Making Smart Choices: Disaster Risk Reduction At Home and Abroad

Between 2000 and 2011, more than 2.7 billion people were affected by and $1.3 trillion dollars was lost due to disasters. Earthquakes, floods, droughts, and cyclones are natural hazards believed to be natural disasters that can’t be prevented. The concept of Disaster Risk Reduction states that while we can’t prevent a hazard from happening, we can prevent it from becoming a disaster by investing in measures to mitigate the impact of these hazards on communities. By knowing the risks, reducing the exposure to hazards, managing land and the environment wisely, and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events, organizations can reduce the risk of disasters caused by natural hazards and ensure that their communities are more resilient when a natural hazard occurs.

Join leading experts on Disaster Risk Reduction David Applegate, Ph.D, While House Office of Science and Technology Policy Subcomittee on Disaster Risk Reduction, William Raisch, Director of the International Center for Enterprise Preparedness, NYU, Virginia Murray, Head of Extreme Events and Public Protection, Public Health England, and Mark Keim, Founder of Disaster Doc and White House Subcommittee on Disaster Risk Reduction, for an overview of international Disaster Risk Reduction best practices. The speakers will discuss how domestic organizations can collaborate with public and private sectors and through a variety of activities to align their preparedness efforts with Disaster Risk Reduction principles.