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Disasters By Design

It has become clear that natural and related technological hazards and disasters are not a problem that can be solved in isolation. Rather, the occurrence of a disaster is a symptom of broader and more basic problems. Since 1994 a team of over 100 expert academics and practitioners, including members of the private sector, have assessed, evaluated, and summarised knowledge about natural and technological hazards in the USA from the perspectives of physical, natural, social and behavioural, and engineering sciences. The major thesis of the findings is that hazard losses, and the fact that there seems to be an inability to reduce such losses, are the consequences of narrow and short-sighted development patterns, cultural premises, and attitudes toward the natural environment, science, and technology. A way for people and the nation to take responsibility for disaster losses, to design future hazard losses, and to link hazard mitigation to sustainable development is proposed. This paper offers a USA perspective. However, it is hoped the paper will provide private and public decision-makers globally with insights upon which to evaluate the effectiveness of their respective nation’s hazard mitigation frameworks.

The full paper has been published in Adobe Acrobat format. If you already have Adobe Acrobat installed, click here to view the paper. (72Kb)