Disaster risk management systems analysis: a guide book
This Guide provides a set of tools to assess existing structures and capacities of national, district and local institutions with responsibilities for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in order to improve the effectiveness of DRM systems and the integration of DRM concerns into development planning, with particular reference to disaster-prone areas and vulnerable sectors and population groups. The strategic use of the Guide is expected to enhance understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing existing DRM institutional structures and their implications for on-going institutional change processes.
The assessment and analysis process outlined in the Guide is thus a first step towards strengthening existing DRM systems. The major areas of application are:
• Strengthening institutional and technical capacities for DRM at national and/or decentralized levels;
• Integrating key aspects of DRM in emergency rehabilitation programmes;
• Designing and promoting Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM);
• Operationalizing the paradigm shift from reactive emergency relief to pro-active DRM; and
• Mainstreaming DRM into development and sectoral planning (e.g. agriculture).