What we do

ProVention's thematic priorities

A set of five thematic priorities have been identified by ProVention as key areas of strategic focus where the Consortium can add most value. The strategic direction follows the original focus of ProVention and further develops the core ProVention themes:

Maintaining a focus on mainstreaming risk reduction into development, ProVention continues to carve out a particular niche of work with the international financial institutions and relevant partner development organisations with an aim to accelerate the integration of disaster risk management into development policy and planning processes. Sound risk analysis, identification and evidence of risk and vulnerability play a critical role in informing development policy decision making and therefore ProVention has prioritised initiatives aimed at improving risk analysis, including risk information, including quality and accuracy of disaster data, risk indicators and risk assessment tools. Recognising the integral links between post-disaster recovery and development, the Consortium also targets the reduction of risk in recovery, identifying opportunities and strategies for risk reduction and promoting good practice through lesson learning.

Increasing private sector involvement and investment in disaster risk management remains a central priority for ProVention, not just in terms of current collaboration with the insurance sector on developing risk transfer mechanisms but also in enabling broader private sector engagement in disaster risk management as part of a corporate social responsibility agenda. Here, ProVention aims to broker new linkages with the private sector, to increase investment in financial risk transfer and to strengthen the business case for disaster risk management.

Benefiting from the comparative advantage of ProVention’s current host, the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) with its global network of local National Societies and community-based activities, the Consortium places a particular emphasis on increasing civil society participation and community-oriented initiatives. In particular, it targets opportunities to expand risk research and learning in developing countries with a deliberate focus on Africa. This research and learning orientation is reflected both topically, across the range of priority interests highlighted above, and systemically in terms of strengthening South-South partnerships and local action-oriented research.