Disaster risk reduction aims to reduce the damaging effects of natural hazards through political, technical, social, and economic actions. Disaster risk is determined by the interaction of hazards like floods, earthquakes, or droughts; the vulnerability of communities and assets to those hazards; and the capacity of people to mitigate risk. Effective disaster risk reduction can avoid losses by understanding these aspects and taking steps before disasters occur to lessen their impacts on lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure when hazards do strike communities.