Citation

Azhar GS. Lancet Glob. Health 2013; 1(3): e135.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2214-109X(13)70063-9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent floods in the hill state of Uttarakhand in north India, which caused the deaths of thousands of people and millions of Rupees' worth of damage, are a stark reminder of the potential negative effects of unplanned development on public health. In response, the state government has implemented a blanket ban on all construction on river banks. Climatic disasters like these floods are projected to increase because of climate change, but developing countries are ill prepared to deal with them effectively. Planning is becoming increasingly difficult because of the complex interplay of various factors, including growth, population, disaster frequency, trade, and (disruptive) innovations.

Measures to ensure the success of these climate-compatible development strategies include an appropriate governance framework that incorporates legislative and regulatory measures; that integrates resilience building, developmental risk reduction, and low emission growth strategies; that ensures the transition to resilient low emission growth is beneficial to poor people; and checks that the processes for planning for threats and opportunities are in line with international frameworks. In view of the health costs of disasters, disaster risk reduction needs to be seen through a global health lens and integrated tightly with global public health.

Language: en