ABSTRACT
Given these issues, loss acceptance is a common outcome. Some people are simply unaware that they occupy a hazardous location and do nothing to minimize their risk. Others attach an unduly low priority to natural hazards, as compared to day-to-day problems like inflation or unem - ployment, and also do nothing. Another factor is
limited scientific knowledge. For example, due to a relative lack of understanding of the physics of the Earth’s crust, reliable forecasting and warning schemes are unavailable for earthquakes. Some - times the view is expressed that individuals should be free to assume whatever environmental risks they wish, as long as they accept the consequences of their decision. But lack of information and capital, rather than a properly calculated choice, forces so many people to locate in hazardous areas that few democratic governments can ignore their plight following disaster.
