Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a report on the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project of the 1980s that provided a foundation for subsequent regional mitigation efforts. It presents an in-depth analysis of the progress of disaster management in a single national disaster management organization. The book focuses on the critical role of construction quality and regulatory support in reducing vulnerability to natural phenomena. Building and land-use regulation are a fundamental part of governance and public responsibility and a prerequisite for consistent economic and social development. The book addresses issues of public responsibility broadly in laying out the steps for creating and maintaining political will for disaster mitigation. It assesses the emergence of an independent field of disaster management distinct from development and raises questions. The book discusses personal and professional observations from a rich and varied career in disaster risk reduction including the period 1984-2010.