As climate change, environmental degradation, rapid urbanization and population growth contribute to an expected increase in the number and severity of emergency events, the humanitarian community is tasked with responding to an unprecedented number of people in need.
United by God's call to protect the most vulnerable, Catholic Relief Services advocates for effective strategies to better serve the poor, restore human dignity, and promote equity — one of those strategies is disaster risk reduction. Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters, including:
- Reducing exposure to hazards
- Lessening vulnerability of people and property
- Wise management of land and the environment
- And improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events
These strategies save lives and fortify at-risk communities from the intersectional burdens of recovering from an emergency event.
In fact, every dollar spent on disaster preparedness saves $7-$10 in disaster response. While emergency response and relief services are important, humanitarian organizations, community leaders, and world leaders must work together to increase attention and funding for long-term disaster risk reduction and development strategies.
Join our efforts to live out God's call to protect the most vulnerable by signing our petition calling on leaders to strengthen at-risk communities by funding disaster risk reduction and development programs.
