Catalog of Learning Activities

WBI Program: Urban
Activity Title: NIDM-WBI Safe Cities On-line Course
Activity ID: URD10-00-107
 

Contact Info

Task Manager: Katalin Demeter
Email: KDemeter@worldbank.org
Task Admin: Berna Yekeler
Email: byekeler@worldbank.org

Date and Cost

Start Date: February 01 2010
End Date: February 28 2010
Cost: No Fees

Description

By 2010, an estimated 50% of the population of developing countries will be living in cities and eight out of ten largest cities of the World will be in developing countries. Over three quarters of those cities are exposed to at least one natural hazard. Yet, cities are ill-prepared to effectively respond to such events, and the collective effort to reduce risk from disasters continues to be meager compared to the constant increase in risk caused by urbanization and aging infrastructure. Safe Cities is part of the comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk Management Program developed by the World Bank Institute with support from WB Hazard Management Unit and ProVention Consortium. This specialization course provides an overview of disaster risk management sound practice for local government policymakers, urban managers, planners, and disaster management professionals. It discusses the inter-linkages of the social and physical parameters of vulnerability of cities with their local government development, organization, and management. It explains the impediments to disaster risk reduction in urban environments and then presents the key concepts of disaster risk management and the role and intervention of local institutions. It emphasizes that disaster risk reduction only takes place when it is inherently integrated within local government functions. Thus, it proposes a model for implementing such integration that is based on the development of a city-wide disaster risk management master plan (DRMMP). It is based on an understanding of the risk parameters and incorporates action plans related to response and recovery, preparedness and awareness raising, mitigation and prevention, and institution building. The course discusses the structural and organizational arrangements for implementation, the resource and training needs, the strategies and challenges in implementation and discusses practical “do’s” and “don’ts” based on past experience, proposing an implementation framework. It establishes that disaster risk reduction stems from coherent policies that are based on a comprehensive understanding of risk, that promote preparedness and mitigation and incorporate the participation of the active agents of the community. Disaster risk management is a concern to the whole community and requires their involvement and contribution. The course provides case studies to illustrate different approaches to disaster risk reduction, the related organizational, institutional and financial parameters, and how these experiments have supported sustainable development goals in different cities.

Objective

This specialization course addresses particular concerns of urban managers and planners. It reviews processes, regulations – land use, infrastructure, construction, and building codes – enforcement issues and methods essential to reducing exposure to hazards and limiting the physical vulnerability of high density settlements.

Topic(s)

Urban Development

Participants

Audience: This course is offered to a group of to local government officials, policymakers, consultants, researchers and professors of training institutions worldwide, who are interested in development challenges and issues related to natural disaster risk management.

Target Country(s): India

Partners: NIDM

Site Information

Delivery Modes: Electronic Learning (40 Hours)
Locations: India
 Languages: English