2014 marks many anniversaries which had brought sever casualties and economic losses to lots of countries. These unforgotten days include: 15th anniversary of Chi‐Chi Earthquake (1999), the 10th anniversary of the South‐East Asia Tsunami (2004) and the 5th anniversary of Typhoon Morakot (2009). Post‐disaster recovery from large scale disasters involve a wide and diverse range of aspects and it always requires time‐consuming processes. Especially, reconstruction tasks are closely inter‐related that needs trans‐boundary and interdisciplinary collaboration. During implementing recovery, leadership, open‐minded wisdom and compassion are key elements to work our long‐term and comprehensive solutions. Retrospect to disasters around the world, from the South‐East Asia Tsunami to the East Japan Earthquake and the Christchurch earthquakes in New Zealand, disasters are common challenges concerning countries in the Asia Pacific region and Latin America. Individual recovery is a unique and valuable experience to learn from and share with.