Countering disaster, targeting vulnerability : mobilizing local communities in reducing disaster.

It is paradox that, at a time when such an extraordinary effort is underway to elevate the sophistication, safety, and comfort of our societies, our vulnerability to natural hazards, is, in fact, constantly increasing. With our current development patterns, more and more people and assets are concentrating in hazard-prone areas such as floodplains, unstable slopes, coastal cities, and river deltas. The accelerated growth of populations and urban centres, environmental degradation and poverty, make our societies more fragile, more vulnerable, and less able to confront the forces of nature. Vulnerability reduction strategies include measures such as limiting development and avoiding new construction in hazard-prone areas. Adequate early warning systems that are accessible and understood by all levels of the population, construction of hazard-resistant buildings, and increased knowledge and awareness of disaster reduction issues among all sectors of society, are other strategies that can reap significant benefits.