Download - Disaster Terminologies

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cceptable risk Adaptation Biologicalazard Building code Capacityapacity Development Climate change

Contingency planning Coping capacityCorrective disaster risk management

Critical facilities Disaster Disasterisk Disaster risk managementisaster risk reduction Disaster risk

eduction plan Early warning systemcosystem services El Nio-Southernscillation phenomenon Emergencyanagement Emergency services

nvironmental degradation Environmentalmpact assessment Exposurextensive risk Forecast Geologicalazard Greenhouse gases Hazardydrometeorological hazard Intensive

isk Land-use planning Mitigationational platform for disaster risk reductionatural hazard Preparedness Prevention

Prospective disaster risk managementublic awareness Recovery Residualisk Resilience Response Retrofttingisk Risk assessment Risk managementisk transfer Socio-natural hazardtructural measures Non-structural measures

Sustainable development Technologicalazard Vulnerability Acceptable riskdaptation Biological hazard Buildingode Capacity Capacity Development

Climate change Contingency planningCoping capacity Corrective disaster risk

anagement Critical facilities Disasterisaster risk Disaster risk managementisaster risk reduction Disaster risk

eduction plan Early warning systemcosystem services El Nio-Southernscillation phenomenon Emergencyanagement Emergency services

nvironmental degradation Environmentalmpact assessment Exposurextensive risk Forecast Geologicalazard Greenhouse gases Hazardydrometeorological hazard Intensive riskLand-use planning Mitigation National

latform for disaster risk reduction Natural

azard Preparedness Preventionrospective disaster risk management PTechnological hazard Vulnerability

United Nations

2009 UNISDR Terminologyon

DisasterRisk Reduction


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Building code Capacity Capacity DevelopmentClimate change Contingency planning Coping capaci

Corrective disaster risk management Critical facilitiDisaster Disaster risk Disaster risk management

Disaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction plEarly warning system Ecosystem services

Nio-Southern Oscillation phenomenon Emergenmanagement Emergency services Environmentdegradation Environmental impact assessmentExposure Extensive risk Forecast Geological haza

Greenhouse gases Hazard Hydrometeorologichazard Intensive risk Land-use planning Mitigati

National platform for disaster risk reduction Natur

hazard Preparedness Prevention Prospectidisaster risk management Public awareness RecoveResidual risk Resilience Response Retroftti

Risk Risk assessment Risk managemeRisk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structurmeasures Non-structural measures Sustainabdevelopment Technological hazard Vulnerabili

Acceptable risk Adaptation Biological hazardBuilding code Capacity Capacity DevelopmentClimate change Contingency planning Coping capaci

Corrective disaster risk management Critical facilitiDisaster Disaster risk Disaster risk management

Disaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction plEarly warning system Ecosystem services





Risk Risk assessment Risk managemeRisk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structural measur

Non-structural measures Sustainable developmeTechnological hazard Vulnerability Acceptab

risk Adaptation Biological hazard Buildicode Capacity Capacity Development Climachange Contingency planning Coping capacityCorrective disaster risk management Critical facilitiesDisaster Disaster risk Disaster risk managementDisaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction pl

Early warning system Ecosystem services





Published by the United Nations InternationalStrategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

Geneva, Switzerland, May 2009

United Nations, 2009 United Nations International Strategy

for Disaster Reduction, 2009All rights reserved

This publication may be freely quoted or reprinted,but acknowledgement of the source is requested.

The UNISDR encourages its reproduction andtranslation. If any reproductions or translations aregenerated, a copy of the document is requested to

be forwarded to the UNISDR.

The English terminology, and its translations intoArabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish, are

available on the UNISDR website at:www.unisdr.org/publications

and on PreventionWeb at:www.preventionweb.net


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2009 UNISDR Terminologyon

DisasterRisk Reduction


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ilding code Capacity Capacity Developmentimate change Contingency planning Coping capacityCorrective disaster risk management Critical facilitiesDisaster Disaster risk Disaster risk managementsaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction plan

Early warning system Ecosystem services El

o-Southern Oscillation phenomenon Emergencyanagement Emergency services Environmentalgradation Environmental impact assessmentposure Extensive risk Forecast Geological hazardGreenhouse gases Hazard Hydrometeorologicalzard Intensive risk Land-use planning MitigationNational platform for disaster risk reduction Natural

zard Preparedness Prevention Prospectivesaster risk management Public awareness RecoveryResidual risk Resilience Response Retroftting

sk Risk assessment Risk managementsk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structuraleasures Non-structural measures Sustainablevelopment Technological hazard Vulnerability

Acceptable risk Adaptation Biological hazardilding code Capacity Capacity Developmentimate change Contingency planning Coping capacityCorrective disaster risk management Critical facilitiesDisaster Disaster risk Disaster risk managementsaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction plan

Early warning system Ecosystem services El

o-Southern Oscillation phenomenon Emergencyanagement Emergency services Environmentalgradation Environmental impact assessmentposure Extensive risk Forecast Geological hazardGreenhouse gases Hazard Hydrometeorologicalzard Intensive risk Land-use planning MitigationNational platform for disaster risk reduction Natural

zard Preparedness Prevention Prospectivesaster risk management Public awareness RecoveryResidual risk Resilience Response Retroftting

sk Risk assessment Risk managementsk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structural measuresNon-structural measures Sustainable developmentTechnological hazard Vulnerability Acceptable

k Adaptation Biological hazard Buildingde Capacity Capacity Development Climateange Contingency planning Coping capacityrrective disaster risk management Critical facilities

saster Disaster risk Disaster risk managementsaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction planrly warning system Ecosystem services disaster

k management Public awareness Recoverysidual risk Resilience Response Retrofttingsk Risk assessment Risk managementsk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structural measuresNon-structural measures Sustainable developmentTechnological hazard Vulnerability Acceptable

k Adaptation Biological hazard Building

de Capacity Capacity Development Climateange Contingency planning Coping capacityrrective disaster risk management Critical facilities


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The United Nations International Strategy or DisasterReduction (UNISDR) Terminology aims to promotecommon understanding and common usage o disasterrisk reduction concepts and to assist the disaster risk reduction e orts o authorities, practitioners and thepublic. The previous version Terminology: Basic terms

o disaster risk reduction was published in Living withrisk: a global review o disaster risk reduction initiativesin 2004. The ollowing year, the Hyogo Framework orAction 2005-2015 requested the UNISDR to update andwidely disseminate international standard terminologyrelated to disaster risk reduction, at least in all o cial

United Nations languages, or use in programme andinstitutions development, operations, research, trainingcurricula and public in ormation programmes.

The 2009 version is the result o a process o ongoingreview by the UNISDR and consultations with a

broad range o experts and practitioners in variousinternational venues, regional discussions andnational settings. The terms are now de ned by asingle sentence. The comments paragraph associatedwith each term is not part o the de nition, but isprovided to give additional context, quali cation and

explanation. It should be noted that the terms are notnecessarily mutually exclusive, and in some cases mayhave overlapping meanings.

The Terminology has been revised to include wordsthat are central to the contemporary understanding

and evolving practice o disaster risk reduction butexclude words that have a common dictionary usage.Also included are a number o emerging new conceptsthat are not in widespread use but are o growingpro essional relevance; these terms are marked witha star (*) and their de nition may evolve in uture. The

English version o the 2009 Terminology provides thebasis or the preparation o other language versions.Comments and suggestions or uture revisions arewelcome and should be directed to the UNISDR(see www.unisdr.org).


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Acceptable risk 04 Adaptation 04

Biological hazard 04 Building code 05

Capacity 05 Capacity Development 06Climate change 06 Contingency planning 07

Coping capacity 08 Corrective disaster risk management* 08 Critical acilities 08

Disaster 09 Disaster risk 09 Disaster risk management 10 Disaster risk reduction 10Disaster risk reduction plan* 11

Early warning system 12 Ecosystemservices 12 El Nio-Southern Oscillationphenomenon 13 Emergencymanagement 13 Emergency services 14Environmental degradation 14 Environmentalimpact assessment 15 Exposure 15Extensive risk* 15

Forecast 16

Geological hazard 16 Greenhouse gases 17

Hazard 17 Hydrometeorological hazard 18

Terms

* Emerging new concepts that are not in widespreaduse but are o growing pro essional relevance;the de nition o these terms remain to be widelyconsulted upon and may change in uture.


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Intensive risk* 18

Land-use planning 19

Mitigation 19

National plat orm or disaster risk reduction 20Natural hazard 20

Preparedness 21 Prevention 22Prospective disaster risk management* 22Public awareness 22

Recovery 23 Residual risk 23 Resilience 24

Response 24 Retro tting 25 Risk 25Risk assessment 26 Risk management 26Risk trans er 27

Socio-natural hazard* 27 Structural andnon-structural measures 28 Sustainable

development 29

Technological hazard 29

Vulnerability 30


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Acceptable risk

The level o potential losses that a society

or community considers acceptable givenexisting social, economic, political, cultural,technical and environmental conditions.

Comment: In engineering terms, acceptable risk isalso used to assess and de ne the structural and

non-structural measures that are needed in order toreduce possible harm to people, property, services andsystems to a chosen tolerated level, according to codesor accepted practice which are based on knownprobabilities o hazards and other actors.

Adaptation

The adjustment in natural or human systemsin response to actual or expected climaticstimuli or their e ects, which moderates harmor exploits bene cial opportunities.

Comment: This de nition addresses the concerns o

climate change and is sourced rom the secretariato the United Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC). The broader concept o adaptation also applies to non-climatic actors suchas soil erosion or sur ace subsidence. Adaptation canoccur in autonomous ashion, or example through

market changes, or as a result o intentional adaptationpolicies and plans. Many disaster risk reductionmeasures can directly contribute to better adaptation.

Biological hazard

Process or phenomenon o organic originor conveyed by biological vectors, including

exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms,


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toxins and bioactive substances that maycause loss o li e, injury, illness or other healthimpacts, property damage, loss o livelihoods

and services, social and economic disruption,or environmental damage.

Comment: Examples o biological hazards includeoutbreaks o epidemic diseases, plant or animalcontagion, insect or other animal plagues andin estations.

Building codeA set o ordinances or regulations andassociated standards intended to controlaspects o the design, construction, materials,alteration and occupancy o structures thatare necessary to ensure human sa ety andwel are, including resistance to collapse anddamage.

Comment: Building codes can include both technical

and unctional standards. They should incorporatethe lessons o international experience and shouldbe tailored to national and local circumstances.A systematic regime o en orcement is a criticalsupporting requirement or e ective implementationo building codes.

Capacity

The combination o all the strengths,attributes and resources available within acommunity, society or organization that canbe used to achieve agreed goals.

Comment: Capacity may include in rastructure and


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physical means, institutions, societal coping abilities,as well as human knowledge, skills and collectiveattributes such as social relationships, leadershipand management. Capacity also may be describedas capability. Capacity assessment is a term or theprocess by which the capacity o a group is reviewedagainst desired goals, and the capacity gaps areidenti ed or urther action.

Capacity Development

The process by which people, organizations

and society systematically stimulate anddevelop their capacities over time to achievesocial and economic goals, including throughimprovement o knowledge, skills, systems,and institutions.

Comment: Capacity development is a concept thatextends the term o capacity building to encompassall aspects o creating and sustaining capacity growthover time. It involves learning and various typeso training, but also continuous e orts to develop

institutions, political awareness, nancial resources,technology systems, and the wider social and culturalenabling environment.

Climate change

(a) The Inter-governmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) de nes climate change as:

a change in the state o the climate thatcan be identi ed (e.g., by using statisticaltests) by changes in the mean and/or thevariability o its properties, and that persists

or an extended period, typically decades or

longer. Climate change may be due to natural


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internal processes or external orcings, orto persistent anthropogenic changes in thecomposition o the atmosphere or in land

use.

(b) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)de nes climate change as a change o

climate which is attributed directly orindirectly to human activity that alters thecomposition o the global atmosphereand which is in addition to natural climatevariability observed over comparable time

periods.Comment: For disaster risk reduction purposes, eithero these de nitions may be suitable, depending onthe particular context. The UNFCCC de nition is themore restricted one as it excludes climate changes

attributable to natural causes. The IPCC de nitioncan be paraphrased or popular communications asA change in the climate that persists or decades orlonger, arising rom either natural causes or humanactivity.

Contingency planning

A management process that analyses speci cpotential events or emerging situations thatmight threaten society or the environmentand establishes arrangements in advanceto enable timely, e ective and appropriateresponses to such events and situations.

Comment: Contingency planning results in organizedand coordinated courses o action with clearly-identi ed institutional roles and resources, in ormationprocesses, and operational arrangements or speci cactors at times o need. Based on scenarios o possible

emergency conditions or disaster events, it allows key


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actors to envision, anticipate and solve problems thatcan arise during crises. Contingency planning is animportant part o overall preparedness. Contingencyplans need to be regularly updated and exercised.

Coping capacity

The ability o people, organizations andsystems, using available skills and resources,to ace and manage adverse conditions,emergencies or disasters.

Comment: The capacity to cope requires continuingawareness, resources and good management, bothin normal times as well as during crises or adverseconditions. Coping capacities contribute to thereduction o disaster risks.

Corrective disaster risk management *

Management activities that address and seek to correct or reduce disaster risks which arealready present.

Comment: This concept aims to distinguish betweenthe risks that are already present, and which need to

be managed and reduced now, and the prospectiverisks that may develop in uture i risk reductionpolicies are not put in place. See also Prospective risk management.

Critical acilities

The primary physical structures, technical

acilities and systems which are socially,


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economically or operationally essential to theunctioning o a society or community, both

in routine circumstances and in the extreme

circumstances o an emergency.Comment: Critical acilities are elements o thein rastructure that support essential services ina society. They include such things as transportsystems, air and sea ports, electricity, water and

communications systems, hospitals and health clinics,and centres or re, police and public administrationservices.

Disaster

A serious disruption o the unctioning o acommunity or a society involving widespread

human, material, economic or environmentallosses and impacts, which exceeds the abilityo the a ected community or society to copeusing its own resources.

Comment: Disasters are o ten described as a resulto the combination o : the exposure to a hazard;the conditions o vulnerability that are present; andinsu cient capacity or measures to reduce or copewith the potential negative consequences. Disasterimpacts may include loss o li e, injury, disease andother negative e ects on human physical, mental andsocial well-being, together with damage to property,destruction o assets, loss o services, social andeconomic disruption and environmental degradation.

Disaster risk

The potential disaster losses, in lives, healthstatus, livelihoods, assets and services, which


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hazards, lessened vulnerability o people andproperty, wise management o land and theenvironment, and improved preparedness or

adverse events.Comment: A comprehensive approach to reducedisaster risks is set out in the United Nations-endorsedHyogo Framework or Action, adopted in 2005, whoseexpected outcome is The substantial reduction o

disaster losses, in lives and the social, economic andenvironmental assets o communities and countries. The International Strategy or Disaster Reduction (ISDR)system provides a vehicle or cooperation amongGovernments, organisations and civil society actors toassist in the implementation o the Framework. Note

that while the term disaster reduction is sometimesused, the term disaster risk reduction provides abetter recognition o the ongoing nature o disasterrisks and the ongoing potential to reduce these risks.

Disaster risk reduction plan *

A document prepared by an authority, sector,

organization or enterprise that sets outgoals and speci c objectives or reducingdisaster risks together with related actions toaccomplish these objectives.

Comment: Disaster risk reduction plans should beguided by the Hyogo Framework and consideredand coordinated within relevant development plans,resource allocations and programme activities.National level plans needs to be speci c to each levelo administrative responsibility and adapted to thedi erent social and geographical circumstances thatare present. The time rame and responsibilities orimplementation and the sources o unding shouldbe speci ed in the plan. Linkages to climate changeadaptation plans should be made where possible.


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Early warning system

The set o capacities needed to generate

and disseminate timely and meaning ulwarning in ormation to enable individuals,communities and organizations threatenedby a hazard to prepare and to actappropriately and in su cient time to reduce

the possibility o harm or loss.Comment: This de nition encompasses the range o

actors necessary to achieve e ective responses towarnings. A people-centred early warning systemnecessarily comprises our key elements: knowledge

o the risks; monitoring, analysis and orecasting o the hazards; communication or dissemination o alerts and warnings; and local capabilities to respondto the warnings received. The expression end-to-end warning system is also used to emphasize thatwarning systems need to span all steps rom hazard

detection through to community response.

Ecosystem services

The bene ts that people and communitiesobtain rom ecosystems.

Comment: This de nition is drawn rom the MillenniumEcosystem Assessment. The bene ts that ecosystemscan provide include regulating services such asregulation o foods, drought, land degradation anddisease, along with provisioning services such as oodand water, supporting services such as soil ormationand nutrient cycling, and cultural services such asrecreational, spiritual, religious and other non-materialbene ts. Integrated management o land, water andliving resources that promotes conservation andsustainable use provide the basis or maintainingecosystem services, including those that contribute toreduced disaster risks.


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El Nio-Southern Oscillationphenomenon

A complex interaction o the tropical Paci cOcean and the global atmosphere that resultsin irregularly occurring episodes o changedocean and weather patterns in many partso the world, o ten with signi cant impacts

over many months, such as altered marinehabitats, rain all changes, foods, droughts,and changes in storm patterns.

Comment: The El Nio part o the El Nio-SouthernOscillation (ENSO) phenomenon re ers to the well-

above-average ocean temperatures that occur alongthe coasts o Ecuador, Peru and northern Chile andacross the eastern equatorial Paci c Ocean, while LaNia part re ers to the opposite circumstances whenwell-below-average ocean temperatures occur. TheSouthern Oscillation re ers to the accompanyingchanges in the global air pressure patterns thatare associated with the changed weather patternsexperienced in di erent parts o the world.

Emergency management

The organization and management o resources and responsibilities or addressing

all aspects o emergencies, in particularpreparedness, response and initial recoverysteps.

Comment: A crisis or emergency is a threateningcondition that requires urgent action. E ectiveemergency action can avoid the escalation o an eventinto a disaster. Emergency management involvesplans and institutional arrangements to engage andguide the e orts o government, non-government,voluntary and private agencies in comprehensiveand coordinated ways to respond to the entire


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spectrum o emergency needs. The expressiondisaster management is sometimes used instead o emergency management.

Emergency services

The set o specialized agencies that havespeci c responsibilities and objectives inserving and protecting people and propertyin emergency situations.

Comment: Emergency services include agencies suchas civil protection authorities, police, re, ambulance,paramedic and emergency medicine services, RedCross and Red Crescent societies, and specializedemergency units o electricity, transportation,communications and other related servicesorganizations.

Environmental degradation

The reduction o the capacity o theenvironment to meet social and ecologicalobjectives and needs.

Comment: Degradation o the environment can alter

the requency and intensity o natural hazards andincrease the vulnerability o communities. The typeso human-induced degradation are varied and includeland misuse, soil erosion and loss, deserti cation,wildland res, loss o biodiversity, de orestation,mangrove destruction, land, water and air pollution,

climate change, sea level rise and ozone depletion.


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Environmental impact assessment

Process by which the environmental

consequences o a proposed project orprogramme are evaluated, undertaken asan integral part o planning and decision-making processes with a view to limiting orreducing the adverse impacts o the project

or programme.Comment: Environmental impact assessment is apolicy tool that provides evidence and analysis o environmental impacts o activities rom conceptionto decision-making. It is utilized extensively in national

programming and project approval processes andor international development assistance projects.Environmental impact assessments should includedetailed risk assessments and provide alternatives,solutions or options to deal with identi ed problems.

Exposure

People, property, systems, or other elementspresent in hazard zones that are therebysubject to potential losses.

Comment: Measures o exposure can include thenumber o people or types o assets in an area. Thesecan be combined with the speci c vulnerability o theexposed elements to any particular hazard to estimatethe quantitative risks associated with that hazard in thearea o interest.

Extensive risk *

The widespread risk associated with theexposure o dispersed populations torepeated or persistent hazard conditions


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o low or moderate intensity, o ten o ahighly localized nature, which can lead todebilitating cumulative disaster impacts.

Comment: Extensive risk is mainly a characteristic o rural areas and urban margins where communitiesare exposed to, and vulnerable to, recurring localisedfoods, landslides storms or drought. Extensive risk is o ten associated with poverty, urbanization and

environmental degradation. See also Intensive risk.

Forecast

De nite statement or statistical estimateo the likely occurrence o a uture event orconditions or a speci c area.

Comment: In meteorology a orecast re ers to a uturecondition, whereas a warning re ers to a potentiallydangerous uture condition.

Geological hazard

Geological process or phenomenon thatmay cause loss o li e, injury or other healthimpacts, property damage, loss o livelihoodsand services, social and economic disruption,or environmental damage.

Comment: Geological hazards include internalearth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanicactivity and emissions, and related geophysicalprocesses such as mass movements, landslides,rockslides, sur ace collapses, and debris or mudfows. Hydrometeorological actors are importantcontributors to some o these processes. Tsunamisare di cult to categorize; although they are triggered

by undersea earthquakes and other geological


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events, they are essentially an oceanic process that ismani ested as a coastal water-related hazard.

Greenhouse gases

Gaseous constituents o the atmosphere,

both natural and anthropogenic, that absorband emit radiation o thermal in raredradiation emitted by the Earths sur ace, theatmosphere itsel , and by clouds.

Comment: This is the de nition o theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The main greenhouse gases (GHG) are water vapour,carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone.

Hazard

A dangerous phenomenon, substance,human activity or condition that may causeloss o li e, injury or other health impacts,property damage, loss o livelihoods andservices, social and economic disruption, orenvironmental damage.

Comment: The hazards o concern to disaster risk reduction as stated in ootnote 3 o the HyogoFramework are hazards o natural origin andrelated environmental and technological hazards andrisks. Such hazards arise rom a variety o geological,meteorological, hydrological, oceanic, biological,

and technological sources, sometimes acting incombination. In technical settings, hazards aredescribed quantitatively by the likely requency o occurrence o di erent intensities or di erent areas, asdetermined rom historical data or scienti c analysis.


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See other hazard-related terms in the Terminology:Biological hazard; Geological hazard;Hydrometeorological hazard; Natural hazard; Socio-natural hazard; Technological hazard.

Hydrometeorological hazard

Process or phenomenon o atmospheric,hydrological or oceanographic nature thatmay cause loss o li e, injury or other healthimpacts, property damage, loss o livelihoods

and services, social and economic disruption,or environmental damage.

Comment: Hydrometeorological hazards includetropical cyclones (also known as typhoons andhurricanes), thunderstorms, hailstorms, tornados,

blizzards, heavy snow all, avalanches, coastal stormsurges, foods including fash foods, drought,heatwaves and cold spells. Hydrometeorologicalconditions also can be a actor in other hazards suchas landslides, wildland res, locust plagues, epidemics,and in the transport and dispersal o toxic substances

and volcanic eruption material

Intensive risk *

The risk associated with the exposure o largeconcentrations o people and economicactivities to intense hazard events, whichcan lead to potentially catastrophic disasterimpacts involving high mortality and assetloss.

Comment: Intensive risk is mainly a characteristico large cities or densely populated areas thatare not only exposed to intense hazards such asstrong earthquakes, active volcanoes, heavy foods,


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well as improved environmental policies and publicawareness. It should be noted that in climate changepolicy, mitigation is de ned di erently, being theterm used or the reduction o greenhouse gasemissions that are the source o climate change.

National plat orm or disaster risk reduction

A generic term or national mechanismsor coordination and policy guidance on

disaster risk reduction that are multi-sectoraland inter-disciplinary in nature, with public,private and civil society participationinvolving all concerned entities within acountry.

Comment: This de nition is derived rom ootnote10 o the Hyogo Framework. Disaster risk reductionrequires the knowledge, capacities and inputs o awide range o sectors and organisations, includingUnited Nations agencies present at the national level,as appropriate. Most sectors are a ected directlyor indirectly by disasters and many have speci cresponsibilities that impinge upon disaster risks.National plat orms provide a means to enhancenational action to reduce disaster risks, and theyrepresent the national mechanism or the InternationalStrategy or Disaster Reduction.

Natural hazard

Natural process or phenomenon that maycause loss o li e, injury or other healthimpacts, property damage, loss o livelihoodsand services, social and economic disruption,

or environmental damage.


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Comment: Natural hazards are a sub-set o all hazards. The term is used to describe actual hazard events aswell as the latent hazard conditions that may giverise to uture events. Natural hazard events can becharacterized by their magnitude or intensity, speedo onset, duration, and area o extent. For example,earthquakes have short durations and usually a ect arelatively small region, whereas droughts are slow todevelop and ade away and o ten a ect large regions.In some cases hazards may be coupled, as in the foodcaused by a hurricane or the tsunami that is created byan earthquake.

Preparedness

The knowledge and capacities developedby governments, pro essional responseand recovery organizations, communitiesand individuals to e ectively anticipate,respond to, and recover rom, the impacts o likely, imminent or current hazard events orconditions.

Comment: Preparedness action is carried out withinthe context o disaster risk management and aimsto build the capacities needed to e ciently manageall types o emergencies and achieve orderlytransitions rom response through to sustainedrecovery. Preparedness is based on a sound analysiso disaster risks and good linkages with early warningsystems, and includes such activities as contingencyplanning, stockpiling o equipment and supplies,the development o arrangements or coordination,evacuation and public in ormation, and associatedtraining and eld exercises. These must be supportedby ormal institutional, legal and budgetary capacities. The related term readiness describes the ability toquickly and appropriately respond when required.


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Prevention

The outright avoidance o adverse impacts o

hazards and related disasters.Comment: Prevention (i.e. disaster prevention)expresses the concept and intention to completelyavoid potential adverse impacts through action takenin advance. Examples include dams or embankmentsthat eliminate food risks, land-use regulations thatdo not permit any settlement in high risk zones,and seismic engineering designs that ensure thesurvival and unction o a critical building in any likelyearthquake. Very o ten the complete avoidance o losses is not easible and the task trans orms to that o

mitigation. Partly or this reason, the terms preventionand mitigation are sometimes used interchangeably incasual use.

Prospective disaster risk management *

Management activities that address and seek

to avoid the development o new or increaseddisaster risks.

Comment: This concept ocuses on addressing risksthat may develop in uture i risk reduction policiesare not put in place, rather than on the risks that

are already present and which can be managedand reduced now. See also Corrective disaster risk management.

Public awareness

The extent o common knowledge aboutdisaster risks, the actors that lead to disasters

and the actions that can be taken individually


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and collectively to reduce exposure andvulnerability to hazards.

Comment: Public awareness is a key actor in e ectivedisaster risk reduction. Its development is pursued, orexample, through the development and disseminationo in ormation through media and educationalchannels, the establishment o in ormation centres,networks, and community or participation actions,and advocacy by senior public o cials and communityleaders.

Recovery The restoration, and improvement whereappropriate, o acilities, livelihoods and livingconditions o disaster-a ected communities,

including e orts to reduce disaster risk actors.

Comment: The recovery task o rehabilitation andreconstruction begins soon a ter the emergencyphase has ended, and should be based on pre-existing

strategies and policies that acilitate clear institutionalresponsibilities or recovery action and enable publicparticipation. Recovery programmes, coupled with theheightened public awareness and engagement a ter adisaster, a ord a valuable opportunity to develop andimplement disaster risk reduction measures and to

apply the build back better principle.

Residual risk

The risk that remains in unmanaged orm,even when e ective disaster risk reductionmeasures are in place, and or whichemergency response and recovery capacities

must be maintained.


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Comment: The presence o residual risk implies acontinuing need to develop and support e ectivecapacities or emergency services, preparedness,response and recovery together with socio-economicpolicies such as sa ety nets and risk trans ermechanisms.

Resilience

The ability o a system, community orsociety exposed to hazards to resist, absorb,accommodate to and recover rom the e ectso a hazard in a timely and e cient manner,including through the preservation andrestoration o its essential basic structuresand unctions.

Comment: Resilience means the ability to resilerom or spring back rom a shock. The resilience o

a community in respect to potential hazard events isdetermined by the degree to which the community hasthe necessary resources and is capable o organizingitsel both prior to and during times o need.

Response

The provision o emergency services andpublic assistance during or immediatelya ter a disaster in order to save lives, reducehealth impacts, ensure public sa ety and meetthe basic subsistence needs o the peoplea ected.

Comment: Disaster response is predominantly ocusedon immediate and short-term needs and is sometimescalled disaster relie . The division between thisresponse stage and the subsequent recovery stage


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is not clear-cut. Some response actions, such as thesupply o temporary housing and water supplies, mayextend well into the recovery stage.

Retroftting

Rein orcement or upgrading o existingstructures to become more resistant andresilient to the damaging e ects o hazards.

Comment: Retro tting requires consideration o thedesign and unction o the structure, the stresses that

the structure may be subject to rom particular hazardsor hazard scenarios, and the practicality and costs o di erent retro tting options. Examples o retro ttinginclude adding bracing to sti en walls, rein orcingpillars, adding steel ties between walls and roo s,installing shutters on windows, and improving theprotection o important acilities and equipment.

Risk The combination o the probability o anevent and its negative consequences.

Comment: This de nition closely ollows the de nitiono the ISO/IEC Guide 73. The word risk has twodistinctive connotations: in popular usage theemphasis is usually placed on the concept o chance orpossibility, such as in the risk o an accident; whereasin technical settings the emphasis is usually placedon the consequences, in terms o potential losses

or some particular cause, place and period. It can benoted that people do not necessarily share the sameperceptions o the signi cance and underlying causeso di erent risks.

See other risk-related terms in the Terminology: Acceptable risk; Corrective disaster risk management;


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Disaster risk; Disaster risk management; Disaster risk reduction; Disaster risk reduction plans; Extensive risk;Intensive risk; Prospective disaster risk management;Residual risk; Risk assessment; Risk management; Risk transfer.

Risk assessmentA methodology to determine the natureand extent o risk by analysing potentialhazards and evaluating existing conditions o vulnerability that together could potentiallyharm exposed people, property, services,livelihoods and the environment on whichthey depend.

Comment: Risk assessments (and associated

risk mapping) include: a review o the technicalcharacteristics o hazards such as their location,intensity, requency and probability; the analysis o exposure and vulnerability including the physicalsocial, health, economic and environmentaldimensions; and the evaluation o the e ectiveness

o prevailing and alternative coping capacities inrespect to likely risk scenarios. This series o activities issometimes known as a risk analysis process.

Risk management

The systematic approach and practice o managing uncertainty to minimize potential

harm and loss.Comment: Risk management comprises risk assessment and analysis, and the implementation o strategies and speci c actions to control, reduce andtrans er risks. It is widely practiced by organizations to

minimise risk in investment decisions and to address


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programmes. Note that in civil and structuralengineering, the term structural is used in a morerestricted sense to mean just the load-bearingstructure, with other parts such as wall cladding andinterior ttings being termed non-structural.

Sustainable developmentDevelopment that meets the needs o thepresent without compromising the ability o

uture generations to meet their own needs.

Comment: This de nition coined by the 1987Brundtland Commission is very succinct but it leavesunanswered many questions regarding the meaningo the word development and the social, economicand environmental processes involved. Disasterrisk is associated with unsustainable elements o development such as environmental degradation,while conversely disaster risk reduction can contributeto the achievement o sustainable development,through reduced losses and improved developmentpractices.

Technological hazard

A hazard originating rom technological orindustrial conditions, including accidents,dangerous procedures, in rastructure ailuresor speci c human activities, that may causeloss o li e, injury, illness or other health

impacts, property damage, loss o livelihoodsand services, social and economic disruption,or environmental damage.


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Comment: Examples o technological hazards includeindustrial pollution, nuclear radiation, toxic wastes,dam ailures, transport accidents, actory explosions,

res, and chemical spills. Technological hazards alsomay arise directly as a result o the impacts o a naturalhazard event.

Vulnerability

The characteristics and circumstances o a community, system or asset that makeit susceptible to the damaging e ects o ahazard.

Comment: There are many aspects o vulnerability,arising rom various physical, social, economic, andenvironmental actors. Examples may include poordesign and construction o buildings, inadequateprotection o assets, lack o public in ormation and

awareness, limited o cial recognition o risks andpreparedness measures, and disregard or wiseenvironmental management. Vulnerability variessigni cantly within a community and over time. Thisde nition identi es vulnerability as a characteristic o the element o interest (community, system or asset)

which is independent o its exposure. However, incommon use the word is o ten used more broadly toinclude the elements exposure.

* Emerging new concepts that are not in widespreaduse but are o growing pro essional relevance; thede nition o these terms remain to be widely consultedupon and may change in uture.


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Acceptable risk Adaptation Biologicalhazard Building code Capacity CapacityDevelopment Climate change Contingencyplanning Coping capacity Corrective disasterrisk management Critical facilities Disaster

Disaster risk Disaster risk managementDisaster risk reduction Disaster risk reductionplan Early warning system Ecosystem services

El Nio-Southern Oscillation phenomenonEmergency management Emergency servicesEnvironmental degradation Environmental impactassessment Exposure Extensive risk Forecast

Geological hazard Greenhouse gases HazardHydrometeorological hazard Intensive risk

Land-use planning Mitigation National platformfor disaster risk reduction Natural hazardPreparedness Prevention Prospective disasterrisk management Public awareness RecoveryResidual risk Resilience Response RetrofttingRisk Risk assessment Risk managementRisk transfer Socio-natural hazard Structuralmeasures Non-structural measures Sustainabledevelopment Technological hazard Vulnerability

Acceptable risk Adaptation Biologicalhazard Building code Capacity CapacityDevelopment Climate change Contingencyplanning Coping capacity Corrective disasterrisk management Critical facilities Disaster

Disaster risk Disaster risk managementDisaster risk reduction Disaster risk reductionplan Early warning system Ecosystem services

El Nio-Southern Oscillation phenomenonEmergency management Emergency servicesEnvironmental degradation Environmental riskmanagement Public awareness RecoveryResidual risk Resilience Response RetrofttingRisk Risk assessment Risk management

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UNISDR West Asia andNorth Africa, Cairoinfo@unisdr-wana org