CRC Press Disaster's Impact on Livelihood and Cultural Survival: Losses, Opportunities, and Mitigation

Many facets of disasters generate interest among scholars and practitioners. However, a vital area of disaster research is consistently underemphasized. Little is written about the immediate and long-term impacts on a community’s livelihood systems and the customs and practices of the culture affected. Disaster’s Impact on Livelihood and Cultural Survival: Losses, Opportunities, and Mitigation represents a broad forum to discuss the impacts of large-scale disaster events on communities. Covering disasters in 18 countries around the world, academics, policy makers, community leaders, urban planners, and emergency practitioners explore both losses and opportunities for cultural and livelihood adaptation, change, and disaster impact mitigation. In the wake of these tragedies, the contributors look at different dimensions of livelihood challenges and cultural survival. They discuss multiple forms of disasters, including drought, hurricanes, earthquakes, climate change, and technological and armed conflicts, providing a comprehensive examination of each topic and the myriad long-term impacts these disasters can have on communities. Some chapters focus on developing "best practices" models to enhance future event response, while others seek to assess new instruments or methodologies for better planning and assessment of disaster impacts. The concerns and strategic plans of indigenous populations are also highlighted in this volume. The inclusion of their voice and perspective, as well as the book’s broad geographical coverage, allows students, practitioners, and the general populace to explore disaster issues in a variety of contexts. About the Author Michèle Companion is an associate professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. She has worked extensively as a food and livelihood security consultant to international humanitarian aid organizations across Africa. Her current work in this area focuses on the expansion of food security indicators to increase local sensitivity to food crisis triggers. She has also researched Native American reservation and urban nutritional dynamics, including impacts of low-income diets on overall health and food security issues. She has been looking at cultural barriers to healthy eating among low-income urban Indian populations.