Natural Disasters

Catalog description

The earth's processes - including earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, droughts, wildfires, floods, tropical storms, tsunamis, and climate change that may have negative impacts on our society - are termed "natural disasters." Because the future of our society is highly dependent upon the earth processes and natural resources, it is essential to: 1) examine the origin and distribution of natural hazards, 2) evaluate human influences on Earth systems, 3) mitigate the incidences of major events, and eventually 4) plan our future responses to natural disasters. This course places emphasis on human-environment relationship with the dimensions of societal problem solving, through vulnerability analysis, risk assessment, and management. Students will engage in the assessment of a wide range of potential natural disasters that surround us. They will gain hands-on experience mapping and analyzing them.