Course Description and Objectives:

Disaster losses are escalating each year. In order to make sense of this escalation and address it we need to consider the un-natural components of disasters. A disaster is caused by more than the physical phenomena we associate with the event, say a flood, earthquake, hurricane or wildfire, and involve a human condition element in addition to the physical. The conditions of a place and the residents of that place – including economic, political, and social conditions – play a large role in defining the impact of an event and the scope of a disaster. In this course we will explore the un-natural element of disasters and disaster losses and investigate how the perception and experience of environment and of disaster vary according to cultural, social, and economic factors. Studying all of these factors together helps us gain a full understanding the nature of disaster, and the relationship of structural inequalities to disaster loss. The approach will be based on a balance of readings from classic research and recent case study investigations.

Through readings and case studies the course will meet the following learning objectives:

1. To gain an appreciation and understanding of the role of cultural, economic, and social conditions in disaster-scapes throughout the world.
2. To explore the local and global linkage of human and natural systems in disaster contexts.
3. To investigate opportunities to reduce the impacts of disasters on at-risk populations.
4. To examine the significance of risk perception in disaster loss and the role of risk communication before, during and after disasters.