Dull Disasters? How Planning Ahead Will Make a Difference

In recent year, typhoons have struck the Philippines and Vanuatu,; earthquakes have rocked Haiti, Pakistan, and Nepal; floods have swept through Pakistan and M9izambique; droughts have hit Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia; and more. All led to loss of life and loss of livelihoods, and recovery will take years. One of the likely effects o climate change is to increases the likelihood of the type extreme weather events that seems to cause these disasters. But do extreme events have to turn into disasters with huge loss of live and suffering? We talk with internationally recognized Professor of Economic Policy and Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at the University of Oxford, UK. We will talk about the challenges with current disaster responses and why they can be slow, inefficient and uncoordinated. We'll even learn about the biggest hinderance to disaster response - and it's not what you might think.