Disaster management in a global world: tensions, contradictions and imperatives from the Red Cross and Red Crescent perspective

Abstract

The sheer scale of the tsunami emergency of 26 December 2004 and the disasters caused by natural hazards in 2005 have brought into focus many issues relating to effective disaster management in responding to disasters. Disasters wipe out development progress. They take the highest toll in the poorest and least protected communities, particularly in countries of low human development where hard-won development is quickly destroyed by the impact of disasters. Too often, inappropriate development patterns and inadequate disaster mitigation continue to increase the vulnerability of the environment, infrastructure and people.