This document provides background information on the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). It discusses that disasters caused huge human and economic losses globally in 2008. The losses in 2008 were significantly higher than the average annual losses from 2000 to 2007. It mentions that 321 disaster events occurred globally in 2008 causing 2.35 million deaths and affecting 218 million people. The economic losses in 2008 were estimated at $181 billion US dollars, more than double the average annual losses of $81 billion from 2000 to 2007. It provides a brief introduction to disasters and risks in Nepal.