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

3Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiativesthe persistent difficulty in demonstrating costefficienciesinvolved in saving lives and publicproperty from disasters before they occur.Nonetheless, it remains that the relativeeconomies of disaster reduction are most commonlyaired in public discussions followingdisasters.While disaster management and response coordinationcan benefit from centralized commandthere is a need to decentralize disasterrisk reduction. Along with the decentralizationof power and devolution of governingauthority, disaster risk reduction at the localcommunity level needs to be encouraged, andsupported. The decentralization of responsibilityfor disaster risk reduction has to becoordinated by municipalities, townships,wards or local communities. Mutual understandingand rules and regulations should beexplicit, transparent and uniform. Thisrequires a new structural arrangement inwhich national authorities of countries, UNagencies, bilateral development agencies andfinancial institutions implement projects inrisk reduction not only with national governmentsbut also with local authorities, the pri-vate sector, academic institutions, community-basedorganizations and NGOs.However, there are currently few local institutionsready to fill the vacuum to assist communitiesin owning and internalising the processof risk reduction, in terms of concept, knowledge,and implementation. Almost all countriesor local communities have a designatedauthority responsible for responding to crisissituations when they happen; many fewer havea recognized office or agency charged withmonitoring potential risks to the society andmotivating concerted public and private actionto minimize their potential consequences.Such a change in the emphasis of governmentalfunctions requires that a consensus be developedon the respective roles of government agencies,commercial interests, communities and individualsthemselves. Governments have vital roles toplay in disaster risk management that must varyaccording to each of their respective needs andconditions, but there is now widespread recognitionthat they must focus their limited resourcesand serve as co-ordinating bodies if they are tobecome more effective.The following functions are important means by which governments can integrate disaster risk awarenessinto official responsibilities. They also can be used to involve more people and additional interests in managingthose risks:• Generate and disseminate basic public information widely about the most likely hazards to affect acountry 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 environmentaldimensions of the society.• Support opportunities that enable scientific, technical and academic institutions to contribute tonational disaster risk management policies and practice, and convey the utilisation and application ofresearch findings.• Encourage the combined participation of government agencies, technical specialists and local residentsin the conduct of risk assessments.• Develop and ensure the public understanding, acceptance and use of standards and codes designedfor the protection of private and public assets and critical infrastructure.• Promote and encourage public participation in the design and implementation of risk and vulnerabilitystrategies at local and national levels.82