Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Research Assistant Professor, University of Tabriz
Abstract
Human history, from distant past up to the present day, has always witnessed catastrophic natural disasters causing human casualties, financial losses and vast destruction. Geomorphologic hazards are among these phenomena and threaten the lives of millions of people (lives and property) on the planet. Their occurrence imposes massive losses on agricultural, livestock and industrial sectors. In fact, these hazards are natural phenomena, but they turn out disastrous when faced with human societies and lead to enormous life and financial losses (Fann Weston, 1998 and Alcantara Ayala, 2002) and become geomorphic disasters. Today, human beings have not had much success in improving living conditions and reducing destructive effects of disasters in spite of the existence of different sources and systems for obtaining ground data and converting this data into knowledge and making use of this knowledge. Of course, the solution to the problem should be sought in increasing the level of knowledge of human being. By correct management of different types of data and information and taking advantage of new technologies such as remote sensing, it is possible to some extent to reduce the aspects and intensity of damages caused by occurrence of geomorphologic disasters.