Reducing risk and vulnerability to natural hazards in the Commonwealth

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Reference Report 2005: Malta, 25-27 November 2005

This article is a call for action for the integration of disaster risk reduction into development planning and practices, to reduce human, social economic and environmental losses from natural hazards. With particular reference to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction and its resulting Hyogo Framework for Action, The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Director discusses how states, regional and international organizations can build resilience to disasters through reducing risk and vulnerability.