South Africa has faced a series of natural disasters, including a pandemic, f loods and fires. Globally, we seem to be living in an age of natural disasters, often occurring concurrently. This book surveys some of these recent disasters and also looks back at epoch-making natural disasters in human history to identify lessons for South Africa. What does history, including recent history, teach us about disaster management, and how can we best implement those lessons? How does South Africa best address the age of polycrisis?