resources. In effect, then, disasters create the conditions for the
more efficient utilization of material resources and the more
effective mobilization of human resources.

To accomplish this, certain modifications have to occur in the normal
community structure, since the usual decision-making structures are
designed for a different range and type of problem. Outsiders see this
restructuring process as disorganized, chaotic, and creating the
necessity for the imposition of some strong outside authority. On the
contrary, this restructuring process is functional and adaptive. Its
consequences are seen in communities and societies that rebound
dramatically from the disruption and destruction to levels of
integration, productivity, and growth capacity far beyond the
pre-disaster state.

In summary, the picture drawn points to the capacity of individuals
and institutions to deal with difficult problems created by disaster
impact. It also points to the adaptive capacity of social organization
within communities to deal with unique and dramatic problems. These
findings are not an argument against planning nor against "outside"
assistance, but they should condition both the nature of planning and
the direction of assistance.




ANNEX 1

LETTERS OF CORRESPONDENCE