From sustainability to invulnerable development: Justifications for a modified disaster reduction concept and policy guide

The following dissertation questions the benefit of applying sustainable development to the disaster problem. It acknowledges that, while the sustainability concept points out variables that were previously neglected in Disaster Studies, it has several weaknesses that could hinder future research and jeopardize efforts to reduce calamity as well. This exploration reviews relevant literature and multiple disaster cases to highlight the reasons why an amended academic concept and policy relevant construct is needed. It introduces, defines and describes the notion of invulnerable development. The work illustrates that any comprehensive disaster concept and policy guide must explicitly take emergency management and especially vulnerability into account if catastrophes are to be reduced and if development is to proceed in a safe and unimpeded manner.