Applied geomorphology and the impact of natural hazards on the built environment

This paper examines the scope and limitations of geomorphological investigation of the sites of architectural and engineering works. Various degrees of vulnerability, forms of impact, and types of applied geomorphological response are summarized. Aspects of land development and construction practice that may increase the vulnerability of buildings and structures to geomorphological hazards are discussed. Strengths and weaknesses of the geomorphological input to hazard mitigation are reviewed. Examples are described that show both negative and positive influences exerted by geomorphological site analysis on urban and regional planning for unstable terrains in Italy. It is concluded that societal choice, within the overall matrix of a society's culture (sensu largo), will influence the way in which vulnerability is managed at sites, and hence the scope for utilizing geomorphological analysis of the physical risks.

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