Description
Book Synopsis Human history is periodically punctuated by natural disasters, from Vesuvius'' eruption to the modern-day Covid-19 pandemic. Volcanoes have buried entire cities, earthquakes have reduced structures to smoldering ruins. Floods and cyclones have wreaked havoc on river valleys and coastlines, and desertification and climate change have weakened society''s underpinnings. Death tolls are often escalated by starvation and illness, which frequently occur in tandem.
This second edition assesses natural disasters on human society and the effect of strategies developed to reduce their impact. This book addresses the interconnectivity of disaster and human responsibility through 23 updated case studies, including a new chapter on the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami and the ensuing Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. A Brief History of the Modern World
- 2. Volcanoes
- 2.1: Krakatau, 1883
- 2.2: Mount Pelée, 1902
- 2.3: Mount Pinatubo, 1991
- 3. Earthquakes
- 3.1: Messina Strait, 1908
- 3.2: Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923
- 3.3: Kashmir Earthquake, 2005
- 4. Environmental Changes
- 4.1: El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- 4.2: Desertification
- 4.3: Global Warming
- 5. Tropical Cyclones
- 5.1: Great Bhola Cyclone, 1970
- 5.2: Cyclone Tracy, 1974
- 5.3: Hurricane Andrew, 1992
- 6. Floods and Tsunamis
- 6.1: Yellow River Flooding, 19th and 20th Century China
- 6.2: Flooding Caused by the Asian Tsunami, 2004
- 6.3: Flooding Caused by Hurricane Katrina, 2005
- 6.4: The Tōhoku Tsunami and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
- 7. Famines
- 7.1: The Irish Potato Famine, 1846–1852
- 7.2: Mao's Great Leap Forward
- 7.3: Famine in Ethiopia, 1973–Present
- 8. Disease
- 8.1: Disease of Agriculture: Pellagra
- 8.2: Disease of Imperialism: Malaria
- 8.3: Disease of Industry: Cholera
- 8.4: Disease of Globalization: AIDS
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
