Disaster risk management

The floods in Pakistan in 2022 and the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey in 2023 are just a few recent examples of natural events leading to disasters. Disasters claim human lives, destroy livelihoods, lead to the destruction of ecosystems, and are often felt by society as a whole for years afterward. The economic loss caused by disasters has more than doubled in the past three decades. The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change also highlight that in an increasingly interconnected world, the effects of disasters are more frequently felt across regions and sectors. Disadvantaged and marginalized populations are disproportionately affected.

Furthermore, disasters have particularly severe impacts in fragile and conflict-affected countries, which are particularly exposed to hazards and often lack insufficient capacities for adequate disaster risk management. Furthermore, an increasing amount of infrastructure is located in densely populated and increasingly vulnerable areas. However, disaster risks are hardly taken into account in the rapid development of urban areas and economic zones.

Disasters can suddenly wipe out many years of development success and reduce development opportunities in affected countries, yet risks are not yet adequately taken into account in the planning and implementation of development measures.

GIZ’s disaster risk management operates at different levels to reduce risk in the long term. Functioning disaster risk management needs binding structures and legislation for which regional and national agencies are responsible. This is why GIZ supports links between local, national and regional structures.

Disaster risk management is a crosscutting topic that impacts all aspects of development. National policy advice and the international debate increasingly aim at partners to include risk reduction measures, not only in their risk prevention plans but also in their poverty reduction strategies, budgetary planning, and development plans for sectors such as agriculture and education.

GIZ wants to integrate disaster risk management across the board. It therefore places emphasis on involving representatives of public institutions and civil society in all its measures. For the further development of its concepts, instruments and methods, GIZ cooperates with specialist and research bodies in Germany and internationally.

GIZ has more than 20 years of experience in disaster risk management. Skilled experts apply proven methods to implement sustainable disaster risk management.

This begins with a risk analysis. GIZ experts assess the risk, exposure, and vulnerability of a community in a specific area, using digital methods where possible. This includes analysing the probability and severity of a hazard, identifying a community's risk factors, developing damage scenarios, and prioritizing risk-reducing measures. Prevention includes, for example, structural and technical measures such as flood walls or slope protection structures, as well as non-structural measures such as land-use restrictions and awareness-raising activities.

GIZ supports disaster preparedness with technical equipment (e.g., early warning systems), securing infrastructure, and capacity building at all levels.  Despite risk analysis, prevention, and preparation, residual risks remain. GIZ therefore also advises on financing and insurance solutions. These enable financial protection in the event of damage or the rapid mobilization of financial resources in the event of a disaster. For example, GIZ supports efforts to manage the impacts of disasters through its transitional development assistance. We use a multisectoral approach tailored to the needs of the affected population to restore the basic functionality of society. GIZ also supports its partners in learning lessons from disasters and incorporating them into reconstruction. In addition to planning and implementing structural measures, this includes developing laws and guidelines to reduce risks and damage. Furthermore, accessibility and the gender-specific use of buildings should be taken into account.