This book argues that the domination of Western knowledge in disaster scholarship has allowed for normative policies and practices of disaster risk reduction to be imposed all over the world. It takes a postcolonial approach to deconstruct concepts, methods, and forms of governments inherited from the Enlightenment.

This book conducts a systematic inquiry into the tragic deaths caused by natural disasters at different geographic scales. It employs key disaster concepts and classification of disasters to understand the high mortality rates and the various factors associated with these deaths.

The book provides insights into community narratives concerning life in the face of creeping calamities through a case study from the Colombian Andes. It sets out to make sense of the lived experience of disasters that are slowly unfolding as well disasters that have not yet occurred. 

This volume examines the impact of and responses to historic earthquakes and volcanic eruption in the Azores. Study is placed in the contexts of: the history and geography of this fascinating archipelago; progress being made in predicting future events and policies of disaster risk reduction.

This book is a selection of case studies undertaken by cultural heritage and disaster risk management professionals across the world demonstrating good practices for disaster risk management of cultural heritage.