Resilience to Disaster Is No Small Measure
Disaster risk reduction policies can mitigate the most harmful impacts of natural hazards. This new CSS Analysis by Tim Prior and Florian Roth argues that lack of political support has often hamstrung effective prevention and preparedness, even though early action yields multiple benefits – to more than just the economy. A global conference in Geneva in May 2019, co-hosted by the UN and Switzerland, calls for political, financial and societal investments to reap the ‘resilience dividend’.
Earthquakes, floods, storms, heatwaves, tsunamis, pandemics – disasters come in various forms, all posing significant threats to human life, economic development, and ecological diversity around the world. Particularly in fragile contexts, natural hazards also pose a risk to peace and security. In March 2019, Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, causing massive damage to local communities, infrastructures, and farmland. This not only created a huge setback for the development of these countries, but could also potentially trigger long-term social and political instability.