Introduction
Objectives & Goals
Targets
In order to strengthen concerted action for natural
disaster reduction, the "Centre d'Etude des
Risques Géologiques" (CERG) of the University
of Geneva has initiated a project during the "International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction"
called
"Development of Institutional
Networks for Disaster Reduction"
This web site sets a stage for dialogue and
action to foster and strengthen collaboration among universities and scientific
institutions, and facilitate collaboration with existing networks in disaster
preparedness, prevention and mitigation. These institutions have potentially
many areas where they can make a contribution related to disaster reduction:
- Knowledge generation (research). The institutions
conduct scientific research which forms the basis for public policy decisions
and commercial ventures.
- Technical abilities. The institutions
are frequently tapped (by international organizations, government officials,
NGO's, corporate sectors - both public and private) for their high-level
expertise on a wide range in specific disaster issues.
- Knowledge transfer (education and training).
Training courses and work in disaster-related subjects shape and transfer
skills knowledge to decision-makers in a wide range of fields, from biology,
engineering and medicine, to economics, public administration and politics.
Introduction
Objectives & Goals
Targets
The UN General Assembly, in its resolution 44/236
of 22 december 1989 has defined the objective of the International Decade
for Disaster Reduction as follows:
"The objective of the Decade is to reduce,
through concerted international action, especially in developing countries,
the loss of life, property damage, and social and economic disruption caused
by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis, floods,
landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, grasshopper and locust infestations,
drought and desertification, and other calamities of natural origin."
The goals of the Decade were:
To improve the capacity of each country to mitigate
the effects of natural disasters expeditiously and effectively, paying
special attention to assisting developing countries in the assessment of
disaster damage potential and in the establishment of early warning systems
and disaster-resistant structures when and where needed;
To devise appropriate guidelines and strategies
for applying existing scientific and technical knowledge, taking into account
the cultural and economic diversity among nations;
To foster scientific and engineering endeavors
aimed at closing critical gaps in knowledge in order to reduce loss of
life and property;
To disseminate existing and new technical information
related to measures for the assessment, prediction and mitigation of natural
disasters;
To develop measures for the assessment, prediction,
prevention and mitigation of natural disasters through programs of technical
assistance and technology transfer, demonstration projects, education and
training, tailored to specific disasters and locations, and to evaluate
the effectiveness of those programs.
Introduction
Objectives & Goals
Targets
Completion of national assessment of risks
comprising:
- Overall identification of which natural hazard
pose a disaster threat;
- For each type of hazard threat, an evaluation
of geographic distribution of the threat (usually in the form of maps)
and estimates of its recurrence intervals and impacts;
- Assessment of vulnerability of the most important
concentrations of population resources.
Application of national and/or local prevention
and preparedness plans including:
- Adoption of land use and construction practices
to resist or avoid hazards;
- Adoption of emergency-response plans that identify
responsibile organizations, hazard scenarios and essential actions;
- An awareness programm to educate people on the
nature of the threat, including a training component;
- Concrete measures to mitigate damages and to
incease resilience to hazards.
Access to global, regional, national and local
warning systems:
- For each type of hazard threat, a monitoring
and, if possible, prediction system capable of forecasting and detecting
threatening phenomena in time to initiate actions to avert or reduce impacts;
- Communication systems to disseminate warnings;
- An enhancement of the perception of hazards by
responsible authorities.