Editors: The workshop is not open to the public but reporters are welcome to attend. For a complete schedule of events call (303) 492-4007.
Nearly 400 people will meet in Boulder July 9-12 as the CU Natural Hazards Center presents its 25th annual workshop dealing with earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The international gathering attracts engineers, insurers, academics and government officials from the United States and other nations including South Africa, Thailand and Japan. They are the researchers and front-line managers who deal with the human and economic costs of natural events.
"This year's Silver Anniversary Workshop will be an opportunity for people to share insights and provoke discussions about humanity's fundamental, and seemingly ever-changing, relationship to the natural environment," said center Director Dennis Mileti, chair of the CU-Boulder sociology department. "More than ever before, this year we'll bring people together from all walks of life and from many nations to create a global mix of viewpoints and new ideas."
The interdisciplinary workshop will be held at the Regal Harvest House Hotel, 1345 28th St. in Boulder.
Topics to be discussed include "The Political Economy of Hazards," "Disasters and Congress" and "Disasters, Diversity and Equity." U.S. Rep. Mark Udall will welcome the participants on July 10.
The annual Natural Hazards Workshop was launched in 1976 by Distinguished Professor Gilbert White, founder of the CU-Boulder Natural Hazards Center. The event attracted about 165 people its first year and was unique in offering an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. Its success has led to similar types of gatherings.
Mileti received national attention in 1999 when he announced the results of a five-year study he headed for the National Science Foundation summarizing everything that is known about natural hazards. The study found that really big catastrophes will continue to get larger unless society adopts a new approach for dealing with them.
The Natural Hazards Center, part of CU-Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Science, is funded by a consortium of agencies including NSF and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The center serves as an information clearinghouse for disaster professionals and publishes several periodicals including a free e-mail newsletter sent to 2,400 recipients around the world.
For information visit the center's Web site at .