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Disasters can wipe out years of hard-won development progress, devastate lives and livelihoods and cripple developing economies. In 2008, 321 natural disasters killed over 235 000 people, affected the lives of more than 211 million and cost over US$181 billion.1 As the impacts of climate change worsen, the frequency and severity of natural disasters are likely to increase. But natural hazards, such as cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis do not need to become natural disasters. While disasters are generally triggered by a natural hazard event, the impact on communities is a direct result of vulnerability related to complex development factors, such as poverty, disability and gender inequality.