From grassroots to global: people centered disaster risk reduction

The 2008 ProVention Forum, Panama City, Panama, April 8-10, 2008:

The aim of this forum report is to record the energy, ideas and views resulting from discussions and presentations in the formal sessions and also in the corridors of the event, which is designed to allow free talking and frank exchange of ideas, challenges and innovation on disaster risk reduction. The report does not provide an overview of the presentations and discussions held at the forum.

The 2008 ProVention Forum was organized around the theme of ‘From Grassroots to Global: People-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction’. Held in Panama City, the forum benefited from the vibrant and committed contribution of many local actors from host country Panama, and from Central and South America. Discussion sessions included debates on urban risk, climate change and disaster risk reduction, the role of grassroots and indigenous women, communicating risk and the power of visual media, risk financing through public-private partnerships, upscaling grassroots efforts, and the development of a new generation of risk reduction actors.