ESOF 2014

Description

Panel Discussion: Natural disasters: can we learn from the past? Extreme geophysical and meteorological events are on the rise. Some may be linked to global warming while others are exaggerated by population growth. Extreme events turn into catastrophes or disasters when they impact vulnerable human communities. Mobility and population growth together with the growth of cities is placing more and more people, property and infrastructure at risk of being affected by extreme natural events. Finding efficient and cost-effective ways of handling potential impacts of natural catastrophes is a pressing challenge. Extreme events have repeatedly struck and communities have coped – or failed to cope – with them in different ways. Historical and archaeological records preserve large amounts of information on the nature of these catastrophes and people‰'s reactions to them. Can we learn lessons from how past extreme events have affected communities? Can we infer which aspects of these past disasters – natural or social ‰– made communities either vulnerable or resilient? And can we use this knowledge to improve resilience now and in the future?

Period	24 Jun 2014
Event type	Conference
Location	København, DenmarkShow on map