ABSTRACT
Large natural disasters have far less impact on human well-being than everyday disaster risks associated with environmental health inadequacies in poor cities and in especially their poor, unserviced and disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It is often argued that these inadequacies are perhaps the most important avoidable environmental cause of ill-health (Songsore et al, 2005). Songsore et al (1997) argue that global improvement in local environments could avert the loss of almost 80 million ‘disability free’ years of human life each year - more than the feasible improvement attributable to all other identified environmental measures combined (see also World Bank, 1993; McGranahan et al, 1996; UNCHS, 1996; WHO, 1997; World Resources Institute/UNEP/UNDP/World Bank, 1998).
