Synopses & Reviews
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of hydrologic aspects of a range of natural disasters, encompassing climatic disasters, disasters on the land surface, geologic disasters, and land-ocean interaction. The chapters contained in the book are written by leading scientists from around the world, who have long been at the forefront of research in the area of disaster modeling. A complete understanding of the hydrology of these disasters is vital for developing effective means for their prevention or mitigation. The book will be useful to faculty members and graduate students, research engineers and scientists, as well as those engaged in disaster prevention and mitigation. It will be of special value to the UN organizations in the assessment of their disaster prevention and mitigation programs.
Synopsis
The General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution on December 11, 1987, designating the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. This resolution has served as a catalyst in promotion of international cooperation in the field of natural disaster reduction; in initiation of wide-ranging research activities on natural and man-made disasters; in development of tech- nologies for assessment, prediction, prevention, and mitigation through technical assistance, technology transfer, demonstration projects, and education and training; and in dissemination of information related to measures for assessment, prediction, prevention, and mitigation of natural disasters. Disasters are manifestations of environmental extremes. Depending upon the type of disasters, their occurrence may have short-term andlor long-term detri- mental environmental consequences. Disasters cannot be prevented altogether, but their impact can be mitigated. This book is an attempt to provide a discussion of hydrological aspects of the various types of natural disasters. It is hoped that others will be stimulated to write more comprehensive texts on this subject of enormous importance.
Table of Contents
Preface.
1. Disasters: Natural or Man-Made;
V.P. Singh. 2. Representativity of Extreme Wind Data;
J. Wieringa. 3. Climate Change and Hydrological Disasters;
M.A. Beran, N.W. Arnell. 4. Extreme Floods;
F. Ashkar. 5. Dam-Breach Floods;
D.L. Fread. 6. Extreme Droughts;
M.L. Kavvas, M.L. Anderson. 7. Mud and Debris Flows;
P.A. Johnson, R.H. McCuen. 8. Landslides;
T. Gostelow. 9. Land Subsidence;
G. Gambolati, et al. 10. Saltwater Intrusion;
M.M. Sherif, V.P. Singh. 11. Avalanche Dynamics;
K. Hutter. 12. Hydrological Diasters Associated with Volcanoes;
V.E. Neall. 13. Earthquakes;
A. Terakawa, O. Matsuo. List of Contributors. Index.