Living with Risk. A global review of disaster reduction initiatives

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Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives
the persistent difficulty in demonstrating costefficiencies
involved in saving lives and public
property from disasters before they occur.
Nonetheless, it remains that the relative
economies of disaster reduction are most commonly
aired in public discussions following
disasters.
While disaster management and response coordination
can benefit from centralized command
there is a need to decentralize disaster
risk reduction. Along with the decentralization
of power and devolution of governing
authority, disaster risk reduction at the local
community level needs to be encouraged, and
supported. The decentralization of responsibility
for disaster risk reduction has to be
coordinated by municipalities, townships,
wards or local communities. Mutual understanding
and rules and regulations should be
explicit, transparent and uniform. This
requires a new structural arrangement in
which national authorities of countries, UN
agencies, bilateral development agencies and
financial institutions implement projects in
risk reduction not only with national governments
but also with local authorities, the pri-
vate sector, academic institutions, community-based
organizations and NGOs.
However, there are currently few local institutions
ready to fill the vacuum to assist communities
in owning and internalising the process
of risk reduction, in terms of concept, knowledge,
and implementation. Almost all countries
or local communities have a designated
authority responsible for responding to crisis
situations when they happen; many fewer have
a recognized office or agency charged with
monitoring potential risks to the society and
motivating concerted public and private action
to minimize their potential consequences.
Such a change in the emphasis of governmental
functions requires that a consensus be developed
on the respective roles of government agencies,
commercial interests, communities and individuals
themselves. Governments have vital roles to
play in disaster risk management that must vary
according to each of their respective needs and
conditions, but there is now widespread recognition
that they must focus their limited resources
and serve as co-ordinating bodies if they are to
become more effective.
The following functions are important means by which governments can integrate disaster risk awareness
into official responsibilities. They also can be used to involve more people and additional interests in managing
those risks:
• Generate and disseminate basic public information widely about the most likely hazards to affect a
country or specific community, along with measures on how to reduce the risk
• Develop integrated professional and institutional abilities for the anticipation, assessment, management,
and response aspects of disaster risks within the ongoing social, economic and environmental
dimensions of the society.
• Support opportunities that enable scientific, technical and academic institutions to contribute to
national disaster risk management policies and practice, and convey the utilisation and application of
research findings.
• Encourage the combined participation of government agencies, technical specialists and local residents
in the conduct of risk assessments.
• Develop and ensure the public understanding, acceptance and use of standards and codes designed
for the protection of private and public assets and critical infrastructure.
• Promote and encourage public participation in the design and implementation of risk and vulnerability
strategies at local and national levels.
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