ABSTRACT
DISASTERSRESULTFROMACOMPLEXMIXOFBOTHNATURALHAZARDSAND sociopoliticalandeconomicprocessesinanysociety.Yet,areviewofdisaster researchworldwideindicatesthatmanystudiesdonotadequatelyaddressthe socialprocessesintheiraccountsofcalamity(Oliver-Smith1996).Geophysicalandothernaturalprocesses,suchasdrought,floods,tropicalstorms,or earthquakes,receiveagreatdealofattentionatpolicy-makinglevelswhile thesocialandeconomicprocessesinvolvedareoftenignored,resultingin largelyunsustainabletechnicalsolutionsfordisasterpreparedness,management,andmitigation.TheUnitedNationsInternationalDecadeforNatural DisasterReduction(1990-2000)tookasimilarnarrowviewofhazardand hazardreductionbyfocusingconcernsolelyonphysical"risks"andpromotingmitigativepolicymeasuresderivedfromnaturalscienceandtechno-engineeringknowledge(Mitchell1990;Zaman1994a).Disasters,whenand wheretheyoccur,however,areidentifiedbygovernmentagencies,themedia, andothersonlyintermsofsocialandeconomicimpactslikelossoflife,disruptionsoflivelihoods,anddestructionofproperties.Hence,geophysicalor naturaleventslikefloodsorhurricanesareseenordefinedasdisastersonlyin howtheyaffectpeoplesandcommunities.Theironyinthecontrastbetween theresearchfocusandthedefinitionofdisasterrevealstheessenceofthe problem.Thegeophysicalornaturaleventsarethe"trigger"eventswhose impactscausedisasters.Disasterscanbebetterunderstoodandexplainedin relationtoandasaproductofthelargereconomicandpoliticalsystemsin whichtheyoccur(Hewitt1983;Torry1979).Thismeansthatdisastersdo
not simply happen; they are products of preexisting social and economic forces within the society.
