Disaster risk management

Disaster risk reduction

The risk of natural disasters is increasing, in part due to global warming and climate change. As well as responding to disasters when they happen, we should help poor countries to reduce their exposure to disasters before they occur. This strategy, of disaster risk reduction, is now becoming a key component of DFID’s development work to reduce the impact of disasters on the poorest and most vulnerable.

Since 2005, up to 10% of DFID’s financial response to natural disasters has gone towards developing disaster reduction plans. In 2008 this 10% commitment (44kb) was implemented following Cyclone Nargis in Burma and the earthquake in China.

Disasters such as Cyclone Nargis and the China earthquake claimed thousands of lives, ruined millions of livelihoods and caused billions of pounds worth of damage. But many of the lives lost could have been saved if simple measures had been in place, such as better constructed houses, schools and hospitals, and effective early warning systems that could be used by local communities.

Reducing vulnerability to flooding in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, remote and hard-to-reach river islands (called chars) are home to several million of the poorest people. Chars are highly vulnerable to flooding and erosion on a regular basis. On average, chars families have to shift their homes five times in a generation. DFID has been helping Bangladesh respond to this challenge by funding the Chars Livelihood Programme (CLP).

Over the last two years, the CLP has raised the homes of 32,700 families on stabilised earth plinths in order to reduce the risk of flooding. The severe floods that affected northern Bangladesh in August 2007 gave the programme its greatest test to date. It was a success: as water levels rose, only 2% of plinths were washed away.

Chars Livelihood Programme

Preparing for earthquakes in China

In China, DFID has been working with the government to ensure that China’s health services can cope effectively with future disasters. DFID has funded experts from the UK's Emergency Planning College to share their expertise with the Chinese authorities. British emergency planning experts have trained officials in Sichuan Province, where the earthquake hit hardest. This training will now be rolled out to all senior Chinese government officials.

Preventing famine in Niger

In parts of Niger, food crises build up slowly and usually occur about every three years. It is vital for communities to reduce the impact of emergencies and prepare for them in the future. With DFID support, a consortium of five NGOs is helping communities to do this.

The programme, worth £2.9 million over three years, will help reduce the unacceptable levels of hunger and vulnerability that persist in Niger. Activities include: an early warning system; support to community-level activities that protect vital assets in the face of climatic and other shocks; and livelihoods support to help move people away from dependence on subsistence farming.

Boosting efforts to avert hunger in Niger

Links

• DFID Disasters and emergencies home page
• Disaster risk reduction: DFID policy briefing(159kb)
• Frequently asked questions about disaster risk reduction
• Case study: Increasing crop yield and preventing soil erosion in India
• United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
• UN Development Programme Crisis Prevention and Recovery
• Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery