The earthquake and tsunami that hit Chile on February 27th killed hundreds of people and affected thousands of families. It also destroyed a great amount of basic services in different areas of the country. Though it is often easy to assume that the process of reconstruction will slow down a country's development, this article highlights e opportunities reconstruction brings in order to better the quality of life of those that have been affected by natural disasters. The main objective of reconstruction is to reduce e vulnerability of affected communities through resettlement and safer constructions. can also help diminish energy consumption with the construction of energy efficient buildings, and the redesigning of devastated areas with new rules that encourage urban densification, travel by foot and bicycle, and public transportation.