Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2019: Natech

2007

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Secretariat. The designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the UN Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR), 2019

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2019

Industrial facilities and critical infrastructure are vulnerable to the impact of natural hazards. These impacts can trigger so-called Natech accidents and the release of toxic substances, fires and explosions, potentially resulting in health effects, environmental pollution and economic losses. Different factors drive Natech risk, including technical issues linked to the characteristics inherent in Natech events, as well as risk governance and socioeconomic challenges. This paper discusses the most important Natech risk drivers in detail, gives examples of existing instruments for Natech risk management in the European Union and at international level, and proposes a set of basic indicators to help measure a country's level of Natech risk reduction. It concludes with targeted recommendations on how to close persisting gaps related to Natech research and policy challenges.

Natural Hazards, 2008

The present state-of-the-art for natech risk and management is discussed. Examples of recent natechs include catastrophic oil spills associated with Hurricane Katrina and hazardous chemical releases in Europe during the heavy floods of 2002. Natechs create difficult challenges for emergency responders due to the geographical extent of the natural disaster, the likelihood of simultaneous releases, emergency personnel being preoccupied with response to the natural disaster, mitigation measures failing due to the effects of the natural disaster, and others. Recovery from natechs may be much more difficult than for “normal” chemical accidents, as the economic and social conditions of the industrial facility and the surrounding community may have been drastically altered by the natural disaster. Potential safeguards against natechs include adoption of stricter design criteria, chemical process safeguards, community land use planning, disaster mitigation and response planning, and sustainable industrial processes, but these safeguards are only sporadically applied. Ultimately, the public must engage in a comprehensive discussion of acceptable risks for natechs.

Advances in Wireless Technologies and Telecommunication

This chapter examines both concept of global hazard and disaster and its management in the lights of its vulnerability. It categorized the different types of hazards and disasters and their components. From the research findings, it is observed that hazards and disaster are two sides of a coin. They occur at the interface between human systems and natural events in our physical environments. This chapter highlights that the major environmental changes driving hazards and vulnerability to disasters are climate change, land-use changes, and degradation of natural resources. After presenting a typology of disasters and their magnitude globally, management of disaster has transited from just being a "response and relief"-centric approach to a mitigation and preparedness approach.

2012

has drawn heavily on the considerable amount of excellent work that is already taking place on DRR across the world. Also, I am particularly grateful for the team of leading experts, chaired by Professor Angela McLean, who have led this work, and to the many others who have contributed to this Project. In conclusion, I hope that policy makers, and indeed everyone involved in addressing the challenge of disasters, finds this Report useful.

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