Volume 3
Issue 3

How far we have come in just a few years.

When CRJ first looked at climate change and attempted to predict its likely effects on the roles of emergency planners and frontline responders, there was very little directly applicable research or literature around.

Now, most of the articles and reports in this issue make at least a passing reference to the effects of climate change. On our news pages you will find details of a report that suggests climate change will exacerbate an already burgeoning global migration crisis; we also carry reports of extreme flooding and drought in several parts of the world.

In our ‘global response’ feature, John Holmes of the UN comments: “Given the impact of global warming, disaster response will be more important in the coming years and decades than at any time in human history.” And the European Commission is also looking at large scale flooding (p66, p72).

At this year’s International Joint Operations Command Conference (IJOCC), one session will provide a balanced view of where we are with regard to the science of climate change and severe weather, while another will examine what exactly is being done in Europe to help face the threat.

There are many other echoes of the diverse range and breadth of subjects to be covered at IJOCC 2007 within this issue, including: Terrorism; Polonium-210; the UK’s pandemic exercise; planning for large scale sporting events; policing in conflict areas; and Fire Service resilience.

But this just skims the surface of this high level event. I urge you to read the full preview on page 62 and hope to see you at IJOCC 2007.