Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has gained international interest since 2003 when there was a marked increase in major global catastrophes, including the Indian Ocean tsunami (December 2004), the extreme 2004-2005 hurricane seasons in the Caribbean including Hurricane Katrina (August 2005), and the South Asia earthquake (Kashmir, October 2005).
In light of these events, Tearfund conducted research in collaboration with UN/ISDR into the practice of nine institutional donors on disaster risk reduction (DRR). This research concluded that DRR was not sufficiently accounted for in relief and development planning and that more priority must be given.
This research project outlines the reasons why DRR was given 'low priority' from institutional donors, discusses the barriers to integration, and introduces the Mainstreaming Tool to help donors integrate DRR in relief planning.
