade’ model, a metaphor which makes clear distinctions between ecosystem processes, functions, services, benefits, values and beneficiaries. The benefits table is intended for bidirectional use, confronting demands of water system beneficiaries with the biophysical mechanisms that render the services. The Framework is innovative in three ways. First, it was jointly designed with Australia's national water agency (the National Water Commission), based on statutory guidelines for water planning and management. Second, it addresses a statutory requirement for water planning processes to better consider public benefits from aquatic systems, thus providing a direct incentive for water planners to engage with the Framework. Third, the Framework emphasizes the need for comprehensive, a-priori analysis of ES beneficiaries. Comprehensive evaluation of the ES Framework will be required to document successful applications and share lessons learnt amongst the water planning and ES research communities.

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Research paper thumbnail of The phosphorus mass balance: identifying ‘hotspots’ in the food system as a roadmap to phosphorus security

Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2012

Phosphorus is a critical element on which all life depends. Global crop production depends on fer... more Phosphorus is a critical element on which all life depends. Global crop production depends on fertilisers derived from phosphate rock to maintain high crop yields. Population increase, changing dietary preferences towards more meat and dairy products, and the continuing intensification of global agriculture supporting this expansion will place increasing pressure on an uncertain, but finite supply of high-quality phosphate rock. Growing concern about phosphorus scarcity and security, coupled with the environmental impact of phosphorus pollution, has encouraged an increase in research exploring how phosphorus is used and lost in the food system-from mine to field to fork. An assessment of recent phosphorus flows analyses at different geographical scales identifies the key phosphorus 'hotspots', for example within the mining, agriculture or food processing sectors, where efficiency and reuse can be substantially improved through biotechnological approaches coupled with policy changes.

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Research paper thumbnail of Learning from Disaster Events and Exercises in Civil Protection Organizations

This report focuses on understanding how civil protection organizations learn from direct or indi... more This report focuses on understanding how civil protection organizations learn from direct or indirect experiences(events), and planned learning processes (exercises). The work is based on information gained from desktop analysis and interviews with civil protection representatives or researchers from the case study countries concerning international events and exercises. We examined how these events were reported, evaluated, and then (if at all) acted on organizationally, and how the information was used to inform adaptive processes in the context of the national civil protection system. An implicit assumption of the authors was that civil protection organizations should be learning organizations that document and respond to operational, coordination, and planning issues if and when they are recognized. By exploring a range of international cases, this study seeks to provide recommendations on good practice, reporting and evaluation, and provide insights into how international civil protection organizations have responded to challenging events or informative exercises.

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Research paper thumbnail of Bulletin 2014 zur schweizerischen Sicherheitspolitik

ISSN:1024-060

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Social Vulnerability in Affluent Contexts: An in-depth analysis of social vulnerability in Zürich

This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the ... more This report develops a comprehensive view of the specific social situation in Zürich, and of the potentially important dynamics that could have an influence on social vulnerability in the city. To better understand social vulnerability in Zürich, CSS’s research team conducted interviews with experts working with very different social groups in the city of Zürich on a day-to-day basis. Three hazards were chosen for detailed spatial analysis: chemical accidents, flooding, and heatwave. A first key finding of this project has been the observation that locally specific social vulnerability characteristics can be difficult to represent cartographically. Second, the project demonstrated that while disasters incite extreme impacts, vulnerability in everyday lives translates to vulnerability in the context of a disaster. Last, given society’s dynamism, disaster managers must also adopt adaptive and flexible approaches to understand how societal changes might influence social vulnerability. The results suggest that social vulnerability can most effectively be addressed by a network of various governmental and non-governmental actors.

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Research paper thumbnail of Vision 2040: Mining, minerals and innovation - A vision for Australia's mineral future

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Research paper thumbnail of Factsheet expressions of resilience: From "bounce back" to adaptation

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Preventing and Managing Large-Scale Disasters in Swiss Cities

While risk managers at the city level have generally been found to favor a stronger involvement b... more While risk managers at the city level have generally been found to favor a stronger involvement by, and engagement with, the federal government in the predisaster phase, the clash of ‘cultures’ between the operationally-oriented city risk managers and the more strategically-oriented federal agencies needs to be acknowledged and addressed. The federal concepts are “...useful, but very general. [...] What we needed is a much more operational basis for planning, much more focused on the ground. [...] It is important that the Table 2: Stated events and processes influencing city-level risk analysis. Preventing and Managing Large-Scale Disasters in Swiss Cities 10 Confederation understands this...”12 A possible reason for this clash, mentioned by the interviewees, is that cities are only rarely actively involved in the risk identification and analysis process of higher political levels. Following the interviewees’ perspective, by developing concepts and scenarios for risks that are direc...

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Research paper thumbnail of Mapping Social Vulnerability in Switzerland: A pilot study on Flooding in Zürich

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Research paper thumbnail of National Peak Minerals Forum: Summary and future directions

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Research paper thumbnail of Responsibility sharing in resilience policy and practice for disaster risk management

Tim Prior was recently an invited speaker at the University of Loughborough’s conference on “Adva... more Tim Prior was recently an invited speaker at the University of Loughborough’s conference on “Advancing Societal Resilience”. The conference, organised by the University’s cross-departmental research program on ‘Secure and Resilient Societies’, explored natural hazard resilience, public health resilience, and resilience in Security and defence.

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