Disasters and Development

Emergency aid measures are needed desperately in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, and efforts by aid workers and charitable agencies are to be commended wholeheartedly.  But we're pausing to consider how the effects of the quake show how natural disasters are magnified by poverty, corruption and kleptocratic governments.

Four years ago, the UN held a "World Conference on Disaster Reduction", and IPN's Sustainable Development Network launched a policy study entitled Disasters and Development. Although written in the context of the Asian tsunami in late 2004, its lessons are equally applicable to Haiti's vulnerability to natural disasters. 

The study observes:

In 1906, San Francisco (California) experienced a major earthquake (estimated conservatively at approximately 7.7 on the Richter scale), which led to a fire in which thousands died; the total death toll was over 3,000; more than 200,000 people were injured; and the economic damage exceeded $400 million in 1906 dollars. In 1989, San Francisco experienced another major quake (measuring at 6.7 on the Richter scale), which killed 62 people, and caused substantial economic losses, but San Francisco recovered quickly. As San Francisco has developed economically and put in place more robust buildings, roads and other infrastructure, the impact of earthquakes on the city has been reduced.

...Although all the stricken countries experienced tragic loss of life, injuries and economic damage, the wealthier areas fared relatively better, not only experiencing fewer deaths and injuries but also being in a much better position to rebuild the local economy.