 The world has witnessed a considerable increase in the frequency of natural disasters over the last four decades. The OIC Member States are no exception; in fact, they even experienced a relatively steeper upward trend in the frequency of natural disasters. Similarly, the world, and especially the OIC region, has witnessed a considerable frequency of man-made disasters.
Disasters hinder economic and social development process by destructing fixed assets, damaging productive capacities and market access, demolishing transport, health, communications and energy infrastructure, and causing death, impairment and forced displacement. Previous socioeconomic vulnerabilities may worsen the impact of a natural disaster and violent conflict, resulting in an instant increase in poverty and deprivation and making the process of recovery more difficult.
Viewing the risks of disasters (both natural and man-made) as barriers to sustainable development necessitates the inclusion of a disaster risk management strategy as an indispensable and integral part of the overall development strategy. Therefore, disaster management is considered as one of the top priority areas of cooperation of the OIC and its Member States. Against this backdrop and in line with the request of the 38th Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs (ICECS), which was held on 31 March–2 April 2015 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, SESRIC has launched the Disaster Risk Management Capacity Building Programme (DRM-CaB) in 2015.
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