Habitat for Humanity policy brief on post-Hyogo process

This paper is written in anticipation of the impact of the post-2015 disaster risk reduction framework (HFA2) on the future of disaster risk reduction (DRR) over the next 10 years and understanding that elements of housing and land are critical components for risk reduction and resilience. It aims to highlight the importance of adequate housing and secure land tenure as critical elements that contribute to resilience and risk reduction.

Habitat for Humanity makes the following recommendations to government officials, policy makers, and the United Nations system: (i) enact adequate and effective laws and regulations that apply to DRR and facilitate sound planning, land use, finance, access to services, design and construction of safe shelter and settlements, environmental management and climate change adaption; (ii) increase national government funding for DRR to reduce the rising cost of humanitarian assistance and economic loss, recognizing that investments in prevention far outweigh the costs of disaster ; (iii) ensure security of tenure, particularly for affected populations, to safeguard continued access to land and rebuilding without fear of eviction before and after a disaster; (iv) engage local government officials and communities as decision-makers and first responders in addressing local needs by applying community-based DRR mechanisms (e.g., community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) or the participatory approach for safe shelter awareness (PASSA) within both shelter and DRR programs and thus improve the lives of vulnerable people by developing capacity and raising awareness on shelter related risks; and (v) implement policies/programs to support the development of capacity and skills-building tools for affected and vulnerable populations (youth, women, children, disabled, aging, displaced persons).