Natural Hazards and Risks within Disaster Management

How can we better understand, assess, and manage the risks posed by natural hazards in a rapidly changing world? This open access book provides clear answers by combining scientific knowledge with practical experience in disaster risk management. It equips readers with tools to identify and evaluate risks, introduces innovative approaches such as impact chains, and demonstrates how institutions and communities can strengthen their resilience.

Covering a broad range of hazards – from floods and storms to earthquakes and landslides – the chapters present both established methods and emerging trends. Special attention is given to socio-economic and psycho-social dimensions, acknowledging that disasters impact people not only physically but also socially and emotionally. International and European frameworks, including the Sendai Framework and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, are explored as models for effective, coordinated action.

By bridging research, policy, and practice, the book offers clear explanations, case examples, and forward-looking perspectives. Readers gain a structured understanding of evolving risks, their underlying drivers, and strategies for adaptation in the face of climate change, technological transformation, and growing vulnerabilities.

Designed as a concise yet comprehensive reference, this volume is an essential resource for students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking actionable insights and a future-oriented approach to disaster risk management.

Thomas Glade is a Professor at the University of Vienna and head of the ENGAGE Research Group on Geomorphological Systems and Risk Research. His work focuses on understanding landscape dynamics and natural hazard processes to improve risk management strategies. He is actively involved in interdisciplinary research projects and academic initiatives in the field of disaster risk reduction.

Dr. Philipp Marr is a Senior Scientist in the working group “Geomorphic Systems and Risk Research” at the Faculty of Geosciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna. He completed his PhD in 2020 at the University of Bonn with the topic “Palaeoclimatic significance of periglacial landforms in South Norway”. His research and interests focus on natural hazards, geomorphology, and processes in mountain environments, combining field-based, analytical, and applied approaches.

Sophia Sternath is a PhD student in Geomorphology and a research assistant in the ENGAGE Research Group at the University of Vienna. With completed Bachelor's degrees in Social and Cultural Anthropology and Geography and a completed Master's degree in Geography, her academic interests lie in the interdependent relationship between social and environmental systems, focusing particularly on natural hazards and risks.

Annika Fröwis is Programme Manager of the EUMA and EUMAplus project at the University of Vienna. She holds a Master’s degree in Geography and Economic Education & Biology and Environmental Education, and coordinates international collaborations in disaster risk management and higher education. Her work focuses on developing educational programmes, building capacities for resilience, and bridging academia, policy, and practice in disaster risk governance.