ABSTRACT

Building the capacity to systematically assess and address hazard exposure, reduce risks and improve resilience, coping, adaptation and mitigation processes has been a recognized goal but one that has proven elusive to attain. The 1984 Conference attracted stakeholders, experts, officials and the curious drawn from many backgrounds. It was dominated by public officials, academics and those with a scientific or technical background. Development policy has been dominated by the Washington Consensus on neo-liberal economic thought. The management and reduction of natural disaster risk require a renaissance of strategic, enlightened and balanced regulation in the public interest. In 1984, post-graduate courses in disaster risk management were non-existent, and there were a mere handful of fledgling international training courses in disaster management. One of the most obvious facets of moving forward relates to the challenging matter of integrating disaster risk reduction into development. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.