Ben Eltham | Managing disasters

Nature's forces – floods, cyclones, fires and this week the earthquake in Christchurch – won't stop, yet we still live on flood plains, in the bush, on the beach and in earthquake zones. Rescue services struggle. Communications fail. Insurance companies spread the cost. The CPD's Ben Eltham adds some common sense to the role of government in educating people and ensuring better responses to risks that are not so remote.

Listen to what Ben and others have to say on managing disasters to Background Briefing on ABC's Radio National here.