Reducing Disaster Vulnerability Through Science and Technology

摘要

Today, the United States and many parts of the world are at significant risk of natural and technological disaster. Escalating population growth along coastlines, fault zones, and other hazardous areas means increasing numbers of Americans live and work often unknowingly in harm's way. With the specter of increased technological (anthropogenic) hazards including terrorism modern hazards pose even more ubiquitous threats. The imperative to prepare for and protect against these threats touches every American community. Despite these threats, advances in science and technology are improving the nation's ability to prevent hazards from becoming disasters. Scientific breakthroughs and advanced technologies are being applied to every facet of hazard risk reduction, including precision storm modeling, earthquake shake tables, and innovative mitigation and risk communication techniques. These advances mean that natural and technological hazard events no longer inevitably lead to catastrophic disaster for the communities they threaten.