Natural Disasters and Adaptation to Climate Change

Sarah Boulter, Jean Palutikof, David John Karoly, Daniela Guitart

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781107010161
• eBook ISBN: 9781107496316
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Meteorology & Climatology

This volume presents eighteen case studies of natural disasters from Australia, Europe, North America and developing countries. By comparing the impacts, it seeks to identify what moves people to adapt, which adaptive activities succeed and which fail, and the underlying reasons, and the factors that determine when adaptation is required and when simply bearing the impact may be the more appropriate response. Much has been written about the theory of adaptation and high-level, especially international, policy responses to climate change. This book aims to inform actual adaptation practice - what works, what does not, and why. It explores some of the lessons we can learn from past disasters and the adaptation that takes place after the event in preparation for the next. This volume will be especially useful for researchers and decision makers in policy and government concerned with climate change adaptation, emergency management, disaster risk reduction, environmental policy and planning.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Contributors
• Preface
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management: Challenges and Opportunities
• Part I Case Studies from North America
• Part II Case Studies from Australia
• Part III Case Studies from Europe
• Part IV Case Studies from the Developing World
• Part V Synthesis Chapters
• Index