Building Resilience across Southeast Asia
Climate change and myths about natural disasters
Because we are powerless to prevent natural disasters from occurring, catastrophes become extraordinary experiences that must be learned, understood, and lived with as a normal part of daily life. When calamities strike, there is a chance of injury, death, crop and property damage. For instance, the impact of heavy rain can result in flash floods and landslides, which can cause people to be injured or perhaps die of the disaster. Meanwhile, floods or drought on farmlands can cause crop damage, which can have a negative impact on our food security in the long run. Disasters are unconcerned about who we are, how we live, or what economic class we belong to. When they occur, they simply occur.
Effective disaster aid is required as a result in order to minimize any losses. Of course, this must be a long-term operation that leads to the development of core catastrophe knowledge among those who are affected and other stakeholders, in order to be effective. This managerial expertise can be passed down from generation to generation, beginning at the grassroots level and progressing to the highest levels of government. Financial assistance such as donations, equipment, and supplies are just temporary solutions. Unfortunately, it will not persist for long when compared to one’s own abilities to recognize and respond to natural calamities.
Wanwalee Inpin
