ABSTRACT
Few disaster reports include any losses beyond the direct and tangible impacts (Fig. 2.1). Direct effects are the first order consequences that occur immediately after an event, such as the deaths and economic loss caused by the throwing down of buildings in an earthquake. Indirect effects emerge later and may be more difficult to attribute to the event. These include factors such as mental illness resulting from shock, bereavement and relocation from the area. Tangible effects are those for which it is possible to assign monetary values, such as the replacement of damaged property. Intangible effects, although real, cannot be properly assessed in monetary terms. For example, many important archaeological sites in Italy are at risk from landslides, floods and soil erosion (Canuti et al., 2000).
