Unplanned development creates higher levels of disaster risk, which threatens efforts to eliminate poverty and boost shared prosperity. All development planning should therefore integrate appropriate disaster resilience measures. In addition, investing in disaster risk management (DRM) yields multiple benefits. It helps avoid losses when disasters strike, unlocks development potential and produces economic, social, and environmental co-benefits.
This Brief offers seven key messages that should be addressed to ensure that disaster risk does not hamper the progress of achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs):
All development plans and investments should be risk informed:
- to build a resilient future, it is critical that all development plans and investments are screened for disaster and climate risk and integrate appropriate resilience measures where risks exist. Investments in infrastructure will continue to increase with the rapid pace of urban growth and economic development. Through risk-sensitive planning and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, societies can safeguard these key investments
- risk assessments should drive policies: For development to be sustainable, risk assessments should inform national and sub-national policies and investments. This is the first step for countries to understand risk, reduce existing risk and prevent the creation of new risk
- prevention and preparedness are cost efficient: The direct and the indirect benefits from investing in prevention and preparedness measures are far greater than the potential costs that would be incurred without them. Even in the absence of a disaster event, investing in resilience can yield significant benefits
- resilient recovery is an opportunity to build back better: Access to immediate funding and technical support in the aftermath of a disaster helps rebuild critical infrastructure so that people, communities and economies can bounce back faster. Financing to build back better after disasters strike is therefore essential for building a resilient future
- financial protection reduces the financial impact of disasters: Financial protection strategies help manage the financial impacts of disasters. It is cheaper to combine and use appropriate instruments to target the different layers of risk. Risk financing provides benefits to investment beyond disaster losses
- scalable social protection can be an effective mechanism to protect development gains: Scalable social safety net programmes, if appropriately designed, can rapidly channel resources to those most affected by disasters. This prevents more people from falling into poverty
- private sector can play a key role: The private sector can play an important role in reducing disaster losses before and after disasters strike. Businesses can enhance their own profitability, while insurance mechanisms can help countries, businesses and households manage the impacts of disasters