Disasters also result in indirect costs such as loss of employment and economic losses. For example, housing projects that encourage the use of home-made bricks designed to withstand high winds or heavy rainfall result in less destruction during the next tropical storm. Development can reduce vulnerability Disasters do highlight high-risk areas where action must be taken before another disaster strikes. For example, the Pietermaritzburg flood disaster of 25 December 1995 highlighted a need for speedy development in Edendale, and it prompted the government to build formal houses in Edendale. Development can increase vulnerability Development can increase the vulnerability of communities, e.g., by creating employment opportunities, you attract scores of people who flock to urban areas to look for jobs and settle on dangerous locations.
Disasters set back development Disasters set back years and years of investment in development.
The 1995-96 floods destroyed transport and utility systems. Top of page 1.6. Underlying causes of disasters These causes are embedded in social, economic, and environmental conditions that set or pose certain kinds of risks or hazards to development programmes and human beings. Given that disasters involve complex processes, and some are beyond human control, there is a need to strengthen traditional or existing methods but, more importantly, also to explore new, innovative ways of dealing with disasters. Most of South Africa lies within a region of Southern Africa that has a semi-arid to arid climate.