Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
assessment in place and careful monitoring, but still 23,000
died from the mudfl ows. There was a failure to communicate the
dangers with suffi cient clarity to those at risk. Gilbert White's
classic model of hazard research, developed from his work on
fl oods, moves through the three steps of physical event, human
vulnerability, and human consequences of disaster. An alternative
model is to place human vulnerability as the fi rst step on the
grounds that the population at risk defi nes the natural hazard.
Natural hazards research is well established. It has made
signifi cant contributions to many kinds of situations including
fl ood plains and now coastal inundations in an era of global
warming. It is a very clear example of the need to apply
geographical skills in an interdisciplinary context in which both
physical and social sciences have key roles to play.
