ABSTRACT
One global politics research area is the extent to which politics is affected by disasters and deals with disasters. An example of this work is disaster diplomacy, which investigates how and why disaster-related activities influence (or not) conflict and cooperation. The scoping and categories of uncertainties in this book's editorial introduction help explore how these uncertainties – and especially those that are assumed – emerge (or not) for disaster diplomacy at the global level. At the core of this chapter are uncertainties regarding disasters alongside United Nations (UN) approaches. Two specific examples, climate change and outer space phenomena, illustrate different uncertainty types from this book's editorial introduction. Subsequent discussion indicates how and why different types of uncertainties are not necessarily negative, nor need they necessarily inhibit needed action. The chapter explains how uncertainties should be embraced as part of producing and enacting constructive policy and action to ensure that people are helped and that disasters are prevented irrespective of the various uncertainties.
