What We Learn from Natural Disasters - Essay Example

The following statement made by Bankoff becomes highly significant in this context: "If the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina can be said to have any 'lessons' for us, it is to suggest that western developed countries may have as much to learn about disaster preparedness, management and recovery from non-western developing countries in terms of community-based assistance and the integrated flexible use of technology as the latter do from the former in terms of technocratic know-how and scientific expertise.

" (Bankoff, 2006). Thus these disasters "appear to both reinforce and then question the way western people think about what makes communities and societies vulnerable." (Bankoff, 2006).We always talk about economic inequalities at the time of a disaster rather than focusing on more relevant factors. Does it matter a lot When we consider the lessons taught by the two disasters, we are sure that economic inequalities did not have such great significance? Both the economically sound and weak nations are yet to learn the real lessons of the hazards.

In the matters of hazards and disaster preparedness, management and recovery, the economically weak nations always rely not on the technocratic solutions. But they have a long tradition of working in local, informal ways of risk management which are community-based assistance programs. This is something that the western, economically sound nations can adopt. They usually tend to stress, mainly, on the technologies and the scientific expertise of risk management. Economically weak nations can use these in their methods of disaster management.

If both the ways go hand in hand societies would be able to manage the disaster in an effective manner that works perfectly for the community in general.Thus, the analysis of Bankoff fits both in social problems related to economic inequalities and environmental threats. As he remarks, "it is not just the 'poor' who are vulnerable but that the 'rich' are, too" while dealing with the natural threats. (Bankoff, 2006). No matter what the economic status of individuals is, natural disasters strike all in the same manner.

Such events do not discriminate between rich and poor or 'haves' and 'have nots'. Thus, the developed, as well as the developing nations, need to learn more about the matters of disaster management and give focus on the right aspects. In the same manner, natural disasters need to be understood separately from natural hazards. To quote Bankoff, "Disasters were more properly viewed as primarily the result of human actions; that while hazards are natural, disasters are not." (Bankoff, 2006). The role of economic inequality in this matter is that they make "some people more prone to disaster than others and these inequalities are largely a function of the power relations.

" (Bankoff, 2006). In the same manner, overdependence on technology and science in disaster management is not desirable. We need also to learn community-based assistance in times of disasters. In short, we need to learn the lessons taught by the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in relation to the social problems of economic inequalities and environmental threats.