Book Review: Disasters and their relation with forests - Three case studies to support extreme events management

Abstract

This book review is a reworked and translated version of the synthesis from the report “Forest-related disasters - Three case studies and lessons for management of extreme events” by H. van Hensbergen and J. Cedergren, published by the Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The volume describes the complex relationship between disasters and forests, defining the multiple roles that trees play during environmental disasters and how much this affects human activities. After a brief general introduction, the description continues through the analysis of three catastrophic events that occurred since the beginning of this century. The chronicle and the analysis of repercussions on forests and population of the storm Gudrun (Sweden, 2005), the Tohoku tsunami (Japan, 2011) and the firestorm in central Chile (Chile, 2017) are reported. From the synthesis of the three experiences, some lessons of management of extreme events are drawn, reported as a strategic suggestion to face, from a forestry point of view, the planning and reaction to catastrophic emergencies involving forests and trees.

Keywords

• forests
• disaster
• catastrophe
• emergency
• fire
• storm
• tsunami