Integrative Risk management – Risk Reduction, Enhancing Disaster Preparedness and Resilience

Disasters are of increasing concern for mankind, due to their frequency, complexity, scope and disruptive and destructive capacity. In many parts of the world, disasters caused by natural andman-made hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, windstorms, sandstorms, drought, tsunamis, mass movements, wildfires, urban pollution, industrial accidents, pollution of rivers and aquiferswith waste water, and the dumping of waste, have caused the loss of human lives, injury,homelessness, and the destruction of social and economic infrastructure. Preparing for disaster emergencies and facing future hazards are becoming a global source of preoccupation. The upcoming UN WCDRR in March 2015 in Sendai will hopefully strengthen the internationalstrategy to reduce risks and to cope with disasters and provide the necessary support for national and local policies, plans, programmes, and budgets.The vulnerability of the human and physical environment to the extreme forces of nature is on the rise. Indeed, urbanization, population growth along exposed coastlines, alteration of thenatural environment, substandard dwellings and public buildings, inadequate infrastructuremaintenance, global climate change and grinding poverty in numerous communities are all exacerbating the risks of disasters. Many of the world's poorest people live in high-risk, denselypopulated cities in flood or earthquake zones, or both. Furthermore, there is an increase inmultiple or synergistic-type disasters causing society-wide impacts. Almost every country is prone to one or more types of natural hazards. In some developingcountries, natural disasters are among the biggest obstacles to achieving development goals and poverty reduction. They hit and cripple rich and poor countries alike; the effects of hurricaneSandy on nations in the Caribbean and North America, the devastation in Japan and Haiti afterthe earthquakes and tsunami were tragic reminders. Disasters affect millions, cause deaths and devastate cities, livelihoods and communities. Year by year the potential human losses,suffering, social disruption and economic losses from natural disasters are growing. The economic losses are becoming steadily more onerous. Strategies have to focus on how to reduce risks and thus vulnerabilities, on how to be better prepared for disasters to occur, and thus on how to increase resilience. All the many different measures have to be effective and efficient as the resources are limited and have to be allocated to measures based on equal rules and regulations.