Nowadays, governments are more often than not confronted with crises that are so unforeseen (i.e., the 9/11 attacks), so unexpected in nature or in extent (i.e., the SARS and H1N1 pandemic outbreaks, the Indian Ocean tsunami or Hurricane Katrina) and with such extensive social and economic effects that they may seem almost impossible to deal with. Yet, the successful management of these forms of crisis is possible. As prior experience has demonstrated, success in limiting the effects of major hazards on people and property relies not only on the active involvement and effective coordination of a variety of actors at different levels of state governance, but also on the preparation and the ability to react rapidly, efficiently and effectively to unexpected events. Ensuring that national authorities have the right technical instruments (reformed risk, crisis and disaster management systems, and an adequate institutional framework) for managing disasters is of critical importance for the success of such a venture. However, as this book intends to show, human capital remains the most important factor in this equation.