Course Introduction

"Natural" disasters occur when and where Nature and Society intersect during extreme events. Draughts, floods, storms, landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are normal, albeit extreme events of the Earth's dynamics. These natural events become disasters only when they affect vulnerable societies. Vulnerability, or lack of resilience, can be caused by many factors such as population dynamics combined with poverty, ignorance or greed that may place people or entire populations into harm's normal way. Or when public and private institutions lack the political capacity, the will, or the resources to build sufficient disaster resilience by persistent assessment, planning and actions. Are disasters the result of an unresolved dichotomy between long-term persistence of natural processes and the short-term horizon of human perceptions and decisions? Are disasters scientifically "predictable"? Do urbanization and industrialization increase human vulnerability to natural hazards or even create new hazards? How do disasters differ in less vs. more developed countries?

We assess science-, technical, policy- and humanitarian needs and opportunities for pre-event mitigation and preparedness and post-event relief and recovery. We explore the role of global economic development to the rapidly increasing risk exposure. Some of this development is unsustainable. Some development is promoted via loans to developing countries for large infrastructure projects. Many of these projects are not properly assessed for the existing hazards to which they will be exposed, or for the new risks they generate. How can external disaster relief best serve indigenous needs and help to build the locally needed resilience and coping capacity? Under what conditions can disaster mitigation become a local and global cultural value with equitable effects? Can disasters be managed without first solving all other societal ills? Can science make a unique contribution to reduce risk exposure and directly build local capacity and disaster resilience, without having to submit to sometimes oppressive or uncivil political norms? Students are challenged to find their own answers to some of these questions based on introductory information provided, and their own research and reasoning.

Objectives:  The aim of this short course is to provide students with insights and skills they need to respond to "natural" disasters during their future professional careers. And to include policies into their regular professional activities with the aim to minimize the exposure of people or entire populations to disasters. While the course is highly condensed, students upon completion of the course should:

1. have some understanding of the power and size distribution of natural processes that during extreme events can lead to disasters;
2. understand that certain aspects of natural hazards are predictable, while others are not;
3. appreciate that the risks taken by society, whether willingly or unwillingly, can generally be quantified in advance, accepting some uncertainty;
4. have gained a basic understanding how risks can be managed using certain tools, before, during and after extreme events;
5. understand that often well intended aid to communities, whether as societal, economic or engineered aid or relief projects, whether on a local, national or international scale, can expose these communities to risks that were not intended or not carefully enough assessed in advance;
6. have gained some understanding of the primary institutions and organizations on a national (US) and international scale which explicitly or implicitly are involved in management of natural disasters;
7. know how to deepen on their own their understanding of the complex interaction between nature and societies during disasters, and improve their professional skills in risk management by introducing them to sources of information available on this subject in a wide variety of media;
8. be able to relish and apply the notion that disasters are manageable, and that as individuals and professionals we can make a difference, albeit mostly in incremental steps.