A message from our friends at OxFam America:

When we think about natural disasters--hurricanes, earthquakes, drought--it's their effect on people that grabs our attention. Tragedy, especially for poor people, is often the only outcome. But it doesn't have to be.

That's the idea behind a cutting- edge approach to natural events that aims to prevent these events from becoming catastrophic for people--particularly for those who have no choice but to live in the most hazardous locations such as low-lying coastal areas subject to flooding or steep ravines prone to landslides. Through planning and preparation, communities can greatly reduce their risk in the face of those severe events.

Called disaster risk reduction, the approach can sometimes be as simple as developing an evacuation plan. Having a communications system in place, designating a safe location for people to gather, offering some first-aid training, and practicing escape drills can add up to an effective way to save lives when an earthquake rocks a village, a storm ravages an island, etc.

Easing the effects on people when an emergency hits is another way to reduce the trauma it could cause. For instance, some flood-prone communities in El Salvador have learned how to grow a variety of cashew that can survive for a long time under water, thereby ensuring that people will not lose their harvest.

Find out more about saving lives and property when nature brings trouble.