Natural Hazard Response and Planning in Tropical Queensland
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the problems of natural hazard response and planning in tropical Queensland, Australia. It examines whether concepts and findings developed by natural hazard studies, particularly in the USA, are applicable to other hazard prone areas, in this case that of tropical Queensland. Comparative studies require, first of all, the examination of the nature and behavior of the natural hazard. Attention is directed to the particular complex of hazard conditions which result from tropical cyclones, so that it can be assessed whether any distinctive features characterize their behavior in the Queensland area. A survey of the relevant circumstances of the economy and society is then undertaken. From this it is possible to examine the particular effects upon the coastal communities that may arise in the Queensland area from the occurrence of tropical cyclones. These preliminary surveys lead to the main analysis of hazard response and of the forms of adjustment that are available in the circumstances discussed in the first part of the paper. It becomes apparent that a number of final assessments must await further investigations in depth. In the case of tropical Queensland, as elsewhere, the importance of additional natural hazard research is evident. Nevertheless the paper can contribute to the comparative understanding of the significance of the tropical cyclone hazard.