Mitigation of Dangers from Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards

Frederic R. Siegel is Professor Emeritus at The George Washington University. His books Applied Geochemistry (1974), Geoquimica Aplicada (1991), Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards in Development Planning (1996), Environmental Geochemistry of Potentially Toxic Metals ((2001/2002), Demands of Expanding Populations and Development Planning (2008), and Countering 21st Century Social-Environmental Threats to Growing Global Populations reflect Dr. Siegel’s cumulative teaching and research experience in marine, exploration, and environmental geochemistry, and his work to alleviate or eliminate environmental problems related to physical, social, chemical, and economic conditions associated with planned development projects.

Preface.- Introduction To Hazards and Factors That Affect Impacts On Global Societies.- Mitigation.- Risk Assessment/Vulnerability.- Conditions That Aggravate The Effects Of A Hazard On Citizens And Property.- Early Warning Systems (EWS).- Damping The Dangers From Tectonics-Driven Hazards: Earthquakes and Volcanoes.- Earthquakes.- Volcanoes.- Lessening The Impacts From Non-Tectonic (Natural) Hazards and Triggered Events.- Magnified Impact Of Natural Hazards From Global Warming/Climate Change And Inadequate Land-Use Planning.- Disease.- Natural Processes That Endanger Food Security Linked To Climate Change.- Land-Use Planning To Minimize Dangers To Citizens and Ecosystems.- Physical Siting Of Locations For Housing, Commerce, Industry and Parkland.- Pollution.- Mitigation of Hazard Impacts On Ecosystems And Their Inhabitants: Possible For Some, Not Possible For Others.- Mitigation Of Impacts On Ecosystems And Their Inhabitants Directly From Human Activities.- Mitigation Economics.- Insurance As A Mitigator of Post-Hazard Economic Stress: Coverage and Exclusions.- Conflicts/Wars: Human Driven Events That Injure/Kill people And Damage/Destroy Property.- Uncommon But Noteworthy Natural Disasters.- Epilogue.- Index.

It has 21 chapters ... and is filled with concise detail, with lots of references given at the end of every chapter. It is current, with some references made to disasters in 2015. It is a summary of all the various types of natural and anthropogenic hazards one could possibly imagine ... . This book is a worthwhile ... read and I would suggest that Geohazards students do give it a whirl - you may find something new." (Jane A. Michael, Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society, Vol. 3, 2017)