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Today, Development Initiatives publishes Aid investments in disaster risk reduction, providing the latest comprehensive analysis on leading government aid donors’ investments in reducing risk of humanitarian disasters.

The report reveals that:

· Whilst the importance of disaster risk reduction (DRR) is acknowledged by most donors, the scale of their involvement varies considerably. Only a few donors engage significantly with DRR efforts or actively commit funds.

· Only 3.4% of humanitarian spending from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donor governments was invested in disaster prevention and preparedness in 2010, a drop from the previous year (4% in 2009) and well below the Global Platform for DRR’s 10% target.

· Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States have all spent below 5% of their humanitarian aid on DPP since the signing of the Hyogo Framework for Action which set a blueprint for international efforts to reduce vulnerability and risk.

· Only three DAC donors have allocated over 1% of their development spending to DRR, and eight of them spent below 0.5% in this area.

· Uncertainty persists around where DRR sits within the current aid system and whether the lead responsibility should be taken by humanitarian or development actors.

· Improvements in the quality of donor reporting are essential if we are to have clarity around who does what in this space; current data is often incomplete.

Dan Coppard, DI Director of Research, analysis and evidence said, “the data suggests that governments are falling far short in terms of investing up front in order to save lives further down the line. The World Bank estimates that every dollar spent on risk reduction saves US$7 in relief and repairs. A reassessment of spending priorities and a revised financing model which places greater emphasis upon the reduction of risk is essential.”