ABSTRACT
People and infrastructure need to be separated from and resistant to potential hazards, since neighborhoods in close proximity to unstable soil, coastlines, and waterways have an increased vulnerability to natural disasters and drought as they occur more frequently over time. The Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance and Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters identifies five categories of disasters: Natural disasters are the most common type of disaster, affecting millions of people every year with the largest numbers of people affected by floods, droughts, and storms. The geographic distribution of disaster victims was concentrated in Asia and Africa, which together accounted for 95 percent of the global victims of natural disasters. Women and children tend to have worse disaster health outcomes generally, and older adults face an increased risk of drowning in floods, death from earthquakes, and sensitivity to extreme temperatures. Limit or relocate development in areas prone to floods, sea-level rise, and severe storms.
