Empirical investigations of geomorphological hazards have existed since humankind wondered about the nature of the Universe. The ancient Greeks, for example, paid attention to phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanoes. During the Renaissance, scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci contributed to the early scientific development of topics related to geomorphology. Later on, at the beginning of the nineteenth century as specialization took place, instrumentation and measurement technology improved and diverse schools of thought appeared on the scene (Bauer, 2004). Contributions became concentrated on the complexity of nature.

Accordingly, the duality between nature (hazards) and society (vulnerability) can not be regarded as new. In the nineteenth century, Humboldt and Ritter were already aware of the necessity of addressing the planet from both natural and human global perspectives. As Ritter remarked, ‘The earth and its inhabitants stand in the closest mutual relations, and one element cannot be seen in all its phases without the others.’ It seems inexorable therefore that understanding risk involves a full comprehension of the interactions among natural and cultural landscapes.