The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World, adopted in 1994, marked a significant shift in disaster management. It moved beyond a purely reactive approach and focused on proactive measures to reduce disaster risk. The strategy recognized that a healthy environment is a key factor in a society's resilience to natural hazards.
Environmental Degradation and Disasters: The document highlights that environmental damage, such as deforestation, poor land use, and pollution, can increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters. For example, deforestation on hillsides can lead to landslides, and the destruction of mangroves can make coastal areas more vulnerable to tsunamis and storm surges.
Poverty and Vulnerability: The strategy also acknowledges that poverty often forces communities to live in high-risk, environmentally fragile areas. These communities may depend on natural resources in a way that contributes to environmental degradation, creating a vicious cycle of poverty, environmental damage, and disaster vulnerability.
Therefore, the Yokohama Strategy advocates for integrating environmental protection with poverty alleviation efforts. By managing natural resources sustainably and empowering communities to protect their environment, it is possible to reduce both their vulnerability to natural disasters and the need for costly disaster relief. This approach is consistent with the strategy's overall goal of building a "culture of prevention."
