摘要
For 30 to 40 years,scientists have been trying to demonstrate to decision makers in government and to everyday people that there are many actions they can take to reduce the impact of disasters.But in many parts of the world there is still a culture of fear around disasters.Nature is not responsible for disasters—people are.Part of the reason for why disasters occur lies in the way human beings build societies and expand settlements.A thousand years ago,people living in rural communities relied on river flooding to fertilize their land.But today when flooding happens it very quickly becomes a disaster because on those traditional agricultural lands we have built new cities and ports,which in some ways are necessary for progress but also pose risks.
