Disasters usually follow hazards, but some hazards can be prevented or mitigated. Disaster risk and its impact can be reduced.
Disasterriskreductionandmanagement (DRRM)
A systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and implementing strategies and plans that aims to reduce the damage caused by natural hazards
If disaster risk is reduced, the probability of a hazard event becoming a disaster is small.
DRRM includes
Mitigating and preparing for the adverse impacts of hazards
Reducing vulnerabilities to hazards
Wise management of land and the environment
Increasing disaster resilience of communities
UnitedNationsInternationalStrategy for DisasterReduction (UNISDR)
Created by the UN General Assembly in 1999 as part of the UN Secretariat to guide and coordinate the efforts of a wide range of partners to achieve substantive reduction in disaster losses and build resilient nations and communities as an essential condition for sustainable development
UNISDR objectives
Climate change adaptation
Increasing investments for DRRM
Building disaster-resilient cities, schools, and hospitals
Strengthening the international system for DRRM
UNISDR now leads the global forum for disaster risk reduction where various communities and countries share strategies and guidance.
AcceptableRisk
The level of loss a society or community considers acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical and environmental conditions
BuildingCodes
Ordinances and regulations controlling the design, construction, materials, alteration and occupancy of any structure to ensure human safety and welfare
Capacity
A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or the effects of a disaster
Capacity Building
Efforts aimed to develop human skills or societal infrastructures within a community or organization needed to reduce the level of risk
Climate Change
The climate of a place or region is changed if over an extended period there is a statistically significant change in measurements of either the mean state or variability of the climate for that place or region
Coping Capacity
The means by which people or organizations use available resources and abilities to face adverse consequences that could lead to a disaster
CounterMeasures
All measures taken to counter and reduce disaster risk, including both structural and non-structural measures
Disaster
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources
Disaster Risk Management
The systematic process of using administrative decisions, organization, operational skills and capacities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of the society and communities to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters
DisasterRiskReduction (Disaster Reduction)
The conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development
Disaster risk reduction framework
Risk awareness and assessment
Knowledge development
Public commitment and institutional frameworks
Application of measures
Early warning systems
EarlyWarning
The provision of timely and effective information, through identified institutions, that allows individuals exposed to a hazard to take action to avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective response
Ecosystem
A complex set of relationships of living organisms functioning as a unit and interacting with their physical environment
ElNiño-SouthernOscillation (ENSO)
A complex interaction of the tropical Pacific Ocean and the global atmosphere that results in irregularly occurring episodes of changed ocean and weather patterns in many parts of the world, often with significant impacts
EmergencyManagement
The organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all aspects of emergencies, in particularly preparedness, response and rehabilitation
EnvironmentalImpactAssessment (EIA)
Studies undertaken in order to assess the effect on a specified environment of the introduction of any new factor, which may upset the current ecological balance
EnvironmentalDegradation
The reduction of the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological objectives, and needs
Forecast
Definite statement or statistical estimate of the occurrence of a future event
Geological Hazard
Natural earth processes or phenomena that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Analysis that combine relational databases with spatial interpretation and outputs often in form of maps
GreenhouseGas (GHG)
Gas, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), that absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation, warming the earth's surface and contributing to climate change
Hazard
A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation
HazardAnalysis
Identification, studies and monitoring of any hazard to determine its potential, origin, characteristics and behavior
HydrometeorologicalHazards
Natural processes or phenomena of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic nature, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation
LaNiña
Approximately the opposite condition to El Niño
Land-usePlanning
Branch of physical and socio-economic planning that determines the means and assesses the values or limitations of various options in which land is to be utilized with the corresponding effects on different segments of the population or interests of a community taken into account in resulting decisions
Mitigation
Structural and non-structural measures undertaken to limit the adverse impact of natural hazards, environmental degradation and technological hazards
NaturalHazards
Natural processes or phenomena occurring in the biosphere that may constitute a damaging event
Preparedness
Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to the impact of hazards, including the issuance of timely and effective early warnings and the temporary evacuation of people and property from threatened locations
Prevention
Activities to provide outright avoidance of the adverse impact of hazards and means to minimize related environmental, technological and biological disasters
PublicAwareness
The processes of informing the general population, increasing levels of consciousness about risks and how people can act to reduce their exposure to hazards
PublicInformation
Information, facts and knowledge provided or learned as a result of research or study, available to be disseminated to the public
Recovery
Decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring or improving the pre-disaster living conditions of the stricken community, while encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risk