Storm Clouds and Silver Linings

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Beyond livelihood and human security impacts, sudden stresses caused by disaster may strain the social and economic structures of a community, deepening existing inequalities and triggering conflicts.Not only are disasters, as a 2005 Oxfam International report put it, “profoundly discriminatory in their impact on people” (with factors like gender, age, and income determining who will be most affected), but human reactions often reinforce their unequal impacts.1 How well a government responds has important political implications. Competent disaster management can improve an agency’s image and efficacy, while an inept or indifferent attitude toward disaster will likely erode citizens’ trust...