DEM511: Haresh C. Shah's Influence on Disaster & Emergency Management

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Haresh C. Shah's contributions to the field of disaster and emergency management. It discusses his early life, educational background, and key publications, highlighting his unique perspectives on risk analysis, earthquake engineering, and probabilistic methods. The report also examines how his theories and works can save lives and help countries solve disaster and emergency problems, emphasizing his focus on urban risk, knowledge dissemination, and a holistic approach to disaster management. Shah's emphasis on proactive disaster risk management strategies and the importance of understanding the human dimension of risk are also explored. The analysis concludes that Shah has significantly contributed to the field, advocating for the integration of technology and infrastructure development with disaster preparedness.

Running head: EMERGENCY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Emergency and Disaster Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................2
2. Discussion on the life, career background and contributions of Haresh C. Shah in the field
of disaster and emergency problems..........................................................................................2
2.1. Early life of Haresh Shah................................................................................................2
2.2. Educational Background.................................................................................................2
2.3. Key publications of Professor Haresh C. Shah...............................................................3
2.4. Unique part of his works.................................................................................................3
2.5 What people said about them based on the online research.............................................4
2.5. How the background influence their work?....................................................................4
2.6 The time and space where they develop their theories?...................................................5
2.7. Who are their students?...................................................................................................5
2.8. How his or her story or theories can save lives?.............................................................5
2.9 How it help people and countries to solve disaster and emergency problems?...............6
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................7
References:.................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
This paper is going to elaborate on presenting a biography research report on Haresh
C. Shah, a civil engineer who has a great contribution in the field of science and engineering.
The paper shall discuss about the background of the scholar, the place he was born in and his
educational qualification. It shall also shed light on his key publications till date and the
unique part of his works. Moreover, it shall also highlight what other people has said about
them and their perceptions on the basis on good through online researches and reviews.
Lastly, the way his stories and theories can save the lives of people and the way they can
solve the disasters and emergency problems within countries shall also be assessed.
2. Discussion on the life, career background and contributions of Haresh C. Shah in the
field of disaster and emergency problems
2.1. Early life of Haresh Shah
Professor Haresh Shah, also known as Haresh C. Shah, was born on 8th January 1937
in Palo Alto CA. After then, he and his family moved to Stanford city of Standford, CA
(Mendes-Victor et al., 2008) He is an Indian American and his political affiliation is still not
known. Furthermore, it is to state his religion is Hindu. He has been a Director of TrueTime
from the year 2001 and is at present also a member of the Audit and Compensation
Committees.
2.2. Educational Background
Haresh Shah received his B.E degree in the year 1959 from the Poona University of
India and has received his ME (Masters in Engineering) from the Stanford University. With
the same, in the year 1963, he has also completed his PhD in Engineering from Stanford.
Later, he was one among the members of engineering faculty in that very university. There he
was the Obayashi Professor of Engineering and at the same time, was the founder of the Risk

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Management Solutions. However, in the month of January of 1998, he got retirement from
the Stanford University. He has also received several awards and recognitions throughout his
life time.
2.3. Key publications of Professor Haresh C. Shah
Professor Haresh Shah has some outstanding and exceptional contribution in the field
of academic development of the Stanford University and at the same time, has played a great
role in the process of transformation of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) into a high
ranked multi-disciplinary research university with his competencies and abilities. He has also
been the author of ‘Terra Non Firma- Understanding and Preparing for Earthquakes”. With
the same, he has also been the co-author of above 350 technical books, reports and papers.
2.4. Unique part of his works
Professor Shah has been involved in several activities throughout his lifetime. He is
the founder and the senior advisor of the RMS, Inc. (Risk Management Solutions), the
chairman and the founding director of WSSI (World Seismic Safety Initiative) as well as one
of the faculty members of NTU (Nanyang Technological University). With the same, he was
also elected as one of the honorary members of the IAEE (International Association of
Earthquake Engineering) and EERI (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute) of U.S.A.
Moreover, not only his contributions were recognised in U.S.A but also in several other parts
of the world including Singapore. He was the Chairman of Advisory Board of the Institute of
Catastrophe Risk Management, NTU, in Singapore ("Haresh C. Shah Honored In Singapore |
Blume Center"). However, the most unique part of his thinking is that he believed that the
main problem lies in today’s world is the fact that interconnectivity of the entire world is not
modelled in proper manner.

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2.5 What people said about them based on the online research
Haresh C. Shah has been widely regarded as the pioneer in the fields of risk analysis,
earthquake engineering, and probabilistic methods. His contributions in the field of science
and technology is immense and for his he has received several awards and recognitions
throughout his life. With the same, he has been a sustained and outstanding member of
engineering faculty of the Stanford University and has also contributed to the insurance
industry as well. As per (), Professor Haresh Shah has played the role of a consultant to many
governments and private organisations all around the globe in order to develop the
earthquake design criteria and building codes. He has also worked with UNESCO and many
other nations all over the world for developing the same (earthquake design criteria and
building codes). Furthermore, Professor Shah is also considered to be an expert on the
reliability and probability theory.
2.5. How the background influence their work?
Haresh Shah is the founder of the Risk Management Solution at Stanford University.
He is widely considered to be a pioneer in the fields of earthquake engineering, risk analysis
and the probabilistic methods for more than 35 years. With the same, he has also been also
the recipient of the “EERI's Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal”. It is considered to
be the highest medal in the field of engineering science for his sustained service and
contributions for the earthquake safety to the global community. Furthermore, for his
contributions to the earthquake safety all around the world, he has been awarded with the
George W. Housner Medal. Furthermore, he has also been awarded with the “John S. Bickley
Gold Medal for Excellence Award” from the International Insurance Society for his immense
and highly sustained contributions to the insurance industry. In the year 2006, he was also
awarded with the title of “Top Seismic Engineer of the 20th Century” by the Engineering
News Record and Applied Technology Council. He has played the role of a consultant to

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many governments and private organisations all around the globe in order to develop the
earthquake design criteria and building codes.
2.6 The time and space where they develop their theories?
Haresh Shah is specialised in applying the reliability and probability theories to the
structural and the earthquake engineering, comprising of the safety of the dams and building.
The probability theory has been used for modelling the uncertainties in the field of structural
engineering, particularly while addressing the reliability for structural safety. Professor Shah
has developed this theory when he was serving as a key faculty at the Stanford University.
2.7. Who are their students?
The main students of Professor Haresh C. Shah are the undergraduate and the
postgraduate students of the Stanford University (Magazine 1999). With the same, not only
the students of Standford University but also various other students who are studying in the
field of risk and disaster management, present in different parts of the world do read the
theories and publications of Haresh Shah in the same subject.
2.8. How his or her story or theories can save lives?
As per Professor Haresh C Shah., in the coming years, the efforts in the field of
disaster and emergency problems like earthquake etc. should be on three key issues and they
need to be- the urban risk, the implementation and the dissemination of the present
knowledge and a holistic and multidisciplinary approach. Also, according to him,
professional in the field of emergency and disaster response and risk management are often
unable to identify and assess the cost effectiveness of the alternative mitigation strategies. It
is basically due fact that these strategies different widely by the types, the implementation
method and the target group. Professor Haresh Shah have introduced a wide series of three
different complementary projects in the subject related to the risk assessment, risk forecasting

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and risk management. He is also the one to embody a new philosophy that he built on the
basis of the above mentioned three key issues. It is to note that recognising the prevention for
disaster is more often less costly in terms of both the economic and human losses as
compared to disaster relief and reconstruction. Haresh Shah has placed great focus on the
prevention of these loses and also in the field of preparing ahead in order to meet the
financial risks and obligations. All these ultimately aid to the reduction of indirect losses to a
great extent. Right from research on proactive disaster risk management strategies to some
genuine reduction of the disaster burden, or “from research to action", is the challenge that
his theories and works addresses.
2.9 How it help people and countries to solve disaster and emergency problems?
The human dimension of risk is a significant yet important and under explored aspect
of the issues of risk management. How people perceive risk and understand the different
patterns of behaviour and see how all these are related to the decision making process. At the
same time, it is also important to note that policy development needs a much greater
exploration. Professor Haresh C. Shah has made the case for allowing the poorest in order to
insure against the risks, all great and small. According to Professor Haresh C. Shah,
interconnectivity of the world is not modelled in proper manner. As per him, the Asian
development like in countries like China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia etc. is slightly different
than it is in North America ("Professor Haresh Shah, Institute of Catastrophe Risk
Management: Mitigating risk for those at the bottom of the pyramid", 2011). In North
America, Europe, things evolve over time through industrial revolutions, technology growth
and after the world war, country grows. However, on the contrary, in Asia, in recent years, in
very short period, technologically they have evolved and created huge infrastructures but at
the same time, they have also created clusters (Arambepola, 2005). There are several centres
in which many companies have setup their manufacturing plants. For example, there are 14

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clusters in India. In the old days, when people used to work with North America and Europe,
people developed an understanding of what can happen over the whole country. But, in the
large countries, and therefore, companies need to develop in concentrated areas. Also, he has
claimed that the professional in the field of emergency and disaster response and risk
management are often unable to identify and assess the cost effectiveness of the alternative
mitigation strategies. This is basically because of the fact that these strategies different widely
by the types, the implementation method and the target group. With the same, it also takes
places due to the fact that the simple and readily usable tool of evaluation are not existing at
present. A good tool of evaluation is important in order to assess and address different other
issues in the file like- who is ultimately to be benefitted and who is going to pay for the same,
how much safety does a given investment lay etc.
3. Conclusion
Hence, from the above analysis it is to conclude that Haresh C. Shah has significantly
contributed in the field of disaster and risk management. He has also received his B.E. degree
from the Poona University of India in the year 1959 and M.S. and Ph.D. from the Stanford
University in 1960 and 1963. His contributions are recognised globally in different sectors.
He has been rewarded with many awards and recognised globally. Not only he spent his life
being the professor of Stanford University but was also elected as one of the honorary
members of the IAEE and EERI of U.S.A. With the same, he has played the role of a
consultant to many governments and private organisations all around the globe in order to
develop the earthquake design criteria and building codes. His theories of reliability and
probability can significantly help in risk and disaster management and have the potential of
helping people and countries in solving disaster and emergency problems. He has served the
Stanford University in many different capacities, including being the Chairman of the

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Department of Civil Engineering and the Founding Director of the John A.
Blume Earthquake Engineering Center.
References:
"Haresh C. Shah Honored In Singapore | Blume Center". Blume.Stanford.Edu, (2015),
https://blume.stanford.edu/haresh-c-shah-honored-singapore.
Arambepola, M. N., Weerasinghe, B., Choong, M. W., Carlos, M. C., Ratnayake, M. L., &
Sharma, M. R. (2005). Integrated Flood Risk Management in Asia.
magazine, S. (2019). Letters to the Editors. Retrieved from
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/letters-to-the-editors-12285
Mendes-Victor, L., Oliveira, C. S., Azevedo, J., & Ribeiro, A. (Eds.). (2008). The 1755
Lisbon earthquake: revisited (Vol. 7). Springer Science & Business Media.
Professor Haresh Shah, Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management: Mitigating risk for those
at the bottom of the pyramid. (2011). Retrieved from
https://insight.jbs.cam.ac.uk/2011/cambridge-centre-for-risk-studies-2nd-annual-
meeting-the-human-dimension-of-risk-mitigating-risk-for-those-at-the-bottom-of-the-
pyramid/