European Geosciences Union  -  Media Alert

EGU Humboldt Conference, Lima, Peru, 5-9 March, 2007

The Role of Geophysics in Natural Disaster Prevention

This conference is jointly organised by the Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) and the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

Scope:

The recent catastrophic events related to the Indonesian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina have brought the subject of Disaster Prevention to higher levels, in both the scientific and decision makers communities. This meeting aims at discussing improved geophysical methods for the evaluation of natural hazards as part of a more general risk assured effort and risk reduction process.

Casualties and property losses due to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, catastrophic volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes, El Niño and Global Change related hazards, can significantly be mitigated when the risks involved for different scenarios are available in due time.

In most cases, however, scientists evaluate these hazards in probabilistic terms only. This is to be contrasted with precise forecasts expected by decision makers. Nevertheless, in most cases, science can provide decision makers with the best information for their mitigating decisions.

This dilemma will be borne in mind when progress in natural disaster "prediction" is discussed during this interdisciplinary conference. Thus, besides new or improved methods for natural hazard assessment, contributions reporting on failures and successes of past prevention cases, as well as socio-economic aspects, are invited.

Topics (to be introduced by invited Keynote Speakers)

• Volcanic Eruptions
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Landslides
• Avalanches
• Extreme climate and/or meteorological disastrous events - El Niño related - Global Change related - Hurricanes

Media registration

Journalists, science writers and public information officers of all nations are welcome to attend this conference and to register in advance by sending an email to the EGU Press Office. A special press facility will be arranged for the written media, radio and TV, and public information officers.

EGU Humboldt Conferences

This is the second of a series of Alexander von Humboldt International Conferences organised by the European Geosciences Union. The first Alexander von Humboldt International Conference on "The El Nino phenomenon and its global impact" was held May 16-20,2005 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. 

The third EGU Humboldt Conference will be in Beijing, 24-29 September 2007.