Natural and man-made disasters disrupt societies. Think of floods on the coast and along rivers, the earthquake problem in Groningen, recent major earthquakes elsewhere and the 2004 tsunami around the Indian Ocean. Disaster risks are increasing because of the increasing population density and related vulnerability of societies and economies. It is crucial to better anticipate floods and also geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis. This requires a better understanding of the factors that determine the occurrence, strength and magnitude of these calamities. For geohazards, we need to learn to better recognise and exploit early signals. Preventing sea and river floods requires good cooperation between different (water) authorities at different scales, in addition to a good understanding of hydrology and climate. Finally, societies and infrastructure must be made more resilient to natural disasters. The latter is possible as relevant measurement data become increasingly available in real time so that new methods for adequate warning can be developed.
Connecting character
In many parts of the world, there is a real risk of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. A better understanding of the Earth system, especially of geological processes and structures in the deep subsurface, can eventually lead to better predictability of these kinds of geographical disasters. This requires intensive international cooperation. Unlocking fundamental knowledge in this field places great demands on technological advances (e.g. deep drilling in the Earth's crust), the exchange of information for modelling, and the willingness to pool forces and financial resources at national and international level to make use of expensive infrastructure and large-scale sensor networks. The often far-reaching consequences of natural disasters require attention to social and societal aspects, including decision-making and political responsibility. Events such as (near) floods and subsidence and earthquakes due to gas drilling underline the urgency of this. The future requires new technical capabilities that will make new and existing infrastructure such as buildings, bridges and dykes more resistant to all kinds of disasters and thus help reduce safety risks. Governments, private parties and science can jointly help reduce risks from natural disasters.
