A Matter of Development: How to Reduce Vulnerability in the Face of Natural Disasters

This document was prepared by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the "Confronting Natural Disasters: A Matter of Development" Seminar held in New Orleans on 25 and 26 March 2000. Vulnerability reduction is a key investment, not only to reduce the human and material costs of natural disasters, but also to achieve sustainable development. This document deals with vulnerability reduction and the related aspects of democratic governability.