Disaster Risk Reduction

What is Disaster Risk Reduction?

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) refers to activities that aim to help communities prone to disasters by reducing their vulnerability or the likelihood of a disaster occurring, and improving their ability to respond and cope. DRR promotes a range of activities and investments, from flood protection mechanisms, livelihood diversification and safe building practices, to cyclone shelters or evacuation routes.

DRR is based on the idea that preparedness and mitigation are far better alternatives to the persistent mobilisation of resources every time a disaster strikes. The lives saved and the notable return on investment suggests that DRR is a key feature of any effective development project.

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is often used in the same context with a very similar meaning, though usually refers more to the practical implementation aspect of DRR.

Why is DRR important in humanitarian response and development?

Much can be done to minimise the impact of natural hazards. A disaster occurs when a hazard—a natural event like an earthquake or flood—severely disrupts a community’s survival, ability to carry out their daily lives and ability to cope unaided. A hazard becomes a disaster when people are vulnerable. Vulnerability can be further exacerbated by traits like poverty, age, gender, disease—and lack resilience to cope with the hazard.

Without action, disasters will continue to disproportionately affect the poorest people in developing countries. Approximately 65% of disasters from 1991-2005 occurred in developing countries, and over 95% of people killed by natural disasters are from developing countries. Only 4% of the estimated $10 billion in annual humanitarian assistance is devoted to prevention and yet every dollar spent on risk reduction saves between $5 and $10 in economic losses from disasters.

Climate-related disasters, like floods or droughts, are set to increase. In a report recently published by Oxfam, the number of people affected by climate related disasters is predicted to increase by 54% to 375 million people by 2015.

Disasters entrench poverty and wipe out development gains. Investing in disaster risk reduction not only saves lives and livelihoods, it protects these gains, is cost effective and supports achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. DRR is therefore important not just for humanitarian efforts but for long-term development too.

Why is involving the local community important?

Local communities are the first responders when a disaster happens. In the hours following a disaster, search and rescue and the provision of immediate assistance to the injured and homeless are almost entirely carried out by family members, relatives and neighbours. In the case of small-scale events, communities may be left entirely to their own devices, as there may be no external assistance available at all.

Top-down disaster risk reduction programmes often fail to address the specific vulnerabilities, needs and demands of at-risk communities. These vulnerabilities and needs can only be identified through a process of direct consultation and dialogue with the communities concerned, because communities understand local realities and contexts better than outsiders.

Even the most vulnerable communities possess skills, knowledge, resources (materials, labour) and capacities. These assets are often overlooked, underutilised and, in some cases, even undermined by external actors.

 

What is the role of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)?

In order to ensure that gains from development are not undone by disasters, and that the resources used for those gains are not wasted, NGOs must adequately incorporate DRR principles into their development and relief projects. This will typically involve risk assessment and risk reduction activities in cooperation with local institutions and communities. NGOs and civil society organisations are often integrated within local communities for decades and are best placed to respond because they understand and can represent the needs of the community.

What is the role of in-country governments?

Local governments must play a central role in coordinating and sustaining a multi-level, multi-stakeholder platform to promote DRR, in engaging communities and citizens, and in devising and implementing innovative tools or techniques for DRR which can be applied elsewhere.

Building the capacity of local institutions is key to sustaining DRR. Extensive risk (smaller and frequent disasters in an extensive territory) can normally be reduced with relatively small investments in projects such as storm drainage infrastructure to greatly reduce flood risk. Intensive risk can be addressed over time: buildings and infrastructure (especially drainage and slope stabilisers) can be periodically renewed, replaced, repaired or upgraded. New housing and infrastructure should address risk.

What is the role of donors in ensuring DRR is implemented?

Donors need to continue the momentum generated by recent policy development success in the DRR field, by according appropriate strategic and financial support to operationalising such policies at the global, regional and particularly the national level. Donors should commit to undertaking thorough and comprehensive self-assessment to measure their progress on mainstreaming DRR. Common challenges which may need to be addressed include the dictation by others of development priorities, a lack of knowledge and awareness within personnel, mainstreaming fatigue, poor cooperation between relief and development departments and poor coordination among multiple stakeholders.

On 15 June 2009, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) launched a DRR policy: Investing in a Safer Future. The policy articulates Australia’s commitment to supporting implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 through the aid program and to achieving sustainable development through reduced disaster losses. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has already committed to allocating 10% (over £17 million so far) of its contribution for each natural disaster to prepare for and mitigate the impact of future disasters.

Further information:

AusAID – Disaster risk reduction
DFID – Frequently asked questions on disaster risk reduction
Humanitarian Practice Network (2007) – Working with vulnerable communities to assess and reduce disaster risk
Tearfund (2003) – Natural Disaster Risk Reduction - the policy and practice of selected institutional donors
Tearfund (2007) – Institutional donor progress with mainstreaming disaster risk reduction
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction – Local Governments and Disaster Risk Reduction

Contact: ACFID Policy Team