 |
Living
with Risk
A global review of disaster reduction initiatives
2004 version
Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) |
|
| |
“While many people are aware of the terrible
impact of disasters throughout the world, few realize that this
is a problem that we can do something about. This report, Living
with Risk: A Global Review of Disaster Reduction Initiatives,
should help to change that.
Disasters
are a problem that we can and must reduce. I commend this publication
to all involved in the effort to build resilient communities
and nations in our hazard-filled planet.”
|
Kofi
A. Annan
UN Secretary-General
|
| |
|
While the world has witnessed
a drop in the number of deaths per year due to disasters over the
past ten years, more people are being affected and economic costs
are escalating more than ever.
Earthquakes are inevitable,
but death in an earthquake is not. Floods are a fact of life, but
they need not wash away health, hope and livelihoods. Living
with Risk - a global review of disaster reduction initiatives is
intended for people who have an interest in and practice disaster
risk management and sustainable development. It provides guidance,
policy orientation and inspiration, as well as serving as a reference
for lessons on how to reduce risk and vulnerability to hazards
and to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Natural hazards can affect
anyone, anywhere. People are threatened by hazards because of their
social, economic and environmental vulnerability, which must be
taken into account if sustainable development is to be achieved.
Disaster risk reduction therefore concerns everyone, from villagers
to heads of state, from bankers and lawyers to farmers and foresters,
from meteorologists to media chiefs.
Living with
Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives brings
to light the urgent need for action to be taken – and the
people who are doing so – towards building sustainable
societies in an increasingly disaster-prone world.
|
| |
Following
the overwhelming feedback received for the preliminary
edition of 2002, the ISDR Secretariat is pleased to
present the full text of the 2004 version of the publication "Living
with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives" (available
for purchase from UN Sales Publications).
The 2004 version takes into consideration those comments
received based on the previous edition, incorporating further
developments, providing more in-depth analysis as well as
comprehensive coverage of current activities in disaster
risk reduction.
The
Table of Contents appears below to provide an overview
of all chapters in the publication. Chapters 1 and
6 appear in full, setting the context and outlining
the key issues addressed in the publication, including
a description of the framework to guide and monitor
disaster risk reduction. Other chapters appear section
by section, comprising a list of future challenges
and priorities related to the section topic.
Click here to
download brochure and order form for Living with
Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives
Please send comments and enquiries to isdr@un.org
|
|
|
| |
Copyright © United
Nations ISDR, 2004.
Copyright © United Nations, 2004.
All rights reserved.
Geneva, Switzerland.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this publication are those of the editorial team
and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Secretariat of the United Nations or the ISDR
Secretariat.
The designations
employed and the presentation of the material in this publication
do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or the ISDR Secretariat
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or
area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of
its frontiers or boundaries.
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Table
of Contents |
| |
| Acknowledgements |
| Foreword |
| Introduction |
| Preface:
A journey to a safer world |
| |
| Chapter
1 Living with risk - focus on disaster risk reduction 1 |
| |
|
|
| |
1.1 |
Setting
the scene: understanding disaster risk reduction |
| |
|
Natural
disasters shaping the agenda |
| |
|
Learning
risk reduction values from earlier societies |
| |
|
The shift
towards disaster reduction |
| |
|
International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-1999) |
| |
|
International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction |
| |
|
Disaster
risk reduction: a shared responsibility |
| |
|
Understanding
the meaning of disaster and risk reduction |
| |
|
Defining
a few key terms |
| |
|
|
| |
1.2 |
Contexts
and policy framework of disaster risk reduction: sustainable
development |
| |
|
Regional
considerations linking disaster reduction and sustainable development |
| |
|
Sustainable
development context |
| |
|
The political
context |
| |
|
Concluding
remarks |
| |
|
|
| Chapter
2 Risk awareness and assessment |
| |
|
|
| |
2.1 |
Understanding
the nature of risk |
| |
|
Understanding
the nature of hazards |
| |
|
Understanding
the nature of vulnerability and capacity |
| |
|
|
| |
2.2 |
Emerging
trends in hazards, vulnerability patterns and the impact of
disasters |
| |
|
Trends in
impact of disasters |
| |
|
Trends in
hazards |
| |
|
Trends in
physical vulnerability |
| |
|
Trends in
socio-economic vulnerability |
| |
|
|
| |
2.3 |
Risk
Assessment |
| |
|
Hazard assessment |
| |
|
Hazard mapping,
awareness and public policy |
| |
|
Vulnerability
and capacity assessment |
| |
|
Assessing
socio-economic vulnerability |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| Chapter
3 Policy and commitment: the foundation of disaster risk reduction |
| |
|
|
| |
3.1 |
National
institutional frameworks: policy, legislation and organizational
development |
| |
|
Introduction
to institutional frameworks for disaster reduction |
| |
|
Policy frameworks
in practice |
| |
|
National
planning processes, with multisectoral responsibilities |
| |
|
Risk reduction
plans linked to specific responsibilities, policies and practices |
| |
|
Some important
limitations in institutional and policy frameworks |
| |
|
Means for
overcoming limitations |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
3.2 |
Local
authorities |
| |
|
Importance
of disaster risk reduction at local levels |
| |
|
Growing
relevance of disaster risk reduction for local areas |
| |
|
Opportunities
for protecting local areas and environments |
| |
|
Varieties
of experience |
| |
|
Supporting
initiatives for municipal authorities in disaster risk reduction |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
3.3 |
Regional
cooperation, interaction and experience |
| |
|
The Americas |
| |
|
Africa |
| |
|
Asia |
| |
|
Pacific
small island developing states |
| |
|
Europe |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
3.4 |
Community
action |
| |
|
The essential
role of community action |
| |
|
Community
leadership and relationships |
| |
|
Building
community capabilities |
| |
|
NGO and
volunteer activities |
| |
|
Building
local self-reliance: sharing resources, building partnerships |
| |
|
Dynamics
of local collaboration |
| |
|
Traditional
community coping mechanisms at stake |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| Chapter
4 Building understanding: development of knowledge and information
sharing |
| |
|
|
| |
4.1 |
Information
management and communication of experience |
| |
|
Current
issues in information management |
| |
|
International
dimensions of disaster risk management information |
| |
|
Electronic
exchange of global experience |
| |
|
Regional
initiatives |
| |
|
National
information programmes |
| |
|
Technical
information and hazards |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
4.2 |
Networking
and partnerships |
| |
|
Building
links to reduce risk - extended partnerships and networking |
| |
|
Networking
support for community partnerships |
| |
|
Cross-sector
coordination and collaboration |
| |
|
Commercial
sector and partnership interests |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
4.3 |
Education
and training |
| |
|
Basic role
of education and training |
| |
|
Disaster
and risk management training centres |
| |
|
Academic
and educational programmes |
| |
|
Professional
trades and skills training |
| |
|
Capacity-building |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
4.4 |
Research |
| |
|
Current
trends and evolving interests in disaster and risk reduction research |
| |
|
Technical
and research networks |
| |
|
Strategic
approaches to research for disaster reduction |
| |
|
National
commitments to foster disaster research |
| |
|
Specialised
hazard and disaster risk reduction research interests |
| |
|
Benefits
of action research |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
4.5 |
Public
awareness |
| |
|
Public awareness
as a primary element of risk reduction |
| |
|
National
public awareness initiatives |
| |
|
Special
events and major activities |
| |
|
The role
of the media |
| |
|
Local community
experience promotes public awareness |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| Chapter
5 A selection of disaster reduction applications |
| |
|
|
| |
5.1 |
Environmental
management |
| |
|
Links between
environmental management and disaster reduction |
| |
|
Environmental
legislation |
| |
|
Environmental
policies and planning |
| |
|
Institutional
and organizational arrangements |
| |
|
Environmental
impact assessments |
| |
|
Reporting
on the state of the environment |
| |
|
Ecological
and environmental economics |
| |
|
Environmental
codes and standards |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
5.2 |
Land-use
planning |
| |
|
The importance
and difficulty of land-use planning |
| |
|
A delicate
balance and measured benefits |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
5.3 |
Safe
building construction and protection of critical facilities |
| |
|
A safer
built environment |
| |
|
Structural
measures for disaster-resistant construction |
| |
|
Codes, policies
and procedures |
| |
|
Improving
the resistance of non-engineered buildings |
| |
|
Developing
appropriate methodologies |
| |
|
Protection
of critical facilities |
| |
|
The role
of engineering and technical abilities in protecting critical facilities |
| |
|
Multiple
aspects of protecting urban infrastructure and other forces at
work |
| |
|
Protection
of health systems |
| |
|
Protection
of educational facilities |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
5.4 |
Financial
and economic tools |
| |
|
International
assistance |
| |
|
Development
banks promoting investment in disaster reduction |
| |
|
International
Monetary Fund balance of payment support |
| |
|
National
financing for disaster risk reduction |
| |
|
Social funds |
| |
|
Public works
programmes |
| |
|
Market-based
instruments of risk management |
| |
|
Alternative
risk transfer mechanisms: catastrophe bonds and weather derivatives |
| |
|
Microfinance |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| |
5.5 |
Early
warning systems |
| |
|
Current
status of early warning thinking |
| |
|
Political
responsibility to promote integrated early warning strategies |
| |
|
Human dimensions
of early warning |
| |
|
International
and regional support |
| |
|
Technical
identification and monitoring of hazards |
| |
|
Communications
requirements |
| |
|
Response
to warnings |
| |
|
Future challenges
and priorities |
| |
|
|
| Chapter
6 Future challenges: A common vision for disaster risk reduction |
| |
| List
of Acronyms |
| |
| Index |
| |
| Annexes
appear in Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction
initiatives, Volume 2 |
| |
Annex
1: Terminology: Basic terms of disaster risk reduction |
| |
Annex
2: Directory of international, regional, national and specialized
organizations |
| |
Annex
3: United Nations system: An outline of activities dedicated
to disaster risk reduction |
| |
Annex
4: Selected international development agendas and commitments
relevant to disaster risk reduction |
| |
Annex
5: Extracts from the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPoI)
of the World Summit on Sustainable Development |
| |
Annex
6: References |
| |
|
|
