Disasters and Epidemics in Asia and the Pacific

ASIA8048 will not be offered in 2025. It is expected to be offered next in Semester 2, 2026. Natural disasters and epidemics present risks on a new scale for the Asia-Pacific region, which has been characterised by dramatic increases in population density and in economic growth. More recent events need to be understood in the context of the region's long history of cataclysmic disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, flood and drought, and a sequence of devastating epidemics, from the Plague through to avian flu. This course addresses the social, cultural and economic dimensions of the history of disasters and epidemics in Asia and the Pacific, the role of these events in shaping societies in the region, and the recent transformations in the scale of their impacts and the nature of trans-national, state and community responses. Case studies of particular disasters and epidemics address questions of their causes and consequences, and will be grounded through guest lectures in an understanding of the science of disasters. The scope for reducing future impacts is considered within the framework of both state and community-based strategies for the promotion of resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), the unequal distribution of risk, risk assessment and insurance, and the additional contribution of global climate change.