2005 Floods in Georgetown, GuyanaWe cannot
prevent disasters happening but disaster mitigation to ensure rapid
economic and social recovery is a major responsibility of
governments throughout the world. Governments cannot do this alone
and empowering businesses, communities and individuals to cope and
lead disaster recovery through preparedness and planning is now
seen as the most effective and sustainable way of dealing with our
uncertain world.
Mapping of rivers and coastlines to show the potential extent of
possible flood events is now commonplace and making this
information freely available to individual home owners, businesses
and developers allows communities, rather than just governments, to
assess their risk of being flooded. Appropriate infrastructure also
remains an important part of the mitigation process through cost
effective flood defence works and development that works with
nature, not against it.
But empowering the poor is more challenging, especially within
fragile states where years of conflict or ineffective governance
have left communities with little or no capacity to make choices
about their wellbeing. These communities often live in the most
disaster prone areas and in housing that offers no security against
floods, hurricanes or earthquakes.
Mitigation through infrastructure alone is rarely affordable. But
whatever a country’s capacity to deal with disasters Mott MacDonald
can help governments, businesses, NGOs or communities to prepare
for or, in the worst case scenario, deal with the consequences of a
major disaster. Through our cross-cutting education and health
skill base and our presence throughout the world we understand not
only the technical issues but, more importantly, the cultural
setting and national capacity to deal with nature’s worst and
ensure a sustainable recovery.
Read about our work around the world
