Climate change Floods in Queensland Australia

Over the recent past, the issue of climatic change has raised major concern about the well being of the recent as well as the future generation. One of the main issues that have significantly contributed in climatic change is the destruction of the environment. This has impacted negatively on economic activities like mining which plays a significant role in the Australian economy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Climate change: Floods in Queensland Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The climatic change has been characterized by unpredictable weather conditions. These can be extreme temperatures or extreme rainfall. As a result of these changes, it has become very difficult to make appropriate plans. This has led to huge losses economically. Climatic change has led to increased cases of floods which is a very common problem over the recent. The cases of floods have significantly increased a thing that has caused huge destruction of mines (Cooper, Grey, Raymond and Walker 2004). This has particularly affected the mines since most of them become inoperable when covered by water. A good example of adverse impact of the climatic change is the flood that occurred in Australia in 2010 and early in the year 2011. This has significantly affected the coal mining in the country as well as other economic activities (International Standard ISO/FDIS 31000 2009). The flood cost the economy a large fraction, which was lost to the disaster. Although several measures were taken to mitigate the problem, the flood had an adverse impact on the economy. As already noted, this flood that occurred on December 2010 and January 2011 was one of the most devastating cases in Australia. The impact of this disaster can be measured through its impacts on the level of production (Kaplan and Norton 2000). The disaster affected several sectors in the economy. Some of the most affected sectors are the mining and the agricultural sectors. One of the main measure through which this risk can be measured is through its impacts on the mining sector. The mining sector was significantly affected by the floods during this period. For instance, approximately 20% of the mines around the Bowen Basin were not operable at the time due to the floods (NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change 2007).Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, most of the mines were covered by water and therefore making it difficult to continue with any operation. Transportation of the coal from the mines was also difficult because the roads were in worse conditions. Therefore, the workers were forced to abandon the mine momentarily. Similarly, about 60% of the primary Queensland’s region was also inoperable (Department of Finance 1991). Most of the companies ceased the transportatio n of coal as the weather conditions deteriorated. The rail lines were also destroyed the fact that led to deterioration of the transportation of coal to the ports (Rowe, Mason, Dickel., and Snyder 1989). According to Grey (1995), about 40 million tones were lost during this period. According to information published by AlertNet (2011), the recent floods in Australia affected about 35 percent of the total estmate of 259 millions tonnes production in Australia. This has cost the coal industry a significant amount of money. This has threatened the level of its performance. The floods led to a closure of about 40 mines in the region. This problem led to a significant drop in the levels of coal production. In the year 2009, the total production of thermal coal fell by about ten metric tonnes from 200.5 to 190.7 (Australian Government: Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism 2011). This broke the upward trend in thermal coal production which had been recorded over the previous years ( Australian Government: Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism 2011). However, production of Metallurgical coal increased by approximately one metric tonne in the same year. This also had a significant impact on the level of total export values. For instance the export value for thermal coal fell from 34, 464 million dollars in 2008 to 18, 628 in 2009 (Australian Government: Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism 2011). This implies that the export value fell by almost a half. Flood can have an adverse impact to the country if not managed appropriately. Therefore, it is necessary to have the necessary mitigation measures. Through application of the various ways, we can eliminate the problems associated with floods. In order to have an effective risk management process, it is necessary to have a close coordination between the community, the government, and the other concerned parties in order to mitigate the risks effectively (The National Flood Risk Advisory Group 2008).Adv ertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Climate change: Floods in Queensland Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government has the responsibility of implementing the appropriate policies in order to avoid any risk. The community also has the responsibility of ensuring that they know the areas that are more prone to the risks (The Royal Society of London, 1992 and Anonymous 2011). In order to have an effective risk management process, it is necessary to have a critical control of every activity in order to avoid risks (Queensland Government 2002). This will ensure that the risks are minimized in case it takes place. In risk management, it will also be advisable to know the likelihood that the floods will take place (Sai Global). This will help to make the necessary arrangements so that everything is intact before the floods strikes. According to Vose (2000), the risk management requires a good understa nding of the threats and opportunities that are present. For instance, through the strengths and threats analysis, an organisation will be able to identify any variations from what is planned to be done from what is already there (ABARES Special Report 2011). . Through the risk management process, it is therefore possible to overcome future risks or combat its impacts (Botting 2004). As already noted, floods has a devastating effects when it struck a region. It is therefore important for the responsible parties to ensure that appropriate measures are adopted in order to overcome these risks (SCARM 2000). One of the major players in the risk management is the government. The government plays a significant role in various roles in risk managements (Queensland Government, Flood risk and storm water management 2011). In order for any risk management to be successful, it is advisable for the government to participate at all the levels (Jones 2011). For instance, the government has the re sponsibility of ensuring that they are punctual in giving alerts about floods accurate warning to the community (Tweeddale 2003).Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, it is necessary to have an effective coordination between various parties in order to have successful risk management process (Queensland Government, Understanding floods: questions and answers 2011). Without coordination, the results of the management process may be poor. The insurance organisations also have a significant role in risk management. Insurance organisations have the responsibility of mitigating any risks posed on the coal companies which they cover (Arnold 2008). The insurance organisations are supposed to secure the coal mining companies against all the losses they may undergo thorough such a flood. Therefore, an organisation will be able to recover fast from the disaster and therefore revive back to the desired level of production. This will also solve the problem of power shortages. Coal companies also have an important role to play in the risk management. For instance, the company like Xstrata should be able to timely know when such floods are likely to o ccur. This will give them enough time to prepare for such risks to suppress their impacts in its production capacity. The company also has the responsibility to follow all the guidelines given by various agencies in order to facilitate the success of risk management process. The community also has the responsibility of ensuring that they follow all the directions given by various agencies (Lindstrom 2011). They must also actively participate in making the appropriate decisions concerning the risk mitigation proceeds. Nonetheless, it is necessary to have an effective coordination between different parties in order to have a successful risk management process Reference List ABARES Special Report. 2011. The Impact of Recent Flood Events on Commodities. ISBN 978-1-921448-85-0. AlertNet. 2011. AlertNet Climate. Web. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, 2011. The Impact of Recent Flood Events on Commodities, ABARES Special Report Australian Government: De partment of Resources, Energy and Tourism. 2011. Australia’s Coal Industry.  Web. Anonymous, 2011. Economic Impact of Queensland’s Natural Disasters. PricewaterhouseCoopers. Anonymous, 2011. Risk Management: Queensland Floods A Risk Headache For Mines. Web. Arnold, M. 2008. The Role of Risk Transfer and Insurance in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adoption. Web. Botting, A. 2004. Risk Management Guidelines. Companion to AS/NZS 4360:2004. Chapman, C. and Ward, S., 1997. Project Risk Management: Processes, Techniques and Insights. Chichester, John Wiley Sons. Cooper, D., Grey, S., Raymond G. and Walker P., 2004, Project Risk Management Guidelines: Managing Risk in Large Projects and Complex Procurements. Chichester, John Wiley Sons. Department of Finance, 1991. Handbook of Cost Benefit Analysis. Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service. Grey, S, 1995. Practical Risk Assessment for Project Management. Chichester, John Wiley Sons. International S tandard ISO/FDIS 31000, 2009. Risk management — Principles and guidelines, ISO/FDIS 31000 Jones, D. 2011. Queensland Floods: Bureau Of Meteorology Blames Climate Change. Web. Kaplan and Norton, 2000. Having trouble with strategy? Then map it, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 78, No. 5, September-October 2000. Lindstrom, P. 2011. Economic Impact of Queensland’s Natural Disasters. Web. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change. 2007. Floodplain Risk Management Guideline on Residential Flood Damages. Queensland Government. 2002. Guidance on the Assessment of Tangible Flood Damages. QNRM02081 15929 Queensland Government. 2011. Flood Risk and Storm Water Management. Web. Queensland Government. 2011. Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers. Web. Rowe, A., Mason, R., Dickel, K., and Snyder, N., 1989. Strategic Management: A Methodological Approach, Third Edition, Reading, MA Addison-Wesley. Sai Global, 2004. Risk Management Guidelines. Companion to AS/NZS 4360:2004 SC ARM, 2000. Floodplain Management in Australia: Best Practice Principles and Guidelines. Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand, Standing Committee on Agriculture and Resource Management (SCARM). Report No 73. CSIRO Publishing, 2000 The National Flood Risk Advisory Group. 2008. Flood Risk Management in Australia. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 23 No. 4, November 2008. The Royal Society of London, 1992. Risk: Analysis, Perception and Management. London, The Royal Society Tweeddale, H. 2003. Managing Risk and Reliability of Process Plants. Amsterdam, Gulf Professional Publishing Vose, D, 2000. Risk Analysis: A Quantitative Guide. Chichester, John Wiley Sons This research paper on Climate change: Floods in Queensland Australia was written and submitted by user Tristin Mcintyre to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Technology Prioritization Proposal

Technology Prioritization Proposal IT systems have become indispensable in the management of healthcare. It is clear that modern healthcare systems cannot operate without IT systems. However, the cost of IT infrastructure can be prohibitive. In this regard, every healthcare provider must find a way of prioritizing its IT budgets to achieve the most value from its investments. This paper proposes a method of prioritizing IT spending with the goal of maximizing the value of investments in IT infrastructure.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Technology Prioritization Proposal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Proposed Prioritization Process The nature of IT infrastructure makes prioritization of IT spending very complex. It is very difficult to quantify the benefits associated with an IT program. This is because IT mainly plays a facilitative role. In this regard, IT spending decisions require an understanding of the value chain of a business. The model proposed for the prioritization of IT decisions in a healthcare setting is as follows. Development of an Information Flow Model for the Facility The first step in the prioritization of IT spending is to develop an information flow model for the healthcare institution. This model should capture all IT-based services in the organization and the information they carry. The model should also identify the people involved in the management of the information. The third aspect of the model is the identification of internal and external stakeholders of the organization. The objective of the information flow model is to develop a full view of the information ecosystem of the healthcare organization. This model will make it easy to analyze the impact of every proposal sent by individual departments. Devolve Spending to Ensure all Departments Maintain Adequate IT Capabilities The second element of this model is to devolve spending to the departments. The council should assign some resources to every department to ensure that they can address their local IT priorities. The council should prioritize projects that promote interconnectivity and the sharing of resources. For instance, if a department requests for a server that can help to manage information from other departments, such a request should receive more attention. The need to devolve a fraction of the spending is that each department has its priorities. Some of the priorities are unique. In this regard, centralized control of IT services can lead to a reduction in the benefits associated with specific IT investments. Identify the Needs of the Organization Thirdly, the healthcare organization should use the priorities identified by the departments to identify common problems and similar infrastructure needs. The list of projects that arise from this exercise will give the organization a picture of its strategic needs.Advertising Looking for proposal on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If the IT-Council can identify common IT problems that require similar solutions, then it can find out whether it can develop a centralized response to these problems. To use the earlier example, if the healthcare institutions find out that many departments are looking for storage space, a centralized storage facility may be the answer. This will enable the IT-Council to save on the decentralized expenses. Develop a Needs-Based Criterion for Making Funding Decisions The fourth element of the proposed model is to develop a common criterion for funding IT projects. It’s very important to involve all stakeholders in this decision. This is because of the need to create a sense of ownership for all IT projects. Failure to win the support of all departments in this exercise may work against the organization. If some departments fail to appreciate why the IT–Council made a decision to adopt a particular project over others, then they ma y resist its implementation. This will lead to a loss of value. The proposed criteria for the funding of IT projects include the following guidelines. First, the project must support interconnectivity among business systems. Any high level project funded directly by the IT-Council should fit into the information ecosystem of the health care facility. Secondly, the IT-Council should support projects that encourage the sharing of IT resources. This means that the council should only fund projects that can support the largest number of users in the healthcare facility. This will eliminate investment in unwanted spare capacity and will help to maximize the value that the organization derives from its IT infrastructure. Thirdly, IT projects funded by the IT-Council should be scalable. The IT needs of many organizations grow and evolve with time. Scalability can help save money because there will be no need to invest afresh in bigger systems as the needs of the organization grow. The comp any will only need to increase the capacity of existing systems. Establishment of a Permanent IT-Council to Monitor IT Projects The final element of the proposed model is the tasking of the IT-Council with the responsibility of monitoring the IT budget on an on-going basis. It is possible for the organization to establish an ad-hoc IT-Council just in time for its annual budgeting activities. However, an IT-Council that sits throughout the year will ensure that the company gets the highest returns from its spending on IT infrastructure. In addition, the council can act as the custodian of the company’s IT infrastructure development projects.