Natural disasters can be deadly and devastating but their frequency, intensity and unpredictability teach us valuable lessons. A look back at 2012 shows that, all around the world, it was a year of “recurring disasters.” From the drought in Africa’s Sahel to Pakistan’s third consecutive year of widespread flooding to Hurricane Sandy, Senior Fellow Elizabeth Ferris, co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, examines the consequences and lessons of last year’s disasters.

Climate Change
Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ and the relationship between place, policing, and climate
Commentary
Measuring Disasters’ Full Impact
Elizabeth Ferris
Elizabeth Ferris
Former Brookings Expert,
Research Professor, Institute for the Study of International Migration
- Georgetown University
@Beth_Ferris
May 1, 2013