When natural hazards cause a lot of destruction and loss, they turn into natural disasters. Poor people are often the hardest hit. When poor people lose their homes and possessions, it is even more difficult for them to get back on their feet.

Poor people more vulnerable to disasters because:

• They live in dangerous, less desirable locations, such as flood plains, river banks, steep slopes and reclaimed land.
• They don’t live in well made houses.
• They often don’t know much about disasters and don’t know that they can prepare for them.
• They often perceive disasters as god’s will that can’t be changed.

But people can do a lot to help lessen the impact of nature’s fury and prevent disasters. For example, they can:

• Build better sturdier buildings
• Teach children and adults about natural disaster and how to prepare in case a disaster strikes
• Ensure the country has good emergency plans to respond quickly to a disaster

The key is to plan for potential natural disasters, says Margaret Arnold, who heads the World Bank’s Hazard Management Unit.

"We know that floods and earthquakes will occasionally happen. We can’t avoid them, but we must know how to handle and prepare for them," she adds.

Richer, more developed countries are better equipped to deal with natural hazards, which prevents them from escalating into disasters.

The Bank and other international organizations are working with poor countries to help them plan and prepare for disasters, and also to help them in the aftermath of a disaster.

Helping poor countries avoid natural disasters is a big part of development. Otherwise, disasters can easily change a community’s destiny in the blink of an eye and wipe out years of development initiatives.

That’s what recently happened in Bam, Iran, when a strong earthquake wiped out one half of the town’s population and destroyed most of the buildings.

What does it mean?

Natural Hazards:  Events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, etc that can cause serious and severe damage to people and countries