As losses from man-made and natural disasters have increased, so too has the demand for greater safety. In the last twenty years, this growing public pressure has been associated with fundamental changes in the nature of hazard-related research. A more broadly based interdisciplinary approach has developed which is seeking to minimize disaster losses. Rather than focusing in great detail on the nature of the hazards themselves, emphasis has been placed on how individuals and society respond to risk and its associated disasters. This research has demonstrated that if losses are to be significantly reduced, a series of disaster planning activities must be widely implemented at the municipal level. The spatial distribution of risk must be established, for example, and used as a basis for planning land use. Greater cognizance must be paid to the improvement of safety through the better design of buildings and infrastructure. In addition, communities must simulate disasters and practice their strategies for responding to them. Effective warning systems and disaster plans are essential, as are efforts to plan recovery, should destruction occur. Unfortunately, many of these activities are being neglected, and, as a result, disaster losses continue to mount.
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