Making risky environments safer: women building sustainable and disaster-resilient environments

This issue of Women2000 and Beyond addresses gender issues in disaster reduction and sustainable development. It provides a gender analysis of the increasing risks and the impacts of disasters, and discusses the notions of risk and physical and social vulnerability from a gender perspective. Early warning and risk reducing approaches that enhance women's disaster resilience are discussed. Other issues raised include gender roles that put women in hazardous positions and gender-specific impacts of degraded environments and natural disasters. The issue draws important links between women's empowerment and sustainable development and disaster reduction.