Please choose a specific natural disaster (e.g. Hurricane Katrina, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, the 2010  Russian wildfires, etc.) and write a case study of that disaster or choose two specific disasters (e.g. Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Maria; 2018 Osaka earthquake and 2018 Papua New Guinea earthquake; etc.) and compare and contrast the two disasters.   To the extent possible, please avoid selecting disasters that were discussed in detail in the course material (Typhoon Ketsana/Ondoy, Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, 2018 Camp Fire, 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, etc.). If you would like to write your paper on a disaster that was covered in lecture or in the supplemental material, you must reach out to the instructor or TA in advance to obtain permission and discuss the sources that you will use.   The paper should discuss the natural and social context that caused the disaster(s) and should identify (1) the geophysical processes that caused the extreme event(s), (2) the sources of vulnerability facing affected human populations, (3) the immediate and long-term effects of the disaster(s), and (4) mitigation measures that were or could have been implemented to reduce loss of human life and property damage. More specifically, in your paper, you should consider:  What were the socioeconomic conditions in the country, region, city, or locality prior to the disaster? This should include applicable information related to history, demographics, political structure and economics. What was the geophysical nature of the event? What was its intensity (e.g. category of hurricane, magnitude of earthquake, etc.) How was the region prepared (such factors as earthquake building codes, storm surge protection, evacuation protocols, etc.)? What were the differential regional impacts?  What was the estimated economic cost of the disaster?  How was economic growth affected? How was output in different sectors affected and how did these sectors recover?  What were the consequences in terms of poverty and inequality?  What role did institutions (or lack of them) play in the preparation of a disasters and future recovery?  Options for case studies: Hurricane Katrina (2005) Sichuan earthquake (2008) Flooding in Pakistan (2010) Hurricane Sandy (2012) Typhoon Haiyan (2013) Cyclone Nargis (2008) Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami (2011) Oroville Dam Disaster (2017) Hurricane Harvey (2017) Hurricane Maria (2017) Hurricane Irma (2017) Hurricane Matthew (2016) Volcanic eruption in Guatemala (2018) Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami (2018) Cyclone Idai (2019) 2010 Russian wildfires 2019 Australian wildfires And many more! Guidelines: 1. You must use headings to indicate the sections of your paper (e.g. Introduction, Causes, Effects, Vulnerability, Mitigation, Conclusion, etc.)  2. Your word count should be between 1000 and 1,500 words (not including a Works Cited section). 3. You must include in-text citations to at least 10 appropriate sources (academic journal articles are preferred). The works cited section should use APA citation style.