This assignment is a Term Paper
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Title: Challenges to Reduce Vulnerability to Flooding on Human Lives and other animals “Mitigation Options”
Instructions/Paper Format:
- Written narrative essay of 4-6 written pages (not including references)
- Double-Spaced, Times New Romans 12-point font, one-inch margins
- All references MUST be properly cited using APA format
o Students must use between 4-6 sources at minimum
o Use academic and credible sources of information only
o Do not cite Wikipedia
o Plagiarism breaches will be checked via Turnitin
- Expectation of correct basic grammar, spelling, punctuation, and proofreading
This document contains the following:
- Paper Overview
- Paper Details
- Structure of Paper
- Detailed Marking Rubric
Paper Overview:
Mitigation refers to taking actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to human life and property, from hazards. Structural mitigation efforts achieve risk reduction through construction, physical alteration, or application of engineering solutions. Non-structural mitigation refers to risk reduction through modification of human behavior that occurs without construction. For this essay you are required to select one of the hazards listed below, and discuss at least one structural and one non-structural mitigation option for dealing with that hazard. For each mitigation option, you must describe the nature of the project in detail, and describe obstacles that may exist in implementing the project. You must conclude your paper with a discussion on what mitigation option is superior in addressing that hazard, or explain why a combined approach is key.
Paper Details:
Select ONE of the below hazards (natural, biological, technological/Transportation or humanmade) and at least one disaster incident related to that hazards (examples below)
- Natural Hazard:
o Flooding, such as the 2013 Alberta floods.
o Wildfires, such as the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire.
- Biological Hazard:
o Epidemics, such as the 2014-15 West Africa Ebola Outbreak. *** If you chose to focus on epidemics (do not use the current COVID-19 pandemic***)
- Technological and/or Transportation Hazards:
o Train derailments, such as the 2013 Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster.
o Aviation accidents, such as the May 2020 crash of a domestic flight into Karachi residential area. o Explosions, such as the 2020 August Beirut city explosion.
- Human-made Intentional Hazards:
o Hate crimes, such as the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting.
o Vehicular attacks, such as the 2018 Toronto Van Attack.
(Please be free to select any one flooding hazard you are best to write about) or you can write about
o Flooding, such as the 2013 Alberta floods.
Also note that the above disasters are just examples – you can select any event(s) that you decide on that is within one of the above natural hazard categories)
Structure this paper as follows:
- 1. Title : Challenges to Reduce Vulnerability to Flooding on Human Lives and other animals “Mitigation Options”
- 2. Introductory Section
o Provide a description of the risks associated with the hazard you have chosen – Throughout the paper, you are encouraged to refer to an actual disaster(s) resulting from that hazard (see examples above for ideas)
o Include a paper thesis, i.e. what is the overall argument of the paper? – e.g. “For this particular hazard, structural mitigation options are most useful for risk reduction, as exemplified by the analysis of ___xyz disaster____”, OR ”Both structural and non-structural mitigation options must be used in tandem for most effective risk reduction, , as exemplified by the analysis of ___xyz disaster___”
o Explain what you will be doing in the paper, i.e. paper outline – e.g. “The paper begins by discussing ___xyz______ and __zyx_______ as structural and non-structural mitigation options for dealing with hazard of choice, e.g. flood risk and concludes with a discussion regarding the superiority of non-structural mitigation for addressing flooding hazards.” – NOTE: Wherever you deem appropriate in your essay, you must define what you mean by structural and non-structural mitigation. A definition of these terms is a requirement for this assignment.
- Structural Mitigation Section
o Name a structural mitigation option that can be applied to prevent or decrease the consequences of the hazard o Describe the nature of the structural mitigation option in detail
o Describe obstacles that may exist in implementing the structural mitigation option
o Use the event that you have selected to support your answer
- Non-Structural Mitigation Section
o Name a non-structural mitigation option that can be applied to prevent or decrease the consequences of the hazard
o Describe the nature of the non-structural mitigation option in detail o Describe obstacles that may exist in implementing the structural mitigation option
o Use the event that you have selected to support your answer
- 5. Discussion
o Discuss whether the structural OR non-structural mitigation intervention is most effective for risk reduction, OR whether both should be applied in tandem
o Provide reasons to support your argument
- 6. Conclusion
o Conclude your paper with an area of future research or a question for readers to ponder over
This is how the cover page should look like
Title: (chosen Title) “Mitigation Options”
Course: DEMS 2700
Fundamentals of Emergency Management
York University, School of Administrative Studies
Term Paper
Submitted By:
Student Number:
Submitted To: Dr.
Date:
