Citation

Redmond AD. Br. Med. J. BMJ 2005; 330(7502): 1259-1261.

Affiliation

Keele University, North Staffordshire.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1259

PMID

15920130

PMCID

PMC558100

Abstract

Disasters are commonly divided into 'natural' and 'man made,' but such distinctions are generally artificial. All disasters are fundamentally human made, a function of where and how people choose or are forced to live. The trigger may be a natural phenomenon such as an earthquake, but its impact is governed by the prior vulnerability of the affected community.