After Irma we need to build better cities

By Michael Bociurkiw, writer and development professional who has worked on emergencies on several continents, most recently as a spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

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I first heard the term "Build Back Better" when working as a UNICEF emergency communications advisor in Pakistan after the 2005 South Asian earthquake. The devastation from the earthquake was so severe that most government infrastructure was destroyed.

While its difficult to replace lost human capacity overnight, it is possible to rebuild communities to a standard that is more resilient to severe weather events. That approach needs to take hold now in the places devastated by Hurricane Irma.

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Unless urban planners and governments adopt a "build back better" approach after these last set of disasters, there will almost certainly be more flooding, more property loss and, sadly, more loss of life.

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