Abstract
The escalation of natural disasters in the last two decades or so and their devastating
effects on developing countries in general and Africa in particular, has been frequently
mentioned in the topical literature. Devastating impacts in African and other developing
countries have often been attributed to failure of formal (state and market) institutions
for risk management, frequent in these countries. While the predominance of informal
response mechanisms has been acknowledged in these countries, they are presumed
to disintegrate in the face of covariate shocks. This paper argues that an overly
ambitious emphasis on states and markets and a negligence of the role of informal,
socially embedded institutions in the effective management of natural disasters is
grossly responsible for the negative effects of natural disasters and their perverse
implications on Africa’s development. A multi-sector framework that can be used for
modeling natural disaster management in Africa which has the potential of reducing the
negative consequences of disasters is suggested. This is based on the premise that
natural shocks must be perceived as social phenomena that are best managed with the
participation of those involved. Empirical evidence is included, and the implications of a
multi-stakeholder approach to managing disasters to enhance development in Africa are
discussed.