Managing the Risks from Natural Catastrophes: Are We Making Progress?

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Prof. Robin Spence, Director of Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment
• Thursday 05 November 2009, 13:00-14:00
• Judge Business School, Trumpington Street, Room W2.02.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact pb479.

The risks from floods, storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have been with us for centuries, yet we are far from controlling them. In the present decade alone, for example, nearly half a million people have died as a result of earthquakes. The modelling of these risks is a growing industry, and its outputs are today widely used in insurance, for establishing building codes, and in developing scenarios for emergency planning. But how good are these models? The talk will look at the evidence basis for modelling natural catastrophe risks, with an emphasis on earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It will discuss the limitations and uncertainties inherent in the modelling process, and ask whether it is possible to reduce these uncertainties.

This talk is part of the Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies
• Cambridge talks
• Judge Business School, Trumpington Street, Room W2.02
• Trust & Technology Initiative - interesting events

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.