Life on an Unpredictable Planet

Coping with the Threat of Natural Disasters

Travel expert Matt Davis will discuss why people choose to live in risky places, as well as natural disasters and their economic impacts, social disruption, and effects on our infrastructure.

A significant percentage of the world's population lives with the threats posed by various natural hazards. Although deaths resulting from natural disaster events have decreased over time, the economic impacts, social disruption, and effects on our infrastructure have steadily increased. Join speaker Matt Davis to learn more about these threats.

Drawing examples from his research at Italy's Mt. Vesuvius and Washington's Mt. Rainier, his experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and his work on earthquake preparedness efforts in California, a number of issues in disaster preparedness and recovery will be addressed. Specifically, we'll explore the reasons people choose to live in risky places, some of the psychological factors that affect their perceptions of risk and likelihood of preparing for potential disasters, and factors that help in disaster recovery.

About the speaker:

Matt Davis is a retired Professor of Psychology whose research expertise was on Disaster Preparedness. He has conducted work about risk perception at Italy's Mt. Vesuvius,  Washington's Mt. Rainier, and earthquake preparedness in California. He's been an invited speaker at dozens of international conferences and was a featured expert in the 2006 Discovery Channel documentary: Could It Happen Here? He's the author of At Home in the World: Reflections of a Travel Addict, a memoir about his international travels, and is a regular guest on WJAR TV's Studio 10 program in Providence.

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library. Registration is encouraged but not required.

Upcoming Events