Natural Disaster Management in Iran during the 1990s—Need for a New Structure

Iran is a disaster-prone country. A rapid rate of population growth, overurbanization, and environmental degradation have led to increasing risk to and vulnerability of structures and settlements. No significant and effective policy has, however, been developed to mitigate disaster risks in the country. During the last decade of the twentieth century, which was declared the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), extensive efforts were made at various levels to tackle this problem. In this article the activities of the decade in Iran will be reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated against certain criteria. A proposed structure for natural disaster management has been designed that is expected to improve conditions and overcome some of the existing problems and shortcomings. This plan is considered the most significant product of the IDNDR activities in Iran.