SUMMARY

DISASTER MITIGATION AND THE UNITED NATIONS

The policy goals of UNDP/DHA include specific attention to strengthening the ability of societies to protect themselves from natural hazards.

The UNDP Country Programming exercise offers an opportunity for UNDP to assess its potential contribution to governments to help them develop their capacity for disaster management.

Such assistance may include specific disaster mitigation projects but should also include incorporating disaster mitigation into projects in other sectors.

Disasters are an international problem. DHA and UNDP are important vehicles for facilitating international exchanges and developing an international approach to disaster mitigation.

A key UN role is to help build the national institutions which will perpetuate the mitigation program.

For hazards of regional impact, such as earthquakes and drought, regional cooperation projects can be valuable in building warning systems and sharing regional experience and expertise.

Knowledge in the field of disaster mitigation is developing rapidly. UN funding is a vital means of bringing to developing countries the new knowledge - both of the hazards and the means of combatting them - that can make implementation programs more effective.