In 2007, a three-story-high tsunami slammed the small island of Simbo in the western Solomon Islands. Drawing on over ten years of research, Matthew Lauer provides a vivid and intimate account of this calamitous event and the tumultuous recovery process. His stimulating analysis surveys the unpredictable entanglements of the powerful waves with colonization, capitalism, human-animal communication, spirit beings, ancestral territory, and technoscientific expertise that shaped the disaster’s outcomes. Although the Simbo people had never experienced another tsunami in their lifetimes, nearly everyone fled to safety before the destructive waves hit. To understand their astonishing response, Lauer argues that we need to rethink popular and scholarly portrayals of Indigenous knowledge to avert epistemic imperialism and improve disaster preparedness strategies. In an increasingly disaster-prone era of ecological crises, this provocative book brings new possibilities into view for understanding the causes and consequences of calamity, the unintended effects of humanitarian recovery and mitigation efforts, and the nature of local knowledge.

This book is the result of comprehensive research work on the various aspects of the West Bengal coast including the world's largest riverine delta system, the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta. The role of various hydrodynamic factors in shaping the coastal configuration and physicochemical parameters of coastal waters, soils, and granulometry of beach sands are extensively discussed. The coasts of the Indian peninsula, particularly the east coast, are subjected to severe cyclones, tidal bores, storm surges, and strong drift, which changes the coastal configuration as well as the quality of waters and the fertility of soils. A systematic description of major cyclones and their effects on coastal areas are described in detail. The book offers comprehensive information on the prevailing ecological conditions and lush green mangrove forests with wide-ranging flora and fauna of Sundarbans. UNESCO has declared Sundarbans as one of the world's heritage sites, and as in other parts of the world, some of the coastal areas in West Bengal have attracted the attention of many tourists. Various steps undertaken by the government for coastal zone management and sustainable development of the coastal areas have been highlighted in the book. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of the coastal environment.

One of "The" "New York Times"'s 10 Best Books of the Year, a "Christian Science Monitor" Best Nonfiction Book, a "Newsday "Top 10 Books pick, a "People m"agazine Top 10 pick, a Good Reads Best Book of the Year, and a "Kirkus "Best Nonfiction Book
A National Book Critics Circle Award finalist
In 2004, at a beach resort on the coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala and her family--parents, husband, sons--were swept away by a tsunami. Only Sonali survived to tell their tale. This is her account of the nearly incomprehensible event and its aftermath.

This book introduces a comprehensive understanding in the use of space techniques in natural hazards and risk management in the MENA Region. The book is based on different case-studies from 25 MENA countries, and will be useful in highlighting the issues from all aspects. In recent years the number of natural hazard events has increased in the MENA Region. This is exacerbated by the changing climate and extreme climate events, as well as a large increase in the population in this area. Disastrous events occur on a yearly basis characterized by a vulnerability of physical processes. Floods, earthquakes, and mass movement result in severe damage to property and livelihoods, and have devastating effects upon the environment. These events cause severe financial losses, which on an annual basis, can exceed millions of dollars. The predication, assessment and monitoring approaches remain inadequate in managing these hazards and in mitigating their impacts, but with the development of space techniques and geo-information systems, these situations can now be better managed. The miscellany of satellite images, with different spatial and temporal resolutions, enable the detection of terrain features and provide indications of potential natural risks. This book will of interest to stakeholders, including field experts, academics, researchers and decision makers.

Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 was a devastating continental earthquake which caused 69227 deaths, 374643 injured and 17923 missing people. There are many scientific issues revealed by Wenchuan earthquake, and a lot of research work has been published. During May 12-14, 2018, the International Conference for the Decade Memory of the Wenchuan earthquake, in connection to the 4th International Conference on Continental Earthquakes (4th ICCE) and the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Seismological Commission (ASC), was held in Chengdu, China. This book is a collection of some outcomes of this conference. It's a good professional reference book for seismologists and graduated students to learn about the recent research developments of Wenchuan earthquake and latest research progress on earthquake sequence, seismicity, earthquake physics, earthquake forecasting methods, earthquake disaster assessments, etc.

Creating Katrina, Rebuilding Resilience: Lessons from New Orleans on Vulnerability and Resiliency presents a unique, integrative understanding of Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area, and the progression to disaster vulnerability as well as resilience pathways. The book integrates the understanding of vulnerability and resiliency by examining the relationships among these two concepts and theories. The disaster knowledge of diverse disciplines and professions is brought together in this book, with authors from social work, public health, community organizing, sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, anthropology, geography and the study of religion. The editors offer both expert and an insider perspectives on Katrina because they have lived in New Orleans and experienced Katrina and the recovery. An improved understanding of the recovery and reconstruction phases of disaster is also presented, and these disaster stages have been the least examined in the disaster and emergency management literature.

This book presents practical guidelines and recommendations for the design in seismic-prone regions. It is based on extensive research and it includes original drawings and sketches at the macro and micro levels. It is the first time that an attempt has been made to publish a book on urban design in the seismic-prone regions, covering the needs of government officials, planners, economists, architects, engineers and scientists, with the purpose of planning for seismic risk reduction and the practical implementation of method ologies and findings in earthquake affected regions. The guidelines presented are expected to be immensely beneficial to all countries in the earth quake prone regions, particularly in the developing world.

The Fukushima and Tohoku Disaster: A Review of the Five-Year Reconstruction Efforts covers the outcome of the response, five years later, to the disasters associated with the Great East Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011. The 3.11 disaster, as it is referred to in Japan, was a complex accident, the likes of which humans had never faced before. This book evaluates the actions taken during and after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, for which the Japanese government and people were not prepared. The book also provides recommendations for preparing and responding to disasters for those working and living in disaster-prone areas, making it a vital resource for disaster managers and government agencies.

Science and Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia: Potentials and Challenges provides both a local and global perspective on how to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Topics demonstrate the advancement of scientific research as it applies to early warning systems, including identifying risk and the strengthening of infrastructure for different types of hazards. Through different major disasters, it has become evident that there must be a balance between hard and soft technology and physical, process and social solutions. This book demonstrates how this has been successfully implemented in Asia, and how these applications can apply on a global basis.

Impacts and Insights of Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal offers a practical perspective on disaster risk management using lessons learned and considerations from the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, which was the worst disaster to hit Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. Using a holistic approach to examine seismicity, risk perception and intervention, the book serves as a detailed case study to improve disaster resilience globally, including social, technical, governmental and institutional risk perception, as well as scientific understanding of earthquake disasters. Covering the details of the Gorkha earthquake, including damage mapping and recovery tactics, the book offers valuable insights into ways forward for seismologists, earthquake researchers and engineers and policy-makers.

Many coastal areas of the United States are at risk for tsunamis. After the catastrophic 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, legislation was passed to expand U.S. tsunami warning capabilities. Since then, the nation has made progress in several related areas on both the federal and state levels. At the federal level, NOAA has improved the ability to detect and forecast tsunamis by expanding the sensor network. Other federal and state activities to increase tsunami safety include: improvements to tsunami hazard and evacuation maps for many coastal communities; vulnerability assessments of some coastal populations in several states; and new efforts to increase public awareness of the hazard and how to respond.
Tsunami Warning and Preparedness explores the advances made in tsunami detection and preparedness, and identifies the challenges that still remain. The book describes areas of research and development that would improve tsunami education, preparation, and detection, especially with tsunamis that arrive less than an hour after the triggering event. It asserts that seamless coordination between the two Tsunami Warning Centers and clear communications to local officials and the public could create a timely and effective response to coastal communities facing a pending tsuanami.
According to Tsunami Warning and Preparedness, minimizing future losses to the nation from tsunamis requires persistent progress across the broad spectrum of efforts including: risk assessment, public education, government coordination, detection and forecasting, and warning-center operations. The book also suggests designing effective interagency exercises, using professional emergency-management standards to prepare communities, and prioritizing funding based on tsunami risk.

'A work of sheer brilliance, beauty and bravery' Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less 'Masterly... Her essays have a clarity and prescience that imply a sort of distant, retrospective view, like postcards sent from the near future' New York Times We stare at our phones. We keep multiple tabs open. Our chats and conversations are full of the phrase "Did you see?" The feeling that we're living in the worst of times seems to be intensifying, alongside a desire to know precisely how bad things have gotten. Poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert's The Unreality of Memory consists of a series of lyrical and deeply researched meditations on what our culture of catastrophe has done to public discourse and our own inner lives. In these tender and prophetic essays, she focuses in on our daily preoccupation and favorite pasttime: desperate distraction from disaster by way of a desperate obsession with the disastrous. Moving from public trauma to personal tragedy, from the Titanic and Chernobyl to illness and loss, The Unreality of Memory alternately rips away the facade of our fascination with destruction and gently identifies itself with the age of rubbernecking. A balm, not a burr, Gabbert's essays are a hauntingly perceptive analysis of the anxiety intrinsic in our new, digital ways of being, and also a means of reconciling ourselves to this new world. 'One of those joyful books that send you to your notebook every page or so, desperate not to lose either the thought the author has deftly placed in your mind or the title of a work she has now compelled you to read.' Paris Review

This book proposes the use of green infrastructure to balance biodiversity conservation and disaster management. Paddy fields are one example of such infrastructure and are the focus of this book. In Japan, abandoned, once-cultivated land is increasing in the paddy fields due to the aging of society and recent depopulation. The author proposes to consolidate such lands and create wetlands because the paddy fields hold water during heavy rains, which prevents floods and protects cities. This is essential, considering that extreme weather conditions have increased the risk of flood damage in Japan. Not only do such wetlands hold water during the flood season, they also provide habitats for aquatic life and places for children to learn about the natural environment. In addition, fish farming in the wetlands will provide food for many people. The increase in water disasters associated with global warming is occurring not only in Japan but globally. The proposal presented in this book will help government officials around the world, especially those involved in urban and rural planning, to consider disaster management-an idea that will be welcomed by both engineers and biologists.

Urban Planning for Disaster Recovery focuses on disaster recovery from the perspective of urban planning, an underutilized tactic that can significantly reduce disaster risks. The book examines disaster risk reduction (DRR), in particular, the recovery stage of what is widely known as the disaster cycle. The theoretical underpinning of the book derives from a number of sources in urban planning and disaster management literature, and is illustrated by a series of case studies. It consists of five sections, each of which opens with a conceptual framework that is followed by a series of supporting and illustrative cases as practical examples. These examples both complement and critique the theoretical base provided, demonstrating the need to apply the concepts in location-specific ways.

This volume examines how local communities respond and adapt to ecological changes and disasters resulting from climate change. The main aim of the book is to understand the range of human responses to ecological change and to contextualise the reasons for adopting any particular adaptive strategy by a community. Through the help of specific case studies presented as individual chapters, the book aims to find out whether adaptation due to environmental stress is an individual decision and, therefore, is an isolated phenomenon, or if resilience and adaptation are part of the same action paradigm of society as a whole in response to environmental change. Of particular interest are the case studies of climate change or disasters that have rendered the site unsuitable for the return of its community at present, and thus necessitated the relocation of such communities to new locations. The case studies in the book focus on regions in India, but cover different parts of the world as well, and address concepts of resilience, vulnerability, risk, adaptation, and mitigation. The book will be useful for students and researchers in the fields of geography, disaster management, environmental science, and anthropology.

The recent understandings about global earth mechanics are widely based on huge amounts of monitoring data accumulated using global networks of precise seismic stations, satellite monitoring of gravity, very large baseline interferometry, and the Global Positioning System. New discoveries in materials sciences of rocks and minerals and of rock deformation with fluid water in the earth also provide essential information. This book presents recent work on natural geometry, spatial and temporal distribution patterns of various cracks sealed by minerals, and time scales of their crack sealing in the plate boundary. Furthermore, the book includes a challenging investigation of stochastic earthquake prediction testing by means of the updated deep machine learning of a convolutional neural network with multi-labeling of large earthquakes and of the generative autoencoder modeling of global correlated seismicity. Their manifestation in this book contributes to the development of human society resilient from natural hazards. Presented here are (1) mechanics of natural crack sealing and fluid flow in the plate boundary regions, (2) large-scale permeable convection of the plate boundary, (3) the rapid process of massive extrusion of plate boundary rocks, (4) synchronous satellite gravity and global correlated seismicity, (5) Gaussian network dynamics of global correlated seismicity, and (6) prediction testing of plate boundary earthquakes by machine learning and generative autoencoders.

This book deals with important topics of current interest, such as climate change, floods, drought, and hydrological extremes. The impact of climate change on water resources is drawing worldwide attention in these days; water resources in many countries are already stressed and climate change along with burgeoning population, rising standard of living, and increasing demand are adding to the stress. Further, river basins are becoming less resilient to climatic vagaries. Fundamental to addressing these issues is hydrological modelling which is covered in these books. Further, integrated water resources management is vital to ensure water and food security. Integral to the management is groundwater and solute transport. The books encompass tools that will be useful to mitigate the adverse consequences of natural disasters. This book is useful for those working in river and coastal engineering. River Engineering is important for fluvial hydraulics, sediment transport, morphometry, desilting, trap efficiency, silting and desilting process. Coastal engineering includes storm surge forecast, optimization of harbour, wave modelling, and shoreline changes.

In the winter of 1811-12, a series of large earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone-often incorrectly described as the biggest ever to hit the United States-shook the Midwest. Today the federal government ranks the hazard in the Midwest as high as California's and is pressuring communities to undertake expensive preparations for disaster.

Coinciding with the two-hundredth anniversary of the New Madrid earthquakes, "Disaster Deferred" revisits these earthquakes, the legends that have grown around them, and the predictions of doom that have followed in their wake. Seth Stein clearly explains the techniques seismologists use to study Midwestern quakes and estimate their danger. Detailing how limited scientific knowledge, bureaucratic instincts, and the media's love of a good story have exaggerated these hazards, Stein calmly debunks the hype surrounding such predictions and encourages the formulation of more sensible, less costly policy. Powered by insider knowledge and an engaging style, "Disaster Deferred" shows how new geological ideas and data, including those from the Global Positioning System, are painting a very different-and much less frightening-picture of the future.

Provides an understanding of the relationship between social-ecological systems and multilevel governance so that readers can properly deal with hydrometeorological extreme events and hazards Based on field investigations from EU research projects, this book is the first to devote itself to scientific and policy-related knowledge concerning climate change-induced extreme events. It depicts national and international strategies, as well as tools used to improve multilevel governance for the management of hydrometeorological risks. It also demonstrates how these strategies play out over different scales of the decision-making processes. Facing Hydrometeorological Extreme Events: A Governance Issue offers comprehensive coverage of such events as floods, droughts, coastal storms, and wind storms. It showcases real-life success stories of multilevel governance and highlights the individuals involved and the resources mobilized in the decision-making processes. The book starts by presenting a synthesis of hydrometeorological extreme events and their impacts on society. It then demonstrates how societies are organizing themselves to face these extreme events, focusing on the strategies of integration of risk management in governance and public policy. In addition, it includes the results of several EU-funded projects such as CLIMB, STARFLOOD, and INTERREG IVB project DROP. The first book dedicated to hydrometeorological extreme events governance based on field investigations from EU research projects Offers a "multi-hazards" approach--mixing policy, governance, and field investigations' main outputs Features the results of EU-funded projects addressing hydrometeorological extreme events Part of the Hydrometeorological Extreme Events series Facing Hydrometeorological Extreme Events is an ideal book for upper-graduate students, postgraduates, researchers, scientists, and policy-makers working in the field.

This book discusses the impact of climate change, land use and land cover, and socio-economic dynamics on landslides in Asian countries. Scholars recently have brought about a shift in their focus regarding triggering factors for landslides, from rainfall or earthquake to claiming rapid urbanization, extreme population pressure, improper land use planning, illegal hill cutting for settlements and indiscriminate deforestation. This suggests that the occurrence or probabilities of landslides are shaped by both climate-related and non-climate-related anthropogenic factors. Among these issues, land use and land cover change or improper land use planning is one of the key factors. Further climate change shapes the rainfall pattern and intensity in different parts of the world, and consequently rainfall-triggered landslides have increased. These changes cause socio-economic changes. Conversely, socio-economic and lifestyle changes enhance inappropriate land use and climate change. All these changes in land use, climate and socio-economic aspects are dynamics in nature and shape landslide risks in Asian countries, where they are given serious attention by governments, disaster management professionals, researchers and academicians. This book comprises 21 chapters divided into three major sections highlighting the effect of climate change on landslide incidence with the influence on vegetation and socio-economic aspects. The sections address how climate change and extreme events have triggered landslides. The advances in geospatial techniques with the focus on land use and land cover change along with the effect on socio-economic aspects are also explored.

Biological and Environmental Hazards, Risks, and Disasters provides an integrated look at major impacts to the Earth's biosphere. Many of these are caused by diseases, algal blooms, insects, animals, species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, and comet and asteroid strikes that have important implications for humans. This volume, from Elsevier's Hazards and Disasters Series, provides an in-depth view of threats, ranging from microscopic organisms to celestial objects. Perspectives from both natural and social sciences provide an in-depth understanding of potential impacts.

This book presents key principles of the hydraulics of river basins, with a unique focus on the interplay between stream flows and sediment transport. Addressing a number of basic topics related to the hydraulics of river systems, above all it emphasizes applicative aspects in order to provide the reader with a solid grasp of river engineering. The understanding of the river hydraulics is essential for the assessment of optimum locations for the conservation of water resources and its structures. This book will be interesting to readers and researchers working in the specialized area of river hydraulics of Ganga basin, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, and other basins of India. It consists of review on hydraulics of meandering river; hydraulic design of reservoir in permeable pavement; optimization of hydraulic design; hydraulic investigations to optimize the design of spillway and design of energy dissipater; and analysis of performance of orifice spillway using computational fluid dynaics

This book summarizes the achievements and experience of the Yangtze River rehabilitation and protection, analyzes the new situation and requirements of the Yangtze River rehabilitation and protection, and discusses the main issues and their solution alternatives for the Yangtze River rehabilitation and protection efforts. The Yangtze River, respected as the mother river of the Chinese nation, contributes immensely toward the socioeconomic development of China and braces up the national strategies such as the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, etc. Whether the Yangtze River is under good stewardship has implications on not only the wellbeing of more than 400 million inhabitants in the basin, but also in broader sense the overall sustainability of socioeconomic development of the whole country. This book which has two parts, provides a multidirectional analysis of Yangtze River rehabilitation and protection. The first part explores the stages, achievements, and the future of the Yangtze rehabilitation and protection. Major issues existing in Yangtze River Basin rehabilitation and protection are discussed in the second part. Many pictures, charts, and diagrams are involved providing an understanding of the situation of Yangtze River Basin.

This book presents the select proceedings of the Virtual Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (VCDRR 2021). It provides insights on urban resilience and sustainable infrastructure. All the chapters in this volume are segregated into five clusters, e.g., Resilient infrastructure in construction, Innovative construction interventions, Waste Management and Disaster Risk Reduction, Urban Development and Sustainability, and Cross-cutting issues. Various topics covered in this book are risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response, renewable energy, waste management, resilient cities, and environmental management. This book is a comprehensive volume on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and its management for a sustainable built environment. This book will be useful for the students, researchers, policy makers and professionals working in the area of civil engineering, especially disaster management.

This is a textbook for non-atmospheric specialists who work in the coastal zone. Its purpose will be to help coastal environmental, engineering, and planning professionals to understand coastal atmospheric processes. This in turn will allow more effective communication with climate modelers, atmospheric environmental consultants, and members of the media. The coastal environment is among the most intensively used and chronically abused components of the Earth-ocean-atmosphere system. It is also home to an ever-increasing proportion of humanity with their increasing development, trade, transportation, and industrial activities, amid increasing impacts of natural hazards. The atmosphere is an integral part of the system, with all of the above human activities affecting and being affected by atmospheric processes and hazards. Yet few of the specialists studying the coastal environment have expertise on atmospheric processes, this therefore presents a highly relevant textbook on coastal atmospheric processes.