A reconceptualization of the linkages between disasters and development.

The victims of disasters in the Third World are also, too often, victims of relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development programs. These programs that purport to addesss the economic and social conditions that leave people vulnerable to famine, earthquakes, floods, or human-caused disasters seldom succeed entirely. Even as a development project reduces vulnerability in one area for some segment of a population, it may increase it in others. Are people, then, locked into a cycle of vulnerability? Is it possible to restructure both disaster emergency aid and long term development aid so that vulnerability is genuinely reduced? In this paper, we shall explore the relationships between disasters and development and propose a reco~iceptualization of these relationships which may prove useful in realizing the opportunities that exist for addressing vulnerability. We shall also discuss the implications of this new approach for the policies and programs of the international relief and development agencies.