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"Ivan" breathes new life into the Cuban Revolution

A finely tuned disaster-prevention programme helped Cuba escape the worst of hurricanes Charley and Ivan. As Castro turned the fight against natural forces into an all-out military battle, the government attributed Cubans' sense of solidarity and discipline to their revolutionary upbringing. (Richard Bauer, The Environment Times, No 3, 2005)

http://www.environmenttimes.net/article.cfm?pageID=109

(Added: Tue Jun 06 2006   Modified: Thu Aug 31 2006   Hits: 137)

'Measuring Mitigation' Methodologies for assessing natural hazard risks and the net benefits of mitigation: A scoping study [PDF]

By Charlotte Benson and John Twigg December 2004. "As the human and financial costs of disasters rise, there are increasing demands for evidence that mitigation 'pays'. Until this proof exists, however, many aid agencies remain reluctant to pursue risk reduction as a key objective, or even to protect their own projects against potential hazards. This report presents the results of the first, survey or 'scoping' phase of the study. It reviews agency project documentation and related guidelines and procedures, organised around the different stages of the project cycle. It draws conclusions and makes policy recommendations on how risks emanating from natural hazards are currently handled in project appraisal and evaluation, and the scope and need for an improvement in practices. The report is based on an analysis of documentation supported by interviews with selected agencies."

http://www.proventionconsortium.org/?pageid=37&publicationid=34#34

(Added: Mon May 02 2005   Modified: Thu Jan 11 2007   Hits: 404)

2003 World Disaster Reduction Campaign Information Kit (PDF)

"Turning the tide on disasters towards sustainable development. The 2003 World Disaster Reduction Campaign looks at how we cope with water-related hazards, serving to raise awareness among decision-makers and the public that there is much we can do to reduce the impacts of hazards. While it is widely acknowledged that hydrometeorological hazards are on the rise due to human activities increasing vulnerabilities, there is still greater attention (and investment) paid to the disasters themselves and the resulting deaths and destruction. Rather, we should be looking at the longer-term investment of disaster risk reduction strategies - incorporating disaster preparedness, mitigation and prevention - that would in fact in the end significantly reduce their impacts and costs. We need to shift our emphasis: from disaster relief to disaster reduction. This information kit will provide you with a wealth of information related to the Campaign theme. People involved in disaster reduction around the world share with you their experiences, presenting real-life examples that could be applied in other regions. These stories are only a handful of numerous existing disaster reduction initiatives, aimed to serve as inspiration for action in your community. We encourage you to take the examples in this collection: translate and reproduce them, building upon them to make them relevant to your community to raise awareness, to inform, educate, and connect with others with similar experiences, initiating research, and fueling action."

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/public_aware/world_camp/2003/pa-camp03-kit-eng.htm

(Added: Tue Sep 09 2003   Modified: Wed Jan 10 2007   Hits: 449)

2004 World Disaster Reduction Campaign

ISDR. The theme of this year's World Disaster Reduction Campaign is "learning". Learning to live with the risks that hazards pose to communities is one of the key ways to protect people and property from the disastrous impacts of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and volcanoes. Learning can take place through formal education such as in schools and universities, or informal groups and networks such as community meetings and advocacy activities.

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/public_aware/world_camp/2004/pa-camp04-announc-eng.htm

(Added: Tue Sep 28 2004   Modified: Mon Sep 12 2005   Hits: 275)

A Tale of 4 Diagrams: Disaster Risk Reduction in an Increasingly Complex World [PDF]

Produced by Torqaid of Australia, this article, which is built around 4 diagrams, shows how effective disaster risk management (DRM) ideally can take place in both developing and developed countries. The initial diagram (the Disaster Risk Management Cycle = DRMC), shows that for most medium to fast onset disasters (such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar), these normally go through recognizable Normal/Risk Reduction, Emergency Response and Recovery Stages. The second diagram (Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction) shows that effect Risk Reduction ideally depends upon four complementary parameters, namely Security & Good Governance; Economic & Social Development (with a strong emphasis on Poverty Reduction); Environmental Sustainability/Climate Change Adaptation (CCA); and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The third diagram (Disaster Risk Management Planning), shows that effective planning needs to be carried out by governments at national, state/provincial, and district levels, with all this being complemented at sub-district level by Risk Reduced Development Projects (RRDPS) - often called Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), which tends to be the focus of NGOs. The final diagram (the Project Management Cycle = PMC), shows that in addition to development projects, this diagram can be a useful basis for planning, implementing and evaluation projects in the Recovery and Risk Reduction stages of a humanitarian disaster.

http://www.torqaid.com/images/stories/4_diagrams__3.pdf

(Added: Thu May 08 2008   Hits: 17)

Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre

A focus on disaster reduction in the Asia/Pacific region

http://www.adpc.net/

(Added: Mon Aug 13 2001   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 368)

Asian Disaster Reduction Centre

The ADRP provides a wide variety of data and news on natural disasters

http://www.adrc.or.jp/top.asp

(Added: Mon Aug 13 2001   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 368)

Center for International Disaster Information

Since 1988 VITA's Center for International Disaster information has handled hundreds of thousands of public inquiries related to international emergencies. 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.

http://www.cidi.org/

(Added: Fri Mar 08 2002   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 553)

Corporate Social Responsibility and Disaster Reduction: A Global Overview

The project aims to survey the extent and nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in this area, focusing on the process of private- sector engagement and its results, and to assess the potential for further involvement, particularly in developing countries. It looks specifically at what are usually called "natural disasters" i.e. disasters triggered by natural hazards such as floods, cyclones and earthquakes. (RTF - 587Kb)

http://www.benfieldhrc.org/disaster_studies/csr/csr_overview.pdf

(Added: Mon Dec 17 2001   Modified: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 358)

Creating Sustainable and Disaster Resistant Communities

Working paper by D. Geis looking at ways of promoting disaster resistant communities in the US.

http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/articles/CREATING.shtml

(Added: Thu Sep 06 2001   Modified: Mon Dec 04 2006   Hits: 283)

Disaster Mitigation Institute - India

Disaster mitigation in South Asia.

http://www.southasiadisasters.net/

(Added: Tue Sep 10 2002   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 246)

Disaster Preparedness Programmes in India: A Cost Benefit Analysis (PDF)

Humanitarian Practice Network, Network Paper 49. By Courtenay Cabot Venton and Paul Venton. Historically, the response to disasters has focused on relief, with governments, donors and NGOs providing post-disaster resources and aid. Whilst this work is essential to respond to people in need, the focus of disaster response has been shifting to encompass the wider issue of disaster preparedness, engaging NGOs and other stakeholders in preparing for the impacts of hazards. This Network Paper is intended to inform the growing discussion on risk reduction in a number of ways. First, it aims to provide evidence-based research to confirm that investment in DMP initiatives is money well spent from an economic point of view. Second, it intends to show how cost benefit analysis can be used as an analytical tool to choose between different types of DMP intervention. Third, it aims to provide evidence of the potential for using DMP as a significant element in both humanitarian relief and development programming. Such evidence can also be used to advocate for increasing the resources allocated to specific DMP interventions.

http://www.odihpn.org/report.asp?ID=2686

(Added: Fri Jan 07 2005   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 173)

Disaster Risk Management , (DRM) Workshop

White River, South Africa 31 Jan - 2 Feb 2006. Are you someone who either is, or could be, involved in Disaster Risk Management (DRM), at Pre-disaster, Response or Post-disaster stages? Are you involved in the preparation of Disaster Risk Management Plans (DRMPs) at district, provincial or national levels? If so, then this workshop may be for you. The Workshop: Run by the Lowveld Centre for Lifelong Learning (C4L) at White River, near Nelspruit, South Africa from the 31 Jan - 2 Feb 2006. Facilitator: Mr Chris Piper, TorqAid (Australia) with assistance from returned DRM students.

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/DRMWkshopSA.doc

(Added: Wed Nov 16 2005   Hits: 171)

Disaster risk reduction: mitigation and preparedness in development and emergency programming (pdf)

(Humanitarian Practice Network) By John Twigg. Natural disasters - disasters resulting from natural hazards such as cyclones, droughts, floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions - are widespread and numerous in developing and middle-income countries. They can cause great loss of life and immense damage to communities, infrastructure and national economies. Ethical, humanitarian considerations oblige us to act to protect human life and prevent suffering. Many researchers and aid institutions have identified natural disasters as a major threat to sustainable development. This Good Practice Review aims to help project planners and managers to: • appreciate the significance of hazards (primarily natural hazards) and the risks associated with them; • appreciate the need for risk management in project planning and implementation, and the value of such efforts; • recognise the main issues that must be understood and addressed when carrying out risk reduction or disaster mitigation and preparedness initiatives; and • understand - at least in broad terms - how to address these issues in practice, throughout the project cycle.

http://www.odihpn.org/report.asp?ID=2618

(Added: Thu Jun 17 2004   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 277)

Gender Perspective: Working Together for Disaster Risk Reduction - Good Practices and Lessons Learned

This publication highlights the fact that disaster recovery and rehabilitation provide good opportunities for women to play public roles with the support of their families and communities. It also underlines the importance of working with both men and women to promote a gender-balanced approach to disaster risk reduction (UN, 2007).

http://reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/EMAE-76XQV6/$FILE/isdr-gender%20good%20practices-2007.pdf?OpenElement

(Added: Fri Oct 12 2007   Hits: 115)

Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters (HFA)

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held from 18 to 22 January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, and adopted the present Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The Conference provided a unique opportunity to promote a strategic and systematic approach to reducing vulnerabilities and risks to hazards. It underscored the need for, and identified ways of, building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm

(Added: Thu Jan 19 2006   Hits: 392)

Indonesia: natural disasters or mass murder?

Another day, another unnecessary loss of lives: 16 people killed and 16 still missing in floods and landslides on a small island Tahuna off Indonesia's Sulawesi. At an alarming rate, Indonesia is replacing Bangladesh and India as the most disaster-prone nation on earth. It is absurd to discount them simply as nation's bad luck or as the wrath of gods or the nature. Some of these disasters are man-made; almost all of them are preventable. Corruption, incompetence and simple indifference of ruling elites and government officials are mostly to blame. It is poverty, lack of public projects and kleptomania that kills hundreds of thousands of desperate Indonesian men, women and children. (Andre Vltchek, Znet, 11 January 2007)

http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2007-01/11vltchek.cfm

(Added: Mon Jan 15 2007   Hits: 107)

Integrating Early Warning into Disaster Risk Reduction Policies (PDF 210 KB)

Governments are fully expected (both by their constituent populations and neighbouring nations) to reduce the exposure of people and assets to the effects of disasters. Below you will find some suggestions, based on examples and best practices world-wide, of elements that should be taken into account to effectively integrate monitoring, early warning and response systems, into disaster risk reduction policies and plans of actions in support of sustainable development.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/LHON-69PGLV/$FILE/EW_Dis_Reduc_FAO_Oct_2003.pdf?OpenElement

(Added: Fri Feb 18 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 31 2006   Hits: 136)

Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - On-line extracts

Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), 2004. 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. This webpage provides a Table of Contents to give 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. You can also order the book online.

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/about_isdr/bd-lwr-2004-eng.htm

(Added: Wed Jul 21 2004   Modified: Thu Aug 31 2006   Hits: 133)

Natural Disaster Risk Reduction: The policy and practice of selected institutional donors (PDF)

A Tearfund Research Project by Sarah La Trobe Paul Venton, July 2003. Tearfund is concerned about the frequent disruption of its development programmes by hazards such as floods, droughts, cyclones and earthquakes. It is also concerned that none of its programmes inadvertently enhance vulnerability to extreme hazard forces.

http://www.tearfund.org/webdocs/Website/Campaigning/Policy%20and%20research/Natural%20Disaster%20Risk%20Reduction%20research.pdf

(Added: Wed Jan 12 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 31 2006   Hits: 138)

NGO Initiatives in Risk Reduction

This series of short case studies of NGO projects is designed to give practical guidance to the project planners and managers. Between 15 and 20 studies will be published on this website. Projects have been selected to show the range of work in this field - in terms of the approach taken, types of hazards addressed and location. The studies will be essentially descriptive with a few comments on wider issues to be borne in mind by anyone thinking of doing similar work.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/index.asp?id=171&cachefixer=cf125851329116591

(Added: Mon Feb 10 2003   Modified: Thu Aug 31 2006   Hits: 248)

REDUCING DISASTER RISK: A Challenge for Development

By United Nations Development Programme, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, August 15, 2004. Natural disasters exert an enormous toll on development. In doing so, they pose a significant threat to prospects for achieving the Millennium Development Goals-in particular, the overarching target of halving extreme poverty by 2015. This report is premised on the belief that in many countries the process of development itself has a huge impact-both positive and negative-on disaster risk. It shows how countries that face similar patterns of natural hazards-from floods to droughts-often experience widely differing impacts when disasters occur. The impact depends in large part on the kind of development choices they have made previously.

http://www.undp.org/bcpr/whats_new/rdr_english.pdf

(Added: Mon Mar 07 2005   Modified: Thu Feb 15 2007   Hits: 471)

Reducing the Risk of Disasters - Helping to Achieve Sustainable Poverty Reduction in a Vulnerable World [pdf]

The links between disaster and poverty are clear. It is the poorest who are worst affected and suffer most.The capacity to cope and to reduce risk is much more limited in poorer countries. Disasters damage infrastructure and affect productivity and growth. Rarely do disasters just happen - they often result from failures of development which increase vulnerability. This paper summarises DFID's policy on disaster risk reduction as it applies to natural and technological disasters; it shows examples of disaster impacts on efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); as well as examples of good practice in disaster risk reduction. (Department For International Development, March 2006)

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/disaster-risk-reduction-policy.pdf

(Added: Tue May 23 2006   Modified: Mon Jul 02 2007   Hits: 250)

Reducing the risk of natural disasters: the policy and practice of institutional donors

By Sarah La Trobe, Tearfund. The developing world has witnessed a significant increase in human and material losses associated with 'natural' disasters. The number of people affected by these disasters was three times higher in the 1990s than in the 1970s, and economic losses were five times higher. This upward trend in disaster losses is expected to persist with the continued expansion of populations, environmental degradation and climate change. The threat that disasters pose to development gains has increasingly been acknowledged by donors, governments and financial institutions, yet still insufficient attention is being given to disaster risk reduction. In early 2003, Tearfund undertook research to gain a better understanding of how institutional donors are responding to this issue. Interviewees included representatives of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the governments of the US, Canada, the UK, Sweden and Switzerland, the European Union (EU) and the UN. This article reports the key research findings.

http://www.odihpn.org/report.asp?ID=2588

(Added: Thu May 27 2004   Modified: Mon Sep 12 2005   Hits: 268)

The Disaster Management Unit - Viet Nam

Site specialising disaster information from Viet Nam.

http://www.undp.org.vn/undpLive/Content/What-We-Do/Focus-Areas/Disaster-Risk-Management

(Added: Thu Nov 01 2001   Modified: Fri Dec 08 2006   Hits: 186)

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