Hurricane Mitch was one of the worst natural disasters to hit Central America when it struck in 1998, killing approximately 10,000 people and leaving 3 million dependent on aid.
Scientists say that today it is possible to predict and prevent which countries could be hit by disaster. Tearfund and its partner agencies and churches around the world believe that identifying these nations at risk and ensuring their local communities are equipped to reduce the likelihood of disasters is critical to tackling suffering and poverty in the 21st Century. Part of this equipping of local communities involves governments, local authorities, and relief and development agencies investing funds towards helping vulnerable communities manage and reduce disaster risks.
This paper outlines reasons why donor governments must allocate part of their aid budgets to reducing the risks of disaster faced by millions of people in developing countries.
