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Introduction
After a disaster, it is important for city residents, local government, businesses and non-governmental organizations to resume normal activities and to participate in reconstruction efforts. In the rush to re-build, however, local officials and citizens must understand why the damage occurred and then consider how to reduce the city?s vulnerability to the next disaster. Population density, ecological imbalance and inappropriate construction are creating more urban areas that are increasingly vulnerable to disasters. To make improvements in the quality of life of urban dwellers that will not be swept away in a storm, development must be linked to creating a higher level of disaster resistance. This means adapting the built environment such as retrofitting schools, health facilities and critical community systems and infrastructure to withstand the impacts of disasters. However, it also means changes to improve the social, economical and environmental factors that can affect a community?s vulnerability to the impact of hazards.
Programming for Post-disaster Reconstruction
Hazard Mapping
Mapping damage from hazards will help a city understand its vulnerabilities and improve its rapid response system. Documenting man-made contributions to the hazard can help avert the occurrence of new hazards or reduce the city?s vulnerability. For example, in Naga City, Philippines, land use mapping after floods showed that changes in land use decimated catchment areas and caused siltation of the waterways, which increased the risk of flooding. Similarly, cities can use the information to develop or refine a database of buildings and infrastructure most at risk, helping to identify first priorities for retrofitting.
Building Disaster Resistant Communities
The rebuilding by individual homeowners and businesses after a disaster will begin informally as soon as it becomes feasible. Since much of the construction will be "non-engineered", builders can incorporate earthquake resistant technologies during this stage if they receive the necessary training or at least made aware of stronger building materials and safer designs and clearly understand why it is important to rebuild stronger and smarter. Offering design services for free to owner-builders has proven to be effective in rebuilding after earthquakes in India. Coupled with better education on improved building techniques there also needs to be the implementation of stronger building codes and the subsequent enforcement of those codes. Along with enforcement, penalties need to be implemented by local government for individuals, businesses and developers that do not comply with safety standards and building codes. Cities can also take steps to reduce the vulnerability of critical community infrastructure by requiring and implementing the better design of roads and transportation systems, health facilities, and electric, water and gas lines.
Compensation
Having a clear and fair compensation policy for those who have been impacted or displaced by a disaster will allow people to focus on rebuilding their future, instead of dwelling on their losses. Procedures should be clear about how victims become eligible; persons should know if they are included in the final enumeration of benefits and they should receive information on their entitlements and opportunities to rebuild their lives for the long-term. When governments promise more than they can deliver, the compensation process can become stalled and then the chances for recovery and economic growth can also become stalled.
For example, in more than a decade after a devastating earthquake hit Gyumri, Armenia, families are still living in "domics" - railcars and other temporary structures - or in public buildings such as schools and libraries. While some lucky families received new housing before the demise of the Soviet Union, most are still facing a long and unclear waiting list as the newly independent republic did not have an adequate amount of resources to construct new housing for all of the earthquake survivors. A new earthquake zone recovery strategy being implemented with the help of USAID provides housing certificates with which families living in domics can purchase housing in the private real estate market. The method of certificate distribution strategically clears important public spaces of domics and enables the recovery of open space and to attract businesses to the area.
Resuscitating the Economy
Resuming economic activity is vital for physical survival and for helping people to heal emotionally following a disaster. Compensation packages are one way to jump-start the economy after a disaster. Most compensation money will go to local businesses involved in reconstruction activity. Another way to assist the economy and alleviate poverty is to introduce temporary programs that allow citizens to assist in the reconstruction of their communities. These can provide the important resources that will help resuscitate economies that are already weak, but significantly weakened by the disaster event. Workfare projects can involve cleanup efforts, housing reconstruction, and/or rebuilding the social and community infrastructure destroyed or damaged in the disaster event. Although the critical economic structures such as banks, stores and other businesses may have been destroyed in the disaster, the city should encourage them to continue carrying on business through housing them in public buildings and/or temporary structures. This is important since people will need to access cash and other materials resources soon after the disaster event.
Community Participation
The loss of social infrastructure can be as devastating as the physical hardships suffered by survivors. Suicides of older people rose dramatically following the Kobe earthquake in Japan. Beyond offering the services of social workers to help survivors deal with the emotional trauma of a disaster, a community that can become involved in their own reconstruction programs can have a positive psychological effect on the community as a whole. The community will also be more willing to contribute their time and resources to the reconstruction efforts if they are able to participate in preparing the reconstruction programs. Stakeholders to involve in the reconstruction efforts can include financial institutions, cultural institutions, NGOs, developers, the business community, and citizens. It is also important to involve all aspects of the community including women and other less represented sectors of the community so that all interests in the community are represented and the reconstruction of the community can be holistic.
During reconstruction, the community can become proactive in reducing their susceptibility to hazards by taking notice of how the built and natural environment interacts. In Latin America and the Caribbean the death toll and economic damage due to landslides and floods have decreased considerably thanks to initiatives that were undertaken in the wake of serious hurricanes such as Hurricane Mitch in 1999. Municipalities, universities, the private sector and community groups created reforestation and plant cover projects to stabilize hillsides and improved drainage systems and waterways by removing impediments and structures in the flood zones. In some cases, these investments are even generating income through work programs, alternative development and harvesting and tourism programs. Communities can also work together to reduce their susceptibility to hazards by putting in place self-monitoring mechanisms to ensure that unsafe building practices and other dangerous behaviors are stopped.
Relocation
Much of the huge loss of life from a disaster can be attributed to people living in makeshift homes on land not appropriate for such structures. To reduce vulnerability in the future, cities must relocate people away from land that is vulnerable to disasters and ensure that new families do not create informal settlements. Often old historic districts have structures that have been built unsafely and too close together, increasing the susceptibility to collapse in a disaster. Safety considerations during the reconstruction phase invariably will call for better designed housing and infrastructure to protect citizens and allow communities to be more resistant to disasters. In relocation programs a balance needs to be struck to design compensation packages that attempt to make available sites that are roughly comparable to their previous dwellings (in terms of location, social infrastructure and access to jobs and services) but are less vulnerable to disaster risk, while also allowing flexibility in letting the families choose where to live.
Bibliography
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/
ADPC is a regional resource center working towards disaster reduction for safer communities and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1986, the Center is recognized as an important neutral focal point in Asia and the Pacific for promoting disaster awareness and the development of local capabilities to foster institutionalized disaster management and mitigation policies.
Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program - Regional Workshop
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/audmp/rllw/themes.html
This website provides the presentations from a Regional Workshop on Best Practices in Disaster Mitigation: Lessons Learned from the Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program and other initiatives, held on September 24-26, 2002 in Bali, Indonesia.
Center for International Disaster Information
http://www.cidi.org/
The Center for International Disaster Information handles public inquiries related to international emergencies, encourages public participation, and provides guidance in promoting activities that would be most useful and beneficial for the ultimate recipients-the disaster victims themselves. Poorly planned relief activities to complex emergencies can have a significant negative impact on a variety of players in the disaster relief arena-from the donor to the disaster victims and the relief agencies in between. The Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the public, as well as US government agencies, foreign embassies and international corporations in directing assistance efforts, particularly regarding donations and volunteer personnel.
The Center for Reconstruction and Development
http://www.rec-dev.com/
The Center for Reconstruction and Development helps to facilitate global disaster response by empowering governments, companies, organizations, and agencies with the latest information on disaster financing, programs, strategies, products, and services. The on-line Center provides the latest news on reconstruction and development, a calendar of events, a membership directory, and additional resources through the Center's partners. The Center also aids in the reconstruction efforts of countries and regions following natural disasters, war, or political transition and supports the on-going reconstruction and development conferences of Equity International. The high-profile events, usually in Washington, have provided corporations and organizations with the latest information on the reconstruction and development programs and contracts of U.S. and multilateral agencies and of foreign governments.
Crisis Web
http://www.crisisweb.org/
The International Crisis Group (ICG) is an independent, non-profit, multinational organisation, with over 80 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. ICG's reports and briefing papers are distributed widely by email and printed copy to officials in foreign ministries and international organisations and are available through this website. ICG works closely with governments and those who influence them, including the media, to highlight its crisis analyses and to generate support for its policy prescriptions. ICG has programs in Africa, Asia, Balkans, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Crowding the Rim
http://www.crowdingtherim.org/
The Crowding the Rim initiative promotes international, cross-sector discussions to better understand and prepare for the potential reverberating effects of hazards in the Pacific Rim region. The initiative is currently planning several regional workshops in various parts of the Pacific Rim, with the assistance of sponsoring organizations including the American Red Cross, the Circum-Pacific Council, Stanford University and the U.S. Geological Survey. Over the past year, the initiative has produced products including a game simulation, an interactive hazard map, and a high school education module.
Disaster Relief
http://www.disasterrelief.org/
The Disaster Relief website is a cooperative effort between the American Red Cross, CNN Interactive and IBM. The mission is to help disaster victims and the disaster relief community worldwide by facilitating the exchange of information on the Internet. The website features stories on current or impending disasters and provides links to disaster-related sites including Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies and other disaster relief agencies.
Disaster Resource Network
http://www.disaster-resource.com/
Emergency Lifeline Corporation works with organizations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and overseas on providing resources for crisis/emergency management and business continuity including preparedness supplies for any type of disaster, including natural and man-made. The company also publishes the annual, internationally distributed Disaster Resource Guide. The publication is a resource for organizations and government agencies desiring to prepare for emergencies, and contains articles and information from internationally recognized experts on planning and management, information technology, facility issues, human concerns, and crisis communications and response.
Disaster Response Network
http://www.disasterresponse.net/index3.php
Disaster News Network (DNN) is a news service that tells the story of disaster response and suggests appropriate ways the public can help survivors. It also facilitates information sharing among disaster responders. DNN receives most of its funding from disaster response organizations. Disaster News Network also covers related special topics such as preparedness and mitigation, public violence, environmental hazards, and terrorist disasters.
Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative
http://www-megacities.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/
The Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI) is an international not-for-profit scientific non-governmental organization dedicated to the acceleration of earthquake preparedness, mitigation and recovery of large urban areas (i.e. megacities). One out of every two large cities in the developing world is vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, severe storms and earthquakes. In recognition of these factors, EMI is proposed as a structure for consolidating scientific knowledge into practical solutions, for bridging the gap between the scientific community and the end-users, and for providing the scientific and technical community in developing countries with the opportunities to develop the knowledge and tools by which it can directly participate and contribute to local and regional disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts.
Inter-Action, The American Council for Voluntary Action
http://www.interaction.org/disaster/director.html
The Disaster Response Committee (DRC) provides PVOs with a framework for coordination, joint planning, and information sharing in emergency response activities and a common voice within the international humanitarian relief community. Through the committee, InterAction serves as a liaison between member agencies active in disaster response and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Department of State's Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration, UN humanitarian organizations, and European-based humanitarian networks and coalitions. The website provides links to resources on disaster response and news from the NGO community, the UN, the U.S. Government, foreign government aid links, institutions and universities, and military resources.
International Council of Voluntary Organizations
http://www.icva.ch/
The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), founded in 1962, is a global network of human rights, humanitarian, and development NGOs, which focuses its information exchange and advocacy efforts primarily on humanitarian affairs and refugee issues.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Disaster Mitigation
http://www.ifrc.org/what/dp/mitigate.asp
One approach used by the International Federation is that of countering the effects of risk through disaster mitigation. These programmes are adapted to the different needs in each region, and vary from environmental preservation in Vietnam and cyclone preparedness in Bangladesh through to developing social safety nets for victims of socio-economic and political crisis in Indonesia. This webpage has links to IFRC programs in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Caribbean and East Africa.
National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters
www.nvoad.org
NVOAD coordinates planning efforts by many voluntary organizations responding to disaster. Member organizations provide more effective and less duplication in service by getting together before disasters strike. Once disasters occur, NVOAD or an affiliated state VOAD encourages members and other voluntary agencies to convene on site. This cooperative effort has proven to be the most effective way for a wide variety of volunteers and organizations to work together in a crisis. NVOAD has 34 national member organizations, 52 State and territorial VOADs and a growing number of local VOADs.
Natural Hazards Center
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/
The Natural Hazards Center, located at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA, is a national and international clearinghouse for information on natural hazards and human adjustments to hazards and disasters. The Natural Hazards Center carries out its mission in four principal areas: information dissemination, an annual workshop, research, and library services. The center's prime goal is to increase communication among hazard/disaster researchers and those individuals, agencies, and organizations that are actively working to reduce disaster damage and suffering. The Natural Hazards Center has a variety of resources available on the Internet, and Web site managers are encouraged to link to any useful items they might find here.
Pan American Health Organization Program on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief
http://www.paho.org/english/PED/publication_eng.htm
In 1976, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean asked PAHO to create this technical program to help the health sector to develop a disaster preparedness, response and mitigation program. Disasters constantly jeopardize health and development, and the health sector must play a key role in reducing their effects. Not only must the sector be prepared to respond, but it must also enact mitigation and prevention measures to protect its costly facilities.
ProVention Consortium
www.proventionconsortium.org
The ProVention Consortium is a global coalition of governments, international organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations aimed at reducing disaster impacts in developing countries. The Consortium functions as a network to share knowledge and to connect and leverage resources to reduce disaster risk. Its main objectives are:
- To promote a culture of safety through education and training among leaders and citizens of developing countries
- support public policy that can reduce the risk of natural and technological disasters within developing countries
- To support pilot projects and to disseminate information about "best practices" that have been proven to mitigate the scope and frequency of disasters
- To develop governments' ability to minimize disasters and to respond effectively when they occur
- To forge links between public and private sectors, between the scientific community and policy makers, between donors and victims so that all stake holders work together to strengthen the economy, reduce pain and suffering and promote the common good.
ProVention Consortium - Conference Papers
www.proventionconsortium.org
This website provides the draft papers presented at ProVention Consortium conference, "The Future of Disaster Risk: Building Safer Cities" held in December 2002.
UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Disaster Reduction and Recovery Programme
www.undp.org/erd/disred/index.htm
Through practical application at the regional and country level, UNDP's work has aimed to reduce risk and vulnerabilities of natural, environmental and technological hazards with special attention to reducing social and economic vulnerability to reduce loss of lives and livelihoods and protect broad-based development gains. To strengthen national capacity to mitigate, prevent and manage crises, BCPR sponsors activities in preventive development and training. This webpage has links to UNDP programmes in 17 countries.
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
http://www.unisdr.org/
The Geneva Mandate on Disaster Reduction, which was adopted at the IDNDR Programme Forum (July 1999), reaffirms the necessity for disaster reduction and risk management to become essential elements of government policies. The ISDR will strive towards enabling all societies to become resilient to the effects of natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters, in order to reduce human, economic and social losses.
USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
http://www.usaid.gov/ofda/
The OFDA webpage links to situation reports on crises where the United States has provided assistance. There webpage also links to several publications such as the Disaster Reduction Handbook and Guidelines for Proposals and Reporting.
U. S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Preparation and Prevention Library
http://www.fema.gov/library/prepandprev.shtm#mit
The FEMA preparation and prevention library features the U.S. national mitigation strategy, links to on-line mapping services, analytical reports on the costs and benefits of natural hazard mitigation, and guidelines for mitigating damage from natural hazards. Under Planning & Preparing there is Understanding Your Risks: identifying hazards, and estimating losses, Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages, and A Guide to Citizen Preparedness. There is a "How To Series" describing concisely how to mitigate losses from various natural hazards: earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and multi-hazards. More information is provided on flood hazard mapping, floodplain management, and dam safety. This library also features HAZUS, a natural hazard loss estimation methodology developed by FEMA in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences.
University of Delaware - Disaster Research Center
http://www.udel.edu/DRC/
The Disaster Research Center, the first social science research center in the world devoted to the study of disasters, conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, and plane crashes. DRC has also done research on civil disturbances and riots, including the 1992 Los Angeles unrest. Staff have conducted nearly 600 field studies since the Center's inception, traveling to communities throughout the United States and to a number of foreign countries, including Mexico, Canada, Japan, Italy, and Turkey.
World Bank Disaster Management Facility
http://www.worldbank.org/dmf/
The Disaster Management Facility (DMF) aims to reduce human suffering and economic losses caused by natural and technological disasters. We do this by helping the World Bank provide a more strategic and rapid response to disasters, and promoting the integration of disaster prevention and mitigation efforts into the range of development activities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arnold, Margaret and Alcira Kreimer. eds. June 2000. Managing Disaster Risk in Emerging Economies. Washington, D. C.: World Bank.
This book presents papers on several events organized by the World Bank ' s Disaster Management Fund (DMF). The DMF's objectives are to help the Bank provide a more strategic and rapid response to disaster emergencies and to integrate disaster prevention and mitigation measures in all Bank activities. Part I of this book on risk identification contains chapters on the economic impacts on natural disasters in developing countries, including flooding, with the example of Buenos Aires; and time scales of climate and disaster. Part II explores aspects of reducing disaster risk, such as the relationship of infrastructure, natural disasters, and poverty; flooding issues in the United States, incentives for risk management and mitigation concerning cultural heritage; issues related to single-family housing, women, and children; and climate change from a development perspective. Part III looks at strategies for developing countries to more effectively share and transfer disaster risk from the angles of risk and insurance by the poor in developing countries; financing disaster mitigation for the poor; moral dimensions of risk transfer and reduction strategies; incentives for mitigation investment and risk management to encourage public-private partnerships; and linking catastrophe insurance and mitigating disaster losses.
Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. and the Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force. Addressing Your Community's Flood Problems: A Guide for Elected Officials. 1996. Copies available from ASFPM Executive Office, 4233 West Beltline Highway, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, telephone (608) 274-0123
This is a guide to help local officials take action now and try to ward off problems from future flooding. The guide explains what can be done before a flood, including understanding the local floodplain and and promoting floodplain management. Local officials share their success stories and lessons learned from Wisconsin, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Illinois. There is also a section on resources that can be used to cope with flooding.
Boshporus University Kandilli Observatory & Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI). 2002. ABCD Basic Disaster Awareness Handbook. Istanbul: Istanbul Community Impact Project. (CDIE DocID/Order No: PN-ACP-526)
The Handbook consists of five sections: (1) Disaster Awareness (2) Earthquake Hazards & Risks (3) Before an Earthquake (4) During and After an Earthquake (5) Next Steps. The Istanbul Community Impact Project is funded by USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. The project's goal is to identify the many small steps that can be taken to reduce disaster risks and to assist everyone in being prepared to help ourselves and those around us following a disaster.
Drabek, Thomas E. and Gerard J. Hoetmer, eds. 1991. Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government. Washington, D.C.: ICMA.
This volume covers the history and foundations of emergency management, coordinating community resources, disaster mitigation and hazard management, managing disaster response operations, and recovery from disaster. It is intended to educate front-line emergency management professionals and also elected and appointed local government officials. It espouses comprehensive emergency management (CEM) based on mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery and integrated emergency management system which calls for the assessment of potential hazards and available resources and the development of a plan to bring resources into line with risk.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1995. National Mitigation Strategy: Partnerships for Building Safer Communities. Prepared by the FEMA Mitigation Directorate. Available from FEMA at 1-800-480-2520.
The strategy is to reduce the loss of life and property damage by eliminating or reducing the impacts of natural hazards at the community level. The ultimate goal of the strategy is by 2010 to substantially increase public awareness and significantly reduce losses involving natural hazards.
Friday, Barbara E. 1999. "Rebuilding Shelter after Natural Disasters: Three Decades of USAID Experience in Latin America and the Caribbean." Prepared by PADCO for USAID, Washington, D.C.
The objective of this report is to support USAID's efforts in responding to Hurricanes Mitch and Georges, as well as to future disaster responses. The task was to research and analyze past experiences of the USAID Urban Programs Office in natural disaster preparedness/response in LAC focusing on the reconstruction process and how it affects the shelter sector.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 2000. Disaster Preparedness Training Manual. http://www.ifrc.org/what/dp/manual.asp
The training manual has nine modules (1) Introduction to Disaster Preparedness (2) Preparedness Planning (3) Project Planning (4) Risk Reduction (5) Increasing Comunity Disaster Awareness (6) Disaster Emergency Needs Assessment (7) Disaster Programme Information and Reporting (8) Improving Coordination (9) Improving Basic Training Skills.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 2001. World Disasters Report 2001.http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/wdr2001/
Disasters disrupt life, livelihoods, economies, political systems, belief systems - in short, everything that makes society work. The 2001 edition of the World Disasters Report looks at how humanitarian agencies and governments can best help disaster-affected communities to recover, to become stronger and more disaster resilient. How can the gaps between short-term relief and longer-term recovery be bridged?
Kreimer, Alcira et. al. June 1999. "Managing Disaster Risk in Mexico: Market Incentives for Mitigation Investment." Washington, D. C.: World Bank.
The aim of this study is to assess the current capacity of Mexico to deal with disaster risk and to identify ways in which the impacts of catastrophes on the economy can be reduced. The study analyzes the three main components of a comprehensive disaster risk management strategy: risk identification, risk reduction, and risk transfer and financing. Mexico is vulnerable to a variety of natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes. Despite the frequency with which these disasters strike, however, inadequate investment is made in mitigation efforts, and insufficient funds are set aside to pay for relief and reconstruction efforts. As a result, when a disaster occurs, the government is often forced to use funds that had been allocated to other programs, disrupting the operations of those programs. The effect is to reduce growth and derail important development efforts. The Mexican government could use mechanisms to manage risk so that ongoing programs are not disrupted following a disaster. Doing so involves identifying the risks the country faces, mitigating the damage caused by those risks, and transferring the risk to other parties (namely, insurance companies and the capital markets).
"Managing Economic Crises and Natural Disasters." 2000/2001. Chapter 9 of World Development Report on Poverty 2000/2001. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
Natural hazards represent a main source of risk for the poor, and disasters are a downward trigger to poverty. The World Development Report 2000/2001(WDR) establishes the effects of natural disasters as an important dimension of poverty. Low-income families typically live on marginal land, in the informal sector and have few, if any, resources with which to protect themselves. Chapter 9 of the WDR focuses on the risks posed by natural hazards.
Sanderson, David. October 2000. "Cities, Disasters and Livelihoods." Environment & Urbanization 12 (6): 93-102.
This paper describes the impacts of recent disasters in urban areas and their contribution to poverty, and highlights how little attention urban development planning and disaster relief organizations give to disaster mitigation. It also describes CARE International's Household Livelihood Security (HLS) model and how this allows an urban livelihoods approach to integrating measures for reducing poverty with measures for reducing risks from disasters. It pays particular attention to suporting low income groups and community organizations in building and diversifying their asset bases. A focus on reducing household vulnerability to shocks and stresses (including disasters) also reveals the supporting actions needed from municipal authoriites and disaster relief organizations.
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. July 2002 (Preliminary version). Living with Risk: A Global Review of Disaster Reduction Initiatives. www.unisdr.org/unisdr/GRword.htm
Prepared as an inter-agency effort coordinated by the ISDR Secretariat with special support from the Government of Japan, the World Meteorological Organization and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (Kobe, Japan).
This volume has chapters on (1) Living with risk - focus on disaster risk reduction; (2) Risk awareness and assessment; (3) Policy and public commitment: the foundation of disaster risk reduction (4) Building understanding: development of knowledge and information sharing; (5) A selection of disaster reduction applications; (6) Related international commitments and the UN role in diaster risk reduction; (7) Challenges for the future.
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