The COVID-19 and the onslaught of Climate Change have exposed the fragility of our lives and ecosystem. Natural disasters like asteroid impact, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, cyclones, etc., and pandemics like plagues, smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, etc., have been man's nemesis from the beginning of time. This list of public risks has now expanded to include pollutions, industrial disasters, and very many new, confusing and emerging technologies.How have governments handled these public risks? How have they convinced people to take precautions under such emergencies? What measures does one take for managing them, and for the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation of the masses? And most importantly, how does one prepare the masses to face the risks without panicking? It is argued that sermons, dictates, and discourses may not work in democratic societies. Rather, one needs a new breed of risk communicators who can enter into a dialogue with the people to prepare them for these challenges and to welcome truly beneficial new technologies.The book takes a panoramic view of the issue of risks and illustrates the challenges and opportunities of the Art and Science of Managing Public Risks. It celebrates the indomitable spirit of man, who has leveraged science to predict — where possible, and provide solutions for managing these risks.

Contents:

• Foreword


• Preface


• About the Authors


• List of Figures


• List of Tables


• Prologue


• Extreme Natural Events


• Infectious Diseases


• Industrial Accidents


• New and Emerging Technologies


• Environmental Disasters


• Managing Public Risks


• The Way Forward


• Epilogue


• Index

Readership: : Students, policy makers, public risk managers, and the general public.

Key Features:

• Recommends governments to manage public risks — large-scale health emergencies and natural disasters — without trauma by handling the perceptions of people by informing them appropriately about the risks


• Suggests a truthful and scientific dissemination of information to the masses, by preparing them to welcome measures and being active collaborators and partners in combating the public risks, thus unleashing a vast potential


• Emphasizes the need to keep the masses aware of the risks facing them so they can apply pressure on their governments to initiate urgent action


• Takes a holistic view of the risks and strongly recommends frank dialogue with people worldwide to collaborate by using scientific methods in general and science in particular