Preventing Disasters in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities for Translating Global Visions into Local Practices

Abstract

At the end of the 20th century, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, noted in his annual report: ‘political and organizational cultures and practices remain orientated far more towards reaction than prevention’ (1999, p. 6). This, he insisted, had to be changed. There was a need for a ‘transition from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention’ (Annan, 1999, p. 7). This statement came at the end of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), a global framework agreement designed to increase awareness on the need to reduce risk from natural hazards.