Natural disasters

Why is it that short-term natural disasters so often become long-term human crises? From the shattering earthquake in Haiti, to the slow-burning droughts of Ethiopia, to the threat of epidemic disease, the list of natural disasters is all too familiar. And now climate change is increasing both their number and the severity of their impact on people who already face a daily struggle to survive.

ODI’s work related to natural disasters focuses on the way in which the state and the international community respond. We also examine the political, social and economic factors that determine who lives where, under what conditions, and with what degree of danger. Our work spans both the humanitarian and developmental spheres, building a case for the two to work together more effectively, with humanitarians ‘thinking recovery’ from the first moments of their crisis response.  We focus on three key areas:

• Risk reduction and disaster preparedness
• The role of the state, humanitarian agencies and the private sector
• The effectiveness of responses to disasters

The work of ODI in this area recognises that the barriers to effective response are as much political, bureaucratic and structural as they are financial and technical.