Quantitative Risk Assessment, Public Policy, and Decision-Making

Effective hazard reduction depends to a large degree on informed public related to risks, risk consequences, and risk management practices. Quantitative risk analysis can estimate probabilities of damages considering different variables as well as the costs associated with the damages. In a community, several engineered systems act together interdependently to provide operating functionality. Interdependence among systems is not well understood and thus meaningful measures of system vulnerability are difficult to derive. To minimize the impact of a damaging natural hazard on a community, actions by several levels of decision-makers are necessary. Effective public policies have to consider not only the quantitative analysis of physical systems but also economic consequences for the society, and socio-political rationality. The focus of this paper is on long —term actions taken by the public officials in minimizing the loss of functionality in a community, by combining quantitative analysis with the qualitative aspects of the decision-making reality in the context of public policy.

Language

  • English

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01347379
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 978-0-7844-1170-4
  • Files: TRIS, ASCE
  • Created Date: Aug 8 2011 2:13PM