Background reading

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Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)

HFA is a 10 year plan adopted by 168 states to substantially reduce disaster losses in lives as well as the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries by 2015.

As emphasized in HFA, DRR is a central issue for development policies and is of interest to various science, humanitarian and environmental fields. Disasters undermine development achievements, impoverishing people and nations, and without serious efforts to address disaster losses, disasters will increasingly become a serious obstacle to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Five specific Priorities for Action were identified by HFA to attain the expected outcome:

• • Making disaster risk reduction a priority

  • Improving risk information and early warning

  • Building a culture of safety and resilience

  • Reducing the risks in key sectors

  • Strengthening preparedness for response

Funding of DRR

This report uses the latest available data, to analyse aid investments in disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the period immediately following the United Nations’ (UN) 2005 Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), and looks in detail at the policies and investment profiles of 24 of the leading aid donors.

This report on "DRR - spending where it should count" by Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) from 2012 looks at the spending in DRR over a ten year period and looks at if the right choices are being made.

Convergence with climate change adaptation

• Assessing Progress on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Development Processes Tom Mitchell, Maarten van Aalst and Paula Silva Villanueva. Strengthening Climate Resilience Discussion Paper 2

• Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) IPCC report

Convergence with Development

EC strategy for supporting DRR in Developing countries

Links to WASH in emergencies

• The ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Water, Sanitation and hygiene – Comprehensive guidance’ that was developed by CARE NL for the Global WASH cluster is available online. This Guidance will be soon completed by a shorter version that will be shared with the partners once it is finished. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Erik Rottier, Disaster Risk Reduction Coordinator, CARE Nederland (rottier@carenederland.org)

Ecosystem management and resilience building

• • UNFCCC Nairobi work programme on ecosystem measures: There is a growing recognition of the role that healthy ecosystems can play in increasing resilience and helping people adapt to climate change through the ongoing delivery of a range of ecosystem services.

Mapping of disasters

The International Charter aims at providing a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters through Authorized Users. Each member agency has committed resources to support the provisions of the Charter and thus is helping to mitigate the effects of disasters on human life and property.

The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters - annual report 2012

Flood management

• • UNISDR has launched a new Guideline for working with protection against flood. You will find it here.

Children

• Climate change and urban children: impacts and implications for adaptation in low- and middle-income countries. Bartlett. See abstract here.