The evidence emerging from recent experience makes a compelling case for a radical shift away from narrowly focused development approaches towards a major new emphasis on community resilience and disaster planning. Floods which are caused by swelling rivers in the catchment areas of neighboring countries, floods from cyclones, storm surges, earthquakes, fires and other such events, when combined with social and economic vulnerabilities, and added to environmental depletion, can multiply the shocks from disasters and lead to crippling economic losses. Moreover, the risks posed by the regional effects of climate change require considerable adaptation by the exposed populations.  But at the same time, governments in vulnerable countries are faced by hard budget choices, which make major investments in emergency preparedness (such as wide training at national, district and local level) very difficult.