An interdisciplinary approach, set right at the nexus of both physical and human geography, to studying the types of natural disasters that occur throughout Earth with a focus on tropical areas. Explore a region's susceptibility to natural disasters by studying the physical phenomena that incite specific hazards so that their spatial distribution can be outlined. Utilize theoretical frameworks that can expose the social causes of human vulnerability, the political repercussions of disasters, and how disaster response varies from country to country depending on varying political stances and economic conditions. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 334C, 334L, Latin American Studies 330 (Topic: Environment Hazards Latin America/Caribbean), 330 (Topic 5). Three lecture hours a week for one semester.