Disasters by Design: A Reassessment of Natural Hazards in the United States

by Dennis S. Mileti

Disasters by Design provides an alternative and sustainable way to view, study, and manage hazards in the United States that would result in disaster-resilient communities, higher environmental quality, inter- and intragenerational equity, economic sustainability, and improved quality of life. This volume provides an overview of what is known about natural hazards, disasters, recovery, and mitigation, how research findings have been translated into policies and programs; and a sustainable hazard mitigation research agenda. Also provided is an examination of past disaster losses and hazards management over the past 20 years, including factors?demographic, climate, social?that influence loss. This volume summarizes and sets the stage for the more detailed books in the series.

Genres: Nonfiction, Grad School

371 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 1999

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t felt this accomplished in finishing a book since One Hundred Years of Solitude.

[Judd Street · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Disasters by Design" is, in essence, a textbook overview to general thinking on disasters and hazards. The book usefully lays out the range of disasters that society faces, the various adaptation, mitigation, and response strategies that are used, and some of the ways in which research needs to be increased and oriented to be maximally beneficial.

In general, the book brings human factors into the equation, though largely only in traditional roles, such as sociological factors behind compliance and preparedness. There are also discussions of integrating different data streams (e.g., GIS and municipal knowledge), though these are more technically focused.

Overall, the book is a useful primer. That said, there are two flaws that take it from (4) to (3) stars. First, it's pretty uncritical in its "disasters are increasing" rhetoric. Nowhere is careful attention given to what's causing these disaster increases; it's just always implied that it's climate change. That's a very real issue, but it's also not the only potential driver of increasingly costly disasters (e.g., building more expensive properties in increasingly vulnerable locations). Second, the book feels quite dated. It's a traditional approach to hazards thinking from the late 90s, meaning that newer texts likely do a better job as an introduction to the subject.

All told, you certainly won't be misled by this book, but given the choice between it and a newer foray into the field, I'd suggest the latter.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling argument for rethinking disaster planning in the United States. Sadly the book is over ten years old at this point, and its age shows. Since this book was written, there have been a number of large disasters, and the book would be much stronger if it included them.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. Well written by a top visionary in the disaster research field.

[mehdi]

analysis natural disaster Mitigation factors with a design approach.