A Better Future from Imagining the Worst: Land Use Planning and Training Responses to Natural Disaster

This paper argues that it is necessary to move beyond the apparent inevitability of natural hazards by using forward land use planning to significantly reduce their impacts. Land use planning, as a focus for building knowledge and information of various types associated with land, is central to reducing the risks associated with natural hazards. Planning mechanisms offer significant opportunities to reduce both the initial likelihood of natural hazards impacting on human settlements and natural systems, and to reduce the potential consequences of those events that do occur. This paper sets out a training approach that complements forward land use planning for natural hazards.