International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

The Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction ( IDNDR ) was declared in the face of devastating natural disasters in the 1970s and 1980s by the United Nations for the decade from 1990 to 1999. The program was then continued under the name International Strategy for Disaster Reduction ( ISDR ).

Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction ( IDNDR )

With the aim to reduce the social, ecological and economic damage and consequences of extreme natural events, the international community called its member countries to greater engagement with, and implementation of disaster risk management measures. Special consideration should primarily find developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters due to various (mainly socio -economic ) factors. The decade was initially strongly oriented scientific-technical and aimed existing technologies everywhere, even where they had not yet found application to use. When targets were the following measures be implemented by all countries, formulated:

However, this scientific and technical approach was social aspects of disaster preparedness largely ignored. Criticism was that technical solutions to protect companies will not be enough; would rather social factors that determine the vulnerability of a society to be more integrated into solutions. Potentially affected people should be more aware of risks in order to involve them in shaping their habitats, and local support structures are strengthened. With the Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction in Yokohama, 1994, these socio - economic aspects of disaster preparedness were first put on the agenda. Disaster preparedness has been recognized by now as part of sustainable development and extends the original IDNDR goals for this aspect. During the decade of the Geneva-based at the United Nations IDNDR Secretariat, was the center of all activities; Member States were also called their national responsibility through the establishment of national committees to meet. Germany followed this call in 1990 by the establishment of a German IDNDR Committee, emerged from the later, the German Committee for Disaster Reduction eV.

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction ( ISDR )

With the end of the decade this by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction ( ISDR ) was replaced. The aim was that during the decade to pursue experience and initiated projects and collaborations, as well as to secure the inclusion of disaster risk reduction measures in the future. Specifically, the following four guidelines for the ISDR:

In Geneva, the ISDR Secretariat ( IDNDR Secretariat successor ) was established, which was supplemented by the Interagency Task Force on the Implementation of the Strategy. This is under the management of the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations.