By Christopher Kelly and Michael Delurey
In recent years, we have become all too familiar with disaster: Hurricane Katrina. The Sichuan earthquake. California's raging wildfires. The Indian Ocean tsunami. Myanmar's tropical cyclone. The images are seared into our collective consciousness: broken levees and flooded attics; mothers digging through rubble in search of their children; entire villages swept into the ocean. Whether in Sri Lanka or San Diego, China or Louisiana, these disasters are humbling reminders of the power of nature—and clarion calls to action.
Like the other crises that face us—terrorism, climate change, pandemics, water scarcity—natural disasters are increasing in scope and complexity; both a cause and a symptom of our interconnected world. And like these other crises, coping with disaster requires a cooperative, innovative "megacommunity" approach that spans every sector of society.
