Living with Risk. A global review of disaster reduction initiatives

environmental changes, including elaboration
on the specific relationship between the
impact of natural hazards and emerging disasters.
It also includes a section on disasters,
in which the ISDR secretariat collaborated
with information. UNEP also produces other
associated reports of regional and/or thematic
scope, such as on small island developing
states. More information about GEO-3 can
be found on the UNEP web site
(www.unep.org).
World Vulnerability Report
Since 1989, the annual UNDP Human
Development Report has increased a wider
public understanding of the social or human
dimensions of development. The human
development index and the subsidiary
human poverty index are both based on a
small number of carefully selected parameters
for which data are available and provide
alternative indicators to conventional gross
domestic product (GDP) measurements.
Awareness of the linkages between natural
disasters and development has also increased
considerably in recent years. Vulnerability to
calamities is now recognized by many institutions
as an important issue for sustainable
development. However, while Human
Development Report has been far more successful
than was originally envisaged, the
linkages between increasing disaster risk and
"human" development have yet to be fully
explored and addressed.
In this regard, UNDP is in the process of
producing a first issue of the World Vulnerability
Report (WVR). The goal of WVR is to
increase the attention of governments and the
international community to viable approaches
to managing and reducing disaster risks.
As part of this report, UNDP will present a
Global Vulnerability Index, which will compare
countries according to their relative risk
levels over time. The index will highlight the
level of national efforts and progress made on
mitigating disaster risk annually, and will promote
the further production of related national
reports. The first issue will be made available
in the second half of 2002.
Building understanding: development of knowledge and information sharing
plates, operational guidelines and links to
online data sources and more than 400 web
sites all sorted by categories. It is expected to
speed up emergency awareness and action by
providing decision makers with timely information,
as well as with feedback from the Red
Cross and Red Crescent network throughout
the world. Specific operational links to data
sources during a disaster are grouped, highlighted
and then archived for future reference.
The Preparedness Section of the site allows
delegates and National Societies to directly
input information on disaster trends from anywhere
in the world and potential response to
unfolding disaster situations. During largescale
emergencies, ongoing operational information
can be exchanged, as logistics mobilization
actions and contact details are also posted
to improve communication and cooperation
between the different actors involved. This
dynamic and interactive working tool continues
to evolve and adds new features on a regular
basis in response to the needs of its users.
After a first year of activity, the password-protected
site has over 600 users from 178 National
Societies, delegations, IFRC and International
Committee of Red Cross staff.
Other institutionalized efforts also are under
way to facilitate the global use of shared disaster
management information. Working
through both negotiated international agreements
as well as efforts to standardize communication
protocols and technical compatibility,
some governments and disaster management
professionals are working to realize a comprehensive
initiative to increase the availability and
improved utility of advanced communication
and information technologies for more effective
disaster management. While the objectives
of the Global Disaster Information System
(GDIN) are yet to be fully realized, this international
collaborative association of specialists
from governments, international and donor
organizations, NGOs, commercial and academic
institutions is working to enhance its
capacities to receive and use disaster information.
In a general sense, GDIN seeks to offer a
variety of services that can link users with
appropriate information providers and to
encourage the use of greater technical compatibility
or integration of information systems
across geographical regions so that information
can be shared more effectively. While much of
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