chapter 4 - DRK

Strictly under embargo until Wednesday 22 September at 00:01 GMT (02:01 Geneva time)Urban governance anddisaster risk reductionThis year sees an unprecedented level of attention on urban governance and sustainableurban development, not least in the new campaign being launched by the UnitedNations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Making CitiesResilient, which seeks the commitment of mayors, city leaders and local governmentsto concrete measures to reduce disaster risk, and to work on their implementation withcommunity organizations, the private sector and national governments.According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), theMillennium Development Goal ‘slum target’ has been reached, improving the livesof 227 million people, particularly in China and India, but the population of slumdwellers around the world continues to grow at around 10 per cent annually. Lessonsclearly need to be learned from this about how good urban management practices insome parts of the world can facilitate learning and help reduce risk in other parts wherelittle progress is being made, particularly among the urban populations of sub-SaharanAfrica and west Asia.The quality and capacity of local government in a city have an enormous influence onthe level of risk that its population faces from disasters and, in particular, on whetherrisk-reducing infrastructure serves everyone including those living in low-income areas.Local or municipal governments also influence whether provision has been made toremove or reduce disaster risk from events such as floods and large-scale fires or to buildinto the city the capacity to withstand potential disaster events such as earthquakes.The quality and capacity of local government also have an enormous influence on thelevels of risk from everyday hazards that can contribute much to mortality, injury orillness but that are not considered disasters, such as vector-borne diseases and trafficaccidents. These risks are not an inherent characteristic of cities but the result of thelimitations of their governments in meeting their responsibilities and, more broadly, oflimitations of governance including the quality of their relations with the inhabitantsand civil society organizations.Most of what local governments do, or should be doing, is about reducing risks fortheir populations through ensuring services such as good provision for water, sanitation,drainage, solid waste collection, healthcare, all-weather access roads, electricity,emergency services and provision for transport and traffic management. They shouldalso ensure health and safety standards are met. Even if provision for some of theseare contracted to private enterprises or provided by higher levels of government, it isusually the responsibility of local government to coordinate or oversee their provision.Local governments that support meeting development needs reduce disaster risk. InPhoto opposite page:In Aceh, Indonesia,builders work indifficult conditionsunder a very hot sunto construct a largewater reservoir, builtwith support fromthe Indonesian andAmerican Red CrossSocieties.© Vina Agustina/American Red CrossWorld Disasters Report 2010 – Focus on urban risk139