Preparing for disasters in global cities: an international comparison

Author(s): Prior, Tim; Roth, Florian
This research report aims to illustrate current trends in research and practice concerning the management of disasters in cities around the world. The report particularly focuses on understanding cities’ contemporary approaches to risk management, exploring aspects of disaster preparedness and risk assessment, response and countermeasures, and the institutions and collaboration involved in current processes of disaster risk management. Beside this analysis of the status quo in cities in different world regions, it draws on a strong examination of the trends in disaster research to also explore how new approaches to risk management are developing or evolving and what cues are triggering change in practice at the city level.

Commissioned by the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) the Center for Security Studies (CSS) the ETH Zurich carried out a research project to illustrate current trends in research and practice concerning the management of disasters in cities around the world. Tim Prior and Florian Roth particularly focuse on understanding cities’ contemporary approaches to risk management, exploring aspects of disaster preparedness and risk assessment, response and countermeasures, and the institutions and collaboration involved in current processes of disaster risk management.