3.3 MANAGING DISASTERS
Reducing disaster risk
How are disasters caused?
“Hazards only
become disasters
when people’s lives
and livelihoods are
swept away…we
must reduce the
impact of disasters
by building
sustainable
communities that
have long-term
capacity to live
with risk.”
 Vulnerable people such as the poor, socially excluded
and those affected by previous disasters are forced to
live in unsafe locations, e.g. prone to landslides or
flooding, or in an unsafe manner, e.g. poor housing or
reliant on subsistence agriculture.
 Hazards are potential threats which may be natural, e.g.
hurricanes or earthquakes, or manmade, e.g. industrial
accidents, war, civil conflict.
 Disasters occur when those who are vulnerable lack
the capacity and are unable to cope with a major hazard
due to underlying social, economic, environmental or
political pressures.
 The reason for, and nature of vulnerability influences the
impact of a hazard on different people or groups.
Kofi Annan, Former UN
Secretary-General, 2003
Hazard + Vulnerability = Disaster
Capacity
Hazard
Progression of vulnerability >
DISASTER
Underlying
causes :
Poverty
Exclusion
Limited
resources
Dynamic
pressures :
Limited
capacities
Population
Globalisation
Environment
Unsafe
conditions :
Physical
location
Fragile
livelihoods
Public order
(Vulnerability
+
Hazard) /
Capacity
=
Disaster
Trigger
events:
Earthquake
Drought
Flooding
Conflict
Hurricane
Disaster risk is the chance of negative consequences when
a natural or manmade hazard affects vulnerable people or
locations. Reduce risks through:
 Risk and impact assessment, including identification of
hazards and vulnerability/capacity analysis, e.g. as part of
Needs Assessments and Contingency Planning
 Raising awareness of risks
 Developing knowledge of risks, e.g. through training,
education, research, disseminating information
 Securing public commitment to address risks, e.g.
through government policy and legislation, community
action and organisational development
 Risk reduction measures, e.g. environmental
management, social, economic and livelihood
opportunities, protection of critical services, land-use and
urban planning
 Early warning systems, e.g. forecasting, public alerts
(ISDR)
Is a UN strategic
framework adopted in
2000 to guide and
coordinate efforts towards
a sustainable reduction in
disaster losses and
increased national and
community resilience.
It has shifted the focus
of DRR:
 from hazards and
the physical impact
of disasters to
include physical,
social and economic
dimensions of
vulnerability
 to integrating DRR
as part of longer
term sustainable
development and
environmental
concerns
http://www.unisdr.org/
Hyogo Framework
for Action (HFA)
Adapted from UN DMTP (1992) Overview of disaster management
Reducing the risk of disaster
International
Strategy for
Disaster Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction
(DRR)
Identifies strategies to
minimise vulnerabilities and
disaster risks in a given
population to avoid
(prevent) or limit (mitigate
and prepare for) the
negative impacts of
hazards, within the context
of sustainable development
Who carries out DRR?
 National authorities
 International and
regional organisations
and institutions
 Civil society; volunteers
and community-based
organisations
2005 - 2015
HFA is a guiding
framework agreed by UN
member states to reduce
disaster risk at
international, national,
and community levels.
It offers five priority
areas for action:
1. Make disaster risk
reduction a priority
2. Know the risks and
take action
3. Build understanding
and awareness
4. Reduce risk
5. Be prepared and
ready to act
Additional resources on All In Diary website or CD:
Web links for further information:
Participatory Vulnerability Analysis – guide for field workers, © 2005 Action Aid
Hyogo Framework for Action (fact sheet) , © 2007 ISDR
Community Based Disaster Risk Management – field practitioners handbook,
© 2004 ADPC
Guidelines for Reducing Flood Losses, © 2002 UNISDR
Critical guidelines: community-based disaster risk management © 2006 ADPC
Benfield Hazard Research Centre
http://www.abuhrc.org/Pages/index.aspx
Reducing disaster risks – resources
http://www.proventionconsortium.org/?pageid=18
© 2011 All In Diary - www.allindiary.org
http://www.preventionweb.net/english/
3rd edition 2011