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The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) commenced in the mid-1980s, taking root in the USA following an approach proposed by the National Research Council (NRC). It was subsequently adopted in 1989 unanimously by United Nations (UN) member states for research, development and, ultimately, improvement in the ability of the world to deal with extreme events. It quickly moved from technical applications to socioeconomic aspects, community vulnerability and community based involvement, implicitly based on building public private partnerships.
Establishing the UN decade cast a spotlight on the issue of natural disaster reduction, thus providing an international opportunity to interested individuals. No UN funds were provided; these arose from voluntary contributions.
During the decade the concept that effects of hazards can be reduced through disaster reduction and prevention activities became accepted. While many countries have adopted the overall philosophy, the motivations and methodologies for implementing policies have varied widely.
There are now 140 registered IDNDR committees. Some are broad and multi-disciplined, for example in Japan and Peru, showing a firm commitment of national involvement through their respective designated national committees. Some countries, such as New Zealand and Switzerland, have absorbed these committees into their ministries of the environment in an attempt to build disaster reduction and prevention activities into mainstream government work. Others, such as the Philippines and United States, have mobilized dedicated individuals and agencies in place of national committees. This latter approach places disaster reduction issues into collaborative partnerships and disaster management centers, including both federal agencies and non-profit organizations.
However, a need persists for international information and technology transfer, establishing permanent partnerships between institutions of industrialized and developing countries. For example, although domestically the United States has seen a change in attitude toward disaster reduction, this has not been reflected in foreign policy and significant resources are yet to be allocated to developing countries, particularly intellectual resources.
Recent UN developments sum up these national movements of consolidation. The Administrative Coordinating Council (ACC), composed of heads of all UN agencies, has finally put the IDNDR onto its agenda for September. The ACC also recently issued a statement on international disaster reduction, giving this issue significantly greater visibility and involvement within both the UN and individual countries.
Natural disaster reduction is now a multi-sector activity, no longer just the focus of disaster managers or civil preparedness agencies. Natural disaster reduction has increasingly been driven by the need to protect the social resources and economic aspects of communities. It has become less a humanitarian concern, developing into collective and motivated self-interests.
Specific accomplishments for the decade include development of new capabilities in assessing risks and encouragement of partnerships by delegation to the local level; significant improvements in information access; and, a transformation of the emergency response environment. Still, work is needed to expand international horizons, integrate the approach for diverse threats, initiate self-evaluations, and, most importantly, make disaster mitigation a public value. Serious challenges include incorporating economic development into risk management structures, creating uninterruptible economies, addressing ecosystem vulnerability, and linking/integrating natural and technological hazards.
Risk management and disaster prevention can no longer be event- or hazard-based. There must be broader risk management through partnerships from international to local levels. This includes further integration of natural disaster reduction practices in sustainable development.
What will be done for the remaining years of the decade? Plans call for 1) consolidation of accomplishments which have been developing internationally, 2) identification and articulation of trends and risks of hazards, and 3) shaping future directions for building disaster reduction into international/national directives and policies.
In summary, it is hoped that the decade will educate the world about two fundamental concepts. The first is that advanced societies must anticipate vulnerabilities, maximize opportunities, and minimize risks. The second, contrary to the concept that disasters are a case of bad luck, is that safety is a fundamental human right which carries with it ideas of what government and individuals can do to achieve that safety.
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