Natural disasters are increasingly affecting millionsof people throughout the world. Due to theconcentration of substandard infrastructure andhousing, material assets, and inherent socio-economicinequalities, large urban areas are particularlyvulnerable from the effects of natural disasterswhich obstruct the sustainable development of thesesettlements. This book examines the interplay betweennatural disasters, vulnerability, and sustainabledevelopment. The book provides a quantitative studyon the interplay between sustainable development andnatural disasters in twenty countries during a periodfrom 1960 to 2004. In addition, the book executes aqualitative study on the interplay between urbandevelopment, vulnerability, and risk management inthe earthquake prone city of Istanbul. By examiningdifferent aspects of this interplay at differentscales of development, this book stresses theimportance of specific public policies, which canprovide the way urban areas can reduce disaster risksand create sustainable communities. This book isintended for anyone who is interested in the subjectof natural disasters, sustainable development, andthe urban systems.