text: Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO) Report of Expert Group (Q-12 July 1979) FOREWORD During the last two decades natural disasters have tended to be more destructive as they affect ever larger concentrations of population. While the response of the International Commu- nity has primarily focussed on relief action, it is now also realized that the actual and potential consequences of natural hazards are becoming so serious and so increasingly global in scale, that much greater emphasis will henceforth have to be given to pre-disaster planning and prevention. The effects of natural phenomena must be viewed not only in humanitarian and broad social terms, but also in economic and development terms since natural disasters are indeed a formidable obstacle to economic and social development. When calculated as a percentage of gross national product, the losses caused by disasters in many disaster-prone developing countries more than off-set economic growth. Consequently, there has been a growing awareness by Governments of the need to pay more attention to disaster preparedness and prevention, and to recognize the fact that pre-disaster planning should be an integral part of national development policy. In the developing countries, rapid urbanization and the increase of populations living or settling in hazardous areas are matters of growing concern, as they contribute to ever heavier losses of life and to mounting costs of disaster damage. In disaster-prone areas, orderly urban expansion becomes prohibitive unless investmenta in infrastructure, housing and other services are protected from such damage at all stages of their development. The formulation and enforcement of land-use policies and plans, as well as appropriate building codes, are key factors for the orderly establishment and safe growth of human settie- ments. These should logically be based on knowledge of existing natural hazards present and on 
analysis: The text discusses the impact of natural disasters on economic development, social development, and humanitarian aspects, highlighting the need for pre-disaster planning and prevention. It also emphasizes the importance of land-use policies, building codes, and infrastructure development to mitigate the effects of disasters.