Resource-poor rural South Africa is characterized by high human densities due to the historic settlement patterns imposed by apartheid, high levels of poverty, under-developed markets and substantially high food insecurity. This chronic food insecurity, combined with climate and weather variability, has led to the adoption of less-conventional adaptation methods in resource-poor rural settings.

This paper examines the effect of the 2010 earthquake on the labour market in the Bío Bío region in Chile and suggests various public policies that could be considered for the future that would better equip the country for dealing with emergency situations in the areas of social and labour policy. The before the earthquake, the labour market of the Bío Bío region was underperforming compared to the rest of the country. The data gathered immediately after the earthquake show that its main form of adjustment to the crisis was the retreat of workers into inactivity.