Natural Hazards Data Resources Directory: A Resource for the Disaster and HazardManagement Community of Practitioners and Research Scholars

摘要

A natural hazard is a rare or extreme event in nature that adversely impactshuman life, property, or activity. No human settlements are free from the risk of natural hazards, therefore it is vital that researchers and decision-makers have access to all available hazards information. Information needs are especially acute as we enter the 1990s, and we contemplate rising tolls from natural hazards worldwide. In response to this threat, the United Nations General Assembly designated the 1990s the Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction--a 10-year period devoted to improved efforts to reduce losses from natural extremes. The challenge to the hazards community is to halt or reverse the trend of rising impacts. Experience suggests that enough knowledge already exists, if properly applied, to substantially reduce both human and property losses from natural disasters. The United Nations called upon all countries to: establish national Decade programs which examine their capabilities for reducing the toll of natural hazards; assess the particular requirements of their respective countries in order to improve those capabilities; and develop a strategy for attaining these goals. An important first step in this process is identifying available information resources that address hazards management and mitigation activities. The directory was compiled to take that step as a contribution to the United States Decade program.