This paper sets out Oxfam International's position on disaster risk reduction.
Disasters are increasing in both their frequency and ferocity. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is essential if lives are not to be lost unnecessarily and developmental gains are to be secured.
The international community has recognised the importance of reducing disaster risk, and moving away from relying solely on current disaster response mechanisms, yet there has so far been a failure to systematically integrate DRR into humanitarian and development policies, plans and programmes.
Key recommendations from this paper:
- DRR programmes should be based on thorough analysis and understanding of the vulnerabilities of people living in disaster prone areas
- Communities should be supported to asses the risks they face, and their capacities to deal with them, leading to a community driven agenda for change
- Governments must address the underlying factors leading to vulnerability, in addition to meeting their citizens'; needs in emergencies
- Governments should take steps to actively implement the Hyogo Framework for Action
- Donors should make available new funding for DRR, which bridges the gap between development and relief work
