Question

The World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, which adopted the Yokohama Strategy, was convened in which year?

• A. 1987
• B. 1990
• C. 1994
• D. 2005

Answer 1

Answer:

C. 1994

This conference took place in Yokohama, Japan, from May 23 to 27, 1994. Its primary purpose was to conduct a mid-term review of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), which ran from 1990 to 1999.

The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World was the key outcome of this conference. It was a significant document that set a new direction for global disaster reduction efforts. The strategy reinforced the core principles of the IDNDR while also introducing several key elements:

• Shift in Focus: It moved the emphasis from post-disaster response to pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation.

• Emphasis on Vulnerability: It highlighted the social, economic, and environmental factors that increase a community's vulnerability to disasters.

• Adoption of a "Culture of Prevention": It called for a global shift in mindset to proactively integrate disaster prevention into all aspects of development and planning.

The Yokohama Strategy served as the foundational framework for disaster risk reduction until it was succeeded by the Hyogo Framework for Action in 2005.