Natural disasters have a profound impact upon the societies they affect but one important aspect that has yet to receive attention is how the relationship between state and society is affected in the aftermath of such events. How the state responds to such events can generate powerful forces within society for political, economic and social change.

Alpaslan Ozerdem is a member of PRDU at the University of York. Tim Jacoby is a member of the Institute for Development Policy and Management at the University of Manchester.