Maynard Nyirenda reports from Malawi following recent floods that have displaced 448 households, destroyed crops, bridges and schools.

GNDR member Maynard Nyirenda, Executive Director of the Sustainable Rural Growth and Development Initiative (SRGDI) is using VFL to advocate for more resources for long-term preparedness to floods and other disasters:

He reports:

“Floods hit Malawi in January displacing 448 households, destroying crops, bridges and schools  in Nsanje District. This is due to heavy rains as a result of a tropical cyclone “FUNSO” in the Mozambique channel. As usual we have always been “ reactive “other than “proactive”. We are not well prepared and currently we are overwhelmed to assist the victims.

As the National Coordinating organisation for VFL 2011 in Malawi, we are pleased to let the network know that we are using the current situation to advocate for enough resources for long term preparedness to floods and other disasters.”

The Nation quotes the VFL 2011 Survey Report for Malawi.

The Daily Times has a news article on Floods in Nsanje District.

GNDR members have responded, including Arshinta from Indonesia:

“Dear Maynard Nyirenda, congrats for your effort to multiply the impact of VFL as advocacy tool for the benefit of the needy we working with. It inspires us and wish you a continued courage to do so. If any more lessons come up from this unfortunate flood, i trust you are willing to share it with us”.

Find out more about the Views from the Frontline programme

Baltz Tribunalo of Plan International reports on the magnitude 6.9 earthquake which hit Negros at 11.49am on 6 February.

He reports that the earthquake caused a landslide in Guihulngan, a city of about 100,000 people in Negros Oriental province. As many as 30 houses were buried and dozens of people are still missing. A tsunami alert was generated but then lifted after 2 hours.  Initial assessments estimate that 50-70% of buildings have collapsed or are heavily damaged and aftershocks are still happening.  Weak building structures have exacerbated the damage.  The water supply system is down and electricity is out.

Baltz reports that relief items, containing packed goods, rice, and canned goods, are being distributed and further needs identified.  Shelter is an immediate priority and other requirements include psychosocial support for children, material support such as hygiene kits, repair kits, and household kits, and a longer-term education and health response.

Even a country like Philippines which has learnt to respond to regular disasters faces the challenges of preparedness and reducing risk factors – for example through safer building practices and education.

Find out more:

The Centre for Disaster Preparedness in the Philippines coordinated the GNDR Views from the Frontline activity.  Find out more about their work

Baltz Tribunalo works with Plan International. Find out more about Plan’s work in the Philippines

Latest earthquake updates on news channels:

BBC News update    

CBS News reports

Cordaid staged a workshop in Washington in September 2011 and the report has just been published.
It reveals valuable lessons about how to shift the emphasis towards local knowledge and management, and also poses questions about translating policy into practice. GNDR Chair, Marcus Oxley was one of the contributors, alongside a presentation of enlightening field experience from Ethiopia. The report is available as a paper in the resources section 

This weekend the GNDR Steering Group met together in  Delhi, India to share ideas on future direction and organisation of the network (picture attached).  Members* sharing in the The Forward Together discussion fed in comments to the group, who made good use of them in the meeting. This is the latest step in the Forward Together process that has been taking place online over recent weeks.  We will get a summary of the thoughts and ideas from the meeting to you this week.

The next stage of this process will be the regional workshops which will look at the draft strategy in more detail and develop plans for the regional and national network strategy. This is a really significant stage in the life in the network and will shape what we do together over the next three years.  All full members* can sign up for a regional workshop. We really encourage you to do so – contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The dates are below:

•West Africa: Benin: 22–23 Feb
•Latin America/ Caribbean: Quito: 23-24 Feb
•Asia/ Pacific: Bangkok: 27-29 Feb
•Southern/ Eastern Africa: Jo’burg: 13-14 Mar or 20-21 Mar
•Central Asia/ Eastern Europe/ MENA: Istanbul: March 21-22 or 22-23

* Full members are representatives of recognised NGOs who are active in Disaster Risk Reduction. You can become a full member if you meet these criteria and register at http://www.globalnetwork-dr.org/members.html. As the deadline for registering for the Forward Together discussion and workshops has passed you will need to contact me directly if you wish to be considered for these.

Celebrating the International Day for Disaster Reduction in Nigeria

AIDMI's contribution to the 2011 International Day for Disaster Reduction

This year's International Day for Disaster Reduction focuses on Making children and young people partners in reducing disaster risk. Our colleague Kelly Hawrylyshyn,  DRR & Resilience Advisor at Plan UK, invites you to find out more about the most effective communicators and changemakers at community level!

When then National Coordinating Organisation FLACSO won the GNDR Action at the Frontline prize for best case study, Alice Brenes was overjoyed:

See how Participatory Budgeting made the headlines on the front pages of the newspaper "El Nacional", one of the two oldest and most read newspaper in Venezuela.

NEW! Videos of network members work from around the world – already 16 and more arriving! Just click on Action at the Frontline

Views from the Frontline 2011 is about ‘local risk governance’ - People feel the situation is getting worse, not better!

Headline stats

• 20,000 people in 69 countries responded to the Views from the Frontline 2011 survey
• 57% of people feel disasters losses have increased over the last five years. 21% feel they have decreased.
• Local risk governance scored 2.4 out of 5 indicating significant scope for improvement.
• Over 90 case studies were produced for Action from the Frontline  - View them here
• Texts from the Frontline surveyed 36,000 people who agreed that disaster losses were increasing -Read more

Click here for more details.

Recent events in Japan and New Zealand emphasise the importance of the risk related activity that our members and many other individuals and organisations are involved with every day - in many cases with the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable parts of the world.  The recent earthquakes and tsunamis raise many questions as well as highlight the urgency of reducing risk wherever it lies.  On behalf of the membership of the GNDR our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by recent events. Our commitment, to do as much as we can, grows ever stronger.

Marcus Oxley, Chair, GNDR 

The earthquake that struck Haiti on 12^th January 2010 dealt a devastating blow, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises of 2010 with 230,000 dead and over 2 million people directly affected.  The crisis exposed some of the country’s deep rooted, socio-political problems including poor governance.  Despite ongoing disputed election processes and cholera outbreaks in the country, the VFL review process has taken place in 7 departments of the country, where 3 participating organizations and the national coordinating organization (NCO) carried out the survey.  Getro Mathieu from the NCO ‘Action Secours Ambulance’ said, “ The participating organizations were keen to take part inspite of difficult elections and hazardous weather conditions because they see the VFL as a process that can help them change what they can in the face of disasters and development in the country."

When disaster strikes Ecuador, women are among the first to respond.  They are also well positioned to reduce the risk of disasters within their homes.  For this reason, Plan International has been training women from the Women’s Association of Rural Parishes of Ecuador (AMJUPRE ) to conduct the Views from the Frontline survey.  According to Plan, it’s the first time this group of women has been involved in disaster risk reduction. There were ongoing floods in some of the survey areas but the women encouraged those who were being affected to participate in the survey.  Although the women had no technical knowledge of disaster risk reduction (DRR) they learnt much through the training and the survey process.

The process itself wasn’t easy as the women travelled long distances from their communities to carry out the survey and risked being attacked or robbed on their journey back if it was after dark.  Women gave up time on their own jobs or work at home to assist in the surveys.  In some cases, the sexist environment of some communities made it a challenge to ask men to be a part of the survey.

There has also been great success. VFL Ecuador is the first disaster risk reduction researching initiative taken by the civil society, which is also supported by the national government.  When I asked VFL project coordinator from Plan International Ecuador, why The National Risk Management secretariat endorsed the process she said, “The secretariat considers the VFL as a first step in building a broader country investigation.  They also realize that women, as key actors in their communities, can bring disaster risk reduction’s key messages into the family and the home."

A flooded community in Los Rios province

Community inhabitants filling out the VFL survey in Los Rios province

Cameroon’s natural hazards include volcanic eruptions, toxic gas emissions from volcanic lakes, flooding, landslides and seismic activity.  But, as one ‘Views from the Frontline’ (VFL) survey respondent said, “When we have a disaster, everyone gets involved and responds, no matter the sex or the age.  But, after the disaster dies down everything is forgotten.  There is limited or no activity for follow-up or prevention.”

Such needs have driven GEADIRR, national coordinating organisation for VFL Cameroon, to coordinate the VFL survey with 7 participating organisations in Cameroon through a workshop held in Yaounde.  An article published in the national press about the workshop is just one example of how to bring greater awareness about disaster risk reduction to the Cameroonian people.  Click here to read the article.

Views from the Frontline (VFL) surveys are being carried out in Somalia for the first time.  Mr. Abdullahi Nur from the National coordinating organisation CEPID says, “Somalia is a hostile and volatile country.  Nevertheless, we want to do our best to reveal current disasters in Somalia using local people through NGOs and our local governance departments.”  Somalia has been experiencing conflict since the collapse of its central government in 1991 and has various groups competing for control of the country.  UN agencies and Reliefweb reports earlier this year revealed that drought was affecting millions in parts of Somalia and causing large scale refugee movements to country borders.  In the middle of this hugely challenging environment, CEPID has been carrying out the survey in ten regions of the country.

Members of the Global Network and local government officials registered on the UNISDR’s Resilient Cities listserv have been asked to take part in an on-line dialogue, facilitated by the UNISDR. The dialogue will help the UNISDR develop recommendations to take forward at the Global Platform.

Members will receive a request to participate closer to the start of the online dialogue.  Please mark the dates in your diary now, so that you can be a vital part of pre-Global Platform discussions.

Views from the Frontline administrator Regine Nagel sent me these photographs from Tajikistan when they first came through.  When I asked her why they stood out from the rest she said, “This is what the VFL is about – we’re asking a shopowner or a man on the street or a housewife if he or she feels more protected against disaster in their area.  We’re asking a government official what resources he has to help his community respond and cope when a disaster strikes.  These are the voices we are bringing to the Global Platform in May.”  The survey, being carried out by Mission East Tajikistan, has also been endorsed and supported by the State Committee of Emergency situations. It has been carried out in 9 districts where 180 people were interviewed.

Speaking to a shopowner from Oshoba village.	Speaking to a village bystander.
Speaking to a housewife outside her home in Soughd Province.	Speaking to a government official from the State Committee of Emergency situations.

Numbers are impressive but relationships count.  The Views from the Frontline (VFL) survey in Cambodia was carried out in 12 out of 24 provinces and in 2 districts from each province.  Between 6 and 10 communes in each province were surveyed.  Women, youth and children made up a large part of the focus group discussions.  The face-to-face surveys were coordinated by the local partners of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) like Oxfam, Action Aid, CARE, Muslim Aid, CONCERN, Danish Church Aid, Danish Red Cross, French Red Cross along with Cambodian Red Cross, in the country.

Sano, from Save the Earth Cambodia said that VFL 2011 in Cambodia was “designed as a process not as an event.”  INGOs have asked their local partners to take the lead in facilitating local dialogue in the communities.  The beauty of the VFL process is that it creates the opportunity for vulnerable people in the community to consult with local authorities where NGO staff have been facilitating the process and this creates a chance for partnership between the local authorities and communities.  Four thousand responses to the face-to-face survey have come through already but in Sano’s own words, “what is great is the value of the qualitative outcome.”

Early analyses has begun of VFL data from Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Niger, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Cote D’Ivoire has been in political crisis since last November’s polls when the outgoing leader, Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, refused to stand down to the polls-winner Alassane Ouattara.  The country is currently facing international financial pressure and bans.

The Views from the Frontline survey process was delayed as a consequence, but the National Coordinating Organisation  who had signed up to carry out the survey worked harder to meet the tight deadlines.  I asked Ange David Emmanuel Baimey, Director of JVE-Cote d’Ivoire and National Coordinating organisation for the VFL in Cote d’Ivoire, why he went ahead with the survey, inspite of the delays caused by the political crisis.    He replied, “We think that there is nothing more important than the life of people.  In the past year, our country has known more disasters than before and our NGO wants to help reduce that.”  He added, “The struggle to help people and save lives is the most important one we encounter daily and if administering this survey can bring us closer to reducing the risk of disasters in our area, then we shall continue to be a part of this important process, despite the bad political situation going on.”

Watch UNISDR’s BBC interview on the recent landslides in Brazil and flooding in Australia and Sri Lanka. http://www.unisdr.org/news/v.php?id=17503 calling for countries to invest more in infrastructure and development to reduce the impact of disasters.

Views from the Frontline 2011 survey update:  Data collection is well under way in most countries.  Armenia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Madagascar, Niger, Swaziland, Uruguay and Zambia have already sent data in and Lebanon, Nepal, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Zimbabwe are next on the list.  Once the data comes in for an initial analysis it is then returned to countries to do their own context analysis.  All Global Network members can access the workbook, video and other documents for the project here (you will need your logon and password). If you are not a member already you can join the Global Network here.

The Global Network for Disaster Reduction will launch Views from the Frontline 2011 at this global conference running from May 8th to May13th.  UNISDR are collaborating with the Global Network to run key sessions and develop a multi-screen interactive display featuring ‘Actions at the Frontline.’  The conference is placing a large emphasis on ‘increased investment in local action.’ 

• Click here to visit our live conference blog which will be update regularly throughout the week.
• Take our online poll here and contribute your views to our Round Table Discussion on Ensuring a return on investment in local action
• Visit here on the 10th May at 16:45 CET to see the Round Table discussion being broadcast live

NEW: All resources for NCOs participating in Views from the Frontline 2011 are available for download here

(You will need to be a registered member of the Global Network to access these resources.)

Pakistan Floods: Preventing Future Catastrophic Flood Disasters

The full article is available here. 

A discussion about this article is in progress on the members mailing list. 

You can contact the author, Marcus Oxley, directly at marcus.oxley(at)globalnetwork-dr.org

The Executive Summary of the article appears below

Executive Summary

In January 2005 one hundred and sixty eight nations adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015 to bring about a “substantial reduction in disaster losses” by 2015. Despite this global initiative a series of major disasters, including the recent flooding in Pakistan, all indicate that we are not on track to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster losses. The following report considers what can be done to accelerate progress towards implementation of the Hyogo Framework, drawing on insights and lessons learnt from the August flooding to understand how Pakistan and neighbouring countries can prevent a repeat of such catastrophic disasters in future years.

Unusually heavy monsoon rains in northern Pakistan in late July – August 2010 caused disproportionate levels of extreme flooding throughout the Indus River basin leading to unprecendented  losses. Extensive land use changes and environmental degradation in the upland and lowlands of the river basin, together with the construction of a “built environment” out of balance with the functioning, capacities and limits of the local ecosystems have combined to expose millions of people to increased risk of extreme flooding during times of heavy rains. The dynamic relationship between people, the natural and built enviornment is influenced by social, political and economic systems, which in turn are mediated and regulated through “governance” processes. Good governance in the form of a capable, accountable and responsive government working together with civil society and at-risk communities is the single most important factor in determining progress in preventing future disasters.

With the benefit of hindsight, the severity of the August flooding has served to highlight mutual dependencies and expose deficiences in government development policies and practices not readily apparent during “normal” times.  By applying these insights through the adoption of a risk management approach the post-disaster recovery process offers a unique opportunity to  change fundamentally Pakistan’s current socio-economic development path.  This involves harmonising action on disaster risk reduction, climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and livelihood resilience in recognition that social, economic and ecological systems are intrinsically interdependent. This will need a high degree of collaboration between different (and sometimes conflicting) interest groups at local, national, regional and international levels. It will require the development of a comprehensive Indus River basin management strategy that takes local context as the starting point, strengthens the capabilities of local people, connects indigenous and “scientific” knowledge, and importantly, builds a sense of ownership, trust and mutuality between state and non-state actors to forge effective partnerships.

Views from the Frontline 2011 is preparing to launch and all the resources and information about it are available at Views from the Frontline Central. All Global Network members can access the workbook, video and other documents for the project here (you will need your logon and password). If you are not a member already you can join the Global Network here.

The Global Network Needs Your Support Now!

You can donate here

We need your help! After the successful Views from the Frontline programme in 2009 the network is mobilising to focus on the critical issue of Local Governance in the 2010-2011 survey. The survey has already made a dramatic impact and the new study will help to mobilise effective partnerships and expertise to improve Disaster Risk Reduction at the Frontline.

Funding for the programme is needed urgently. Institutional donors have supported the work already and are indicating that they will do again. However the huge costs of responding to the Haiti earthquake mean that there are no funds available in the next six months - which is a critical period for implemention of the survey in order to complete the work and present the report at the UN Global Platform in May 2011. We need to raise at least $100,000 to enable the network to mobilise. Central costs are tiny, with a secretatiat team of just two people.

You can donate here - there are options for direct online donations, and information and other options

We are asking everyone who is associated with the Global Network to sign up through our new process. This will take you a few minutes to do. It's important for everyone who wants to be part of the network to complete this as it gives us, for the first time, a proper membership according to our agreed governance. It also means the network will have a member directory, enabling you to contact one another and identify members who may have specialist knowledge or shared concerns and interests. Finally it means we can develop a picture of the scope of our membership; demonstrating the weight of the network in securing support for our activities.

This is so important that we are asking everyone to complete this process during the next month. You can do this by going to the members page via the link at the top of the page or from here.

This is a basic guide to abbreviations and terms used in 'Disaster Risk Reduction'.

As in any professional area there are many specialised terms. This directory is intended to help make sense of the specialised terms and jargon. We will develop this in response to requests and suggestions. The list of terminology is drawn by that produced by UNISDR for their publication 'Living with Risk'.

Acronyms

CCA Climate Change Adaptation

CSO Civil Society organisation

DRR Disaster Risk Reduction

GAR Global Assessment Report

GNDR Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction

GP-DRR Global Platform -  Disaster Risk Reduction

HFA Hyogo Framework for Action

ISDR International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

NCO National Coordinating Organisation

NGO Non Governmental Organisation

PFA Priority for Action

PO Participating Organisation

RCO Regional Coordinating Organisation

UNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

VFL Views from the Frontline

Terminology (drawn  from UNISDR publication ‘Living with Risk’)

Acceptable risk The level of loss a society or community considers  acceptable given existing social, economic,  political, cultural, technical and environmental  conditions. In engineering terms, acceptable risk is also used to  assess structural and non-structural measures  undertaken to reduce possible damage at a level which  does not harm people and property, according to codes  or "accepted practice" based, among other issues, on a  known probability of hazard. Biological hazard Processes of organic origin or those conveyed by  biological vectors, including exposure to  pathogenic micro-organisms, toxins and bioactive  substances, which may cause the loss of life or  injury, property damage, social and economic  disruption or environmental degradation. Examples of biological hazards: outbreaks of epidemic  diseases, plant or animal contagion, insect plagues and  extensive infestations.

Building codes Ordinances and regulations controlling the design,  construction, materials, alteration and occupancy  of any structure to insure human safety and  welfare. Building codes include both technical and  functional standards.

Capacity A combination of all the strengths and resources  available within a community, society or  organization that can reduce the level of risk, or  the effects of a disaster. Capacity may include physical, institutional, social or  economic means as well as skilled personal or collective  attributes such as leadership and management.  Capacity may also be described as capability.

Capacity building Efforts aimed to develop human skills or  societal infrastructures within a community or  organization needed to reduce the level of risk. In extended understanding, capacity building also  includes development of institutional, financial,  political and other resources, such as technology at  different levels and sectors of the society.

Climate change The climate of a place or region is changed if  over an extended period (typically decades or  longer) there is a statistically significant change  in measurements of either the mean state or  variability of the climate for that place or region. Changes in climate may be due to natural processes  or to persistent anthropogenic changes in atmosphere  or in land use. Note that the definition of climate  change used in the United Nations Framework  Convention on Climate Change is more restricted, as  it includes only those changes which are attributable  directly or indirectly to human activity.

Coping capacity The means by which people or organizations  use available resources and abilities to face  adverse consequences that could lead to a  disaster. In general, this involves managing resources, both in  normal times as well as during crises or adverse  conditions. The strengthening of coping capacities  usually builds resilience to withstand the effects of  natural and human-induced hazards.

Counter measures All measures taken to counter and reduce  disaster risk. They most commonly refer to  engineering (structural) measures but can also  include non-structural measures and tools designed and employed to avoid or limit the  adverse impact of natural hazards and related  environmental and technological disasters.

Disaster A serious disruption of the functioning of a  community or a society causing widespread  human, material, economic or environmental  losses which exceed the ability of the affected  community or society to cope using its own  resources. A disaster is a function of the risk process. It results  from the combination of hazards, conditions of  vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to  reduce the potential negative consequences of risk.

Disaster risk management The systematic process of using administrative  decisions, organization, operational skills and  capacities to implement policies, strategies and  coping capacities of the society and communities  to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and  related environmental and technological disasters.  This comprises all forms of activities, including  structural and non-structural measures to avoid  (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and  preparedness) adverse effects of hazards.

Disaster risk reduction (disaster reduction) The conceptual framework of elements considered  with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities  and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid  (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and  preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards,  within the broad context of sustainable  development. The disaster risk reduction framework is composed of  the following fields of action, as described in ISDR's  publication 2002 "Living with Risk: a global review  of disaster reduction initiatives", page 23: • Risk awareness and assessment including hazard  analysis and vulnerability/capacity analysis; • Knowledge development including education,  training, research and information; • Public commitment and institutional frameworks,  including organisational, policy, legislation and  community action; • Application of measures including environmental  management, land-use and urban planning,  protection of critical facilities, application of science  and technology, partnership and networking, and  financial instruments; • Early warning systems including forecasting,  dissemination of warnings, preparedness measures  and reaction capacities.

Early warning The provision of timely and effective information,  through identified institutions, that allows  individuals exposed to a hazard to take action to  avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective  response. Early warning systems include a chain of concerns,  namely:  understanding and mapping the hazard;  monitoring and forecasting impending events; processing  and disseminating understandable warnings to political  authorities and the population, and undertaking  appropriate and timely actions in response to the  warnings.

Ecosystem A complex set of relationships of living organisms  functioning as a unit and interacting with their  physical environment. The boundaries of what could be called an ecosystem  are somewhat arbitrary, depending on the focus of  interest or study. Thus the extent of an ecosystem may  range from very small spatial scal es to, ultimately, the  entire Earth (IPCC, 2001). El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) A complex interaction of the tropical Pacific  Ocean and the global atmosphere that results in  irregularly occurring episodes of changed ocean  and weather patterns in many parts of the world,  often with significant impacts, such as altered  marine habitats, rainfall changes, floods, droughts,  and changes in storm patterns. The El Niño part of ENSO refers to the well-above-  average ocean temperatures along the coasts of Ecuador,  Peru and northern Chile and across the eastern  equatorial Pacific Ocean, while the Southern  Oscillation refers to the associated global patterns of  changed atmospheric pressure and rainfall. La Niña is approximately the opposite condition to El Niño. Each El  Niño or La Niña episode usually lasts for several seasons. Emergency management The organization and management of resources and  responsibilities for dealing with all aspects of  emergencies, in particularly preparedness, response  and rehabilitation. Emergency management involves plans, structures and  arrangements established to engage the normal endeavours  of government, voluntary and private agencies in a  comprehensive and coordinated way to respond to the  whole spectrum of emergency needs. This is also known as  disaster management.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Studies undertaken in order to assess the effect on a  specified environment of the introduction of any new  factor, which may upset the current ecological  balance. EIA is a policy making tool that serves to provide  evidence and analysis of environmental impacts of  activities from conception to decision-making. It is utilised  extensively in national programming and for  international development assistance projects. An EIA  must include a detailed risk assessment and provide  alternatives solutions or options.

Environmental degradation The reduction of the capacity of the environment to  meet social and ecological objectives, and needs. Potential effects are varied and may contribute to an  increase in vulnerability and the frequency and intensity  of natural hazards.  Some examples: land degradation, deforestation,  desertification, wildland fires, loss of biodiversity, land,  water and air pollution, climate change, sea level rise  and ozone depletion.

Forecast Definite statement or statistical estimate of the  occurrence of a future event (UNESCO, WMO). This term is used with different meanings in different  disciplines.

Geological hazard Natural earth processes or phenomena that  may cause the loss of life or injury, property  damage, social and economic disruption or  environmental degradation. Geological hazard includes internal earth processes  or tectonic origin, such as earthquakes, geological  fault activity, tsunamis, volcanic activity and  emissions as well as external processes such as mass  movements: landslides, rockslides, rock falls or  avalanches, surfaces collapses, expansive soils and  debris or mud flows.  Geological hazards can be single, sequential or  combined in their origin and effects.

Geographic information systems (GIS) Analysis that combine relational databases with  spatial interpretation and outputs often in form  of maps. A more elaborate definition is that of  computer programmes for capturing, storing,  checking, integrating, analysing and displaying  data about the earth that is spatially  referenced. Geographical information systems are increasingly  being utilised for hazard and vulnerability  mapping and analysis, as well as for the  application of disaster risk management measures.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) A gas, such as water vapour, carbon dioxide,  methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and  hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), that  absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation,  warming the earth's surface and contributing  to climate change (UNEP, 1998).

Hazard A potentially damaging physical event,  phenomenon or human activity that may cause  the loss of life or injury, property damage,  social and economic disruption or  environmental degradation. Hazards can include latent conditions that may  represent future threats and can have different  origins: natural (geological, hydrometeorological  and biological) or induced by human processes  (environmental degradation and technological hazards).  Hazards can be single, sequential or combined in their  origin and effects. Each hazard is characterised by its  location, intensity, frequency and probability.

Hazard analysis Identification, studies and monitoring of any hazard  to determine its potential, origin, characteristics and  behaviour.

Hydrometeorological hazards Natural processes or phenomena of atmospheric,  hydrological or oceanographic nature, which may  cause the loss of life or injury, property damage,  social and economic disruption or environmental  degradation. Hydrometeorological hazards include: floods, debris and  mud floods; tropical cyclones, storm surges,  thunder/hailstorms, rain and wind storms, blizzards and  other severe storms; drought, desertification, wildland  fires, temperature extremes, sand or dust storms;  permafrost and snow or ice avalanches.  Hydrometeorological hazards can be single, sequential or  combined in their origin and effects.

La Niña (see El Niño-Southern Oscillation).

Land-use planning Branch of physical and socio-economic planning that  determines the means and assesses the values or  limitations of various options in which land is to be  utilized, with the corresponding effects on different  segments of the population or interests of a  community taken into account in resulting decisions. Land-use planning involves studies and mapping,  analysis of environmental and hazard data, formulation  of alternative land-use decisions and design of a long-  range plan for different geographical and administrative  scales.  Land-use planning can help to mitigate disasters and  reduce risks by discouraging high-density settlements and  construction of key installations in hazard-prone areas,  control of population density and expansion, and in the  siting of service routes for transport, power, water, sewage  and other critical facilities.

Mitigation Structural and non-structural measures  undertaken to limit the adverse impact of  natural hazards, environmental degradation and  technological hazards. Natural hazards Natural processes or phenomena occurring in  the biosphere that may constitute a damaging  event.  Natural hazards can be classified by origin  namely: geological, hydrometeorological or  biological. Hazardous events can vary in  magnitude or intensity, frequency, duration, area  of extent, speed of onset, spatial dispersion and  temporal spacing.

Preparedness Activities and measures taken in advance to  ensure effective response to the impact of  hazards, including the issuance of timely and  effective early warnings and the temporary  evacuation of people and property from  threatened locations.

Prevention Activities to provide outright avoidance of the  adverse impact of hazards and means to  minimize related environmental, technological  and biological disasters. Depending on social and technical feasibility and  cost/benefit considerations, investing in preventive  measures is justified in areas frequently affected by  disasters. In the context of public awareness and  education, related to disaster risk reduction changing  attitudes and behaviour contribute to promoting a  "culture of prevention".

Public awareness The processes of informing the general  population, increasing levels of consciousness  about risks and how people can act to reduce  their exposure to hazards. This is particularly  important for public officials in fulfilling their  responsibilities to save lives and property in the  event of a disaster. Public awareness activities foster changes in behaviour  leading towards a culture of risk reduction. This  involves public information, dissemination, education,  radio or television broadcasts,  use of printed media, as  well as, the establishment of information centres and  networks and community and participation actions.

Public information Information, facts and knowledge provided or  learned as a result of research or study, available to  be disseminated to the public.

Recovery Decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a  view to restoring or improving the pre-disaster  living conditions of the stricken community, while  encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments  to reduce disaster risk. Recovery (rehabilitation and reconstruction) affords an  opportunity to develop and apply disaster risk reduction  measures.

Relief / response The provision of assistance or intervention during  or immediately after a disaster to meet the life  preservation and basic subsistence needs of those  people affected. It can be of an immediate, short-  term, or protracted duration.

Resilience / resilient The capacity of a system, community or society  potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by  resisting or changing in order to reach and  maintain an acceptable level of functioning and  structure. This is determined by the degree to  which the social system is capable of organizing  itself to increase its capacity for learning from past  disasters for better future protection and to  improve risk reduction measures.

Retrofitting (or upgrading) Reinforcement of structures to become more  resistant and resilient to the forces of natural  hazards. Retrofitting involves consideration of changes in the  mass, stiffness, damping, load path and ductility of  materials, as well as  radical changes such as the  introduction of energy absorbing dampers and base  isolation systems. Examples of retrofitting includes the  consideration of wind loading to strengthen and  minimize the wind force, or in earthquake prone areas,  the strengthening of structures.

Risk The probability of harmful consequences, or  expected losses (deaths, injuries, property,  livelihoods, economic activity disrupted or  environment damaged) resulting from interactions  between natural or human-induced hazards and  vulnerable conditions. Conventionally risk is expressed by the notation  Risk = Hazards x Vulnerability. Some disciplines also  include the concept of exposure to refer particularly to  the physical aspects of vulnerability.  Beyond expressing a possibility of physical harm, it is  crucial to recognize that risks are inherent or can be  created or exist within social systems. It is important to  consider the social contexts in which risks occur and  that people therefore do not necessarily share the same  perceptions of risk and their underlying causes.

Risk assessment/analysis A methodology to determine the nature and extent  of risk by analysing potential hazards and  evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that  could pose a potential threat or harm to people,  property, livelihoods and the environment on  which they depend. The process of conducting a risk assessment is based on a  review of both the technical features of hazards such as  their location, intensity, frequency and probability; and  also the analysis of the physical, social, economic and  environmental dimensions of vulnerability and  exposure, while taking particular account of the coping  capabilities pertinent to the risk scenarios.

Structural / non-structural measures Structural measures refer to any physical  construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts of  hazards, which include engineering measures and  construction of hazard-resistant and protective  structures and infrastructure. Non-structural measures refer to policies,  awareness, knowledge development, public  commitment, and methods and operating practices,  including participatory mechanisms and the  provision of information, which can reduce risk  and related impacts.

Sustainable development Development that meets the needs of the  present without compromising the ability of  future generations to meet their own needs. It  contains within it two key concepts: the  concept of "needs", in particular the essential  needs of the world's poor, to which overriding  priority should be given; and the idea of  limitations imposed by the state of technology  and social organization on the environment's  ability to meet present and the future needs.  (Brundtland Commission, 1987). Sustainable development is based on socio-cultural  development, political stability and decorum,  economic growth and ecosystem protection, which  all relate to disaster risk reduction.

Technological hazards Danger originating from technological or industrial  accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure  failures or certain human activities, which may cause  the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and  economic disruption or environmental degradation. Some examples: industrial pollution, nuclear activities and  radioactivity, toxic wastes, dam failures; transport,  industrial or technological accidents (explosions, fires, spills).

Vulnerability The conditions determined by physical, social,  economic, and environmental factors or processes,  which increase the susceptibility of a community to the  impact of hazards. For positive factors, which increase the ability of people to  cope with hazards, see definition of capacity.

Wildland fire Any fire occurring in vegetation areas regardless of  ignition sources, damages or benefits.

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