Department of Regional Development and Environment Executive Secretariat for Economic and Social Affairs Organization of American States
With support from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance United States Agency for International Development
Washington, D.C.
December, 1990
A Contribution to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
Cover: Casma, Peru, following the May 31, 1970 earthquake
© All rights reserved
1990 by Organization of American States
Washington, D.C.
This report was produced by the Natural Hazards Project of the Department of Regional Development and Environment with support from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance/U.S. Agency for International Development. AID does not necessarily share all the views expressed, but welcomes this publication as a means of encouraging further discussion of natural hazard issues in development planning.
1. How natural are natural hazards?
2. The environment, natural hazards, and sustainable development
Susceptibility to vulnerability reduction
1. The nature of the hazard
2. The nature of the study area
3. The participants in the dramaHazard mitigation strategies for development planning
1. Incorporating mitigation measures into an integrated development planning study
2. Advantages of integrated development planning for hazard managementHazard mitigation strategies for project formulation
1. Incorporating mitigation measures into investment projects
2. Methods for evaluating natural hazard riskStrategies for specific hazards
1. Hurricanes
2. Drought and desertification
3. Geologic hazards
4. Floods
5. LandslidesStrategies for selected economic sectors
1. Energy in Costa Rica
2. Tourism in Jamaica
3. Agriculture in Ecuador
4. Strategies derived from the case studiesTools and techniques for natural hazard assessment
1. Geographic information systems
2. Remote sensing in natural hazard assessments
3. Special mapping techniquesStrategies for development assistance agencies10/
1. Technical cooperation agencies
2. Convincing financing agenciesAppendix A - Status of geologic hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean
Table A-1 - Geographic distribution of maximum earthquake intensities in South America
Table A-3 - Geographic distribution of maximum earthquake intensities in Central America
Table A-6 - Tsunami hazards for population centers in South America