Choice or chance: The science of ‘natural’ disasters

Human behaviour is creating conditions in which extreme weather phenomena are often more frequent and intense; these events are often labelled as 'natural disasters'.

Professor Ilan Kelman, who specialises in Disasters and Health, argues that the 'disaster' is not the event itself, but the lack of mitigation and support strategies for vulnerable communities that transforms a natural weather event into a 'disaster'.

Kelman states that disasters are ultimately the consequence of human choices, and to survive, we must work harder to make better decisions.

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