Author: Jason Levy and Ross Prizzia

About the Book:  An increase in the intensity, scope and frequency of disaster events are forcing a global restructuring to meet the threat of catastrophe. This book addresses the role that science and technology plays in mitigating the likelihood and the consequences of threats ranging from intentional attacks and natural hazards to health-related and technological disasters. The nature of these threats is investigated and the most recent counter-terrorism and disaster management trends and developments of this century are described. A particular focus of the book is to show how the Second Machine age is transforming Counter-Terrorism and Disaster Management technologies.  The onset of this “fourth industrial revolution” has also given rise to range of vexing moral, economic and planning decisions that are discussed at length.  Accordingly, the book provides a connection to effective, timely and important policy solutions. Another unique perspective of this book is to highlight the fusing of physical, digital and biological domains and to show how this provides unique opportunities for the first response communities (from emergency managers to law enforcement personnel) to sustainably reduce disaster risk. 

About the Authors: 

Dr. Jason Levy is a professor of disaster preparedness and emergency management at the University of Hawaii. To support his multidisciplinary disaster management research, he has received more than $3 million dollars in public administration, social science, humanities and engineering research grants from major funding agencies including the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The recipient of numerous professional and teaching awards in the counter-terrorism and emergency management fields, his interdisciplinary research examines innovative strategies for reducing the risk of catastrophes that cross policy domains, geographic, political and sectorial boundaries.

Dr. Ross Prizzia is a professor of public administration and director of disaster preparedness and emergency management programs at the University of Hawaii. He is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters and five books, including Climate Change and Disaster Management (2016), and served as senior editor for the journal Risk, Hazards, & Crisis in Public Policy and as peer reviewer for the Journal of Environmental Economics, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, and the American Review of Public Administration.