A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

Following recommendations, the city ofWellington and later the government of NewZealand embarked on the revision and implementationof a variety of legislative and policyreforms in disaster risk management. With themotivation to encompass an all-hazardsapproach to risk and to appeal to all segmentsof society, the following accomplishments havebeen achieved over the past several years:• Broadened responsibilities for localauthority emergency managers, withincreased roles in the training and developmentof community capacities for riskidentification, vulnerability reduction anddisaster resilience.• Decentralized Emergency ManagementGroups, with membership includingneighbouring local authorities, emergencyservices and utility companies in order toensure that while the national emergencymanagement strategy is focused at thelocal level, there is improved cooperationand coordination of human and technicalresources across the country.Policy and public commitment: the foundation of disaster risk reductionThe Auckland Group developed a set of guidelines withthe overarching goal to “minimize the risks to communitiesand the environment from the effects of a range ofhazards, including (but not limited to) natural and technologicalhazards.” The guidelines are intended toaddress the following issues:• Achieve consistency in the way that hazard informationis collected, organized and used to influencedecisions about managing risk among localgovernment councils in the Auckland region.• Ensure risk management issues are appropriatelyaddressed in land-use and strategic planning.• Maximize the effective use of hazard informationto manage risk and to promote better public understandingof the local hazardscape.• Encourage local authorities to reduce barriers tosound risk management and encourage effectiverisk communication practices.• Minimize local authority liability through the effectivecapture and storage of hazard information.The group has produced a technical publication to elaboratethese issues, Hazard Guideline 1: Hazard Identificationand Information Management for Local Authorities.3• A comprehensive risk management strategythat integrates disaster managementinto environmental and community managementpractices at national and locallevels.Elsewhere in New Zealand, the Auckland LocalAuthority Hazard Liaison Group, was establishedfour years ago by the Auckland RegionalCouncil to enhance communicationsbetween local authorities on hazard managementissues and to facilitate intra-council communication.It was composed mainly of plannersand policy analysts drawn from the city,district and regional councils specifically “torecognize the link between hazard mitigationand land-use planning and the related need todevelop tools to manage risk and improve communicationsamong those people working insustainable development and environmentalmanagement.”Case: SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, long-standing federal forestlaw recognised the importance of forests withrespect to reducing water runoff. Forests alsowere recognized as a means of protectionSource: The Australian Journal of Emergency Management,2001-02.against avalanches as early as the 19th century,when extreme events revealed the catastrophiceffects of large-scale timber cutting, especiallyin the pre-alpine and alpine regions. The hithertounhindered tree felling came to an abruptend. Simultaneously, many major river-trainingworks commenced, were renewed or completedas an emphasis was placed on protectivemeasures of river engineering.Natural hazards continued to play an importantrole in modifying Swiss policies into the20th century. The risk situation was aggravatedby development in hazardous areas. Thesocial and economic consequences of avalanches,floods and windstorms exerted an impacton policy considerations and Switzerland hasmoved to a more integrated approach to themanagement of risk.In 1997, the National Platform for NaturalHazards (PLANAT) was created by the SwissFederal Council. This extra-parliamentary commissionaims to make better use of existing syn-105