Book excerpt: Disaster and Emergency Management: Case Studies in Adaption and Innovation separates out the concept of prevention from hazard mitigation. Prevention planning is motivated by the understanding that potential for limiting negative consequences of disasters events are significantly limited by lack of adequate attention in the initial stages of hazard identification and vulnerability assessments. In addition, increasing potential for catastrophic events in the last few decades have significantly weakened confidence in the abilities of the scientists and policy makers to identify and control hazards in a timely manner. Prevention planning is thus akin to a precautionary approach of promoting actions to avoid negative impacts of natural events. Disaster and Emergency Management: Case Studies in Adaption and Innovation focuses on prevention as a way focus on removing vulnerabilities to the system, as opposed to lessening the shock Illustrates the characteristics of expert practice associated with disaster prevention activities Exemplifies the conditions that give rise to the need for innovation and adaption Helps to clarify the types of activities that help to prevent disasters versus that solely mitigate them