Natural disasters and resource rights (IISD, 2006)

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes damage and destroy the land, sea, forest and other resources vital to peoples’ livelihoods. They kill titleholders, destroy documentation and erase demarcations. Compensation after such disasters is often inadequate, and movements of refugees can increase competition over scarce resources. Where resource rights are clearly defined, equitable and verifiable, poor and marginalized communities are better equipped to survive disasters and recover after them.