Hazards are an unavoidable part of life. Each day, every one of us faces some degree of personal risk from hazards of one kind or another. The hazards we face are very diverse. They arise from our society (for example, conflict, terrorism, civil strife) and technology (industrial and transport accidents), as well as from the natural environment (such as floods, windstorms, droughts, earthquakes) and from threats to public health. Risk, and how we manage it, has become the subject of increasing research and debate in recent years. Is this heightened interest just a passing trend, or does it signify that the world has become a more dangerous place? Are the earth’s 6 billion inhabitants becoming more vulnerable to disasters?
