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Earthquakes, droughts, floods, and storms are natural hazards, but unnatural disasters are the deaths and damages that result from human acts of omission and commission. Every disaster is unique, but each exposes actions--by individuals and governments at different levels--that, had they been different, would have resulted in fewer deaths and less damage. Prevention is possible, and this book examines what it takes to do this cost-effectively.It looks at disasters primarily through an economic lens. Economists emphasize self-interest to explain how people choose the amount of prevention, insurance, and coping. But lenses can distort as well as sharpen images, so the book also draws from other disciplines: psychology to examine how people may misperceive risks, political science to understand voting patterns, and nutrition science to see how stunting in children after a disaster impairs cognitive abilities and productivity as adults much later. Peering into the future, it shows that while urbanization and climate change will increase exposure to hazards, vulnerability can be reduced if cities are better managed. This book will be of interest to government officials, urban planners, relief agencies, NGOs, donors, and other development practitioners .

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While nothing can be done to prevent natural disasters, concludes this report by a team of World Bank economists, plenty can be done to reduce the harm they cause. The fundamental premise of this meticulously researched study is that much of the death and destruction that occurs is the result of inadequate prevention, itself a consequence of policies and institutions that misprice risk, subsidize exposure, and promote risky behavior. Rent control and insecure land holdings, for example, erode incentives to invest in protecting property, while the absence of a multiparty political system and social fragmentation reduce public investment in critical infrastructure. Noting that people make better prevention decisions when markets are allowed to function and when prices accurately reflect hazard risks, the authors offer practical suggestions for reducing disaster damage. The analysis is objective and balanced; the literature reviewed is comprehensive. Case studies help illustrate key points. Notably absent is any reference to resilience, a theme increasingly popular in discussions of this type. Sadly, given the systemic nature of the problems contributing to inadequate prevention, many of the proposed solutions are unlikely to be successfully implemented. See related, The Economics of Natural and Unnatural Disasters, ed. by William Kern (CH, Nov'10, 48-1585). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. J. H. Turek Lynchburg College