Author Description

The 9th annual review of natural catastrophes. Chapters: natural catastrophes in 2001; major engineering and fire catastrophes in 2001; great natural catastrophes: long-term statistics 1950-2001; NatCatSERVICE information: the insurance industry's billion-dollar loss list; catastrophe portrait: the Gujarat earthquake in India; "wet" storms: flood losses dominate; loss potentials: known/unidentified?; meteorites: (another) underestimated accumulation risk?; climate negotiations 2002: the struggle over the Kyoto Protocol; and geoscientists at American Re: our partners in North America. Inserts: World Map of Natural Catastrophes 2001. Color photos and graphs.