Life on an Unpredictable Planet: Coping with the Threats Posed by Natural Disasters

A significant percentage of the world’s population lives with the threat posed by various natural hazards. Although deaths resulting from natural disaster events have decreased over time, the economic impacts, social disruption, and effects on our infrastructure continue to increase. Drawing examples from his research at Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius and Washington’s Mt. Rainier, his experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and his work on earthquake preparedness efforts in California, a number of issues in disaster preparedness and recovery will be addressed. Specifically, we’ll explore the reasons people choose to live in risky places, some of the psychological factors that affect their perceptions of risk and likelihood of preparing for potential disasters, and factors that help in disaster recovery.

 

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