International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
Name	International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
Formation	1990
Founder	United Nations General Assembly
Type	International initiative
Purpose	Reduction of natural disaster impacts
Headquarters	United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Region served	Worldwide
Parent organization	United Nations Secretariat

Contents

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction was a United Nations initiative aimed at coordinating global efforts to reduce the impact of natural hazards through mitigation, preparedness, and capacity building. It involved multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme, regional bodies like the European Union, national agencies including United States Agency for International Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency, and scientific organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization and International Council for Science.

Background and Objectives

The Decade was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in response to major events including the 1988 Armenian earthquake, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that exposed vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure, spurring action from entities like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank. Primary objectives emphasized risk assessment promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, hazard mapping supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and capacity development advocated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Goals included integrating disaster reduction into planning by actors such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme and advancing technical standards championed by the International Organization for Standardization.

Coordination was led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction with operational support from specialized agencies including the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization. National focal points ranged from ministries in India and China to agencies in Australia and Brazil, with funding and technical assistance from donors such as the European Commission, the Overseas Development Administration (United Kingdom), and bilateral partners like Canada and Germany. Academic partners included Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Tokyo, and Imperial College London while professional bodies such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery provided implementation expertise.

Major activities included seismic retrofitting initiatives modeled on programs in California and Japan, cyclone preparedness programs inspired by work in Bangladesh and Mozambique, and floodplain management projects following examples from Netherlands and Venice. Scientific work integrated satellite remote sensing from European Space Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, climate modeling by the Hadley Centre and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and early warning systems developed with input from the International Telecommunication Union and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Training and capacity building were delivered through partnerships with universities like Columbia University and institutes such as the Smithsonian Institution, while public outreach campaigns coordinated with media outlets including the BBC and CNN.

The Decade catalyzed policy shifts in multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank toward risk-informed lending and influenced national building codes in countries including Chile, Turkey, and New Zealand. It advanced technical standards adopted by the International Association of Emergency Managers and strengthened data sharing through platforms involving the Global Seismographic Network and the Group on Earth Observations. Capacity gains were evident in enhanced preparedness in Philippines and Indonesia, while pilot projects in Ethiopia and Peru improved community resilience. The initiative informed subsequent frameworks negotiated at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and meetings of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Critics from think tanks and NGOs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, argued that the Decade underemphasized social vulnerability issues highlighted by researchers at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley. Operational challenges cited by practitioners at the Red Cross and scholars at Oxford University included fragmented funding from donors such as Japan and United States and coordination difficulties among agencies like the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Scientific critiques from groups including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working groups pointed to limitations in early climate hazard attribution and modeling methodologies employed by institutions like the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

The Decade's legacy continued through successor initiatives including the Yokohama Strategy processes, the establishment of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and integration into the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction discussions. Institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank incorporated disaster risk reduction into sustainable development programming alongside agendas advanced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Environment Programme. Academic networks including the International Science Council and policy coalitions like the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies carried forward technical innovations originating in the Decade.

Category:Disaster risk reduction