Multihazard

Reducing housing vulnerability to natural hazards – Interview with Dr Eefje Hendriks

Vale Cigala December 19, 2022

Community in the Philippines rebuild above the sea showing hazard vulnerability and dependency on fishery as a livelihood. (Photo credit: Dr Hendriks, with permission)

The impact of natural hazards on vulnerable communities can be devastating, causing fatalities, damaging houses and livelihoods, and pushing people into poverty. These disasters make them even more vulnerable. A growing line of research identifies actions and tools to reduce vulnerability and make communities more resilient. An interesting and crucial part of this research investigates the role of ...[Read More]

Active faulting causes subsidence-related flooding: the example of the Kashmir basin of NW Himalaya

Afroz Shah July 25, 2022

The sunset view of the Jhelum River in Srinagar, Kashmir, with a few houseboats parked at the river bank. Muhsana Mahoor kindly shared the photograph.

Flood hazards often turn destructive and cause substantial loss of life and assets. Annually floods cause significant damage; for example, during the last decade of the 20th century, around 100,000 people lost their lives, and more than 1.4 billion people were affected [1]. Historically, flooding has been viewed as a friend and foe of human civilisations. As a good friend, floods bring nutritious, ...[Read More]

The new President-elect of the EGU Natural Hazards Division: a talk with Heidi Kreibich

Paulo Hader May 30, 2022

Credit: Christian Wasserfallen (https://www.pexels.com/pt-br/foto/ponte-em-arco-ponte-arqueada-calamidade-desastre-8770485/)

In today’s interview, we have the pleasure of talking with Dr Heidi Kreibich, lecturer at the Geography Department at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and head of the working group “Flood risk and climate adaptation” at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). From her interest in investigating different types of flooding associated with complex physical and anthropogenic ...[Read More]

Who’s afraid of Natech?

Giulia Roder February 7, 2022

Natural hazards that impact industrial sites and result in technological accidents, causing the release of hazardous substances, are referred to as Natech events. In the popular imagination, Natech accidents are triggered by major natural hazard events. However, experience tells us that low magnitude natural events, such as lightning or heavy rains, are sufficient to cause enormous adverse effects ...[Read More]