The primary objective of this project is to research the status and trends in the law of public liability for losses due to natural hazards including earthquakes, floods, mudflows, and mudfloods, avalanches and other hazards. The project will build upon past research efforts dealing with individual natural hazards with emphasis upon updating earlier work, synthesis and analysis. The project will analyze commonalities and differences between hazards, trends in the law and possible technological implications of these trends with regard to prediction and warning systems, building and hazard reduction works (e.g., dams), and the design and the permitting of private buildings. A secondary objective o the project will be to assess the impact of court decisions upon 20 communities through a questionnaire and a telephone survey. Based upon both the legal research and survey the study will identify strategies for reducing the impacts of earthquakes and other natural hazards without generating liability problems. The project final report will be of use to agencies, engineers, architects and others designing, constructing or operating loss reduction programs and to local governments concerned about legal liability issues. The investigator is qualified to carry out this project which builds on previous work he has done in the hazard reduction field. An award is recommended.
