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

7Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiativesMeasurement of progress –the benefits of reportingReduced losses from disasters, as well as reduced level of exposure tohazards, should become a more explicit development target in itsown right, both nationally and globally, as recognised in the MillenniumDevelopment goals and through the ISDR.At the outset of the task to conduct a global review ofdisaster reduction initiatives, the advisory panel forthis review recommended that it should embark onthe development of criteria to measure effectivenessof disaster risk reduction. These should ultimatelyreflect how lives and assets have been saved, as wellas where countries stand in accomplishing the objectivesof the ISDR.A number of experts, scholars and agencies hascalled for the determination and application of specificdisaster risk reduction baselines, targets andindicators. These could include commitment forintegrating risk reduction into national planningand educational systems. These must necessarilyvary taking account of each national context, hazardfrequency and annual losses. Global targets couldhowever aim at reducing the number of victims andeconomic losses by an agreed percentage over aspecified period of time. Targets could be more specificfor governments and local communities,reflecting local criteria and conditions or otherwisebased on performance.“Each country bears the primary responsibility for protectingits own people, infrastructure, and other nationalassets from the impact of natural disasters.”Principle nine of the Yokohama Strategy andPlanof Action for a Safer WorldThis task is obviously a difficult and complex one.Scientific and technical approaches in the past havefocused on indicators to suggest a hierarchy ofaccomplishment (number of risk assessments carriedout, existence of databases, number of decreesor legal acts, research programmes, educationalreforms, etc.). The quantitative measurement of theimpact of individual disaster risk reduction initiativesor projects that typically span a relativelyshorter time period, is difficult to achieve. If no disasterhas occurred after the measure has been put inplace it could be difficult to test the relative effectivenessof measures undertaken. One approach todealing with this dilemma would be to try and identifysituations where a “before and after” scenariowould apply.Measuring the qualitative advancement is even moredemanding as changes in perceptions, values, attitudesand behaviour are difficult to assess. However,these are the essential changes needed to move to ahigher phase in the pursuit of sustainable development.Benchmarks and indicators for reducing disasterrisk can also become valuable instruments tomonitor other sustainable development requirementsin fields such as education, community participation,local management and self reliance, sustainable livelihoods,environmental management, urban and ruralor land-use planning, and gender balance.Measuring the progress of disaster risk reduction ina country or region requires different frameworks atdifferent time-scales. In the long term, disasterinduced changes in the indicators of sustainabledevelopment, such as the Human DevelopmentIndex, GDP, poverty reduction, improved environmentalmanagement practices can reflect, to a degree,the extent to which a community has become moreresilient to disasters.The ISDR secretariat is working with its partners toaddress these needs. With UNDP, in particular, ithas initiated collaboration for the development ofcommon criteria to identify and assess the impacts ofdisaster risk reduction. UNDP chairs the workinggroup on vulnerability, risk and impact assessmentsof the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction,and is currently producing a Global Risk VulnerabilityIndex as part of the forthcoming WorldVulnerability Report. Collaboration is also takingplace with UN/DESA on sustainable developmentindicators and with a number of others such as theIFRC.ISDR aims to assess and monitor disaster risk reductionby focussing on measuring the multiple processesleading to a culture of prevention, including theparticipation of the national and local communities inthe application of the most up-to-date knowledge forrisk management. In order to assure credibility andacceptance, it is essential to engage in a transparentand participatory process for developing and evaluatingthe performance of an appropriate set of indicators.Examples for specific priority in the developmentof “performance targets” are suggested in varioussections of this global review.330