Chapter 2: Urban disaster risk analysis, action planning and implementation management

Risk assessments are the very basis on which planning and implementa- tion are carried out. In the context of urban risk management, the assessment processes are complex to understand as they involve multi- sectoral parameters. Many of the issues involved are of technical nature, but this also requires focus on the principles behind the assessment process including participatory assessment tools. Action planning is a participatory, short-term, visible, output-oriented process that enables urban community groups to plan the development of risk reduction actions in their locality and to lead the implementation of the action plans. There are three kinds of actions that emerge from an action planning process: (i) those that can be implemented by the community groups themselves, (ii) those that need some external help for implementation, and (iii) those that can only be implemented by specialized agencies from outside the community. Implementation management processes thus need to look at how internal systems can be established to operationalize self- action, and to coordinate external interventions.