Education has been there for ages. Need of education for sustainable development is stated in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 (1992) as follows:Education, including formal education, public awareness and training, should be recognized as a process by which human beings and societies can reach their...

During Typhoon Morakot which hit Taiwan from 6 to 9 August, 2009, Kaohsiung City was highly affected by devastating debris-flows and flooding. Recorded casualties were 699 deaths and 1,766 damaged homes, mostly in the mountainous areas of Kaohsiung City. Due to a largely malfunctioning or absent...

The importance of community-based organizations to support relief works in the aftermath of disasters is widely recognized as indispensable in providing quickly the needed help for affected populations ( Bajek, Matsuda, & Okada, 2008 ; Nagasaka, 2008 ; Norris, Stevens, Pfefferbaum, Wyche, &...

In this chapter, the linkages between environment- and disaster-related issues are reviewed in the context of urban planning in developing countries. The focus is on urban areas, with the aim to understand processes in urban systems that are distinct from those in rural villages/towns. Over the...

In the scientific field of climate change adaptation (CCA), the focus on cities has grown steadily in recent years. Increasing population figures especially in developing countries, and overall in cities, demonstrate a key challenge for institutions, communities, economies, and the natural...

Building a resilient city requires detail and careful assessment of its current level of vulnerabilities and resilience. During such assessment and initiatives it should remember that there are large differences in risk and vulnerability within urban areas ( Satterthwaite, Dodman, & Bicknell,...

In this chapter, the question posed is how the CDRI, applied at various cities spread across a country like India, can draw implications that are applicable for other cities in this country. The aim is to understand the risks, vulnerabilities, and capacities (resilience) of 12 Indian cities to...

In this chapter the objective is to link the causes (risks) with the need of disaster resilient entities (urban areas) in an era in which the climate is changing and natural hazards are likely to occur more frequently and more severely ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007 )....