by Michelle B. Smith

Created on: January 23, 2010

Natural disasters occur annually around the world. From earthquakes to hurricanes, acts of God simply cannot be stopped. Fortunately, countries that have the funds can afford to prepare for such disasters. Unfortunately, for impoverished nations to not have money can also mean the deaths of thousands during these disasters. Poorer nations are at a disadvantage because they lack funding for preparedness courses, the organization to rapidly relocate residents and proper sustenance for displaced persons.

Much of a nation's guard against natural disasters starts at the government level. Distribution of pertinent information in addition to emergency preparedness courses are typically provided by local government agencies and non-profits. Citizens are not provided with the information they need because their governments are lacking funds and in many cases, have so much corruption that available funds are not properly allocated. With clean water being the aim for many aid groups, they do not have the luxury to educate about how to react to something that has yet to occur. The only thing the people and agencies know are what is happening now, especially for residents who may not even live to see a natural disaster.

The lack of strong governments also lead to poorly organized rescue teams and police forces, if any. While many countries have specially trained forces for emergency tasks, poorer countries are still working at building their regular armed forces. This same train of thought can be applied to why many buildings are not retrofitted for earthquakes or built too close to coastal regions. Government agencies and departments put in place retrofitting requirements and zoning laws. Without these agencies in place, business and residential owners build how they want and where they want. This is perhaps the easiest way to become a victim of an earthquake.

Even for richer nations, sometimes preparedness is not enough. This is where evacuation and relocating potential victims is most important. However, poor nations and citizens do not have this luxury. To return to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, evacuation efforts were advised, however, many poorer residents were left without the option to simply leave. From a psychological standpoint, if all you own is a home that has been past down from generation to generation, leaving is not an option. From a financial standpoint, leaving one place requires the funds to pack and temporarily relocate. While the United States

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