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International
Day for Risk Reduction |
Every year, on 11 October, the world
marks the International Day for Risk Reduction. Reducing
disaster risk is a priority for the International Federation.
We believe that by tackling vulnerability we can significantly
reduce the risk of disaster and we can build safer and more
resilient communtities. We do this through a combination of
disaster preparedness and community-led mitigation measures.
The importance of reducing disaster risk
was reflected in the International Federation's Agenda for
Humanitarian Action, which was adopted at the 28th International
Conference. This commitment was reiterated in the International
Federation Global Agenda, which will guide the Red Cross and
Red Crescent National Societies in the next five years. The
International Federation fully supports the aspirations of
the Hyogo Framework for Action and believes that the International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction system will help us to collectively
make a difference. |
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| Risk reduction stories |
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Tuvalu: there’s no place like home
Twice a week a plane lands at the airstrip on Tuvalu’s main atoll, Funafuti. Reporters and film crews from Japan, the United States and Korea step into the equatorial heat to document the last human habitation on the tiny Pacific nation before it “sinks”, swallowed up by rising sea levels, one of the first casualties of climate change. Tuvalu’s 10,000-odd population see things rather differently. |
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Disaster
preparedness in India
The Indian state of Bihar suffers from floods almost every
year during the monsoon season, predominantly due to the
Ganges and its tributaries. Twenty-one of Bihar’s
38 districts are flood-prone and thirteen are chronic
drought-prone. Such complexities compound the impact of
disaster on vulnerable people. The aim is to reduce their
vulnerability through training and raising awareness of
risks, preparedness and mitigation measures. |
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Water-safety
in Sri Lanka
The tsunami revealed just how few people living along
the coast could actually swim. Many of the deaths could
have been prevented which is why a project was started
to teach basic water-safety to coastal communities, which
will help them to prevent and manage water-related accidents. |
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Protecting
schools in Costa Rica
With support from Costa Rican Red Cross volunteers, the
teachers and parents have analysed the emergencies to
which the school is vulnerable, drawn up an emergency
plan, identified existing capacities and resources, and
proposed ways to address the vulnerabilities. |
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| Publications |
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Defusing disaster – Reducing the risk: calamity is unnatural
The suffering of millions could be diminished dramatically, countless lives could be saved and huge economic losses lessened, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
 (347 Kb, 12 pages)
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The Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction – Building safer, resilient communities
The reason for our concern with disaster risk reduction is clear. For almost a century, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has provided humanitarian succour to millions affected by disasters, be they triggered by natural or human-made factors. Our response has focused on delivering relief and, more recently, included recovery as the first steps in getting disaster affected communities back on their feet. We have also invested heavily in preparedness so that our member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have the capacity and resources to respond to disasters in a timely and effective manner.
(935 Kb, 8 pages) |
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Disaster
risk reduction and the International Federation
At its core, disaster risk reduction is about reducing
human vulnerability and strengthening resilience to
the risks posed by natural hazards. Moreover, disaster
risk reduction concerns the collective ability of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies to deliver on its Global Agenda, which commits
to “reduce the number of deaths, injuries and
impact from disasters”. This paper, therefore,
while providing an overview of the global context will
seek to explain what disaster risk reduction means for
the International Federation and to set out a framework
to help the 185 member National Societies make communities
safer and more resilient to disasters.
(816 Kb, 16 pages) |
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Disaster
risk reduction: A way of building safer communities
In its Global Agenda (2006–2010), the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies sets
itself four ambitious goals. Reducing disaster risk
is explicitly mentioned as a key strategy to achieve
these goals. The Safer Communities initiative aims to
make disaster risk reduction an integral part of all
programming and to promote an integrated approach to
addressing disaster risk. The initiative is in line
with the International Federation’s commitment
to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015,
adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction
in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan in January 2005.
(148 Kb, 4 pages) |
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Community
disaster education and preparation
For more than fifteen years, the National Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies have pioneered the participative
activities of community disaster education and preparation.
This has been done with the firm resolve of reducing
the number of deaths as a result of destructive natural
phenomena and also of reducing levels of vulnerability
experienced by people affected by disasters. On this
premise, the work undertaken by the network of volunteers
in each country helps to strengthen the capabilities
of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies throughout
the world.
(40 kb, 4 pages)
This article was first published in @local.glob in 2006. |
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| Photo galleries |
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Reducing risk worldwide
Disaster risk reduction encompasses many areas of work
and development. This photo gallery shows some different
examples of risk reduction in action around the world. |
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| Case studies |
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Find
out more |
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Documents available:
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Disaster management
