Words into action: a guide for implementing the Hyogo Framework

The need for a global disaster reduction strategy has been underscored by a string of disasters, including tsunamis, earthquakes and droughts. As such, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was formulated as a comprehensive, action-oriented response to international concern about the growing impacts of disasters on individuals, communities and national development. This Guide has been created to provide advice on useful strategies for implementing the HFA. It represents a distillation of the wealth of experience that exists throughout the world on how to manage and reduce disaster risks. It can help states to assess where they stand in the implementation process and, by building on existing experience and structure, to identify possible gaps and useful next steps to take.

The HFA identifies the following specific Priorities for Action:

• making disaster risk reduction a priority
• improving risk information and early warning
• building a culture of safety and resilience
• reducing the risks in key sectors
• strengthening preparedness for response.
  

Each of the above specific priorities are discussed in the Guide, together with a set of 22 suggested tasks addressing a primary area of effort for implementing disaster risk reduction. It also presents a practical step-by-step advice on how to accomplish the task with illustrative examples from around the world.

The guide outlines the following as the roles and responsibilities for states to ensure the safety of their citizens:

• develop national coordination mechanisms
• conduct baseline assessments on the status of disaster risk reduction
• publish and update summaries of national programmes
• review national progress towards achieving the objectives and priorities of the HFA
• implement relevant international legal instruments
• integrate disaster risk reduction with climate change strategies.
  

The tasks identified for the regional level included:

• promoting regional programmes to support DRR through technical cooperation
• conducting regional baseline assessments and reviewing progress
• supporting the development of regional collaborative centres and regional early warning capacities.
  

The guide recommends that international organisations should support national and regional efforts by:

• integrating DRR into their programmes to assist disaster-prone countries
• supporting globally consistent data collection and promoting information exchange
• developing information resources including best practices and guidance material
• ensuring coordination of efforts by the UN and other organisations
• providing advice and assistance to governments in implementing the HFA
• organising periodic reviews of progress toward the implementation of the HFA.