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WALTER J. AMMANN, CHAIRMAN, IDRC DAVOS 2008 AND PRESIDENT, GLOBAL RISK FORUM (GRF) DAVOS
Foreword
The combination of the world’s growing population with expanding urbanization and generalized globalization has greatly aggravated
the risk potential to all communities and nations. While hazards worldwide are well identified and known, the number of disasters is
increasing, striking all parts of society in all regions of the world. Urban risk has become a planetary phenomenon. Climate change
will worsen humanity’s overall vulnerability. New principles, policies, and strategies, innovative mechanisms and methods have to be
designed to address the variety of risks that face communities, from natural hazards to technical and biological risks, from
pandemics to terrorism. A global collaborative global risk reduction management process becomes increasingly important as the risk
landscape gains in complexity. Safety and security need to be considered in a holistic manner. Science, knowledge and know-how,
practice, policy development and decision-making have to be linked in the search for sustainable solutions.
The need for an ‘integral risk management’ approach has led to the creation of the Global Risk Forum (GRF) Davos, a foundation
established under Swiss law in the Alpine resort of Davos, also known for its annual gathering of the World Economic Forum. GRF
Davos will contribute to closing gaps between science, policy and application by bringing together a broad group of experts,
practitioners, scientists and key players from civil society and the private sector in the areas of risk prevention and risk management.
GRF Davos reflects the necessity to involve and to create interaction between all key players, from line ministries and disaster and
risk management authorities to academic institutions and the private sector. Public-private partnerships have to play a substantial
role in the context of risk management, vulnerability assessment and disaster reduction. GRF Davos supports and contributes to
those indispensable global efforts. Its activities are carried out by three main institutional pillars, which complement each other:
International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC)
– A platform for all stakeholders involved with disaster and risk management
that meets alternatively in Davos and in another part of the world to promote inter- and trans-disciplinary exchanges and share
experiences. Project fairs will create momentum for public-private partnership initiatives.
Risk Academy
– A think tank and a solution provider, a knowledge and know-how transfer instrument that provides continuous
education courses and training sessions, and organizes workshops for the dissemination of topical knowledge and new technologies
from the academic and scientific world to business and society. Besides its own research activities, the Risk Academy is a broker and
a facilitator for research and development activities in international cooperation.
GRF Platform for Networks
– A web-based ‘professionals’ platform’ where practitioners, experts, novice to experienced scientists,
and decision-makers in disaster and risk management have an opportunity to share their knowledge, experiences, projects,
problems, and ideas, and to join other specific virtual circles. The tool may be used for a periodic risk check, globalization processes,
evolving economic interdependencies, mobility, socio-political changes, and climate change to name but a few.
IDRC Davos 2008 is proud to be Lead Programme Partner of Risk Wise and to be able to provide each participant with this
comprehensive and timely publication. On behalf of GRF Davos and IDRC Davos, I would like to express my appreciation to Tudor
Rose and Sean Nicklin in particular for their cooperation, for their initiative to publish this volume and for selecting and organizing
all the relevant articles. I am equally grateful to all the authors and institutions that have amiably contributed to this valuable book
for the sake of our common goal: sustainable disaster and risk reduction.
Walter J. Ammann
Chairman, IDRC Davos 2008 and President, GRF Davos