| Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, droughts, tsunamis, storm surges, wildfires, tropical cyclones, tornadoes and extreme space weather events become major societal risks when they impinge on vulnerable populations. The growth in world population, its urbanization, and the possibility of climate change and global climate change exacerbate the vulnerability. Three factors that influence vulnerability are examined. Connectivity, susceptibility and resilience. We examine the role of these three factors for episodic disasters, such as those listed above, as well as for chronic hazards, such as air pollution.The IUGG Commission on Geophysical Risk and Sustainability intends to establish a webcyclopedia of geophysical risks and hazards to document the population-hazard interaction. |
|
|