Katastrofista

Katastrofista is a term used in several languages to describe a person who emphasizes disasters or worst-case outcomes in analysis, forecasting, or public discourse. A katastrofista tends to foreground catastrophic scenarios, often in contrast with more moderate risk assessments. The term can be used descriptively in neutral contexts or pejoratively to accuse someone of doom-mongering.

The form catastrofista is common in Spanish and Portuguese, with similar terms existing in other languages that translate the same concept. The core idea is a practitioner or advocate of catastrophe-focused thinking, though exact usage and connotation can vary by cultural and professional context.

Contexts in which the label appears include journalism, politics, climate communication, and risk analysis. A katastrofista is typically someone who highlights extreme risks and their potential impacts, sometimes emphasizing urgency and immediacy. Critics may view the stance as alarmist, while supporters argue that it helps uncover vulnerabilities and motivates precautionary action.

Relation to science and policy is central to the discussion. While rigorous risk assessment acknowledges uncertainty and probabilities, catastrophist discourse can tilt toward dramatic framing. This intersects with cognitive biases such as negativity bias or availability bias and raises questions about responsible risk communication and the design of policies that avoid paralysis without ignoring real threats.

In practice, catastrophic framing can mobilize preparedness and resilience but may also contribute to fatigue, misperception of likelihood, or counterproductive risk denial. The term remains a descriptive label rather than a judgment of a single correct approach to risk and uncertainty.