Disaster risk reduction

Natural and man-made disasters pose a great challenge to humankind. In recent years, the frequency and intensity of wildfires, floods or landslides have been increasing, putting pressure on national economies and resulting in hardship, distress and the displacement of affected communities. Disasters can also lead to increased tensions between countries when these are affected by cross-boundary disasters. On the other hand, disaster risk reduction can also provide an opportunity to foster co-operation and build confidence and trust within societies, as well as across boundaries, serving as a useful tool to strengthen good neighbourly relations.

The OSCE, with its comprehensive approach to security, plays an important role in strengthening resilience to disasters since it can address disaster risks from different perspectives and at different levels.

The OSCE’s activities in this area are part of an international effort to secure a more sustainable future for all by contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supporting participating States in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

The Organization enhances the capacities of national authorities and professionals in managing disaster risks. In the past this has included efforts at managing wildfire risks, such as developing regional wildfire management frameworks in the South Caucasus, South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe, including in areas affected by the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident and shared by Belarus and Ukraine; policy development and improving wildfire management capacities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia through regional fire management training, workshops and round tables; and support to the establishment of a Regional Fire Management Resource Centre in Mongolia to assist disaster management efforts in the country and the Central Asian region.

The Organization has also contributed to strengthening cross-border co-operation among municipalities and communities at risk of floods, for example in South-Eastern Europe, with the support of the Aarhus Centres, as well as in Eastern Europe where the Organization is helping to strengthen the capacity of national authorities and practitioners on flood risk reduction through transboundary water co-operation.

More recently, the Organization’s overall disaster risk reduction programme aims to enable participating States to adopt an integrated approach to disaster risk management (DRM), in particular by enhancing their action along the prevention and preparedness stages of the DRM cycle, and to support the establishment of DRM co-ordination and co-operation mechanisms within and across borders.