Written from a global perspective on risk, hazards, and disasters, "Introduction to International Disaster Management" provides practitioners, educators and students with a comprehensive overview of the players, processes and special issues involved in the management of large-scale natural and technological disasters. The book discusses special issues encountered in the management of international disasters, and explains the various private, non-governmental, national, and international agencies that assist in preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery during national and regional events. Concentrating on the four major phases of emergency management - mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery - "Introduction to International Disaster Management" deals with such timely topics as Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and SARS. It also serves as a reference to governmental and other agencies involved in international disaster management activities. This book is the first of its kind to take a global approach to the topic of international disaster management. This title includes data, discussions, and outcomes for recent major and catastrophic disasters including Cyclone Nargis, earthquakes in Yogyakarta, China, Pakistan, and Chile, the H1N1 pandemic, and the tsunami in American Samoa. It contains added material on hazards, catastrophic risk management, mitigation, and disaster myths. It includes expanded sections on public disaster preparedness and disaster recovery best practices. It has a commentary on the latest research in disaster management and policy studies.