Societal Response to Hurricane Mitch and Intra‐ versus Intergenerational Equity Issues: Whose Norms Should Apply?
Societal Response to Hurricane Mitch and Intra‐ versus Intergenerational Equity Issues: Whose Norms Should Apply?
复制标题
社会对米奇飓风和代内与代际公平问题的反应：应该适用谁的规范？
作者：
M. Glantz;D. Jamieson
1998年飓风季节后期，中美洲遭受了一场毁灭性飓风的猛烈袭击。洪都拉斯、尼加拉瓜、萨尔瓦多、危地马拉和伯利兹受到飓风米奇的严重影响，飓风米奇是过去200年来影响该地区最致命的风暴之一。这些国家的经济都受到严重影响。在洪都拉斯-当时是拉丁美洲第四贫穷的国家-的情况下，其总统表示，与这个相对短暂的风暴系统相关的洪水和泥石流已经摧毁了50年的进步。 在灾难发生后的头几个月里，人道主义援助涌入该地区。截至2000年中期，各种国家、双边、国际和非政府方案正在进行中，或正在为受灾最严重的国家的恢复、重建和重新发展制定计划。以洪都拉斯为例，研究了在这种极端气候相关的人类悲剧发生后，决定帮助谁、何时以及如何帮助他们的一些伦理问题。发展援助的重点是那些直接受到这场风暴不利影响的人，还是应该把重点放在减少后代遭受这类灾害的风险上？有没有另一种方法，寻求保护后代免受类似的伤害，同时帮助今天的受害者度过难关？
Late in the 1998 hurricane season, Central America was slammed by a devastating hurricane. Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize were greatly impacted by Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest storms to affect the region in the past 200 years. The economies of each of these countries were badly affected. In the case of Honduras — at the time the fourth‐poorest country in Latin America — its president suggested that 50 years of progress had been wiped out by the floods and mudslides associated with this relatively short‐lived storm system. Humanitarian assistance poured into the region in the first months following the disaster. As of mid‐2000, various national, bilateral, international, and nongovernmental programs were in progress or on the drawing board for recovery, reconstruction, and renewed development of the worst affected countries. Using Honduras as a case study, some of the ethical issues that abound in the decisions of whom to help, when, and how to help them in the wake of such an extreme climate‐related human tragedy are examined. Should development assistance be focused on those who have been directly and adversely affected by this storm, or should the emphasis be on reducing the risk of exposure by future generations to such disasters? Is there yet another approach that seeks to protect future generations from similar harm while at the same time assisting present‐day victims to get through their hardships?