US Politics and the Earthquake in Pakistan

In the face of massive disasters such as yesterday's earthquake in Pakistan, its easy to feel helpless. Yet, as we saw from Hurricane Katrina, there are things that can be done to mitigate from the impact of natural disasters.

This is what Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) testified about in front of the House International Relations Committee on his return from visitng the tsunami-affected region in Asia:

Attempts to restore people's lives and communities often leave them just as vulnerable to hazards as before. While we cannot prevent natural events such as floods, mudslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, earthquakes, or tsunamis, we can reduce or mitigate their devastating impacts by helping communities to rebuild in safer locations, construct sturdier dwellings, and enforce sound building practices. We also have a moral obligation to do better than just putting people back in harm's way.

Preventative measures can save money as well as lives; the US Geological Survey and the World Bank estimate that in the 1990s, $40 billion invested in preventative measures could have saved $280 billion in disaster relief funds--an impressive 7:1 return on investment.

In some parts of Southeast Asia, stronger construction and wiser building locations were able to save lives and have made rebuilding much easier. Sadly, areas with shoddy construction, dense population centers, and inadequate public health capabilities experienced much greater devastation. For these reasons, disasters take a harder toll on poorer countries, which suffered more than half of the disaster-related deaths between 1992 and 2001. Whether the natural force at work is a tsunami, a massive earthquake like the one that flattened Bam, Iran, last August's hurricanes in Florida, or this month's mudslides in California, better construction, better location, and better enforcement can save lives and money.

In response, the House passed a provision as part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act to promote these kinds of disaster mitigation efforts:

SEC. 1008. ASSISTANCE FOR DISASTER MITIGATION EFFORTS.

(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:

(1) The devastating impacts of natural disasters can be mitigated by assisting communities to build in safer locations, construct sturdier dwellings, enforce sound building codes and practices, and protect natural ecosystems.

(2) By 2050, two billion people are expected to be especially vulnerable to floods due to growing populations, indiscriminate logging, rapid urbanization, and increasing development along coasts and in other hazardous regions.

(3) According to a study by the World Bank and the United States Geological Survey during the 1990s, $40 billion invested in preventive measures could have saved $280 billion in disaster relief funds and saved countless lives.

(b) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate departments and agencies of the Government of the United States, should develop an initiative to encourage the use of disaster mitigation techniques, including techniques described in subsection (a)(1), by foreign governments in regions considered especially vulnerable to natural disasters.

(c) Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961- Section 491(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: `Assistance relating to disaster preparedness under the preceding sentence shall include assistance to encourage the use of disaster mitigation techniques, including to assist communities to build in safer locations, construct sturdier dwellings, enforce sound building codes and practices, and protect natural ecosystems.'.

While this bill is unlikely to become law, its these kind of common-sense measure that can make a real difference around the world. Even foreign disasters have a political and policy angle.