Disasters derail development: So why aren’t we doing more about them?
This publication explores how better incentives could help overcome barriers to disaster risk reduction in development programming. The paper looks at how contextual, programmatic and institutional challenges are blocking more coherent action on disaster risk reduction (DRR).
The recommendations provided for a more coherent approach to risk reduction in development are, among others:
- Contextual challenges (p. 9)
- developing a set of coherent messages about the risks in a context;
- providing incentives for changing attitudes about risk with new funding; and
- passing messages about DRR at politically and programmatically key timings.
- Programming challenges (p. 11)
- countering fears of the need for radical changes to programmes and mandates;
- sharing risk analysis, increasing ownership and buy-in for the need for DRR; and
- leveraging new funding mechanisms, raising the profile of high-risk countries.
- Institutional challenges (p. 13-14)
- communicating properly about the rationale for engaging in DRR;
- establishing DRR as a cross-cutting issue or as an overall programming goal; and
- focusing on implementation in the field.
This document is a background paper for the 2015 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction.
