Natural disasters have a greater impact on less economically developed countries (LEDC) than on more developed countries (MEDC). To what extent do you agree with this statement? Natural disasters always have disastrous effects. These issues can be economic, social and/or environmental. Damage to infrastructure can seriously hamper economic activity; social effects may include homelessness, disease, loss of life, injury and destruction of communities; and environmental damage can range from felling trees to redesigning the landscape. While natural disasters can cause one or more of the effects mentioned above, regardless of the affected country, regardless of its economic situation, this essay will explore its differentiated effects on LEDCs and MEDCs. Generally speaking, in some respects, natural disasters can have a greater impact on MEDCs. For example, MEDCs have higher levels of infrastructure, which are costly to repair if damaged (Wills, 2009 cited in CAE, 2012). It may also be the case that although MEDCs are better able to cope with natural disasters than LEDCs, this capacity is not uniform; for example, the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake was about 6.7. Although the Northridge earthquake is considered moderate, it caused more than $20 billion in damage. This damage was due to ground acceleration, which was one of the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America, measuring 1.8 g (16.7 m/s2) with strong ground motion felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada, approximately 220 miles (360 km) from the epicenter (Wikipedia). Therefore, development levels are not the only indicators that affect the impact of a natural disaster (IRIS edu). However, natural disasters have a greater impact on LEDCs than MEDCs in a number of areas. .....-at-natural-risks/• State of the Environment and Policies Retrospective (SEPR): 1972–2002 http://www.grida.no/geo/geo3/english/pdfs/ chapter2-9_disasters.pdf, p271• Tectonic Hazards, Tanglin Trust School (TTS) Main Library, (2013) http://libguides.tts.edu.sg/content.php?pid=442072&sid=3624367,• Thaine, C. 2012, Cambridge Academic English An integrated skills course for EAP, student's book, intermediate, Cambridge University Press• The impacts of tourism http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography /tourism-and-resources/revise-it/the-impacts-of-tourism#68ELKHaDhHpm1413.99• Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, p3 http://www.jhsph .edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-refugee-and-disaster-response/publications_tools/publications/_CRDR_ICRC_Public_Health_Guide_Book/Chapter_3_Emergency_Health_Services.pdf