4.2 Networking and partnerships

4Building understanding: development of knowledge and information sharing4.2 Networking and partnerships

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4.2 Networking and partnerships

Comprehensive disaster risk reduction covers a wide range of disciplines, sectors andinstitutions, calling for diverse and expanded forms of partnerships. The achievements fromnetworking and partnerships can be far more powerful than individual or specialistcontributions.

Thanks to global communications, creating networks between government agencies, the public,the private sector and professional bodies is technically easy. However, these networks can onlybe successful if participants display the same commitment to share their information andexperiences openly.

Networks and partnerships ranging from communication exchanges to fully fledged and fundedpartnerships have great potential. This section examines:

• building links to reduce risk – extended partnerships and networking;• networking support for community partnerships;• cross sector coordination and collaboration; and• commercial sector and partnership interests

Building links to reduce risk – extendedpartnerships and networking

There is a very wide range of actors whodeal with disaster risk management. Animportant challenge is to develop ways tolink these actors.

Multidisciplinary research, multisectorplanning and multi-stakeholderparticipation are fundamental inaddressing the many factors of riskreduction. Benefits that accrue fromnetworking include improved efficiencyand cost-effectiveness, a unified strategicframework for decision-making and anappropriate division of responsibilities.Additionally, cutting-edge knowledge fromacademic and research institutions can belinked with practical initiatives undertakenby other organizations. Examples ofproductive technical and researchnetworks are reviewed in chapter 4.4.

Fostering the association of communitygroups with larger organizations willensure that local needs, capacities, culturalperceptions and traditional knowledge

become more integrated in national,regional and international initiatives.

The spectrum for collaboration variesfrom sharing information to undertakingjoint strategic planning and programming.The latter is the more difficult to achievebut it is also more effective. Somecollaborative examples include:

• communication networks, forums fordialogue;

• institutional partnerships,memorandums of understandingbetween agencies and organizations;

• integrated databases;• formal joint mandates, legislation,

policies and plans by public authorities;• multisector advisory groups;• multidisciplinary research projects; and• research conferences.

Case: ProVention Consortium

The ProVention Consortium is a globalcoalition network of governments,international organizations, academic

IISSDDRR aanndd ppaarrttnneerrsshhiippss

One objective of ISDR isto stimulatemultidisciplinary andmultisectoral partnershipsand expand operationalnetworks by engagingpublic participation andprofessional intereststhroughout all aspects ofdisaster risk reduction.

Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives

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institutions, the private sector and civil societyorganizations dedicated to increasing the safety ofvulnerable communities and to reducing theimpact of disasters in developing countries. Itfunctions as a consortium to share knowledge andresources among members on disaster riskmanagement, acting as a broker to forge links andpartnerships so that practical efforts, and benefits,are shared.

Its goal is to support developing countries inreducing the risk and social, economic andenvironmental impacts of natural andtechnological disasters on the poor. Through suchcollaboration and related activities ProVentionproduces pioneering solutions to the challenges ofdisaster risk management in developing countries.This is achieved by:

• forging linkages, partnerships and fosteringcloser interaction between members of theconsortium;

• developing and demonstrating innovativeapproaches to the practice of disaster riskmanagement;

• advocating for disaster risk management amongsenior policy makers in internationalorganizations, national governments and theprivate sector; and

• sharing knowledge and information about bestpractices, tools and resources for disaster riskmanagement.

Since its launch by the World Bank in 2000,ProVention has produced a number of innovativetools for integrating disaster risk management intodevelopment efforts by working as a flexiblenetwork that is able to connect actors fromdifferent sectors and backgrounds. Approachesinclude improved documentation of the longer-term social and economic impacts of disasters;models that integrate disaster risk managementinto development planning; methodologies forbetter assessment of disaster impacts; andstrategies for more effective management ofdisaster risks.

Projects are designed to encourage innovation,promote partnerships and influence decision makersthrough a variety of activities that include researchstudies, pilot projects, education and trainingactivities, advocacy initiatives and policydevelopment. Specific activities advance policy and

practice in disaster risk management in the followingthree categories, with current initiatives indicated:

• Risk identification and analysis – assessinghazards, vulnerabilities and capacities− Methodology and standards for damage and

needs assessments: Development andpromotion of global standards andmethodologies for collecting and processingdata on building and infrastructure damage,household losses, community impacts andrecovery requirements.

− Identification and analysis of global disasterrisk hotspots: Global scale prioritization ofinternational risk identification and disasterreduction efforts through the identification ofgeographic areas of highest disaster riskpotential.

− Measuring risk management: Development ofguidelines for assessing natural hazard risksand the net benefits of mitigation throughcost/benefit analysis.

− Vulnerability and capacity assessment tools:Development of standards and methodologiesfor social vulnerability and capacity analyses.

• Risk reduction – avoiding hazards and reducingvulnerability− Learning lessons from post-disaster recovery

operations: Identifying lessons for ongoing andfuture efforts of the international community inproviding assistance for post-disasterreconstruction and recovery, includingstrategies that avoid the re-creation of risk.Case studies conducted in Honduras, India,Mozambique and Turkey.

− Reducing flood risk in Africa: Strengtheningcommunity flood resilience through localpartnerships in Sudan.

− Urbanization and disasters in Africa: Analysisof urban risks and reduction strategies.

• Risk sharing and transfer – protectinginvestments and sharing the costs− Innovations in managing catastrophic risks:

Promoting innovative risk transfer andfinancing mechanisms such as insurance thatcan reduce vulnerability to disaster impacts andserve a key developmental role in the country.

− Transferring risk through microfinance andmicroinsurance: Application of microfinanceand microinsurance as resources for safercommunities through pilot testing in India.


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In order to sustain commitments in all of thesecategories, the consortium also supports appliedresearch grants for disaster risk management. Itencourages innovative research projects andpromotes aspiring professionals in developingcountries dedicated to reducing disaster risks.

A secretariat manages all ProVention activities.Members decided that by rotating the secretariatamong designated participants every few years,participation could be enlarged, bringing freshperspectives to ProVention efforts, therebyincreasing wider ownership of the consortium’sobjectives.

Early in 2003, the ProVention secretariat wastransferred from the World Bank’s DisasterManagement Facility in Washington, DC to theInternational Federation of Red Cross and RedCrescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva. Thistransfer presents new opportunities for advancingdisaster risk reduction through the global networkof IFRC and other civil society organizations.<http://www.proventionconsortium.org>

Case: Africa Knowledge Networks Forum

The Africa Knowledge Networks Forum (AKNF)is an initiative led by the UN EconomicCommission for Africa to facilitate the sharing ofknowledge and to encourage research partnershipsamong professional networks. Target audiencesinclude the end users of knowledge such as policymakers, educators, leaders of civil societyorganizations and representatives of the privatesector. <http://www.un.org/depts/eca>

The challenge of attaining and sustaining higherlevels of growth to reduce poverty in Africaremains overwhelming. Sustained growth in thefuture will depend on new capacity being created,focused particularly on institutional development,skills enhancement, knowledge production andapplication. All of these areas can be enhanced bymodern information technology, and it is in suchroles that African countries must make quantumleaps.

It is widely recognized that both increasedknowledge and more local content are neededwithin Africa to solve the pressing problems ofpublic policy, enrich teaching curricula, invigorate

civil society, foster good governance, and tostimulate the private sector. These objectives allcontribute to strengthening the integration ofAfrican societies and economies, especially in thecontext of the intensely competitive globalenvironment. Success is dependent on linking theproducers of knowledge to those institutions andskilled individuals engaged in using thatknowledge.

The Africa Knowledge Networks Forum seeks toassociate existing networks with the aim ofstrengthening indigenous policy-oriented researchand analysis for more effective use by Africandecision makers. The forum seeks to provide acontinual link between African research networks,policy makers and educational institutions. Byserving as a portal it can support centres ofAfrican expertise, thereby pooling resources formore effective production and sharing ofknowledge.

AKNF will be particularly important forproviding technical support to the AfricanDevelopment Forum process, the UN EconomicCommission for Africa (ECA) partnershiplaunched in 1999 to promote consensus aroundprimary challenges shared among Africa’sdevelopment stakeholders. In this respect, it cancontribute to setting agreed priorities for futuredevelopment assistance. The forum will meetannually to review progress and to approve futurework plans, with its initial strategy proceedingcovering 2000-2003.<http://www.un.org/depts/eca/adf>

By increasing the dialogue between knowledgeproducers and users, AKNF can also strengthenapplied research and advisory services to Africanpolicy makers, civil society organizations andprivate sector entities. The forum’s comprehensivedatabase of multidisciplinary expertise will bepivotal to linking the supply and demand forprofessional communication of experience acrossthe continent.

AKNF will be supported by activities of ECA’snew Information Technology Centre for Africa(ITCA), conceived as a central node in thenetworking landscape. It will focus initially onestablishing various databases derived from datamaintained by existing networks, and creating aweb-based directory of African web sites that


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promote networking activities. The creation andmanagement of discussion lists will contribute tothe further integration and expanded purpose ofmultiple information providers.<http://www.un.org/depts/eca/tca>

Networking support for communitypartnerships

In 1992, a group of social scientists, NGOs andpeople interested in the social dimensions of riskreduction in Latin America came together tocreate the Latin American Network for the SocialStudy of Disaster Prevention (LA RED). It wasinitially conceived as a mechanism to facilitatecomparative research of natural disasters from asocial perspective. It has developed into the focalpoint for hundreds of individuals and institutionsworking in disaster and risk management acrossLatin America and the Caribbean, influencingthinking and action.<http://www.desenredando.org/>

A similar network in South Asia was inspired bythe ideas of LA RED, and has been organized bypeople committed to promoting alternativeperspectives on disaster and vulnerability as a basisfor disaster mitigation in their own region. NamedDuryog Nivaran (disaster mitigation in Sanskrit),it aims to reduce the vulnerability of communitiesto disasters and conflicts by integrating alternativeperspectives in the conceptual, policy andimplementation levels of disaster mitigation anddevelopment programmes.<http://www.duryognivaran.org>

Periperi – Partners Involved in Enhancing theResilience of People Exposed to Risk in Africa, isanother network. It was established in 1997 by theDisaster Mitigation for Sustainable LivelihoodsProgramme (DiMP) at the University of CapeTown, with the support of OFDA/USAID andthe UK Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID). Originally composed of 16organizations from five Southern African countries,Periperi provides opportunities for a variety oforganizations to work together across disciplinesand national borders. These share the benefits ofexperience, and facilitate communication about theorganization’s work to integrate risk reductionprinciples and technologies into ongoingsustainable development activities.

Periperi views risk as an all-inclusive field,involving hazard scientists, developmentpractitioners, and policy makers among itscollaborators. As such it serves as SouthernAfrica’s network for risk reduction and sustainabledevelopment. Its publications include LearningAbout Livelihoods: Insights from Southern Africa, thatis also available on video, and Urban Vulnerability:Perspectives from Southern Africa.<http://www.egs.uct.ac.za/dimp>

Rising Tide UK is a network of small groups andindividuals dedicated to taking local action onclimate change and building a national movementagainst climate change. It reaches out to the widerpublic to empower them to take personal action,form their own campaigns, and participate in theactivities of the groups in the network. RisingTide UK prepares a monthly summary of extremeweather events that occur during the year.<http://www.risingtide.org.uk>

In another context, the UN-HABITATProgramme for Best Practices and LocalLeadership provides an excellent example of apartnership initiative that can guide and motivatelocal communities to utilize networks in ways thatcan advance hazard awareness and riskmanagement practices. <http://www.unchs.org>

A Database of Best Practices for HumanSettlements and a combined electronic searchfacility is maintained by UN-HABITAT incollaboration with The Together Foundation. Thedatabase is an excellent multidisciplinarycompendium of experience drawn from aroundthe world. Records can be grouped or selected byany of the following individual criteria, acombination of them or by sub-categories:

• scale – global, regional, national,provincial/state, metropolitan, city/town,neighbourhood or village;

• ecosystem – arid/semi-arid, high plateau, riverbasin, coastal, island, tropical/sub-tropical,continental or mountain;

• themes – poverty eradication, economicdevelopment, social services, environmentalmanagement, infrastructure communicationsand technology, housing, land use management,urban governance, civic engagement andcultural vitality, gender equity and equality,disaster and emergency, production and


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consumption patterns, urban and regionalplanning, technology tools and methods,children and youth, architecture and urbandesign, older persons, use of information indecision-making;

• country – or when grouped, as a subregion oradjacent area; and

• selected text – or specific project activity title.

As each of these criteria has some bearing onsocial and economic vulnerability in a variety ofhabitats, the database displays a wealth of relevantexperience about hazard awareness and disasterrisk management practices. It is anticipated thatbecause of this relationship, activities whichexemplify best practices for creating resilientcommunities may be considered in the future asan explicit category.<http://www.bestpractices.org>

The information material contained in thedatabase is supplemented by additionalinformation contributed by nominations for theassociated Dubai International Award for BestPractices to Improve the Living Environment.This biennial international competition issponsored by the Dubai Municipality and tenawards of US$ 30,000 are made for outstandingpractices. Additional information about the DubaiInternational Award can be obtained by e-mail<[email protected]> or from the award web site.<http://dubai-award.dm.gov.ae>

Productive networks for disaster reduction canalso be built around other social dimensions. TheGender and Disaster Network consists of womenand men interested in gender relations in thecontext of disaster and risk management such asthose related to earthquakes, floods, hazardousmaterials events, tornadoes, famine, cyclones andother hazardous events. The network’s goals are todocument and analyse gender experiences before,during and after disasters, and to conductinterdisciplinary and collaborative researchprojects.

Research and practice that reduce the loss of life,injuries or damage to property for women andgirls can make a difference. The goal of theGender and Disaster Network is to promote andencourage such activities. Members participatefrom many countries, including El Salvador,India, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa,

Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates. <http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/geography_research/gdn/>

Case: Mozambique

A different form of partnership is required toaddress the vulnerabilities of rural environments. Asis the case among many inhabitants of developingcountries, most Mozambicans live in a precariousbalance between subsistence and desperation. Verysmall fluctuations in climatic conditions, localizedflooding, or the outbreak of disease in neighbouringvillages can plunge a normally stable familyeconomy into severe difficulty.

To identify particularly vulnerable populations theVulnerability Analysis Group was formed inMozambique. Chaired by the government’sDepartment of Early Warning and Food Security, italso includes the Nutrition Division in the Ministryof Health and the UN World Food Programme(WFP).

The group works together with local communities toinvestigate the factors that contribute to chronicvulnerability. The joint initiative has analysednutritional indicators as a basis for their evaluationand has then used this information to compiledetailed profiles of food security conditions in almostall districts of the country.

Box 4.10The Mary Fran Myers Award

The Gender and Disaster Network invites nominationsannually for an individual who should be recognized forefforts to advance women’s careers in emergencymanagement and academic endeavour for promotinggender disaster research.

The Mary Fran Myers Award was established in 2002by the Gender and Disaster Network. It recognizes thatvulnerability to disasters and mass emergencies isinfluenced by social, cultural, and economic structuresthat marginalize women and girls. The award has beennamed for Mary Fran Myers, the co-director of theNatural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado inthe United States. She received the award in 2002 inrecognition of her sustained efforts to launch aworldwide network among disaster professionals, foradvancing women’s careers and for promoting researchon gender issues in disaster research in emergencymanagement and higher education.<http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/geography_research/gdn/>


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A number of other partners have contributed torelated initiatives. The UN Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) provided support to monitorfood stocks in the country. In a complementaryinitiative, an Agricultural Markets InformationSystem, managed by Michigan State University inthe United States, has been supported by USAIDfor nearly a decade. The system researches foodsecurity conditions, particularly in relation to ruralmarkets and smallholder cash crops. Thisprogramme is currently developing provincial priceinformation systems that can promote thecommercialization of farm products.

The Famine Early Warning System Network(FEWSNET), also funded by USAID, worksclosely with these programmes. It has conductedseveral studies of local food economies, includingin those areas most affected by flooding in recentyears. The project operates in conjunction with theUniversity of Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo andhas produced the Disaster Atlas for Mozambique.

An earlier initiative, the Agence Européenne pourle Developpement et la Santé (AEDES), was anemergency information system created by MSFduring the drought in 1992. It later evolved into anational vulnerability information system.

Case: India

The Sphere Project is an international inter-agency collaboration working to improve thequality of assistance to disaster victims, andenhance the accountability of humanitarianresponse agencies to their beneficiaries, membersand donors. In India, the Disaster MitigationInstitute (DMI) has been associated with Spheresince 1998, as one of the 14 pilot agencies.

As an example of the beneficial opportunitiesprovided by the network, DMI complemented itsown efforts of promoting and using the Spherehandbook by many activities including nationaltraining courses, local capacity-building initiatives,in-house publications and development of trainingmaterials related to the specific needs of India andSouth Asia.

Additional partnerships were developed to furtherthis Sphere in India campaign by workingtogether with the support of Catholic Relief

Services to involve 30 professionals from 18 local,national and international voluntary agencies,donors and government officials. These includedsuch varied participants as UNICEF, IFRC,National Centre for Disaster Management(NCDM), the Self-Employed Women’sAssociation, Developing Initiatives for SocialHuman Action, Oxfam, Concern Worldwide, theBritish Red Cross, Emergency Food SecurityNetwork, Sadvichar Parivar, Discipleship Centre,Hind Swaraj Mandal, Caritas India and Save theChildren Fund.

Beyond discussions and meetings, many of theseorganizations committed themselves to furtheringa process of institutionalizing Sphere standards inthe region. NCDM proposed a partnership withDMI to conduct training in administrativetraining institutes across the country. Otherorganizations planned regional meetings on foodsecurity and the related Sphere standards. A poolof training resources and materials has beenproposed. UNICEF proposed the development ofa local chapter dedicated to the standards foremergency education of children. CRS initiated aprocess by which other interested organizationscould contribute their experiences electronically tothe revision process of the Sphere handbook.Finally, DMI documented these variouscollaborative initiatives and disseminated theexperiences for expanded access.

Case: Central America

The Central American Mitigation Initiative(CAMI) is an umbrella programme launched in2001 by OFDA/USAID. Over a three-yearperiod, US$ 12 million will be distributed toNGOs to fund disaster reduction activities. IFRC,the Corporate Housing Foundation, CAREInternational, Catholic Relief Services and otheragencies operating in the region concentrate onlocal involvement.

Working primarily through municipalities, theprogramme strives to create mechanisms tomotivate greater commitment by nationalinstitutions at local levels. Risk reduction is theprimary focus, and while preparedness and disasterresponse problems are also addressed, they areintegrated into the overall perspectives of reducingrisks.


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One of the more innovative CAMI projects isconducted by CARE International with partnersin Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua andHonduras. With an overall budget of more thanUS$ 3.5 million and support fromOFDA/USAID and the Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA), the projectprovides training and technical support to developa range of risk reduction activities in coremunicipalities in high-risk zones of the fourcountries.

Benefiting from its association with LA RED,which provided technical and advisory support forthe project, CARE expects to fashion its otherdevelopment projects in the region with moreattention given to risk reduction.

During a recent drought in El Salvador, smallgrants were provided for severely affectedpopulation groups to develop pilot IntegralSustainable Production (ISP) units. These ISPunits promote crop diversification, fosterimprovements in commercial practices and createopportunities for improved food storage byutilizing crop techniques that are environmentallyfriendly.

Based on the initial experience with this project,CARE-France presented a proposal to theEuropean Union to finance similar schemes in twoother departments of the country, to improve thefood security of 1,000 extremely poor families. Theprojects are based on the participation of thepopulation working through collective schemesusing common lands to minimize their risks. Thisapproach represents an alternative to the relianceon emergency food relief.

Case: Guatemala

The Peten region in Guatemala contains one of thelargest tropical forest reserves in Latin America.Uncontrolled forest fires during the annual dryseason endanger the livelihoods of the localpopulation and have lead to large-scale destructionof forest ecosystems and biodiversity in northernGuatemala.

The government of Guatemala has embarked on amajor programme to promote fire prevention andmore effective means to combat fires when they do

occur. The programme is supervised by theexecutive secretary of the presidency and involvesthe participation of several other governmentinstitutions.

The Project for the Local Prevention and Controlof Forest Fires (PRECLIF) is a complementaryproject which promotes improved prevention andcontrol of forest fires at the local level, employinglocal techniques in risk management.

The project trains residents of local communitiesto implement measures that can reduce the risk offires, working in conjunction with the municipalcommittees in charge of forest fires.

The project has also supported other activities tostrengthen community organizations such as theestablishment of a radio network that links sixrural communities to the National CoordinatingAgency for Disaster Reduction in Guatemala(CONRED).

PRECLIF has encouraged new and usefulrelationships between the Global Fire MonitoringCenter at the Max Planck Institute of Chemistryin Freiburg, Germany and the Guatemalaninstitutions involved with forest fire prevention andcontrol. Professional visits have been exchangedand a successful workshop was held in Peten toshare experiences in forest fire prevention,management and control.

There are other disaster risk reductionprogrammes focused on the three active volcanoesin Guatemala. The slopes of two of them are hometo local communities where Project PREVOLaims to strengthen the work of CONRED and theCentre for Disaster Research and Mitigation(CIMDEN) in reducing risks from volcanichazards.

CONRED and CIMDEN have beenimplementing preparedness activities for possibleeruptions of the Pacaya and Fuego volcanoes. Withthe support of the humanitarian office of theministry of foreign affairs of Germany, PREVOLhas sought to expand activities to improve disasterpreparedness and risk reduction.

In addition to providing basic early warningequipment and training local emergencycommittees in 19 communities, PREVOL has


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been able to assist CIMDEN byimproving its methods and abilities toconduct volcanic surveillance. This hasincluded the supply of additional scientificinstruments to complement efforts by theNational Seismic, Volcanic, Meteorologicaland Hydrological Institute of Guatemalain monitoring volcanic activity at Pacaya.

The partnership has emphasized thecrucial role of linking activities in disaster-prone areas with the interests of thenational disaster reduction agency toencourage risk reduction. In this respect,all of the operations in PREVOL havebeen conducted by personnel from the riskmanagement department of CONRED,ranging from the installation of equipment,local community organization and trainingand the design of risk reduction measures.Similarly, a priority has been placed ondeveloping the capabilities of nationalinstitutions to ensure the sustainability ofthe project.

Cross-sector coordination andcollaboration

Case: United States

Project Impact, promoted by the USFederal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) in the late 1990s was a goodexample of a partnership approach that ledto wider understanding and increasedacceptance of the principles of disaster riskreduction. Project Impact was actuallydesigned to change the way the UnitedStates dealt with risks before disastersoccurred (see box 3.8).

In 2001, FEMA’s Mitigation Bureau wasmerged with the national flood insuranceprogramme to become the FederalInsurance and Mitigation Administration.Funding for Project Impact has since beenreallocated and the United States hasradically redefined its perceptions ofpublic risk. In 2003 FEMA was mergedinto the newly created Department ofHomeland Security.

Other professional partnerships remain toreinforce disaster risk reduction activitiesacross the United States as every state hasan office of emergency services. Both theNetwork of State Hazard MitigationOfficers and the National EmergencyManagement Association which serves asa professional association of stateemergency management directors, linkwide ranging professional interests anddisseminate information across thecountry.

Subsequently, and in a more recentreflection of changing emphasis in theUnited States, in mid-2003, theSubcommittee on Disaster Reduction(SDR), part of the US National Scienceand Technology Council, publishedReducing Disaster Vulnerability throughScience & Technology. This interim report ofSDR reviews the government’s currentefforts to increase the nation’s disasterresiliency and identifies issues andopportunities for the future. The SDRreport is a vital tool for understanding riskreduction for both natural andtechnological hazards.

Among other interests, the reportidentifies six broad areas that requirecontinued energy and appropriateresources in order to achieve a disaster-resistant United States:

• leveraging existing knowledge of naturaland technological hazards to addressterrorism events;

• improving hazard information datacollection and prediction capability;

• ensuring the development andwidespread use of improved hazard andrisk assessment models and theirincorporation into decision-support toolsand systems;

• speeding the transition from hazardresearch to hazard managementapplication;

• increasing mitigation activities andincentives; and

• expanding risk communicationcapabilities, especially public warningsystems and techniques.

“Partnerships betweencentral and local

authorities, and publicand private sectors are the

most effective means toreduce the impact of

hazards.”

Source: US FederalEmergency ManagementAgency, Basic Principles,

1996.


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The report reveals that SDR is now in the process ofestablishing a coordinated strategic nationalframework for science and technology research andapplication development for disaster risk reduction.Reducing Disaster Vulnerability through Science &Technology is available on the SDR web site.<http://www.sdr.gov>

The Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction(GADR) is another example of a civil societymultidisciplinary network initiative. It has broughttogether the shared interests of more than 1,000professionals in disaster reduction and the relatedaspects of sustainable development, representingregional, national and international organizations.The alliance is organized as an informal globalnetwork under the institutional leadership of theGlobal Institute for Energy and EnvironmentalSystems at the University of North Carolina atCharlotte, in the United States.

GADR has several objectives. It seeks to mobilizeintellectual and material resources to address issueswhich will enable businesses and public agencies toreduce the impacts of natural and technologicalhazards. Efforts of its members serve as catalysts forongoing national and international projects. This isaccomplished by providing opportunities forexpanding technical and political capacities, buildingmultinational networks, convening forums andconferences, and encouraging the implementation ofprogrammes that can reduce the impacts of hazards.

By drawing on their varied experiences in differentcountry settings, individual members havecontributed to the preparation of almost 40 subjectand regional blueprints consisting of proven practiceand demonstrated expertise. Together with thecompilation of a methodological toolbox, theblueprints are intended to motivate and guide policymakers and practitioners in the wider application ofdisaster risk management practices.

Through such activities, the overall intention of thenetwork is to cause major shifts in disaster riskmanagement outlooks and practice from ones thatconcentrate predominantly on the impact of hazardsto ones that are more attentive to preventingdisasters. This strategy can be advanced through theengagement of all relevant professional disciplines,national and regional planning activities and a varietyof educational programmes.<http://www.gadr.giees.uncc.edu>

Case: India

Following the 2001 earthquake in the Indian stateof Gujarat, effective partnerships emerged throughthe collaboration of NGOs, governmentauthorities, representatives of industry and theaffected communities. One example is the GujaratRehabilitation Project, a partnership betweenCARE-India, the Federation of Indian Chambersof Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and thegovernment of Gujarat.

The reconstruction process in Gujarat did notconform to previous or traditional approaches fororganizing large-scale public works. There was aneed to foster collaboration between national andinternational interests as well as to promote jointeconomic, governmental and communityapproaches for efficient reconstructionimplementation. There was a conscious effort toensure that local communities would be involved inthe process and that their needs would berepresented at every stage in the rehabilitationprocess.

As a result, emphasis was given to address theacute shelter needs and to rehabilitate basic servicesincluding those related to health and essentiallivelihood activities. The partnership demonstratedan opportunity to bring a combination of highlyskilled professional and technical resources to theproject along with government, NGO andcommunity inputs.

The initiative emphasized the values of communityparticipation, developing additional livelihoodopportunities and incorporating improved riskreduction measures to minimize the effects offuture hazards. The primary motivation of formingsuch a partnership was the shared interests of thecollaborators to motivate a high level of communityparticipation immediately following the disasterand to be responsive to the requirements ofsustaining livelihoods in a manner that wouldestablish a safe community environment.

The fact that all plans for housing and communityfacilities were designed to meet constructionstandards for both earthquake and cycloneresistance, and that they were approved by both thecommunities and the appropriate governmenttechnical departments, illustrates practical measuresthat contribute to the future reduction of risks.


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Additionally, by working during a transitionalperiod between response and rehabilitation, thestakeholders could develop better opportunities forcommunity mobilization, vocational training, theestablishment of temporary communityinfrastructure, and in restarting essentialcommunity activities like schools and markets.

Commercial sector and partnership interests

It is impossible to ignore the increasing economicdemand for businesses to become more efficient.Tight production schedules, just-in-time logisticsand far-reaching international trading practicesexpose businesses to potential disruption or lossthrough natural disasters. There has been agrowing commercial awareness of a correlationbetween disaster preparedness, risk reduction andbusiness survival.

More than 60 per cent of the small retailbusinesses affected by the Northridge earthquakein California in 1994 were no longer in business sixmonths later. Six years after the Great Hanshinearthquake in Kobe, Japan in 1995, the heavilydamaged port of Kobe was still unable to regain itsprevious competitive standing as the third busiestJapanese port.

Motivated by a desire to protect their own assets ortheir competitive standing in markets, commercialenterprises have invested heavily in businesscontinuity services designed to assess and mitigatephysical or operational risks to their businesses. Inrecent years there have been important corporateinitiatives to promote disaster reduction activities inthe common interest. Examples include theBusiness and Industry Council for EmergencyPlanning and Preparedness (BICEPP), DisasterRecovery Business Alliance (DRBA), PublicPrivate Partnership – 2000 (PPP 2000), PublicEntity Risk Institute (PERI) and the Institute forBusiness and Home Safety (IBHS). <http://www.bicepp.org><http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/freshstart><http://www.usgs.gov/ppp2000/><http://www.riskinstitute.org><http://www.ibhs.org>

A study was conducted for DFID by the BenfieldHazard Research Centre of the University CollegeLondon in 2001 to review the extent and features

of corporate social responsibility manifested indisaster risk reduction activities. It concluded thatwhile the potential for public-private partnershipsis promising, in almost all cases they are difficult toestablish and sustain without a commonunderstanding and commitment to risk reduction.This can be very difficult to achieve consideringthe different values and expectations ofcommercial, government, and public interestorganizations <http://www.benfieldhrc.org>.

Following several serious technological accidentsin the 1980s, and especially responding to theBhopal disaster in India in 1984 that killed 2,500people and affected 300,000 more, the chemicalindustry developed a partnership programme toenhance its emergency and safety plans,establishing closer relationships with nearbycommunities.

This initial idea of strategic and mutuallybeneficial relationships between corporations,leading industrial associations such as theInternational Council of Chemical Associations,and UNEP was transformed into an internationalprogramme in 1988. Named the Awareness andPreparedness for Emergencies at Local Level(APELL) programme, the initiative has become alandmark example of joint collaboration, managedsince its founding by UNEP.

APELL’s aim has been to prepare surroundingcommunities for the potential eventuality of anindustrial accident by raising awareness, organizingtraining sessions and preparing emergencyresponse plans through a participatory process.One of the primary means employed is to enhancecommunication and collaboration between localauthorities, industries located within a communityand the nearby inhabitants of the area.

APELL is both a process and a programme. As aprocess, it consists of the local application ofseveral methodological tools to assist decisionmakers to develop risk awareness, training andresponse plans. The overall goal of the process isto give local people and emergency services themeans to become aware of the risks and to beprepared to react so as to minimize losses in caseof an accident.

When a risk is identified, the local authorities orindustry officials create a coordinating group of all


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relevant partners, including representatives of thecommunity. Locally generated regional or nationalworkshops and seminars are organized withexperts to start the process.

The group then implements APELL in a ten stepprocess:

1. Identification of stakeholders2. Evaluation of hazards3. Assessment of risks4. Review of their own emergency plans by

participants5. Identification of gaps and tasks6. Improvement and integration of existing plans

into overall community plans7. Obtaining approvals and endorsement from

the community and local authorities8. Education and training9. Establishment of follow-up procedures10. Dissemination of the plan for community

education

Several specialist strategies have been documentedto guide this process. Initially, an APELL Handbookwas produced in 1988, which has since beentranslated into several languages. That has beenfollowed by APELL for Port Areas, released in1996; TransAPELL, Guidance for Dangerous GoodsTransport: Emergency Planning in a Local Community,published in 2000; and APELL for Mining,released in 2001.

Networked relationships among national andinternational organizations have developedprogrammes to implement local APELLprocesses, motivated particularly by UNEP’sDivision of Technology, Industry and Economics.APELL is promoted through the collaborationand operational networks of many industrialinterests, inter-governmental organizations andgovernment institutions.

Together, working in their common interest, theyprovide a range of technical and human support,guidelines, publications and brochures to anyinterested local actor, thus helping to start localprocesses. Many national APELL centres haveworked to integrate their principles in legislationand to encourage local action.

Since 1988, APELL programmes have beenimplemented in more than 30 countries and 75

industrialized communities, especially in LatinAmerica, Asia and the Middle-East. Future planscall for more partnerships to be created, along withthe development of an enhanced information systemand increased operational support.<http://www.uneptie.org/pc/apell/home.html>

Case: Brazil

Many industrial facilities are located very close to theinhabited and commercial areas of the Brazilianmunicipality of São Sebastião where more than60,000 people live. APELL processes wereimplemented there raising considerable interestthroughout the community. Multisectoralparticipation involved a big petrol company,municipality services, the state environmental agency,both national and local civil defence organizations,and members of the public from the local community.

A risk assessment was conducted, an emergency plandeveloped and distributed, and a municipal decreewas promulgated establishing an emergency day. Fouremergency simulations took place in 2001 and 2002,involving several thousand people. School evacuationexercises were organized, and drawing and writingcontests were promoted to increase the awareness ofchildren. Training was also provided for theenvironmental agencies.

Consolidated feedback on all the activities wasevaluated and then used to draw the lessons and bestpractices for improving future capabilities. InDecember 2002, a regional meeting was organizedin the municipality to expand local experience andmethods of collaboration for more than 20 port areasin Brazil.

The International Labour Organization (ILO)emphasizes another form of multisectoralcollaboration and partnership based on the joint andmutual interests of labour, business and governancecollaborating in disaster contexts. In recent years, itsresponse to flooding in Mozambique and massiveearthquakes in India integrated gender concerns intoa focus given to employment-intensivereconstruction. Women working as small traders,subsistence farmers, artisans, and home-basedworkers in the informal sector were engaged. Theseinitiatives were developed proactively incollaboration with community groups, governmentoffices and employers in the region.


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Case: Mozambique

Evidence of productive network relationshipsinvolving business interests can also be foundwithin countries. The national disastermanagement policy of Mozambique recognizesthat the potential impact of disasters on commerceand agribusiness could threaten the nationaleconomy. As the resources available to stateenterprises relative to the business communitydiminish, and as private businesses assume moreresponsibility for providing essential services to thesociety, the private sector must become a morecrucial partner in all aspects of disaster riskmanagement.

With this in mind, the National Office for theManagement of Disasters (INGC) has madecollaboration with the private sector a priority.Most significantly, the threat of serious industrialaccidents has increased with the development of

large-scale industrial projects such as refineries andpipeline construction.

The potential human and economic consequencesof a severe cyclone damaging principal urbancentres also need to be considered in collaborationwith the private sector and its economic interests.Such calculations should factor heavily in nationaleconomic policies for assured growth and inmeasures that can protect essential publicinfrastructure.

With the growing economic impact of disasters, theprivate sector should be encouraged to becomeactive in its own risk management practices and inthe disaster risk reduction measures of society. Bylending their important political and economicinfluence to advocate for national strategies that canprotect critical infrastructure and property assets onwhich their own businesses depend, they will alsoadvance their own strategic commercial interests.

Building understanding: development of knowledge and information sharing4.2 Networking and partnerships

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4Future challenges and prioritiesNetworking and partnerships

The major challenges are to stimulate networks of shared commitments and partnerships at local,national, regional and international levels across professional interests. A need for coherence inachieving these partnerships is a challenge to be addressed by ISDR. There are several areas whereimprovements can be made:

• Enhance relationships by linking risk reduction actors with those of ecological management, socialdevelopment and economic growth in order to ensure sustainable development.

• Provide incentives to strengthen national, regional and international coordination and networks forinformation exchange. Promote collaboration that will increase multidisciplinary disaster reductioncapacities.

• Encourage the establishment of national committees and related organizational platforms for disasterreduction with active community involvement and the participation of all relevant sectors. Thisshould be encouraged to facilitate common approaches, the collection of information, undertakingrisk assessments and support for the development of coherent strategies and action plans.

• In academic circles, stimulate cross-disciplinary efforts, networks and partnerships for integratedand applied research in all relevant areas of risk management. These include gender studies, culturaland social behaviour that increase resilience to hazards, early warning systems, hazards research andthe multiple factors of vulnerability analysis.

• An overarching challenge is to pursue a common and widespread understanding of disaster risk andrisk reduction practices among an expanding and increasingly diverse range of interests.

Documents

4.2 Networking and partnerships