The business community can play a key role in building the resilience of communities, preventing the next extreme weather event from being a major disaster, and creating huge social, economic and environmental benefit at little cost...So how should business respond to the growing need for support following slow onset disasters such as the crisis in the Horn of Africa, or dramatic, extreme weather events like the tsunami in the Indian Ocean? And, perhaps more importantly, why should they respond?...Businesses that invest in risk reduction and resilience are not only supporting the communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and wider emergency issues, but are investing in that country's business continuity. It makes both ethical and strategic sense for businesses to support companies and communities down their value chain...Building more resilient communities can help reduce the need for aid and the risk of conflict and migration, helping to develop local economies.