Private sector activities in disaster risk reduction

All of society - the public and the private sector – ends up facing the consequences of disasters. It follows that all of society, the private sector included, has a role to play in reducing disaster risk. Natural hazards need not automatically result in disasters. Simple measures can be taken beforehand to strengthen the resilience of communities, to save lives, to secure livelihoods and to prevent the loss of investments and development gains. When a natural hazard threatens a nation, public facilities and private businesses alike have to protect their assets, their workforce, and their supply and distribution chains in order for society and the economy to keep functioning. This publication highlights seventeen examples of how the private sector engages in partnerships to reduce the risk of disaster.