Rothstein Associates Inc.

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 know 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 in
an examination of past disaster losses and hazards management over the past 20 years,
including factors -- demographic, climate, social -- that influence loss.

An activity of The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR).

CONTENTS:

1 A SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK FOR NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Origins and Development of the Current Approach
Moving Beyond Existing Approaches
Principles of Sustainable Hazards Mitigation
Conclusion

2 SCENARIOS OF SUSTAINABLE HAZARDS MITIGATION
Miami, Florida
Boulder, Colorado
San Francisco, California
Sustainability and Hazards Mitigation

3 LOSSES, COSTS, AND IMPACTS
Deaths, Injuries, and Dollar Losses
Other Impacts
Hazard Losses by State
Issues in Loss and Impact Measurement
Future Losses
Data Needs
Conclusion

4 THE INTERACTIVE STRUCTURE OF HAZARD
Systems
The Hazardousness of the Nation

5 INFLUENCES ON THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MITIGATION
Decisionmaking Processes
Social Influences
Economic Factors
Legal Considerations
Other Influences
Conclusion

6 TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE HAZARDS MITIGATION
Land-Use Planning and Management
Building Codes and Standards
Insurance
Prediction, Forecast, and Warning
Engineering
Conclusion

7 PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
Disasters
Disaster Preparedness
Response
Factors That Influence Preparedness and Response
Recovery and Reconstruction
Conclusions

8 INNOVATIVE PATHS AND NEW DIRECTIONS
New Technology and Approaches
The Research Infrastructure
Education
International Comparisons and Exchanges
Model Communities
Conclusion

9 GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
One View of Sustainable Hazards Mitigation in Action
Some Policy and Research Steps That Need to Be Taken
A Final Word

REFERENCES

Appendix A: Recommendations for Further Traditional Research
Appendix B: Impacts of the 1975 Assessment
Appendix C: Putting Knowledge into Practice

INDEX


AUTHORS:

Dennis S. Mileti, University of Colorado at Boulder, with the contributions of participants in
the Assessment of Research and Applications on Natural Hazards.

1999, 376 pages. Order #DR422.

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