Eos,Vol. 82, No. 3,January 16, 2001

Revised Position on Natural Hazards PAGE 28

At the 2000 Fall Meeting in December, the AGU Council reaffirmed a revised version of AGU's position statement,"Meeting the Challenges of Natural Hazards." This position was first adopted in 1996. The revised version (see accompanying text box) contains the same message as the origi­nal, but in concise language more easily understood by policy-makers and other non-scientists.

The statement calls for more research in the geophysical processes to help understand the nature of natural hazards. However, it also clearly indicates that research alone will not improve the ability of society to withstand a natural disaster. Multidisciplinary approaches involving groups as disparate as builders, insurers, and relief organizations are required to improve mitigation efforts worldwide. The policy statement also emphasizes the need to communicate the results of scientific research to the pub­lic, especially those communities situated in areas particularly susceptible to extreme natural hazards.

The hazards statement and other AGU position statements are available online via AGU's Sc ience & Policy Web page at www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/sci_pol.html.

— Peter Folger, Public Affairs Manager, AGU

AGU's Position Statement on Meeting the Challenges of Natural Hazards PAGE 28

Natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, hurri­canes, landslides, meteors, space weather, tornadoes, volcanoes, and other geophysical phenomena) are an integral component of our dynamic planet. These can have disas­trous effects on vulnerable communities and ecosystems. By understanding how and where hazards occur, what causes them, and what circumstances increase their severity we can develop effective strategies to reduce their impact. In practice, mitigating hazards requires addressing issues such as real-time monitoring and prediction, emergency preparedness, public education and awareness, post-disaster recovery engineering, construction practices, land use, and building codes. Coordinated

approaches involving scientists, engineers, policy-makers, builders, lenders, insurers, news media, educators, relief organizations, and the public are therefore essential to reducing the adverse effects of natural hazards.

In order to reduce our vulnerability to natu­ral hazards, AGU strongly endorses;

• fundamental research on Earth and space and monitoring of natural hazards;

• dissemination of the relevant results to the public, especially vulnerable communities, and,

• implementation of multidisciplinary efforts needed to apply effective mitigation strategies worldwide.

Adopted by AGU Council December 1996; revised and reaffirmed December 2000

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