Natural hazards

When considering natural hazards, there are basically two possible viewing directions:

• The natural scientific perspective, which analyses natural processes and displays protectional measures for humans and their constructions as modification of these processes.
• The social scientific perspective, which demands to question the term of nature hazards. Are humans who build in areas that are regularly affected by nature hazards (as riparian zones, alluvial zones and avalanche ares) no longer responsible for damages resulting from nature hazards?

The core interest for the working group nature hazards is the public perception of nature hazards. The focus is as well on the indivudual percpetion as on the societal perception, which is expressed in political programmes or laws.