A new Thai handbook on Disaster Risk Reduction, produced by UNDP Thailand and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), aims to reduce the impact of future disasters on Thai people.

The 2011 floods were a stark reminder of how indiscriminate and damaging disaster can be. They also reminded Thailand how important reducing the chance of such incidents, and preparing effectively to respond to those times when they happen, can be in lessening the impact disasters may have on lives.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is an approach to disasters that serves to do that. As materials on the subject were not readily available in Thai and as DRR is still a relatively new concept in Thailand, those charged with implementing DRR initiatives have faced an uphill struggle.

In a bid to change that, the UNDP and DDPM - which work together on strengthening disaster management capacities in Thailand - have teamed up to formulate a handbook that introduce DRR in the Thai context to various Thai sectors, ministries, and general public.

You can download the handbook here.