Disaster
recovery at The Economist
This
week saw New York City experience more than its fair share of natural disasters,
though at a less severe cost than expected. As if the magnitude-5.8 earthquake
in the state of Virginia wasn't enough to rattle New Yorkers, Hurricane Irene
set its path straight for the city over the weekend, triggering mass evacuations
all along the north-eastern seaboard. This issue looks at natural and man-made
disasters, encouraging readers to examine how our cities are prepared to
mitigate and recover from them. Perhaps staying consistent with the topic of
disaster, we also take a look at developments in the crisis in Libya. With
rebels in control of Tripoli and Muammar Qaddafi missing, at this point it
remains unclear how Libyans will be able to move forward and establish a new
democracy. Be it in Washington, DC, Libya or Somalia, it becomes clearer with
every disaster that human populations are forced to address a common set of
factors (community, transportation, environmental and land-use) when planning
for catastrophe. Our readings this week seek to indirectly address these factors
regardless of the type of disaster
encountered. |
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