ICLR’s RSVP…for cities program provides a framework to develop a coordinated strategy to protect people and property from the devastating human and financial impacts of natural hazard events.
Much of the activity necessary to protect people and property must take place at the community level. The program is designed to create an environment that makes disaster safety and loss reduction activities desirable, effective, and affordable for communities, businesses, and residents.
What exactly is RSVP…for cities?
ICLR is promoting use of its RSVP…for cities program to
prevent injuries and deaths caused by natural catastrophe events
protect public and private property from the impact of such events
create a disaster-resilient economy.
The program helps communities establish partnerships around a framework of 10 interconnected, cascading elements. The program provides a cost-effective way to use existing human and financial resources to minimize future physical, financial and social losses from natural disasters.
An RSVP…for cities community requires a formal commitment from the highest levels of local government. It calls for a partnership among all levels of government and insurers as well as other entities to accomplish activities within the 10 elements. It provides a way for communities to engage in reducing their vulnerability to disasters.
Public and private partners in a RSVP…for cities initiative are encouraged to examine their organizational missions and business practices in order to isolate areas where they can reduce vulnerability to disaster impacts for themselves, their constituents, their employees, and their customers. The program asks these organizations, agencies and companies to work together for the benefit of all involved.
The RSVP…for cities program for disaster resilience can help sustain, enhance, and protect life, property, the economy, and the environment for ourselves and for future generations. If we view disaster losses as the predictable result of the interactions among these four major systems:
Nature – the physical environment
People – population characteristics
Economy – jobs/business recovery
Built environment – homes, businesses, public infrastructure and utilities
The 10 elements of the program (explained further in the plan below) reflect the interconnectedness of these four major systems. These elements are measurable activities that serve to institutionalize disaster protection into long-range policies, procedures, programs, designs and plans and to take immediate action to begin to protect people and property and to reduce costs associated with disasters.
The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Toronto Office 20 Richmond Street East, Suite 210, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2R9 Tel: (416) 364-8677 Fax: (416) 364-5889
London Office Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory Western University 1151 Richmond Street, London, Canada N6A 5B9 Tel: (519) 661-3234 Fax: (519) 661-4273
