The New Awakening

Abstract

We live in a global village and therefore disasters, regardless of wherever they occur, affect us all. The war against disasters is, therefore, being fought unitedly with synergy of strengths and with the big global picture in mind. The hazards may be natural or man-made but disasters are increasingly being attributed to anthropogenic factors. The time has come to remove the causative factors and shift the focus from single to multiple hazards; from concerns of safety to the culture of safety; from relief-centric approach to disaster mitigation; from use of primitive technologies to adoption of innovative, modern technologies; and from search for piecemeal solutions to the quest for lasting remedies. The chapter throws light on the current global thinking on disaster risk reduction and familiarizes the reader with some of the landmark global initiatives of far reaching impact.