Characteristics of recent geohazards and roles of geoparks

Setsuya Nakada (*)
(*) Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032 Japan. E-mail: nakada@eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Knowledge on our dynamic planet and resultant, unavoidable geohazards is inevitable to all people living in geohazard-prone areas of the Earth for minimizing disasters. Lacking communications among scientists, bureaucrats, and local societies sometimes have brought serious disasters from geohazards. Geoparks can promote good communications by utilizing themselves as suitable stages for learning the dynamic history of the Earth. Education for disaster-prevention after understanding about blessings from the nature becomes more effective to reduce risks from geohazards.

Earthquake, education for disaster-prevention, hazard map, tsunami, volcanic eruption