Disasters have devastating consequences. They cause death, injury, disease, the destruction of property and other assets, mass displacement, social and economic disruption, loss of infrastructure and other services, and damage to the environment. Poor people living in low and middle income countries have paid a disproportionate price in terms of human suffering. Their exposure to hazards is exacerbated by poverty, lack of early warning systems, poor risk governance and an absence of the civil protection mechanisms that are taken for granted in high-income countries. 

However, while we can’t prevent a hazard from occurring, we can use disaster risk reduction and management to understand risk and vulnerability, prevent a hazard from becoming a disaster, and mitigate its impact by making people more resilient.