Editorial Note: 1. Why Hazards Science? Definition and Necessity

Most people are interested to know the effects of hazards on their life, health and environment. We have decided to answer the question “Why Hazards Science?” in each issue of the journal. The necessity of raising this question isn’t based on the activity of the present magazine entitled Hazards Science (though the scientific approach we adopt here is a new combined approach), but the numerous and increasing hazards which affect individuals, communities and natural environment. Any individual and society encounters certain hazards depending on how much they pay attention to research and knowledge, the place and time in which they live, the lifestyle they adopt for living, interactions and relationships they have with other communities and people, and the plan they create for their life (1). An individual or society that considers themselves independent of science in order to reduce hazard, is always under hazards and helps increasing hazards. Essence of science studies such as geographical science is embedded in this point. Journal of Hazards Science which is the first scientific journal published in this field and has a fundamental-applied nature, deals with the identification of hazards, promoting its scientific nature and presentation of research and experimental achievements based on hazards reduction, for further improvement of human and the environment with a combined approach of human, environment, religious science, technical-engineering, fundamental sciences and even art. For Journal of Hazards Science, anthropocentrism plays a very important role for hazard reduction (this led this publication to be registered in social and behavioral sciences group). The word “hazard” is synonymous with “risk ratio” and has also been introduced as a synonym with “threat ratio” (2); and “health ratio”. Thus, it has a dual nature. On the one hand, it monitors the risk ratio, and on the other hand, the health ratio in society and environment (Fig. 1). Hazards Science tries to identify the events and activities that reduce the length and width of life of individuals, communities and quality of environment. That is it is helpful. Length of life of individuals and communities, and the environment quality means continuity of life of individuals, communities and the environment over time; width of life means the quality of life of individuals and communities and the environment. Hazards science is a type of healthy entrepreneurship activity which is both dependent on the type of hazard and on the desired quality for the life of individuals and communities. It is a kind of Ecological entrepreneurship for better life.
Hazard science deals with identifying different types of hazard. What is biohazard (4)? How do people avoid suffering property, physical, spiritual, and environmental damages and how to react to the environment, and why the environment should stay healthy? Hazards science studies the behavior, structure and quality of human environment over a lifetime. Thus, it explores the world and lifestyle. Hazardology emphasizes on maintaining and promoting human and environmental health; for example, how can spatial balance be achieved? Why should media activities be designed to promote the eating habits of people? Why should consciousness be considered as a basic principle at work? Why should people and authorities be taught not to build their house in hazardous places? Why should not we pollute air and water? Why should people be trained to have lower hazards? Why should we reduce Ahwaz industrial pollution (for example)? How can we manage the hazards and reduce its adverse effects? How can one adapt to Tsunami or Earthquake or Dutch? How do excommunicating behaviors arise? What kind of thought and worldview is necessary to reduce hazards? What changes are necessary to be done in textbooks in this regard? And so on. Hazards science investigates the dimensions of prevention. However, a comprehensive definition of hazard is that we consider it as an event, phenomenon, process, status, situation, activity, thought, worldview and idea which may lead to serious life, material and spiritual losses for individual, population, community and the environment. The Hazards Science analyzes each of the above items. Humanbeing has tolerated huge losses in consequence of the hazards surrounding him. But we should not regret the past, we should learn from it. Of course, damages that have been imposed on individuals and communities due to earthquake, flood, hurricane, tsunami, economic stagnation, drought , war, disease, addiction, unemployment, terrorism, etc. are not trivial; we should not regret, but it is unforgiveable if we don’t learn from our experience and don’t explore them; this means the necessity to address the Hazards Science.