Conclusion: Toward Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

The foregoing chapters have shown that disasters are neither natural nor the consequences of people’s inadequate behavior in facing natural hazards. Rather, disasters reflect people’s vulnerability or their susceptibility to be affected when confronted with floods, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or other potentially harmful natural phenomena. Yet, those who suffer from disasters are not helpless victims. They display a large array of knowledge, skills, and resources that constitute useful capacities in time of hardship. These capacities have to be utilized to reduce the risk of disaster. Similarly, people are often resilient and able to overcome the havoc of disasters should recovery policies consider their needs and contributions. Vulnerability, capacities, and resilience are therefore essential concepts for fully appraising people’s response to disasters.