RIO DE JANEIRO - The Brazilian government Wednesday unveiled a big nationwide plan to help lessen the impact of natural disasters and improve risk management.

Brazilian authorities have earmarked 18.8 billion reais ($9.3 billion) for the program, known as the National Plan for Risk Management and Response to Natural Disasters, which aims to improve government performance in disaster prevention, response and monitoring.

President Dilma Rousseff told a presentation ceremony that the plan would help save lives, protect people's homes, and minimize the impact of natural disasters on communities.

She added the money is to be invested over the next two years in both flood- and drought-prone regions.

The president also urged local and central governments to step up the implementation of the plan.

Natural disasters in Brazil have caused heavy human and material losses. The latest floods and mudslides in Rio State's mountainous region have killed nearly 1,000 people and left thousands homeless.

Rousseff said the country could not go through natural disasters again "in a manner that wasn't the most possible professional."

"As human beings we cannot control nature, but we can make plans to minimize risks and increase our ability to deal with what we cannot control," she said.