4.1.2: Natural and Human-Induced Environmental Hazards and Disasters

In coordination with other organizations, develop a new international research programme on natural and human-induced environmental hazards and disasters.

Other Information:

Every year environmental hazards, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis, are responsible for thousands of deaths and extensive damage to livelihoods and property. This is compounded by the increase in human-induced hazards, from pollution through to landslides triggered by deforestation. Whilst the prevalence of hazards varies from one region to another, it is invariably the poorest countries that are least well equipped to cope with their impacts and which suffer most. Like the hazards themselves, scientific research on hazards crosses national borders and is inherently international in nature. However a major challenge for the scientific community is to develop a truly global and interdisciplinary approach to the understanding, prediction, assessment and mitigation of hazards. A key recommendation of the strategic planning exercise (ICSU, 2003a and 2004a), was that ICSU should develop a new international programme in this important area. At the political level, the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Kobe, 2005) provides a timely platform on which such a research agenda can be built. Geohazards is a theme that is of considerable scientific interest to several Scientific Unions and was the major focus of the ICSU Committee on Disaster Reduction. Based on previous work of this Committee, a broad cross-disciplinary initiative on natural and human-induced hazards will be developed. The planning will build on existing strengths within the ICSU membership and Interdisciplinary Bodies, in particular the geohazards activity of the five Geo-Unions8 and the geohazards theme of the International Global Observing Strategy Partnership. It will also incorporate research on the social, ecological and economic aspects of disasters. A Scoping Group was established by the Executive Board in 2005, and reported to the 28th General Assembly (ICSU, 2005f). SPECIFIC ACTIONS: • An ad hoc Planning Group will be established to develop a new international research programme on natural and human-induced environmental hazards and disasters; and • ICSU will work with the UN International Strategy on Disaster Reduction and other international organizations to ensure that existing and new scientific knowledge is used to develop improved hazard-mitigation strategies and policies.

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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