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Title
Building Urban Resilience - Principles, Tools, and Practice
License
Public Domain (PD)
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Abstract
In the context of emerging demographic, urbanization, and climatic trends, policy makers in East Asia face difficult decisions about medium and long-term investments in public infrastructure and urban management. Recent tragic events in the region, among them the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, the widespread flooding in Thailand, and the tropical storm Washi in the Philippines, illustrate the devastation, economic damage, and loss of human life that result from disasters. They add a sense of urgency to the challenge of preparing for and managing disasters and offer important lessons for urban disaster risk management practitioners. There are concrete ways to improve the decision-making process to guide cities toward the aspired benefits. This report guides readers in finding ways to avoid the mistakes of the past and build resilience into urban management, critical infrastructure investments, and disaster and climate risk mitigation measures that stretch across sectors and jurisdictions all the way to communities and the most vulnerable. First, there are principles that can guide those who make decisions about public finances. One of these is investing in quality data on risk and in tools that facilitate the use of data across sectors and jurisdictions. Cities that are better able to define and communicate their risks do a better job of preparing for and managing the impacts of natural disasters in a complex and uncertain environment. Second, there are concrete tools that can support preparation for decisions and their implementation. For example, integrating risk-based approaches into urban governance and planning processes can help national and municipal stake- holders to make complex decisions in a smarter, more forward-looking, and more sustainable way that increases resilience. Finally, key economic sectors—especially water, energy, and transport systems—deserve particular attention. They are not only vital if cities and com- munities are to deal with a disaster and recover quickly, they are also sectors where careful investments—those that pay attention to the principles and make full use of the tools available—can make a real difference in people’s lives. The Building Urban Resilience in East Asia initiative encourages cities to invest in risk-based approaches and make better use of the technologies and tools available to manage disaster risks. This report is an example of the commitment of the World Bank and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to support cities in East Asia to be better prepared for the development challenges of today as well as tomorrow.
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Category
Geoscientific Information
information pertaining to earth sciences. Examples: geophysical features and processes, geology, minerals, sciences dealing with the composition, structure and origin of the earth s rocks, risks of earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, gravity information, soils, permafrost, hydrogeology, erosion
Regions
Global
Responsible
More info
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Language
English
Supplemental Information
coastal_flood, strong_wind, drought, urban_flood, extreme_heat, wildfire, landslide, earthquake

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