Adopted at the 1994 World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, the Yokohama Strategy marked a crucial shift in global disaster management. Before this, the focus was often on post-disaster response, which proved to be a costly and inefficient approach.
The Strategy's core principle is that disasters are not just random events; they are often the result of underlying vulnerabilities that can be addressed through proactive planning. By making disaster prevention and preparedness a fundamental part of development, countries can:
Build Resilient Infrastructure: Ensure that new roads, schools, hospitals, and homes are built to withstand natural hazards, thereby protecting human life and economic investment.
Promote Sustainable Development: Prevent disasters from wiping out decades of progress. A flood that destroys a newly built dam or a hurricane that wipes out a key agricultural region can set a nation's development back significantly.
Reduce Long-Term Costs: Proactive investment in risk reduction measures is far more cost-effective than a reactive response after a disaster. For example, installing an early warning system is much cheaper than rebuilding an entire city.
In essence, the Yokohama Strategy promoted a culture of prevention, moving from a reactive to a proactive model where disaster risk is considered and managed as a core component of all development activities.
