THE 12/26/04 TSUNAMIS AND THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER REDUCTION: PRE-CONFERENCE CONCERNS Information about the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe, Japan, January 18-22, 2005 can be found at http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr Many disaster specialists are concerned about the possibility that the Indian Ocean tsunami may eclipse the agenda of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction. Much of the thrust of Kobe is intended to highlight the links between disasters and development and the need for careful attention to policies that encourage local sustainability via low-tech grassroots measures that reduce vulnerability to a wide range of risks. This orientation is reflected in a formal list of conference purposes: (1) increase the international profile of disaster risk reduction; (2) promote integration of disaster risk reduction into development planning and practice; and (3) strengthen local and national capacities to address the causes of disasters that continue to devastate and impede the development of many countries. Just as the public reaction to 9/11/01 has narrowed the focus of US policy on hazards and disasters to an emphasis on terrorism and measures that involve "first responders" or tech-fixes, so too it may be that 12/26/04 has selectively reinforced approaches to natural disasters in developing countries and ignored patiently developed agendas that are less politically appealing.

– James K. Mitchell (January 7, 2005)