Question

According to the Yokohama Strategy, what is considered the foundational step for creating effective disaster reduction policies?

• A. International cooperation
• B. Community training
• C. Risk assessment
• D. Post-disaster reconstruction

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Risk assessment

The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World (1994) moved the international approach to disaster management from simply reacting to disasters to proactively preventing them. It recognized that effective prevention cannot happen without a thorough understanding of the risks involved.

Risk assessment involves a systematic process of identifying the potential hazards a community faces, analyzing its vulnerabilities, and evaluating the potential impacts. This includes:

• Hazard Identification: Pinpointing the types of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, or droughts, that are likely to occur in a specific area.

• Vulnerability Analysis: Examining the social, economic, and physical weaknesses of a community that make it susceptible to harm from a hazard. This could include things like unstable housing, lack of early warning systems, or dependence on a single economic sector.

• Impact Evaluation: Estimating the potential human, economic, and environmental losses that could result from a disaster.

By conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, governments and communities can identify where they are most vulnerable and allocate resources strategically. This foundational step ensures that disaster reduction policies are not based on guesswork but on solid data, leading to more targeted and effective mitigation efforts.