Natural disasters have been increasing over time since the mid-20th century. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) recently launched the Sendai Framework (2015-2030). It aims to guide multi-hazard disaster risk management in development at all levels and in all sectors. The main priorities of the framework are understanding natural hazards, strengthening disaster risk governance, investing in resilience and improving disaster preparedness. This session will first introduce the concept of natural disasters through time and recent major disaster events. We will then discuss about global management of natural hazards and disaster risk reduction policies. These can be pictured as nested cycles: (i) risk assessment and prevention (knowledge, issues, vulnerability, and resilience); (ii) crisis and impact (surveillance and alert); (iii) reconstruction and "build back better". This introductory session will be illustrated by the activities of the French Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (DRR).