Disaster risk reduction (DRR) - a fundamental element of building resilience

This VOICE position paper, representing 84 European NGOs active in humanitarian aid worldwide, states that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is an essential element of strategies and programmes for resilience, and asserts: DRR should be prioritized in development programming; A focus on risk will lead to more effective assistance for vulnerable populations; Better coordination and an LRRD approach are needed for efficiency and effectiveness; A concerted global approach to building resilience can be supported by post-2015 frameworks.

It asserts that to enhance community resilience, there is an urgent need to invest in DRR, stating that DRR interlinks with and reinforces other areas of work towards community resilience, including Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and poverty reduction approaches. It highlights that: DRR should be adequately funded under EU and Member State development budget lines; Funding for DRR should reflect real risks. It further asserts that NGOs have a particular added value in supporting effective DRR programming, highlighting that DRR funding should be accessible to NGOs as development and humanitarian actors for programmes at local, national and international level.

The paper was released to mark International Day for Disaster Reduction, October 13th, 2012 by VOICE, the main NGO interlocutor with the European Union on emergency aid, relief, rehabilitation and disaster risk reduction. As a network, it represents and promotes the values and specificities of humanitarian NGOs, in collaboration with other humanitarian actors.