A set of ordinances or regulations and associated standards intended to control aspects of the design, construction, materials, alterations, and occupancy of structure that are necessary to ensure human safety and welfare, including resistance to collapse and damage.
Capacity
The combination of all the strength, attributes and resources availability within a community, society or organization that can be used to achieve agreed goals.
Climate
Change “A change in the state of the climate that can be indentified (e.g by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and /or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer”.
Contingency Planning
A management process that analysis specific potential events or emerging situations that might threaten society or the environment and establishes arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective and appropriate responses to such events and situations.
Coping Capacity
The ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills and resources to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters.
Disaster
A serious disrupting of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
Disaster Risk
The potential disaster losses in lives, health status livelihoods, assets and services which could occur to a particular community or society over some specified future time.
Disaster Risk Management
The systematic process of using administrative directives, organizations and operational skills to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disasters.
Disaster Risk Reduction
The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property , wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events.
Disaster Risk Reduction Plan
A document prepared by an authority, sector, organization or enterprise that sets out goals and specific objectives for risks together with related actions to accomplish objectives.
Emergency Management
The organization and management of resources and responsibilities for addressing all aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness and initial recovery steps.
Emergency Services
The set of specialised agencies that have specific responsibilities and objectives in serving and protecting people and property in emergency situations.
Exposure
People, property, systems or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses.
Geological Hazard
Geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts property damage, loss of livelihoods, and services, social and economic disruptions, or environmental damage.
Hazard
A dangerous phenomenon, substance , human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
Hydrometeorological Hazard
Process or phenomenon of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic nature that may cause loss of life, injury or injury or other health impacts property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruptions, or environmental damage.
The process undertaken by public authorities to identify, evaluate and decide on different options for the use of land,, including consideration of long term economic, social and environmental objectives and social and environmental objectives and the implications for different communities and interest groups and the subsequent formulation and promulgation of plans that describe the permitted or accepted uses.
National Platform For Disaster Risk Reduction
A generic term for natural mechanism for coordination and policy guidance on disaster risk reduction that are multi – sectoral, and inter disciplinary in nature, with public, private and civil society participation involving all concerned entities within a country.
Natural Hazard
Natural processes or phenomenon that may cause loss of life , injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruptions, or environmental damage.
Preparedness
The Knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate , respond, to and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions.
Prevention
The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards or related disasters.
Resilience
The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including restoration of its essentials basic structures and functions.
Response
The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of people affected.
Risk
The combination of the probability of an event and its negative consequences.
Risk Assessment
A Methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that together could potentially harm exposed people and the environment on which they depend.
Risk Management
The systematic approach and practice of managing uncertainty to minimise potential harm and loss.
Risk Transfer
The process of formally or informally shifting the financial consequences of a particular risk from one party to another whereby a household, community, enterprise or state authority will obtain resources from the other party after a disaster occur, in exchange for ongoing or compensatory social or financial benefits to that other party.
Sustainable Development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Vulnerability
The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or assets that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of as hazard.