Yet, confidence is being destroyed by a lethal combination of natural and man-made disasters.
The economic losses from man-made disasters are just as real as those from natural disasters.
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In part, Mr Picou says, this is due to the nature of man-made disasters.
By now you should know whether you have the physical security required to prevent data loss, intrusion, or damage from natural or man-made disasters.
But some critics say the SEC needs to do more to ensure that exchanges and trading firms are prepared for natural and man-made disasters.
Jan Pronk, aid minister for the usually generous Dutch, said recently the donors could not be expected to go on paying for man-made disasters.
Natural and man-made disasters spur innovation in new technologies.
Yet as complexity increases, man-made disasters become regular.
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Mr Oettinger was outlining plans for the tests - ordered in the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster - which are designed to see how Europe's nuclear facilities are able to withstand natural or man-made disasters.
Founded in 2000, Shelterbox has responded to just under 200 natural or man-made disasters in 75 countries, supplying aid to more than 600, 000 people, and delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people made homeless worldwide.
Much of the oil has dissipated from the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that haunted the Gulf of Mexico last year, but one of the worst man-made disasters in US history is still taking its toll on tourism to the region.
These include increasing social disparities and inequity, population growth, climate change, the deterioration and pollution of the environment, the unsustainable use of freshwater and depletion of ocean resources, as well as increasing cases of natural and human-made disasters.
In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of humanitarian law, the World Conference on Human Rights further emphasizes the importance of and the need for humanitarian assistance to victims of all natural and man-made disasters.
Economic fragility, regulatory uncertainty, low interest rates, and natural disasters have made it difficult for companies to grow earnings.
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But that is an ambitious target: it is only 13 months after the hurricane, and aid workers say that permanent rehousing for those made homeless by similar disasters normally takes 18 months.
In the last six months there have been natural disasters of epic proportion, but the worst disasters are man-made and causing self inflicted wounds.
After their son died, Mr. Thongbai and his wife, Sunthana, grieved for years before a number of disasters across the world made them wonder about the boy's pronouncements.
Representatives from UN-OCHA, JICA Turkey Office and UNESCO made presentations on their activities related to earthquake disasters.
Devastating earthquakes like those that shook New Zealand and Japan in 2011 made last year the costliest ever in natural disasters for the insurance industry.
Wise readers, even of The Economist, should never forget that there are lies, damned lies and statistics, and among the most damnable are those relating to disasters, whether natural or man-made.
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While English football was forced to grapple with extensive stadium renovation to improve facilities for fans due to recommendations made by Lord Justice Taylor after the deadly crowd disasters at Hillsborough and Heysel in the 1980s, Italian football was left in a time warp.
The briefing highlighted lessons learned from disasters ranging from Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall in the southeast United States 20 years ago this summer and remains the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history, as well as more recent events, including responses to the Joplin tornado and Hurricane Irene last year.
The natural and nuclear disasters in northeast Japan have compounded these problems and made more urgent the need to adopt and implement remedies.
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Obama has made such a trip countless times before, touring damage and consoling survivors of other disasters including Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy and a string of mass shootings.
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