Supervisors info:
Λέκκας Ευθύμιος
Καθηγητής Δυναμικής Τεκτονικής και Εφαρμοσμένης Γεωλογίας και Διαχείρισης Φυσικών Καταστροφών
Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών – Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος
Τομέας Δυναμικής Τεκτονικής Εφαρμοσμένης Γεωλογίας
Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Αντωνίου Βαρβάρα
Μέλος ΕΔΗΠ
Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος
Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Λόζιος Στυλιανός
Επίκουρος Καθηγητής
Τμήμα Γεωλογίας και Γεωπεριβάλλοντος
Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Summary:
September 11, 2001 events in the World Trade Center in New York, as in the Pentagon, were proved the most fatal and destructive terrorist attacks in the human history.
The attacks were the products of extreme fanaticism and resulted in the loss of life of thousands of citizens. They were made known around the globe through the mass media at live coverage, spreading fear and panic though they formed new geopolitical balances.
Politicians and diplomats faced enormous difficulties, trying to determine the legal consequences of the terrorist attacks and to place the right reaction of the USA into the international legal framework.
The high densed populated area, as the importance of the human activites there, increased their vulnerability and facilitated the terrorist’s task.
This study referes to the environmental degradation, the way the Civil Protection faced the resulting side-effects (short, medium and long term) and the consequences on public health.
Until then, no state had to deal with the consequences of such unprecedented terrorist attacks, globally.
The urgency for a quick comeback to normalcy, forwarded by the authorities, has been the main reason of the rescue teams exposure to unhealthy and toxic substances, as they have not taken the necessary precautions.
As a result, the victims’ families set up claims that lead the authorities to αct, passing laws of relief.
Though the time since the September 11th is enough, scientists are tackling the health problems that arise, one after another, among many neighbours and those who participated in the difficult task of the rescue and the recovery of survivors and the removal of debris.
The pulmonary dysfunction and mainly the cancer incidents, are rising progressively and they are much more, compared to those of the same age citizens, who are not exposed to similar substances, emerging from the debris.
These events have taught us that the dangers from “asymmetric threats” or “unconventional war” are real.
The need for the enactment of stricter and more effective security measures was in opposition to the general demand, against any limitation on the citizen’s moves, as the globalization dictates.
After spending a several years of embarrassment and circumspection, engineers and technicians had planned higher, resistand and more secure buildings, incorporating the new technologies.
At the 21th century, the challenges faced by the civil protection are great, as a result, an upgrade is necessary. Specialised scientific staff have to undertake the upgrade of rescue methods, the efficient cooperation of those who involved, as the up-to-date information and the instruction of the citizens.
Keywords:
Disaster, evacuation, collapse, pollution, environment
