The report Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020: acting today, protecting tomorrow' is the second in the Science for Disaster Risk Management series, aiming to present knowledge on disaster risk management(DRM) and outline challenges.The current report looks at the different phases of DRM, focusing on the immediate consequences of a disaster, on its wider impacts and on the various assets to be protected. Studying the impacts helps in managing risk after a disaster, guiding the response and facilitating recovery, and in preparing measures to prevent, mitigate and prepare for future events, by supporting risk prediction and the planning of measures to manage risk.
Following the recommendations of the previous Science for DRM report, published in 2017, the report Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020 shares knowledge on prevention, mitigation and adaptation strategies and approaches, moving from the identification of problems to the presentation of solutions.To that end, the report describes several examples and cases, showing what the DRM community has learned from disastrous events while pointing out where the gaps in our knowledge are.While the problems are global, the solutions are context dependent, and therefore the report proposes approaches to DRM from a European perspective.
Tackling the impacts on assets at risk, the report deals with hazards of different natures, highlighting the many links existing between hazards and vulnerabilities to support robust and effective action.The various chapters and subchapters provide specific recommendations for the target audience, four groups of stakeholders that can actively contribute to reducing disaster risk: policymakers, practitioners(such as civil protection groups, critical infrastructure operators and organised civil groups directly engaged in disaster response), scientists and citizens.All the input provided is finally brought together in the conclusions to provide guidance to the stakeholders on working together across sectors, disciplines and organisations to strengthen the study of disaster impacts and thus manage disaster risk.
Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020 contributes to the Sendai science and technology roadmap, and it is aligned with other global frameworks and with the aspirations of the new European Commission.During its production, the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID - 19) outbreak became a pandemic, affecting business and the daily lives of European citizens to a huge extent.The report has been adapted to provide the most up - to - date knowledge and guidance for the 2020 context.