Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters : The Economics of Effective Prevention
This report synthesizes knowledge about the effects of natural hazards on human welfare, particularly in its economic aspects. It is a remarkable combination of case studies, data on many scales, and the application of economic principles to the pr...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Publication |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000334955_20101112050234 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2512 |
| Summary: | This report synthesizes knowledge about
the effects of natural hazards on human welfare,
particularly in its economic aspects. It is a remarkable
combination of case studies, data on many scales, and the
application of economic principles to the problems posed by
earthquakes, abnormal weather, and the like. It provides a
deep understanding of the relative roles of the market,
government intervention, and social institutions in
determining and improving both the prevention and the
response to hazardous occurrences. The report looks at
disasters primarily through an economic lens. Economists
emphasize self-interest to explain how people choose the
amount of prevention, insurance, and coping. But lenses can
distort as well as sharpen images, so the report also draws
from other disciplines: psychology to examine how people may
misperceive risks, political science to understand voting
patterns, and nutrition science to see how stunting in
children after a disaster impairs cognitive abilities and
productivity as adults much later. Peering into the future,
the report shows that growing cities will increase exposure
to hazards, but that vulnerability will not rise if cities
are better managed. The intensities and frequencies of
hazards in the coming decades will change with the climate,
and the report examines this complicated and contentious
subject, acknowledging all the limitations of data and science. |
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