Improving Disaster Risk Management According to Development Projects

Since the 1990s, efforts have been made to reduce the damage caused by natural disasters, among which the Disaster Impact Assessment (DIA) System implemented in 1995 is noteworthy for its proactive response. The DIA System has undergone various institutional and technological changes to retain its original purpose. However, its operation has become inadequate because of the diversification of business types. This paper presents the improvements required in the DIA System based on an analysis of the problems that have emerged during its institutional development and over 9000 pieces of data collected from 2015 to 2017. The results show that, first, the DIA's Practical Guidelines should be subdivided, considering the diversity of projects. Second, the system should be strengthened to ensure it is not mistaken for a mere bureaucratic box-ticking exercise. Third, non-structural measures should be expanded to reduce the number of casualties after development. Incorporating the improvements proposed in this study will improve the effectiveness of the DIA. Additionally, the DIA System could be established as an important model for Korea's disaster risk reduction activities.