What are challenges?

HFA priorities have been progressing in all areas mainly due to the leadership of disaster management agencies and collaboration of critical ministries/agencies for DRR. Especially during the past decade, capacity in monitoring and risk assessment has been developed in many countries. However, economic loss due to disasters has been increasing in spite of substantial progress in DRR policies promoted by Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) (UNISDR, 2015a). Disaster interrupts or slows down economic growth by damaging public and private infrastructures and negatively affecting people and economic activities.

To reduce the impacts of disaster, governments need to invest in DRR. However, governments in most countries are suffering from tight budget constraints. Fiscal primary balance has been negative during the decade and is expected to remain so in coming years (IMF, 2014). The financial situations of low-income countries are especially tight given the debt they have accumulated.