Understanding the evolution of a disaster—a Framework for Assessing Crisis in a System Environment (FACSE)

To understand the evolution of a disaster, we propose a Framework for Assessing Crisis in a System Environment (FACSE). FACSE is set in a multi-system environment, containing the human system as well as the various natural and technological systems that interact with people. We take a lifecycle perspective, via which we quantify rhythms of life exhibited in multiple systems, across different scales, at different times. The lifecycle perspective also implies a relative approach in that rhythms of life during time t can be compared against those during t-1. We illustrate how rhythms of life in the human system can be measured at different scales. We propose a new concept—the degree of disaster, which is a composite score that encompasses the various measurements of rhythms of life from multiple systems, across different scales. We conclude the paper by discussing the potential offered by FACSE in disaster research as well as the limitations. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013