Earthquakes, droughts, floods, and storms are natural hazards, but unnatural disasters are the deaths and damages that result from human acts of omission and commission. Every disaster is unique, but each exposes actions-by individuals and governments at different levels-that, had they been...

1 Introduction and summary -- 2 What is a disaster? An economic point of view -- 3 Disaster risks: evidence and theory -- 4 Trends in Hazards and the Role of Climate Change -- 5 Climate change impact on natural disaster losses -- 6 Methodologies for disaster risk management in a changing...