Moore: Natural disasters undermine social development and deepen inequality

Natural disasters regularly undermine social development achievements and deepen inequality, especially among residents of informal settlements, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, and displaced persons, Kathryn Moore, representative of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), said during an event held as part of WUF13 in Baku.

Report quotes her as saying these population groups are most often systematically excluded from official post-disaster recovery mechanisms.

Moore noted that recurring natural disasters can no longer be viewed separately from the global housing crisis.

She emphasized that in many countries, housing losses caused by disasters exceed the pace of safe and affordable housing construction, leaving communities trapped in a cycle of destruction and insufficient recovery.

According to Moore, the existing "build back better" approach often proves insufficiently transformative and fails to address the root causes of vulnerability.

"Too often, recovery is shaped by short-term political cycles and emergency funding, while decisions are made without community participation and long-term planning," she stated.

She also stressed that post-disaster recovery must be grounded in human rights, public participation, and the long-term sustainability of cities and communities.