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#           Science for a risky world—A U.S. Geological Survey plan for risk research and applications      

      September 17, 2018    

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Executive Summary

Natural hazards—including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, geomagnetic storms, and pandemics—can wreak havoc on human communities, the economy, and natural resources for years following an initial event. Hazards can claim lives and cause billions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure as well as lost or compromised economic activity and threats to national security. They also can have adverse environmental, social, economic, and health effects that extend well beyond the immediate area, sometimes with global implications. Changes in population growth, climate, and urbanization may exacerbate hazard impacts.

Because of the potential severity of a single hazard event, reducing risk—the potential loss of societally important assets caused by these hazards—is a high priority for everyone, including policy makers, community members, emergency managers, resource managers, utility operators, business owners, and planners. These stakeholders demand usable, user-centric information to support decisions for planning a resilient future and for responding to and recovering from unanticipated events in more adaptable and cost-effective ways.

Meeting this demand requires maximizing the use of environmental observations; hazards science; and research on communications, social stressors, and human behavior to deliver risk information in forms that are accessible by decision makers and the public alike. To achieve this, scientists and stakeholders must collaborate to match community needs with actionable insights, research, products, and tools, using advances in technology to improve information discovery and delivery.

## Citation Information

## Related Content

                  -              Connect           

#### Kristin Ludwig

##### Science Advisor for Risk Reduction

Natural Hazards Mission Area

kaludwig@usgs.gov

303-273-8616

#### David W. Ramsey

##### Geologist

Cascades Volcano Observatory

dramsey@usgs.gov

360-993-8978

#### Nathan J Wood, Ph.D.

##### Supervisory Research Geographer

Western Geographic Science Center

nwood@usgs.gov

503-251-3291

#### Alice B. Kelly Pennaz

##### Risk Project Team Lead

Natural Hazards Mission Area

apennaz@usgs.gov

703-648-6706

#### Jonathan Godt

##### Landslide Hazards Program Coordinator

Natural Hazards Mission Area

jgodt@usgs.gov

303-273-8626

#### Nathaniel Plant, Ph.D.

##### Center Director

St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

nplant@usgs.gov

727-502-8072

#### Nicolas Luco

##### Research Civil Engineer

Earthquake Hazards Program

nluco@usgs.gov

303-273-8683

#### Patricia R Bright

##### Science Advisor

Environmental Health Program

pbright@usgs.gov

703 992-5073

## Related Content

#### Kristin Ludwig

##### Science Advisor for Risk Reduction

Natural Hazards Mission Area

kaludwig@usgs.gov

303-273-8616

#### David W. Ramsey

##### Geologist

Cascades Volcano Observatory

dramsey@usgs.gov

360-993-8978

#### Nathan J Wood, Ph.D.

##### Supervisory Research Geographer

Western Geographic Science Center

nwood@usgs.gov

503-251-3291

#### Alice B. Kelly Pennaz

##### Risk Project Team Lead

Natural Hazards Mission Area

apennaz@usgs.gov

703-648-6706

#### Jonathan Godt

##### Landslide Hazards Program Coordinator

Natural Hazards Mission Area

jgodt@usgs.gov

303-273-8626

#### Nathaniel Plant, Ph.D.

##### Center Director

St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

nplant@usgs.gov

727-502-8072

#### Nicolas Luco

##### Research Civil Engineer

Earthquake Hazards Program

nluco@usgs.gov

303-273-8683

#### Patricia R Bright

##### Science Advisor

Environmental Health Program

pbright@usgs.gov

703 992-5073

### Contact

####               Natural Hazards Mission Area Headquarters          

12201 Sunrise Valley DrReston, VA20192United States