Policy and Legislation – NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024

Vienna’s Advanced Flood Preparedness Saved Many Lives During Storm Boris

A historic storm in Central Europe brought devastating floods to many countries, including Poland, Hungary, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania. Twenty-seven were killed, and several more sustained injuries and mental health impacts. Vienna, Austria, however, experienced only mild impacts thanks to its extensive floodwater control system, one that can serve as a model for other cities around the world.

October 8, 2024October 8, 2024

Aryeh Korman’s Case Study on Texas Mall Shooting

On May 6, 2023, 33-year-old far-right extremist Mauricio Martinez-Garcia opened fire outside of a mall in Allen, Texas. The shooting killed eight civilians and injured seven. After the event, gun control activists, including President Joe Biden, pushed for legislation that would enact an assault weapon ban and universal background checks, which ultimately died in the Texas Senate.

September 27, 2024September 27, 2024

560,000 Children Vaccinated Against Polio in Gaza

When Gaza reported its first case of polio in a quarter century in late August, there was a swift effort taken by health officials to provide polio vaccines to the region and prevent further spread. The effort was led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a group of national governments and partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. So far, the effort has been successful, with nearly 560,000 children vaccinated.

September 21, 2024

Research Finds Stormwater System Ineffective, Even Deadly

An extreme flooding event in Detroit in 2014 exposed the outdated stormwater infrastructure in much of the United States. Since the event, various studies have shown that instead of mitigating flooding and its costly consequences, the antiquated sewer systems are actually worsening flooding events.

September 15, 2024

Rachel Rosenberg’s Brief on Pulse Nightclub Shooting Preparedness and Response

The 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, led to the death of 49 people and long-lasting physical and emotional hardships for the wider community. In this brief, Rosenberg reviews the Orlando Police Department and Pulse’s preparedness for and response to the event.

August 19, 2024August 19, 2024

Southwest India Landslide Kills Hundreds After Years of Ignored Warnings

Landslide that hit Nepal’s Sunkoshi river.

After over a decade of ignored warnings, a catastrophic landslide swept away much of the village of Mundakkai, India, in late July. Around 200 people were killed, with many more missing. As residents begin the recovery process, government officials seek to identify a cause for the extent of the disaster, with much evidence pointing to one culprit: overdevelopment.

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024

World Far From Reaching “Zero Hunger” by 2030, According to UN Report

A hungry child being carried by their parent.

The 2024 United Nations (UN) State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report found that one in 11 people around the world, and one in five people in Africa, face hunger. The report warns that these numbers are not showing any signs of improvement. Currently, none of the nutrition improvement goals outlined by the World Health Organization for 2030 are on trend to be met.

July 15, 2024July 15, 2024

USAID Aims to Strengthen Southeast Asia’s Climate Resilience

A man working with USAID helps with a shipment of relief supplies.

As the world continues to prepare for the deleterious effects of climate change, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is focusing its international efforts on assisting the highly at-risk region of Southeast Asia. The agency aims to increase the region’s resilience to climate change-induced disasters such as flooding, droughts, and heat waves by encouraging international cooperation.

July 8, 2024July 9, 2024

Emily Mathers, Kristin Memoli, and Iman Yusuf’s Tornado Emergency Plan for Douglas County, Nebraska

Introduction: Tornadoes are destructive products of thunderstorms, which are characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud and are often accompanied by lightning, heavy rain, and hail. On average, the United States experiences 800 tornadoes each year, leading to 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. Tornado Alley is an area in the United States comprised of multiple states that are particularly susceptible to tornadoes and incur the most tornado-related fatalities. Of the susceptible states in Tornado Alley, Nebraska ranks number 5 for frequency of tornadoes, 23 for number of deaths, and 11 for cost of damages.