In the semiological field of risk sciences, the concept of disaster risk includes various definitions. In the sense of this strategy, Disaster Risk is a combination of hazards and vulnerability as well as the response capacity of both institutional and community actors at risk. A disaster occurs when the risk that foreshadowed its occurrence has not been controlled, at the source, by prevention or mitigation strategies. In all cases, regardless of the level of risk control, it is necessary to prepare for disaster management because, while risk is often controlled and disasters avoided, the fact remains that uncalculated, impromptu failures can distort the prevention system. This leads Harm Reduction specialists to admit that “zero risk does not exist.”

In addition, the development of National Strategies for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was one of the major recommendations of resolution 1996/63 of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. This same recommendation is contained in resolutions 56/195, 58/214 and 58/215 of the United Nations General Assembly. Ultimately, the aim is to set up national DRR coordination and guidance mechanisms linked to country development policies and reference frameworks such as Poverty Reduction Strategy
Papers (PRSPs). The concern is to make the problem of DRR a national priority, a multisectoral and multidisciplinary problem involving a diversity of actors (the State, Civil Society, decentralized Actors, Technical and Financial Partners, Technical and Financial Partners, research, etc.). In this respect, the United Nations system as well as bilateral and multilateral partners should link their DRR interventions to national strategies in light of competing cooperative paradigms such as the Paris Declaration on Harmonization, Alignment and Mutual Accountability, among others.

Thus, this National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction document constitutes an important step in the overall management of crises and disasters in Togo given the approach it advocates.

To this end, the holistic and integrated scope of this document makes it possible to fill a gap noted by most stakeholders in the sector, namely the lack of a clear DRR policy and strategy in Togo accompanied by a coherent programmatic framework with a coherent programmatic framework with a precise timetable for results that is shared by all actors.

Thus, the need to formulate a National Strategy is the result of several consistent factors, namely the recurrence of natural disasters in recent years, the socio-economic vulnerability of victims, the lack of a strategic framework for mobilizing actors, the proliferation of sectoral institutional frameworks and the weakness of their coordination or even coordination.

However, it should be noted that the Government has made Disaster Risk Reduction a national priority by integrating it into the PRSP as a major axis and by providing it with budget lines in the Priority Action Programme (PAP). In this respect, the options and orientations identified in the framework of this strategic document were the subject of a participatory and iterative process punctuated by negotiations, interim reports and validation of trends as well as the strategic guidelines, priority measures, components and programmatic framework 56 necessary to provide corrective measures to the pejorations identified. The document includes:
A first part that presents the country profile including the geographical and administrative frameworks, ecological and environmental determinants, demographic, socio-economic factors as well as the infrastructure framework. The presentation of these factors makes it possible to better understand the issue of major disasters that the country has registered in recent years;

The second part deals with the political, institutional, strategic and programmatic framework put in place by public authorities to prevent and respond to various crises as well as the management of post-disaster phases. These programs are often supported by bilateral or multilateral partners. This part also analyzes the mechanisms provided by the legislator to manage emergency situations as well as the global information system on disaster risk management. Overall, the aim is to focus on the early warning system (which is a major result in the context of UNDP support to the government), on the summary mapping of disaster risks has been carried out in part, on the national meteorological system, on the analysis of the vulnerability of regions to crises and disasters; the third part defines the paradigm and conceptual framework of DRR as well as how they can be integrated into the framework of such a strategy. This approach makes it possible to indicate the strategic directions to be given to this document; The fourth part introduces the programmatic framework for implementing the national strategy. It specifically integrates the components as well as the major activities to be
carried out to make the strategic framework operational. It also specifies the modalities for the practical implementation of the national programmatic framework.