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Towards a Redefinition of Security in Central America: The Case of Natural Disasters
Author(s) -
PETTIFORD LLOYD
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-7717.1995.tb00365.x
Subject(s) - natural disaster , poison control , occupational safety and health , natural (archaeology) , suicide prevention , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , forensic engineering , medical emergency , computer security , engineering , computer science , geography , political science , medicine , archaeology , meteorology , law
Over the past 25 years Central America has suffered a number of major disasters: the Managua Earthquake (1972), Hurricane Fifi (1974), the Guatemalan Earthquake (1976), the San Salvador Earthquake (1986) and Hurricane Joan (1988). These events are briefly described, with special reference to their political aspects and implications. Recognition of the political importance of disasters in Central America leads to a questioning of the traditional notion that security is essentially a matter of defending the state from outside aggression. It is suggested that the analysis of disasters should be part of the debate that is currently underway in international relations about redefining the concept of security in the post‐Cold War world.