| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2014) 216 final (08.04.14) |
| Publication Date | 08/04/2014 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) "Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters" is a 10-year plan adopted by 168 UN Member States which voluntarily committed to work on five priorities for action with the objective of making the world safer from natural hazards and building disaster resilience. Adopted in 2005, the HFA is due to expire in 2015 and a wide consultation process is taking place on shaping the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction that will be endorsed at the 3rd World conference for disaster risk reduction in Sendai (Japan) on 14-18 March, 2015. Disasters and climate risks have a major impact on the economy as well as on the security and well-being of citizens. In recent years, exposure to disasters has increased significantly due to climate change, rapid and unplanned urbanisation, demographic pressure, construction and more intensive land-use in hazard prone areas, biodiversity loss and eco-system degradation. Between 2002 and 2012, natural disasters have caused the death of more than 100,000 people annually on average. In the past decade, there has been an increasing trend in direct overall losses worldwide, with an average annual economic loss of over €100 billion. Impacts vary across regions depending on the geographic exposure to risk as well as level of socio-economic development. While fatalities tend to be higher in developing countries and economic losses higher in developed economies, all countries are vulnerable to disasters. The European Union is not spared, with natural disasters causing 80,000 deaths and €95 billion in economic losses over the last decade. To address these alarming trends, risk prevention and management policies are essential to ensure sustainable development and economic growth, both within the Union and worldwide. Prevention and risk management make strong economic sense in terms of avoiding losses with a rate of return on every euro between 4 and 7 times. Investments in disaster risk management bring also extended economic benefits and can act as a means of promoting jobs and help to ensure structural sustainability of public and private finances. Against this background, a renewed international framework for disaster risk reduction offers a unique opportunity to build on the successes of the HFA to better address future challenges. The outcomes of initiatives such as the Rio +20 Summit, the UNFCCC and the extensive international support for the resilience agenda, show that risk reduction and disaster management should become a priority for developing countries, emerging economies and developed countries. The revision of the HFA is also an opportunity for the EU to take stock of the policies developed and progress made in building resilience and disaster risk management through EU policies and support provided through development cooperation and humanitarian aid. The purpose of this Communication is to set out the Commission's initial views on the shaping of the post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action building on the achievements of a range of EU policies including civil protection, environmental protection, internal security, climate change adaptation, health, research and innovation, as well as the resilience agenda promoted through the EU external action. It analyses progress made and addresses implementation gaps and emerging challenges of increasing risks in the future. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2014:216:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
