In this post in USAID’s “IMPACTblog,” Kasey Channell, the acting director of the Disaster Response Team for USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, reports on the importance of preparing for future disasters as the world observed International Day for Disaster Reduction on Thursday, writing “Before the next disaster hits, now is the time to recommit to making smart investments that save lives, property, and money.  Whether at home or abroad, measures to improve response, increase disaster management capacity, and plan and prepare, can have dramatic dividends.”