Natural Disasters
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` This book sets the standard and will be the classic work against which newcomers will be judged.....the best single available text for courses in disaster studies in disciplines from anthropology and sociology to geology, geography, and the atmospheric sciences.' Ian Burton, Environment Canada
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
As a well balanced and fully illustrated introductory text, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the physical, technological and social components of natural disaster. The main disaster-producing agents are reviewed systematically in terms of geophysical processes and effects, monitoring, mitigation and warning. The relationship between disasters and society is examined with respect to a wide variety of themes, including damage assessment and prevention, hazard mapping, emergency preparedness, the provision of shelter and the nature of reconstruction. Medical emergencies and the epidemiology of disasters are described, and refugee management and aid to the Third World are discussed. A chapter is devoted to the sociology, psychology, economics and history of disasters.; In many parts of the world the toll of death, injury, damage and deprivation caused by natural disasters is becoming increasingly serious. Major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods and other similar catastrophes are often followed by large relief operations characterized by substantial involvement of the international community. The years 1990-2000 have therefore been designated by the United Nations as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.; The book goes beyond mere description and elevates the field of natural catastrophes to a serious academic level. The author's insights and perspectives are also informed by his practical experience of being a disaster victim and survivor, and hence the unique perspective of a participant observer. Only by surmounting the boundaries between disciplines can natural catastrophe be understood and mitigation efforts made effective. Thus, this book is perhaps the first completely interdisciplinary, fully comprehensive survey of natural hazards and disasters. It has a clear theoretical basis and it recognizes the importance of six fundamental approaches to the field, which it blends carefully in the text in order to avoid the partiality of previous works. It covers the earth and social sciences, as well as engineering, architecture and development studies. This breadth is made possible by virtue of a strong emphasis on simple principles of the interaction of geophysical agents with human vulnerability and response.; All students of environmental sciences/studies and geography should find this book useful. It is an introductory text which treats this dramatic subject area as something demanding serious academic treatment and not just as an assemblage of horror stories.; This book is intended for undergraduate students in geography and environmental studies/sciences. The book should also appeal to any professional or researcher concerned with man- environment relations, whether in social science or natural science or engineering.
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First Sentence
Globally, it appears that the toll of death and damage in natural disasters is increasing (Fig. 1.1), although there is no international databank of sufficient comprehensiveness to verify this supposition. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Globally, it appears that the toll of death and damage in natural disasters is increasing (Fig. 1.1), although there is no international databank of sufficient comprehensiveness to verify this supposition. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A short review of "Natural Disasters"
9 Aug 2004
Format:Hardcover
The author has written this book with the purpose to make a general work on natural hazards that synthesizes it in an accessible and sufficiently comprehensive form. He has tried to transcend the boundaries of disciplines while describing the, in essence very multidisciplinary, nature of geophysical and hydrological hazards.
It is always the difficult dilemma with books on natural hazards. Should it focus on certain aspects of the hazard (its probability of occurrence, its damage potential, the effectiveness of mitigation measures and building codes, its human behaviour and injury causation during the catastrophe, etc), or should the book be presented as a complete entity which involves physical, technological, economic and social realities? The author has chosen for the second option, although he does present now and then parts of the first option.
Many books on natural hazards too often fall to an anecdotal level of 'horror stories' lacking a serious academic treatment of the subject. Although the author includes many case studies in his book, he describes them in a very accurate and objective way. Alexander holds professorships in Massachusetts and in Italy (Siena and Urbino), and therefore many studies from Italy are presented in the book.
The author finishes his book with a chapter on international strategies against disasters. He reviews the national policies, which vary from disaster relief, to technological adjustments, to comprehensive damage reduction, to multiple hazard management. Also the worldwide strategies of the UN (resolution 42/169 of 1987) adopting the IDNDR of the 90s (International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction) are highlighted.
The sections on risk analysis in the book are interesting, although a bit outdated. Since the publication of the book in 1993 there has been a major step forward in the risk assessments of structures subject to extreme environmental loads.
It is always the difficult dilemma with books on natural hazards. Should it focus on certain aspects of the hazard (its probability of occurrence, its damage potential, the effectiveness of mitigation measures and building codes, its human behaviour and injury causation during the catastrophe, etc), or should the book be presented as a complete entity which involves physical, technological, economic and social realities? The author has chosen for the second option, although he does present now and then parts of the first option.
Many books on natural hazards too often fall to an anecdotal level of 'horror stories' lacking a serious academic treatment of the subject. Although the author includes many case studies in his book, he describes them in a very accurate and objective way. Alexander holds professorships in Massachusetts and in Italy (Siena and Urbino), and therefore many studies from Italy are presented in the book.
The author finishes his book with a chapter on international strategies against disasters. He reviews the national policies, which vary from disaster relief, to technological adjustments, to comprehensive damage reduction, to multiple hazard management. Also the worldwide strategies of the UN (resolution 42/169 of 1987) adopting the IDNDR of the 90s (International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction) are highlighted.
The sections on risk analysis in the book are interesting, although a bit outdated. Since the publication of the book in 1993 there has been a major step forward in the risk assessments of structures subject to extreme environmental loads.
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