Natural Disaster Risk Management: Geosciences and Social Responsibility [Hardcover]

This textbook provides a thorough introduction to natural disaster risk management. Many aspects of disaster risk management, such as those involved in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, avalanches and mudslides call for similar prevention and preparedness instruments, management concepts, and countermeasures. This textbook assumes the viewpoint of a regional disaster risk manager who is responsible for a certain area, and for making the lives of the people who live there safer, regardless of the type of natural disaster that may occur. The same holds true for boosting preparedness and awareness in the population at risk. The book includes numerous examples of hazard mitigation concepts and techniques, as well as ways of intensively involving the local population in prevention schemes at an early stage. Furthermore, it provides an in-depth examination of the function of risk communication, both as an instrument for disseminating official information and as a function of public media. In closing, a chapter on risk splitting offers insights into insurance-based models for risk financing. This comprehensive book is a must-read for all students, researchers and practitioners dealing with natural disaster risk management.

Introduction.- Responsibility of Geoscience in Natural Disaster Risk Management.- General Aspects.- Natural Disaster vs. Extreme Events.- Society of Risk.- Definitions of Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk.- General Aspects.- Definitions.- Hazard Assessment.- Disaster Statistics.- One Hazard Distribution.- Hazard Cascade.- Multiple Hazard Distribution.- Multiple Hazard Assessment Application.- Vulnerability Assessments.- General Aspects.- Definition Vulnerability.- Social and Cultural Vulnerability.- Economic Vulnerability.- Ecological Vulnerability.- Risk Assessments General Aspects.- Definition.- Loss Damage Curve, Frequency vs. Probability.- Social Amplification of Risk.- Societal Resilience.- Risk Assessment.- Risk Communicationsl.