Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Disaster Risk Reduction

• In 2011, almost 30,000 people were killed in 302 disasters, and 206 million people were affected.
• The costs of disasters were estimated at more than US$ 2 trillion over the last two decades.
• Earthquakes and violent weather-related catastrophes made 2011 the costliest year ever for response and recovery from disaster.

Importance of Disaster Risk Reduction

• Disaster risk reduction is vital for building a more equitable and sustainable future.
• Making investments in prevention and preparedness is necessary to increase resilience to disaster.
• Many countries are not investing enough in prevention and preparedness, and many development actors are not prioritizing enough support to poor countries.

Inequalities in Disaster Risk

• Disaster risk is disproportionately concentrated in poorer countries with weaker governance.
• Striking inequalities persist, with global disaster risk reduction efforts not being prioritized.

Key Elements of Disaster Risk Reduction

• Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness for adverse events.
• Disaster risk reduction includes disciplines like disaster management, disaster mitigation, and disaster preparedness.

Basic Principles of DRR

• Development can either increase or decrease disaster risk.
• Disaster risk reduction policy, laws, and regulations will not save lives unless correctly implemented in communities.
• The community is the front line of disaster risk management.
• Disaster risk reduction is not a standalone activity – it cuts across almost all categories of human activity.
• Integrating disaster risk reduction at the national, provincial, and community levels takes a long time to achieve.
• DRR must become a normal part of the decentralized development process.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Continuum

• DRRM involves prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
• These elements are interconnected and interdependent, and each stage is crucial to effective disaster risk reduction.

Test your knowledge on disaster risk reduction and management, including measures to normalize the economy and society, ongoing development activities, and risk assessment. Learn about the importance of disaster risk reduction and its impact on human life and economies.