Organisation
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)
UN agency addresses and responds to disasters
The ISDR aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters.
The ISDR builds on partnerships and takes a global approach to disaster reduction, seeking to involve every individual and every community towards the goals of reducing the loss of lives, the socio-economic setbacks and the environmental damages caused by natural hazards. In order to achieve these goals, the ISDR promotes four objectives as tools towards reaching disaster reduction for all:
- increase public awareness to understand risk, vulnerability and disaster reduction globally
- obtain commitment from public authorities to implement disaster reduction policies and actions
- stimulate interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships, including the expansion of risk reduction networks
- improve scientific knowledge about disaster reduction
The ISDR combines the strengths of many key players through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction (IATF/DR) and the Inter-Agency Secretariat of the ISDR (UN/ISDR).
Published Documents
- Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction 2013 - From shared risk to shared value: the business case for disaster risk reduction
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2013
- The 2013 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR13) makes the business case for investing in disaster risk management (DRM) and highlights potential opportunities for creating shared value. The report is a...
- How can schools help promote disaster risk reduction?
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2007
- The World Disaster Reduction Campaign for 2006-2007 "Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School" has resulted in various initiatives worldwide to make school buildings safer and have disaster risk reduction taught in school. This report...
- Highlighting the connection between climate change, disaster risk reduction, and gender-focused approaches to development
- UN/ISDR / United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2008
- It is a well-known prediction that women in the developing world will suffer the most from the effects of climate change. What needs equal emphasis is the fact that women also represent an immense source of potential and power to comb...
- Building national resilience through Disaster Risk Reduction
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2008
- Aimed at national disaster management authorities and national disaster risk reduction stakeholders, this paper intends to further national commitments and action in establishing and working through national platforms to reduce disast...
- Improving the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction policies and activities
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2008
- Focusing on measuring the reduction of disaster risks, this paper presents a guide designed to assist all states with guidance on the development of nationally relevant indicators for application in policy, programming, monitoring, ev...
- Implementing disaster risk reduction efforts at the national level
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2007
- The need to systematically reduce the increased impact of disasters is gaining recognition and commitment among Governments worldwide, especially after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. However, disaster risk reduc...
- Promoting a gender-inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2007
- The Hyogo Framework for Action requires the full, active and balanced participation of both sexes, yet gender issues are often overlooked in the implementation of disaster risk reduction. This report from the UN/ISDR seeks to inc...
- How far has the world progressed on disaster risk reduction?
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2007
- In 2005, 168 governments approved the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) on Disaster Risk Reduction. This report summarises the proceedings of the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which aimed to asses wh...
- Gender dimensions of disasters
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2002
- This paper examines the gender dynamics of disasters, and advocates gender sensitive planning and programming to prevent and respond to disasters. The authors propose that a balanced and equal participation of both women and men in fo...
- Key aspects of good policy on disaster preparedness
- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, 2006
- This paper sets out eleven elements that are essential in planning disaster preparedness measures: public awareness is an essential element of preparedness for saving lives and livelihoods individuals and comm...
