Risk, Vulnerability, and Disaster Prevention in Large Cities

Author(s)
Cohen, M.
Publication language
English
Pages
20pp
Date published
01 Jan 2000
Publisher
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Response and recovery, Disaster preparedness, Disasters, Urban, Disaster preparedness, resilience and risk reduction

This work is a brief descriptive history. It provides an overview of disasters that have
occurred in large urban centers over the last 30 years, as well as the damages and deaths these have caused. I believe that phenomena with destructive potential will occur with greater force in urban conglomerations, since the degree of vulnerability in these areas is quite high.
I discuss the factors behind the disasters in large cities, with special emphasis on the processes of urbanization and growing metropolization worldwide; random urban growth, destruction of the environment; urban poverty; and the low levels of economic and institutional development available to prevent and mitigate natural and/or man-made disasters.