The role of risk in our lives may never have been as relevant as it is today. Global trends in disasters since the last two decades show that both the number of disasters and the number of affected people are increasing, leading to major environmental and socio-economic costs. Yet case studies show that more data and new technologies alone cannot improve disaster risk reduction; there is also a need to
better understand how how local beliefs, perceptions and values influence people’s choices and behaviors.
This paper discusses the outcomes of a global, multicultural e-conference held in October 2008 on ‘Culture and Risk: Understanding the Socio-Cultural Settings that Determine Risk from Natural Hazards,’ funded by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The e-conference asked
two main questions:
• To what extent do people’s belief systems determine their risk from natural hazards? and
• How do perceptions of risks differ from one society or group to another, and how does this impact on people’s response to risks?
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