Crucibles of hazards: mega-cities and disasters in transition

This book focuses on natural hazards and disasters in mega-cities partly because of their potential for catastrophe. That does not mean that other kinds of hazards are incapable of producing urban catastrophes. Wars have frequently been associated with large-scale destrucfion of urban areas. Political terrorism and crime are also potent agents of urban destruction. So too are hazardous industrial technologies. The book explores the emergence, re-emergence, and transformation of environmental hazards in contemporary mega-cities. The core of the book consists of 10 chapters that highlight environmental hazards in specific mega-cities on five continents. The case studies are: Tokyo, Seaoul, Dhaka, Sydney, London, Lima, Mexico City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami. The emphasis is on geological, meteorological, and hydrological hazards, but biological, technological, and social hazards are also addressed.