The need for an integrative scientific and societal approach to natural hazards

Abstract

In natural hazard and disaster studies, both the physical and societal aspects require attention. The progress in science and technology, and the capital generated by their use at the beginning of the new millennia, are characterized by unprecedented growth. Yet the annual global economic loss due to natural disasters has shown no signs of decline; every year the insurance industry alone is averaging losses of more than a hundred billion dollars. In addition, trends in the overall number of human casualties in the developing world are not providing an optimistic perspective. In today’s world, single and multiple extreme environmental events cumulatively are causing staggering human tolls in places where people make their livelihood by relying on natural, common property resources. In most cases, it is the poor who do not have many livelihood options who become disaster victims. A prime example is the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that caused the deaths across 11 countries of more than 250,000 people, of which most were poor fishermen. One of the reasons for such a catastrophe was the lack of an early warning system in the region. The knowledge and technology do exist for the tsunami early warning systems, as can be exemplified from their use in the Pacific Ocean region. Yet such a heavy human loss was experienced in southeast Asia due to an underestimation of the ‘vulnerability’ and lack of societal priority to deal with tsunami risk. Like many other nature-triggered disasters, the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami has reaffirmed the need for an integrative approach, incorporating both scientific and societal dimensions, to deal with our risk and vulnerability to environmental hazards. Since its commencement at Ensenada, Mexico in August 1988, the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards has been promoting a holistic approach to natural hazards problems and issues. The roles of policy and decision making in these tasks have been viewed as no less important than scientific and scholarly work. As well, the Natural Hazards Society has been advocating for a shift in hazards and disaster management approaches from an emphasis on response and recovery to prevention and mitigation. When nature-triggered events are rare and impacts are not overwhelming, a