Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (DRR)

❑A systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster.

❑It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as deal with the
environmental and other hazards that trigger them.
❑It is very wide-ranging.

❑Its scope is much broader and deeper that conventional emergency management.

KEY CONCEPTS OF DRR

❑DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS A MATTER OF DECISION- DRR aims to reduce

the damage caused by natural hazards like earthquakes, floods, droughts, and
cyclones, through an ethic prevention.
❑DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS ABOUT CHOICES- DRR is the concept and
practice of reducing disaster risk through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the
casual factors of disasters.
❑DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS- DRR includes
disciplines like disaster management, disaster mitigation and disaster preparedness,
but DRR is also part of sustainable development.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DRR

⮚Development can either increase or decrease disaster risk.

⮚DRR policy, laws and regulations will NOT save lives unless correctly implemented in
communities.

⮚The “community” is the front line of disaster risk management.

⮚DRR is not “stand alone” activity- it cuts across almost all categories of human
activity.

⮚Integrating disaster risk reduction at the national, provincial and community level
takes a long time to achieve.
⮚DRR must become a normal part of the decentralized development process.

ELEMENTS OF DRR
1, DISASTER RISK REDUCTION CONTINUUM ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES- Ongoing DRM aspects in different development programs.

RISK ASSESSMENT- diagnostic process to identify the risks that a community faces.

PREVENTION- Activities to avoid the adverse impact of hazards

MITIGATION- Structural/Non-structural undertaken to limit the adverse impact

PREPAREDNESS- Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective

response.

EARLY WARNING- Provision of timely and effective information to avoid or reduce

risk.

2. IMMEDIATE DISASTER RESPONSE

EVACUATION- temporary mass departure of people and property from threatened

locations.

SAVING PEOPLE AND LIVELIHOODS- Protection of people and livelihoods during

emergency.

IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE- Provision of assistance during or immediately after

disaster.

ASSESSING DAMAGE AND LOSS- Information about impact on assets and loss to
production.

3. POST DISASTER TO CONTINUUM

ONGOING ASSISTANCE- Continued assistance until a certain level of recovery.

RECOVERY- Actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring infrastructure and
services.

RECONSTRUCTION- Actions taken after a disaster to ensure resettlement/relocation.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RECOVERY-measures taken to normalize the economy and

societal living.

ONGOING DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES- Continued actions of development programs.

RISK ASSESSMENT- Diagnostic process to identify new risks that communities may
gain face.

IMPORTANCE OF DRR
⮚From a development perspective, therefore, disaster risk reduction is vital for building
a more equitable and sustainable future. Making investments in prevention and
preparedness, including civil defense exercises, is a necessary part of systematic
efforts to increase resilience to disaster.

⮚From a personal perspective DRR is very important to prevent loss of life and material
properties. It is a key factor for socio-economic survival in these times that natural
disasters are getting worse and becoming more frequent due to the effect to climate
change.

COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

⮚ It is defined as “a process in which at-risk communities are actively engaged as an
identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in
order to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities”

Emergency Planning and Management

Four Phases of Emergency planning

1. Mitigation

2. Preparedness

3. Response

4. Recovery