One of the strategic goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action, adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe 2005 is “the development and strengthening of institutions, mechanisms and capacities at all levels, in particular at the community level, that can systematically contribute to building resilience to hazards”.

Recognizing the importance of pro-active disaster risk reduction, FAO launched a programme in 2003  focusing on the role of local institutions in disaster risk reduction (DRR). It addresses DRR as an integral part of sustainable development, while applying an agricultural perspective as entry point. The programme assists countries in their efforts towards better planned, long-term disaster risk prevention and preparedness strategies, which address the root causes of vulnerability of local stakeholders to natural hazards in a demand responsive and sustainable way. Key questions addressed by the programme as a basis to advise on location-specific action include:

• what institutional structures, mechanisms and processes are driving national DRR programmes and sectoral contributions from  agriculture, forestry and fisheries; how could their efficiency, service delivery capacity and outreach be further increased?
• what technical capacities, tools, methods and approaches are available at national and local levels; and how can they be improved? 
• what existing good practices (of either indigenous and/or scientific origin) are actually applied to strengthen community resilience against climatic and other natural hazards, and how can technology gaps be filled?