 | An Overview of Disaster Management (Department of Humanitarian Affairs/United Nations Disaster Relief Office - United Nations Development Programme , 1992, 136 p.) |
 |  | PART ONE: HAZARDS AND DISASTERS |
| | Chapter 3. Linking disasters and development 1 |
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How development may cause disasters
The side effects of well-meaning development efforts sometimes have disastrous consequences. Development projects implemented without taking into account existing environmental hazards may increase vulnerability to natural disasters. For example, projects designed to increase employment opportunities, and thus income, usually attract additional population growth. Low-income people may then have to seek housing in areas previously avoided, on hillsides or in floodplains. The costs of relief assistance after a landslide or flood can easily outweigh the benefits to the economy of more jobs. Similarly, development projects may lead to negative political consequences that increase the vulnerability to civil conflict.
Some types of development projects commence without fully assessing their impact on the environment. This can occur even in programmes resulting from a disaster, such as reconstruction projects that increase demand for wood to fortify houses. The resulting deforestation can then bring increased vulnerability to mudslides and possibly long-term environmental changes.
Development projects may even consciously force a choice between reducing disaster vulnerability and economic vulnerability. A project’s design may require a trade-off between the two and force a decision between the lesser of two evils.
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Q. Can you describe how development can contribute to vulnerability based on the following examples of negative consequences? | |
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A. |
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Watershed erosion
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Marine and coastal zone development
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See next table for examples of answers to this question.
Table 3.1 Examples of development leading to disasters or increased vulnerability
From Disasters and Development: A Study in Institution Building, Intertect, January, 1991.
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Sector |
Development activity |
Results |
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Industry |
Construction of chemical plant generating employment |
Deaths due to inadvertent release of chemicals, increased health problems, hazardous or toxic waste accidents |
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Agriculture, forestry and fisheries |
Introduction of new species to control pests |
Uncontrolled expansion of new species into environment, bringing crop failure |
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Irrigation schemes |
Flooding where canals counter natural water flow |
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Increase in pesticide or fertiliser use to augment crop yields |
Contamination of potable water supplies |
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Natural resources |
Construction of hydroelectric dam |
Displacement, salinization |
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Drilling of water wells in marginal areas |
Desertification due to population clustering around wells |
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Transportation, communications Education |
Road building in rain forests |
Landslides, deforestation |
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School construction on earthquake fault line |
Deaths/injuries due to structural failure |
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Development issues, policy and planning |
Centralisation of planning process |
Famine due to lack of organisation of local governments |
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Concentration of tourist facilities on vulnerable coastlines, unstable hills |
Exposure of large populations to risk of death/injury/loss in storm surge, high wind storms, tsunami, landslides |
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