{"id":423,"date":"2024-02-02T14:41:38","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T14:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riskknowhow.org\/?post_type=si_story&p=423"},"modified":"2024-03-19T10:05:41","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T10:05:41","slug":"avoiding-disasters","status":"publish","type":"si_story","link":"https:\/\/riskknowhow.org\/risk-know-how-around-the-world\/stories\/avoiding-disasters\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding disasters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To prevent disasters, it is helpful if residents can grasp and teach risk concepts and be empowered to make informed decisions and to help others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Bingley Floods 2015 Boxing Day – Brown Cow Bingley. Credit: Chris Gallagher<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over many years, I have researched various disasters and risks, including islands dealing with volcanic eruptions, wildfires around the world and migration potentially due to climate change, among many others.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are some of my thoughts on how understanding some risk concepts helps us frame effective discussions about and strategies against disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, people believe that disasters are caused by hazards such as floods, earthquakes, or vegetation fires, but more often this is not the case. Instead, disasters are typically caused by people and institutions being unable to deal with these environmental phenomena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When discussing and making decisions to prevent disasters, it is crucial to address the actual risk factors, such as human behavior and social contexts, to tackle effectively the true causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identifying the real risk factors shapes the interpretation of the problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following points are scenarios that I have examined in my years of experience studying risks and disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n