Die Kernaufgabe eines Staates liegt im Schutz seiner Bürger; Naturkatastrophen stellen diese Fähigkeit auf die Probe. Dementsprechend versuchen Staaten, scheinbar unberechenbare Naturereignisse berechenbar zu machen, Vorsorge zu treffen und ein Katastrophenschutzsystem aufzubauen. Katastrophen sind eine Frage des Überlebens - nicht nur für die betroffenen Menschen, sondern auch für die Glaubwürdigkeit eines Staatsapparats. Die Beiträge in der diesjährigen Dezemberausgabe des Behemoth beschäftigen sich mit dem Verhältnis zwischen „Staat“ und „Katastrophe“ anhand verschiedener historischer Beispiele und betonen das Gewicht, das Interpretationsfragen angesichts der Unabwägbarkeit von katastrophalen Risiken zukommt. Die Artikel behandeln Strategien der Vorhersage und des Umgangs mit extremen Naturereignissen und erkunden die soziale Bedeutung von Katastrophen. ------------------------------------------------------------- To protect its citizens is the key task of a state; natural hazards test and challenge this ability to protect. Thus states try to turn them from inconceivable dangers into predictable events and to install preventive measures and develop disaster reaction mechanisms. Catastrophes are a matter of survival - not only for those hit by the disaster, but also for the credibility and legitimacy of government. The contributions in the December issue of Behemoth deal with the relationships between state and disaster in several historical instances, and stress the importance of interpretation in the face of uncertainty. They focus on methods of anticipation and coping strategies in order to come to terms with such disruptive incidents, and explore the social meanings of disaster.
INHALTSVERZEICHNIS
Anne Dölemeyer Editorial
Uwe LuebkenDie Natur der Gefahr. Zur Geschichte der Überschwemmungsversicherung in Deutschland und den USA
The history of flood insurance is, by and large, a history of failure, at least as far as private insurance companies are concerned. Due to the lack of statistics, an accumulation of “bad risks” (adverse selection), and hydro-geographical factors, the insurance industry has to this day not been able to provide broad financial protection against flood hazards. Nature’s “behaviour” has turned out to be not simply less predictable than expected, it is literally unaccountable. Thus, in countries where flood insurance is available today, the government is usually involved – either as a provider of direct or indirect subsidies or as the actual insurer.
James K. MitchellIncluding the capacity for coping with surprises in post-disaster recovery policies. Reflections on the experience of Tangshan, China
Surprises are characteristic features of many disasters that pose major challenges to theorists as well as practitioners. When surprises occur during the recovery stage of disasters, they can complicate efforts to reestablish order, by introducing new variables that demand attention from societies that are already hardpressed to adjust to a problem-laden environment. The case of Tangshan, China stands as an example of an economic development surprise that permitted decision-makers greater than anticipated latitude to reset and attain post-disaster policy goals.
Martin VossThe vulnerable can't speak. An integrative vulnerability approach to disaster and climate change research
This article discusses a vulnerability approach to disaster research and research on climate change adaptation. As an integrated approach, it claims to consider social, economic and ecological factors. A hypothesis is debated in which the vulnerability of a reference unit (humans, community, ecosystem, etc.) is highly dependent on the degree of influence the unit can exert on its relevant conditions for subsistence. The ability to influence theses conditions depends, to a large extent, on discursive factors. To emphasise this special determinant of vulnerability, the term “participative capacity” is proposed.
Sabine MüllerRegen, Erdbeben und Klimawandel. Die Katastrophe der unrechtmäßigen Herrschaft in antiker literarischer Tradition
This paper explores the political interpretation of natural disasters in ancient literary tradition. Regarded as divine signs or punishments, a natural phenomenon or disaster is often connected to illegitimate rule. Specifically, the paper will examine the connection between natural disasters and political changes in ancient literature. It will be argued that descriptions of natural disasters often serve either to emphasize or to hide violations of political tradition or continuity of power.
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