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

information including links to many organizationsengaged in disaster reduction activities.In Mozambique, the National Disaster ManagementAuthority (INGC) uses disaster simulationsas well as a variety of public forums toconduct awareness-raising programs under thetheme Towards a Culture of Prevention. A differentlocation is chosen each year, usually apotentially vulnerable area near a provincialcapital, and national leaders are invited to participate.Televised panel discussions, publicexhibitions, university seminars and presentationsin schools are also conducted. At a morepractical level and with a longer-term perspective,projects such as tree planting or the distributionof drought-resistant crops, have beeninitiated during the event. The timing of theseactivities also serve to highlight meteorologicalforecasts for the imminent rainy season andannouncements are made about emergencycontingency plans.These outreach campaigns have put the issueof disaster management on the public agendabut the message has been directed largely tourban populations. While a principal objectivein most of these activities has been to influencepolicy-makers and other significant stakeholdersat the national level, a challenge remains toinstil a culture of prevention among pooreerrural communities, those most likely to sufferduring a disaster.China has made widespread use of publications,media and other forms of publicity to raise thepublic consciousness about the importance ofdisaster reduction. In the past decade, morethan 300 books have been published about thesubject, and more than 20 different newspapersand periodicals have been created to spreadknowledge about disaster reduction throughoutthe many different sectors of Chinese society. Inaddition, numerous international publicationsand documents dealing with disaster risk issueshave been translated into Chinese or adapted toChinese conditions, and distributed widely.Future plans of the China National Committeefor Natural Disaster Reduction (CNCIDR) toimprove their public awareness program includegreater use of television, broadcasting, video,and electronic means.There are additional plans for CNCIDR to coordinatewith educational departments to addBuilding understanding: development of knowledge and information sharingnew content on hazards and disaster risk tocurricula in schools, enabling youth to understandtheir own roles in reducing disasters.Similarly, professional organizations run disasterreduction training courses according totheir own specific circumstances. The ChinaAssociation for Science and Technology hasmobilised scientific and technical personnel tocontribute to the decision-making processesand has organized consulting services in disasterreduction for specific problems.Special events and major activitiesEvery year since the early 1990s the UN hasorganized a World Disaster Reduction Campaignwith the objective of raising awarenessabout disaster reduction through thematicallyrelated activities. This public awareness strategycalls on Governments and local communitiesto mobilise, for example, by developingrisk maps and early warning systems. It urgesGovernments to develop and enforce buildingcodes and to exploit scientific and technicalknowledge for minimising the exposure to therisk of natural disasters. Other UN agenciesand their program partners are also committedto carrying out this strategy by bringing peopleand expertise together in the search for solutions.The campaigns are based on a differenttheme every year. In 2001, the theme wasCountering Disasters, Targeting Vulnerability.The 2002 campaign is mentioned below.The theme of the 2002 World Disaster ReductionCampaign, is Disaster Reduction for SustainableMountain Development, chosen toparallel the world-wide celebration of theInternational Year of Mountains. Through aseries of activities and special programs inmany countries, the campaign will highlightincreasing global awareness of mountain hazardsand successful disaster reduction effortsundertaken in mountain areas. The primarymessage is that disaster reduction as an essentialpart of sustainable development planningcan benefit mountain communities world-wideby avoiding the devastating set backs that naturaldisasters can cause. The annual campaignculminates on the International Day for NaturalDisaster Reduction on the second Wednesdayof October with activities to showcaseexamples of successful accomplishments in disasterreduction.1914