Global Risk Identification Program (GRIP)A summary outlineBackground and rationaleAccurate, comparable and appropriately scaled information on disaster losses, hazards, vulnerabilitiesand risks is fundamental for designing and implementing effective policies and programs that reducedisaster risk. Risk identification provides the evidence base for disaster risk management applicationsand decision making.Significant progress has been made by the international community in recent years in improving thequality and accuracy of global disaster data collection and in developing indicators and indexes of disasterrisk. Important initiatives have been launched, both within the framework of ISDR Working Group III andwith the support of the ProVention Consortium, involving a wide range of international and regionalorganisations and academic institutes. These include the UNDP/UNEP Disaster Risk Index, ProVentionWorld Bank/Columbia University Disaster Risk Hotspots Project, Inter-American Development BankIndicators of Disaster Risk Management in the Americas, the Global unique disaster identifier number(GLIDE) initiative and the ongoing development of global and national disaster loss databases, such asCRED EM-DAT and DesInventar.Organisations active in disaster risk identification have collaboratively decided to establish an inter-institutional framework to support and coordinate activities to promote systematic improvement andapplication of risk information. A global program has been created for assessing, identifying andanalysing information on disaster risks and losses, the Global Risk Identification Program (GRIP).Objective and activitiesThe main objective of GRIP is an improved evidence base for disaster risk management to enable theapplication and prioritisation of effective disaster risk reduction strategies at the national, regional andglobal scales. The program will add value to, and improve coordination between, a number of ongoinginternational initiatives, providing an active network where international organisations and UN agencies,international financial institutions and donors, governments, regional organizations, research institutes,the private sector and NGOs can share knowledge, information, expertise and resources.The GRIP provides a framework to support and guide two key parallel programs of activities: 1) LossEstimation to provide a more comprehensive and accurate accounting of disaster-related costs and losses(e.g. economic losses; relief costs, GLIDE implementation; disaster databases); and 2) Risk Estimation toimprove the availability of information and analysis on disaster risks and risk factors (e.g. hazardcharacterisation and data; vulnerability assessment; risk indexes). Resulting data, methods and analyseswill be made available through a coordinated knowledge management program intended to inform thedesign of disaster risk management and capacity building activities in high-risk countries.Next stepsThe concept and potential application of GRIP has attracted wide interest and support. The ProVentionConsortium, therefore, has agreed to undertake a preparatory phase during 2005-2006 to design aprogram framework and outline of activities, identify participating partners and ascertain a feasible andappropriate governance and management structure for such an ambitious inter-institutional program(figure, next page). The preparatory phase is being implemented through a UNDP project supported byProVention, UNDP and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. A number of keyorganisations, including the World Bank, IADB, Columbia University, CRED, UNEP, OCHA Relief Web,the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, ADRC and LA RED, have been major contributors in taking forwardthe GRIP idea to establish a formal program and network.Next steps include formation of a Program Steering Committee and technical committees, synthesis ofmethodologies for risk and loss assessment, and consultations with high risk countries to strengthen theevidence on risks and losses to support risk management planning. In addition to initial outputs in theabove areas, the preparatory phase will deliver a design for a five year program.For more information contact Maxx [email protected]