Dear Ms. Fordham,
I'm not altogether too certain that your premise that disaster and development are separate traditions within both professional practice and academic disciplines is correct from the perspective of a practioner in the South. Certainly in the Caribbean and in Central America (with which I'm somewhat familiar) there is an acute sense that disasters, vulnerability and development are closely interrelated. ECLAC and the OAS have been involved in various aspects of development and disasters, while, more recently both the IADB and the World Bank have begun to focus more clearly on how disasters may affect development (and vice versa). Additional information is accessible through the mexico and Port of Spain websites of ECLAC and the OAS website. A link to a wide range of Caribbean publications is provided below:
http://www.eclacpos.org/sustdev/CARLINKS/dislink.htm
Yours Sincerely
Erik Blommestein
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