Disaster management Reducing risk

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a leading humanitarian organization, which has been working to prevent and alleviate human suffering for over 85 years. Through its core areas of work in disaster management, health, organizational development and the promotion of humanitarian values, the International Federation’s 186 member National Societies are making a significant contribution to reducing the vulnerability of people living in some of the most hazard-prone areas of the world. The importance of disaster risk reduction is reflected in the Agenda for Humanitarian Action adopted by the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December 2003. At this conference, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and the states party to the Geneva Conventions committed to a plan of action that aims to reduce vulnerability to the risk and impact of natural disasters. This commitment has since been reiterated in the International Federation’s Global Agenda (2006–2010), which explicitly calls for increased action with vulnerable communities to reduce disaster risk.

The International Federation also fully supports the conclusions of the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan in January 2005 and continues to work through its member National Societies and in partnership with the UN, governments, donors and civil society to meet the objectives of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015, which was the key outcome of that conference.

To reduce disaster risk, the International Federation has three main strategies: to strengthen the preparedness and capacities of communities so that they are in a better position to respond when a disaster occurs; to promote activities and actions that mitigate the adverse effects of hazards; and to protect development projects such as health facilities from the impact of disasters.

Building safer and resilient communities

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that strengthening resilience to disasters is not only about disaster management but an essential component of all emergency and development programming. Communities/households with sustainable livelihoods, good levels of health care and access to a strong and accountable civil society are less susceptible to hazards and faster to recover. However, it is also important that these development gains are protected from disasters. The International Federation has made it a priority to ensure that disaster risk reduction is an integral part of its development work and that all its programmes work towards disaster risk reduction in an integrated and mutually supportive way. The Safer Communities initiative is working at all levels – governance, policy, management and practice – to achieve this, while continuing to promote disaster preparedness and disaster mitigation.

Learning from disasters: best practice and lessons learned

Case studies available:

www.vibha.info

Geophysical Hazards
Climatological Hazards
Hydrological Hazards
Meteorological Hazards
Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster Response