Publisher's Synopsis
Risk Analyses and Actions: A WSPC Reference on Disasters and Dangers, connects and integrates the perils, threats, exposures, and hazards that permeate humanity's existence on Planet Earth. The chapters bring together the difficulties and challenges faced by individuals and collectives - both hourly and across millennia - with outcomes often realized as disasters, emergencies, tragedies, calamities, crises, and catastrophes.The underlying ethos throughout, and the unifying theme across the four volumes, is that the vast majority of these problems are human-made and need not exist. Vulnerabilities are created, perpetuated, and sustained, rather than being tackled, managed, and reduced. The authors demonstrate how dangers and disasters are expressions of the actions and analyses that humanity fails to undertake in order to acknowledge, address, and rectify risks. They also show that when humanity chooses appropriate and proactive pathways, the rewards can be both immediate and long-lasting.Volume 1: Introduction to Principles and ConceptsThis volume introduces, explores, and critically examines key concepts and principles that underpin disaster scholarship and practice. It also challenges readers to reflect on ideas that are often overlooked or undervalued, encouraging engagement with creative and poetic interludes woven throughout the text. By inviting readers to look beyond conventional theories, concepts, and methods, the volume promotes a deeper appreciation of the unique and diverse experiences of people across different cultural and social contexts - highlighting that what is often assumed to be universal may not be so in practice.Volume 2: Policy and Governance in Preventing and Mitigating Disasters and DangersThis volume explores the diverse and interconnected approaches needed for effective policy and governance in addressing today's complex crises - ranging from climate change and natural hazards to conflict and epidemics. Featuring contributions from 31 experts, it presents a rich tapestry of perspectives on disaster risk governance, community resilience, migration, and legal frameworks. The chapters critically examine current practices, offering both foundational insights and bold critiques of existing systems. Common threads include the intersections of climate change with migration, disaster risk reduction, and human rights. Emphasizing inclusive, adaptable, and forward-thinking policy frameworks, this volume advocates for continuous innovation and responsiveness in managing emerging global risks.Volume 3: Actions Towards Disaster Risk ReductionThis volume foregrounds the complexity of local contexts, lived experiences, and diverse worldviews that shape how disasters are understood and addressed. It introduces readers to both longstanding and emerging challenges in disaster risk reduction (DRR), while outlining a range of tools, strategies, and approaches available for tackling them. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, the volume underscores the need for context-sensitive action, acknowledging potential obstacles to implementation. Serving as both a practical resource and a reflective guide, it calls for action rooted in inclusivity, adaptability, and respect for local realities - highlighting the importance of navigating complexity with clarity and care.Volume 4: Living in Anticipation of Disastrous Futures and Everyday Processes of Disaster Risk CreationThis final volume delves into how past and future disasters shape the present, focusing on the temporal dimensions of risk and vulnerability. It examines how societies anticipate crises, experience disaster temporalities, and live with the slow creation of everyday risk. Organized around four themes - Disastrous Futures and Anticipations, Disaster Temporalities, Disaster (Risk) and Everyday Life, and Processes of Disaster Risk - this collection reveals the intricate relationships between uncertainty, perception, and daily existence. Through conceptual analysis and case studies, the chapters challenge static notions of disaster and emphasize the entanglement of time, lived experience, and systemic risk. The volume offers critical insights for rethinking disaster readiness, response, and leadership in an era marked by compounding crises.This essential four-volume resource challenges conventional thinking about risk and resilience, offering new perspectives on how to better understand, analyze, and act in the face of uncertainty and danger.
