Dorrik A. V. Stow Editor in Chief, Association of Geoscientists for International Development ( AGID) AGID is particularly pleased to see published this latest hurricanes, floods-that are wreaking havoc, destroying report in its Geosciences in International Development livelihood and lives in some corner of the globe. Series, as a significant contribution to the onset of the UN As geoscientists there are perhaps three concerns that Decade of National Disaster Reduction, and as a mark of should be uppermost in our minds as we join an inter AGID's growing concern over the potential and actual national effort to combat the adverse effects of natural effects of geohazards throughout the developing world. hazards. The first must be to improve our scientific The problem of geohazards is increasing, not because understanding of the nature and causes of such hazards and to work towards more reliable prediction of their the rate of earth processes is accelerating, nor because the occurrence and magnitude.

Attention to the problems posed by natural hazards in West and Central Africa was brought into sharp focus by the deaths of an estimated 1700 people in the valleys to the north of Lake Nyos in 1986. Prior to that the only, well documented, major natural catastrophe was the 1983 earthquake which killed at least 275 people in northwestern Guinea. Though we would not wish to appear to suggest that the 1939 Accra earthquake, which killed 16 people, or the Lake Monoun disaster, which killed 37 people in 1984, were not significant events for the areas concerned. The full horror of the Lake Nyos gas disaster was exacerbated, as far as the outside world was concerned, by initial uncertainty concerning its cause. During the first phase of the investigation there were considerable disagreements between some of the participating groups of scientists. Many of these disagreements have now been resolved and it is to be hoped that the contributions in this volume will further help to resolve some of the outstanding uncertainties. However, although it is important to understand what happened at Lake Nyos in 1986, and why it happened, it is more important for the future of that area that further similar disasters should be avoided. We can only hope that this volume will help to establish a solid foundation for future research into ways of removing excess gas from the lake.

Revised edition of: Natural hazards: explanation and integration / Graham A. Tobin and Burrell E. Montz. c1997.

This textbook provides a thorough introduction to natural disaster risk management. Many aspects of disaster risk management, such as those involved in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, avalanches and mudslides call for similar prevention and preparedness instruments, management concepts, and countermeasures. This textbook assumes the viewpoint of a regional disaster risk manager who is responsible for a certain area, and for making the lives of the people who live there safer, regardless of the type of natural disaster that may occur. The same holds true for boosting preparedness and awareness in the population at risk. The book includes numerous examples of hazard mitigation concepts and techniques, as well as ways of intensively involving the local population in prevention schemes at an early stage. Furthermore, it provides an in-depth examination of the function of risk communication, both as an instrument for disseminating official information and as a function of public media. In closing, a chapter on risk splitting offers insights into insurance-based models for risk financing. This comprehensive book is a must-read for all students, researchers and practitioners dealing with natural disaster risk management.