Natural and Technological Disasters Research

Response planning to address the critically important human dimensions of natural and technological disasters.

Human societies have long settled in areas that are in close proximity to valuable natural resources and corridors of transportation. Many such areas are nonetheless hazardous places to live: coastal zones are vulnerable to ocean storms and tsunamis, towns and cities built along rivers and other low-lying areas are subject to flooding, and mountain areas are too often in the path of slides and wildfires. Disaster events result when human decisions put societies in the path of environmental threats or man-made hazards. Disaster research concerns organizational planning for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters. IAI specializes in human-centered approaches to the study of these disasters.

IAI investigates natural technological disasters in a variety of settings around the world, providing governmental agencies with valid, timely, and insightful information regarding the human parameters and implications of the event in question. Our highly experienced staff provide public agencies with a wide range of data and analytical products needed to understand vital human aspects of disasters. Our research has helped to identify how impact and response conditions are changing, what form of assistance is needed and where, how formal institutions and informal groups are conditioning response to events, how planning for an event could be improved, and recommendations to mitigate present and future damage.

Follow the links below for information on our natural and technological disasters research projects.