Natural risks: mitigation and adaptation

Increase of human impact on the environment entailed increase of the numbers of natural disasters and related economic and human losses in last decades. Climate projections suggest further intensification of risks. At the same time, the growth of welfare in many countries, including Poland, increases loss potential. Although Poland is not particularly endangered, as compared to some other countries, such as Japan, natural risks occur. In several cases (for instance, the floods in 1997 and in 2010) losses reached the level of billions. Expected increase of risks calls for strengthening of the preparedness system. Two approaches are possible: mitigation (eliminating the sources of risks) and adaptation (accepting inevitability of losses and trying to reduce the loss). The knowledge on these two approaches is limited. Nevertheless, the traditional approach, relying on structural protection is clearly insufficient.