The curse examines the development of the meaning, uses and applications of the terms hazard, risk and resilience in marine and coastal areas and explores the cultural dimension of disaster.

The significance of  “culture” must be understood and incorporated into any attempt to deal with natural disaster, shifting from the emphasis on the physical nature of hazards (tsunami, storm surges, inundations, sea level rise) to exploring the root causes of human and social vulnerability to hazards and the resilience and social response of people in front of disasters.

Students will be engaged in lessons, discussions of scientific papers, and analysis of national and international reports, oral presentations and reading of environmental assessments, fieldwork.

In the curse, the case study of the Maldives will be presented, focusing on the resilience-based responses to hazards and risk of multiple sets of actors (women, children, elderly people, local communities, international agencies, political institutions) and human activities (tourism, agriculture, infrastructures).