Fifteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

What lessons can we learn a lesson from history to combat with the climate change in the 21st century? Typhoons have been causing significant casualties among people across the world from time to time. The 1906 Hong Kong Typhoon troubled Hong Kong’s economic and social stability as well. Hence, this presentation will explain the power of the history of typhoons in dealing with future unprecedented natural disasters. A history of typhoons reminds every individual the power of natural disasters on our social and economic developments. Thus, by enhancing a sense of “insecurity,” educating the public of the drawbacks of typhoons will be important in dealing with the emergence of climate change in the 21st century because most people have ignored the threats of climate changes on socio-economic developments nowadays. More importantly, this presentation would rely on newspapers, government reports and other relevant materials about how institutions, newspapers and civilians interacted with one another after the 1906 Hong Kong Typhoon. Thus, this presentation offers critical insights for scholars to reflect on our approach to natural disasters brought by the climate change. Apart from the efforts of institutions, what roles do civilians play in dealing with natural disasters from a historical perspective?