ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. Pre-disaster investment in the reduction of risks should be recognized as a critical priority for sustainable development. One of the three strategic goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was "The integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into sustainable development policies and planning". Integration of DRR and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) is needed in "all sectors", "development strategies", "poverty reduction measures" and in "sustainable development". The ultimate goal of DRR is to achieve sustainable development through building resilience against natural disasters. Ian Davis recalls a difficult assignment he was given in 1997 that grew out of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). This involved a visit by the key geographical desk officers in the UK government's Department for International Development (DFID) which were in areas subject to high hazard threats.
