Assessment of vulnerability to natural hazards : a European perspective

__Assessment of Vulnerability to Natural Hazards__ covers the vulnerability of human and environmental systems to climate change and eight natural hazards: earthquakes, floods, landslides, avalanches, forest fires, drought, coastal erosion, and heat waves. This book is an important contribution to the field, clarifying terms and investigating the nature of vulnerability to hazards in general and in various specific European contexts. In addition, this book helps improve understanding of vulnerability and gives thorough methodologies for investigating situations in which people and their environments are vulnerable to hazards. With case studies taken from across Europe, the underlying theoretical frame is transferrable to other geographical contexts, making the content relevant worldwide. * Provides a framework of theory and methodology designed to help researchers and practitioners understand the phenomenon of vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters and to climate change * Contains case studies that illustrate how to apply the methodology in different ways to diverse hazards in varied settings (rural, urban, coastal, mountain, and more) * Describes how to validate the results of methodology application in different situations and how to respond to the needs of diverse groups of stakeholders represented by the public and private sectors, civil society, researchers, and academics Content: Front matter, Page iii Copyright, Page iv Contributors, Pages vii-viii, David E. Alexander, Marjory Angignard, Alex H. Barbat, Jörn Birkmann, Omar D. Cardona, Martha Liliana Carreño, Salete Carvalho, Diana Contreras, Yaella Depietri, Nicolas Desramaut, Unni Eidswig, Manuel Garcin, Thomas Glade, Stefan Greiving, Christian Iasio, Margareth Keiler, Stefan Kienberger, Maria Papathoma-Köhle, Mabel C. Marulanda, Roberto Miniati, Lydia Pedoth, et al. Introduction Vulnerability: a key determinant of risk and its importance for risk management and sustainability, Pages ix-xiii, Jörn Birkmann, Stefan Kienberger, David E. Alexander Chapter 1 - Theoretical and Conceptual Framework for the Assessment of Vulnerability to Natural Hazards and Climate Change in Europe: The MOVE Framework, Pages 1-19, Jörn Birkmann, Omar D. Cardona, Martha Liliana Carreño, Alex H. Barbat, Mark Pelling, Stefan Schneiderbauer, Stefan Kienberger, Margareth Keiler, David E. Alexander, Peter Zeil, Torsten Welle Chapter 2 - Holistic Evaluation of Seismic Risk in Barcelona, Pages 21-52, Martha Liliana Carreño, Alex H. Barbat, Omar D. Cardona, Mabel C. Marulanda Chapter 3 - Spatial and Holistic Assessment of Social, Economic, and Environmental Vulnerability to Floods—Lessons from the Salzach River Basin, Austria, Pages 53-73, Stefan Kienberger, Diana Contreras, Peter Zeil Chapter 4 - Vulnerability to Earthquakes and Floods of the Healthcare System in Florence, Italy, Pages 75-89, Roberto Miniati, Christian Iasio Chapter 5 - Vulnerability Assessment to Heat Waves, Floods, and Earthquakes Using the MOVE Framework: Test Case Cologne, Germany, Pages 91-124, Torsten Welle, Yaella Depietri, Marjory Angignard, Jörn Birkmann, Fabrice Renaud, Stefan Greiving Chapter 6 - Vulnerability to Drought and Heatwave in London: Revealing Institutionally Configured Risk, Pages 125-148, Zehra Zaidi, Mark Pelling Chapter 7 - Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment of Forest Fires and Coastal Erosion: Evidences from Case-Study Analysis in Portugal, Pages 149-177, Fantina Tedim, Manuel Garcin, Charlotte Vinchon, Salete Carvalho, Nicolas Desramaut, Jeremy Rohmer Chapter 8 - Vulnerability to Heat Waves, Floods, and Landslides in Mountainous Terrain: Test Cases in South Tyrol, Pages 179-201, Maria Papathoma-Köhle, Thorsten Ulbrich, Margareth Keiler, Lydia Pedoth, Reinhold Totschnig, Thomas Glade, Stefan Schneiderbauer, Unni Eidswig Chapter 9 - Conclusion: Assessing Vulnerability in Europe and the World, Pages 203-214, David E. Alexander Index, Pages 215-219

Assessment of Vulnerability to Natural Hazards covers the vulnerability of human and environmental systems to climate change and eight natural hazards: earthquakes, floods, landslides, avalanches, forest fires, drought, coastal erosion, and heat waves.

This book is an important contribution to the field, clarifying terms and investigating the nature of vulnerability to hazards in general and in various specific European contexts. In addition, this book helps improve understanding of vulnerability and gives thorough methodologies for investigating situations in which people and their environments are vulnerable to hazards. With case studies taken from across Europe, the underlying theoretical frame is transferrable to other geographical contexts, making the content relevant worldwide.

• Provides a framework of theory and methodology designed to help researchers and practitioners understand the phenomenon of vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters and to climate change
• Contains case studies that illustrate how to apply the methodology in different ways to diverse hazards in varied settings (rural, urban, coastal, mountain, and more)
• Describes how to validate the results of methodology application in different situations and how to respond to the needs of diverse groups of stakeholders represented by the public and private sectors, civil society, researchers, and academics

"Reducing risk that emerges from hazards of natural origin and societal vulnerability is a key challenge for the development of more resilient communities and the overall goal of sustainable development. Newest global assessment reports (GAR 2011, Welle et al. 2012; IPCC 2013) underscore that risk reduction and resilience building remains a key challenge for developing and developed countries alike particularly due to the increasing exposure of people and assets in high risk zones and the intensification of extreme events in the context of climate change (see e.g. IPCC 2013). It is increasingly recognized that natural hazard associated risk and threats to human security cannot be reduced by focusing solely on the hazards. Societies will have to live with changing environmental conditions and therefore need to build resilience by reducing vulnerabilities to natural hazards. Vulnerability assessment of natural hazards and climate change has emerged in the past decades as an important research field (see e.g., Maskrey, 1984; Chambers, 1989; Pelling, 1997; Cardona, 2001; Birkmann, 2006a/b; Adger, 2006; IPCC, 2007; Bohle, 2008; Bohle and Glade, 2008; Oxfam America, 2009, Birkmann 2013) bringing together scientists from different disciplines (Fuchs, 2009)"-- Provided by publisher