Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster (Routledge Physical Environment Series) - Softcover

Smith, Prof Keith; Smith, Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415224640 ISBN 13: 9780415224642

Publisher: Routledge, 2000

Synopsis

This substantially revised 3rd Edition of Environmental Hazards, argues that knowledge about hazards and hazard mitigation, must be better applied to reduce death and destruction, particularly in developing countries. All the major rapid onset events which directly threaten humans and what they value are covered:
* tectonic hazards - earthquakes and volcanos
* mass movement hazards
* severe storm hazards
* biophysical hazards - temperature extremes, epidemics and wildfires
* hydrological hazards
* technological hazards.
The revised 3rd Edition includes new material on disaster debates and looks forward to future problems in the 21st century. This important book provides a balanced and up-to-date approach to environmental hazards and is ideally suited to act as a course text.

About this title

Review

"'The author's master of this complicated subject is reflected in the way the book is clearly written and well-structured...an important accomplishment considering that the subject continues to cry out for debate and action.' - Environmental Politics (on the 2nd Edition) 'In this third edition of Environmental Hazards, Keith Smith has fashioned yet further improvements to what was already a highly readable, well-informed, broad ranging and accessible text. Essential reading for anyone interested in environmental hazards.' - Professor David K.C. Jones, London School of Economics 'An excellent guide to the field of natural hazards: comprehensive, thorough and well-organized.' - David Alexander, University of Massachusetts 'One area that is particularly appreciated by both myself and students is the overview of what a hazard is...the manner in which each hazard is covered, in terms of causes followed by a series of options for mitigation, in both developed and developing countries, is very useful.' - C. Holt, University College Northampton (on the 2nd Edition)"

Synopsis

Disasters - both natural and tchnological - continue to take their toll on human life and property world-wide. This substantially revised 3rd edition of Environmental Hazards , maintains that knowledge about hazards and hazard mitigation, must still be better applied to reduce death and destruction, especially in developing countries. Environmental Hazards is an objective and thoughtful introduction to key findings from the natural and social sciences and integrates them to provide a comprehensvie assessment of environmental risk and the policy responses which are required to achieve a safer world. Environmental Hazards covers all the major rapid onset events, whether natural or human in origin, which are directly threaten humans, and what they value, on a community scale. The first-half overview emphasises that all disasters arise from a combination of physical exposure and human vulnerability, It includes topics such as disaster databases, problems of monitering the impact of disaster in both developed and developing countries and the management and evaluation of risk. The second half gives a systematic treatment of environmental hazards.

Different types of hazard create different losses in different countries. Extensive global case studies and policy responses are examined and the hazard reduction strategies that are relevant in each case are explained. The revised 3rd edition includes new material on disaster debates, El nino events, sea-level rise and coastal flooding, mega-cities and sustainabiltiy, epidemics, storms, IT and disasters. This complicated subject is presented with a clarity which is re-inforced with excellent summary figures and diagrams. A new colour plate section reflects the new disasters which have occurred since the last edition. References have also been fully up-dated and the author looks towards to future problems in the 21st century. This important book provides a balanced and up-to-date approach to environmental hazards and is ideally suited to act as a course text.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415224640
• ISBN 13: 9780415224642
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 420