Understanding disaster risk is a complex process that requires a multidisciplinary approach. The INFORM Risk Index is a composite indicator developed by the Joint Research Center (EC) as a tool for understanding the risk of humanitarian crisis and disasters. Consisting of three dimensions (Hazard, Vulnerability, and Coping Capacity), the INFORM Subnational Index is the first open source, continuously updated, transparent and reliable tool for understanding crises and disasters at subnational level within a country/region. 

This session will give an overview of the process and methodology involved in developing a subnational INFORM risk index, drawing on the example in South East Europe, but relevant for other regions seeking to improve risk analysis and understanding. Establishing a baseline view of disaster risk, its drivers, coping capacity, is a fundamental step in reducing and managing the risk. The INFORM Subnational Risk Index for South Easter Europe (focusing on Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania in the 2nd phase) brings local administrations, governments, international and national organizations, donors and humanitarian workers together to work closely towards a better understanding of disaster risk at local level.

Session Objectives

1. Introduce participants to the Subnational INFORM model for South East Europe, challenges & lessons learned.
2. Familiarize participants with the development of an INFORM Subnational Index and demonstrate how results can be used as an evidence-based tool for DRM.

Taking stock of the Global Target E, this event will highlight the importance of improving the quality of DRR Strategies and accelerate DRR investments in order to achieve the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As we reached 2020, the end year for the Target E,  120 countries reported having National and/or Local DRR Strategies in the Sendai Framework Monitor. During the latter half period of the Sendai Framework, efforts should be made not only to further increase the number of countries having Strategies but also to improve the quality of the Strategies so that they will guide governments to accelerate pre-disaster DRR investments. This is particularly important in low and middle income countries which are severely impacted by climate change. 

The side event will share good examples at local and national levels and explore the ways in which governments can accelerate DRR investments in a planned manner.

Session objectives

1. Stock-take the progress of the Global Target E 
2. Share good practices and lessons on transforming DRR Strategies into actual actions, particularly planned DRR investments 
3. Review the importance of disaster statistics and monitoring to assist evidence-based policy making and implementation  

Registration 

This presentation details the UNDRR's initiative to document and more widely make available, in-depth information on early experiences and engagements with DRR.

There are many historical examples of societies successfully dealing with natural hazards in a pro-active manner, often going back several centuries. But it took until 1970 for the United Nations General Assembly to invite the Secretary-General to submit recommendations for the first time on:

• “Pre-disaster planning at the national and international levels”
• “The application of technology to, and scientific research for, the prevention and control of natural disasters, or the mitigation of the effects of such disasters”.

As a result, DRR at the global level in its contemporary form celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2020. While the recent history of DRR (from 2000) is overall well documented since the establishment of the United Nations International Strategy of Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), there are serious gaps in the knowledge on the different actors and initiatives during the three early DRR decades.

In this Ignite Stage session you will be introduced to three elements of "The Early Days of DRR (1970 - 2000)" initiative.

During the second half of 2020, a moderate to strong La Niña phenomenon was registered with predictions it could cause extreme weather conditions in various parts of the world. In Afghanistan, this commonly results in below-average rainfall and snowfall across the country. The timing of this La Niña event coincides with the main wheat season with harvests in May-July 2021, which are critical for food security and livestock production throughout the country. Instead of waiting for the worst, in November 2020 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) acted on the warning signs.

The team implemented anticipatory actions to mitigate the impact on farmers and livestock owners including crop and livestock protection packages, cash-for-work, and animal health support among others. The intervention came at a critical time, where 42 percent of the population is already estimated to be in acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels, and limited wheat harvests could further exacerbate the situation. Drought was officially declared in the country on the 22nd of June 2021. However, FAO managed to act early, a whole 8 months earlier, thereby showing the importance of predicating crises and providing pre-emptive support.    

This Ignite Stage session dives into this case study and, with the Centre for Disaster Protection and Oxford University, explores the impact of the approach. It showcases the preliminary results of a conjoint impact analysis. The session’s aim is to advance understanding of the food insecurity situation in Afghanistan and explore the efficacy of anticipatory action to combat the negative effects of drought; it will also examine the linkages between and the comparative advantages of anticipatory action versus emergency response along with key emerging lessons on addressing the gamut of constraints in programming for anticipatory action in conflict settings. This case study should make an important contribution to a limited existing base of evidence.

This session presents the latest technological approaches which allow countries and organisations to become Sendai-ready. Mayday would like to showcase how they have implemented these concepts in concrete applications, like the Mayday.ai platform, providing real-time risk and disaster management covering all geographical regions, multiple disasters and all phases of the disaster cycle. This includes dynamic risk monitoring at the parcel level. This presentation highlights practical cases and shows how Mayday are effectively implementing the approach with local authorities (e.g. in Germany, Chile) and other selected international organisations.

At the 7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali, Indonesia, a special session will be held ahead of launching a new communications campaign in 2022 in support of Indigenous Disaster Risk Reduction. This session will gather delegates, including delegates from the indigenous community to discuss the key priorities of engagement ahead.

The session will take place on Thursday 26th May, at 9.00 am in the Mengwi Room 6+7+8 of Nusa Dua Convention Center, Bali. Please note that this session will be in hybrid format.

All interested delegates are warmly invited to join.

Session objectives

Hazards forecasting and warnings are a crucial element of understanding and managing systemic, cascading and compounding risk. Significant advances in the technology of observation and data management have created enormous opportunities in terms of complex modelling for hazard forecasting and risk assessment. However, these types of data and research advancement are often not incorporated in the operational services domain. In addition, operational ocean monitoring and forecasting systems (e.g. AI or Ml based forecasts) and tools (e.g. 3D printers to use weather station) with specific applications (e.g. heat waves, oil spills etc) are limited to few centres and countries. This is seen as the big scientific, innovation and capacity challenge to address. Furthermore, within the operational domain, many of the forecast and risk information services that are in use are not being translated for community application to covert risk information into risk management at local level reduce. As climate change increasingly poses a threat to resilience and other sustainable development goals, a change in mindset in early warning system and disaster risk reduction is required to link emerging technology with operational implementation and society. Addressing complex mechanisms and sources that trigger hazards (e.g 15 January Tonga volcanic eruption and tsunami) also underlines the challenge and opportunities of the next generation of forecasting and warning systems.   This calls for people centred, collaborative co-design and co-production combined with harnessing advances in science, technology and engineering solutions. It could accelerate proactive scenario based pre and post disaster risk assessments based on multi-hazard forecasting and warning information, which when developed through engaging multiple stakeholders will ensure that early warning and risk information is useful, usable and used. 

The objective of this session is to understand the perspectives of the communities most at risks. The session will provide an opportunity to the audience to understand the how the process of ‘Views from the Frontline 2019’ (the flagship program of GNDR) has helped these communities to identify their own risks and develop their own plans to address the issues and get them integrated in their local development plan; thus ensuring that the development is risk informed. 

Through live connection, the session will be hearing voices directly of communities on the frontline of risk from Zimbabwe and Cambodia, and will be supported by in-person presentation and pre-recorded videos.

This session will take place in Room Mengwi 6+7+8.

The objective of this session is to create a space to hear about the perspectives of at-risk communities. The session will cover the three themes, namely a) “Voices from the field: working with nature for resilience”; b) “Empowering communities for improved resilience towards epidemics including cholera”; and c) “Roadmap to community resilience – community perspectives”. Through the live connection with communities and in-person presentation, the session will provide GPDRR 2022 participants with an opportunity to hear about the stories and messages from community people living on the frontline of risk and community resilience practitioners in Haiti, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia, Cameroun, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria and small island states in the Pacific.

This session will take place in Room Mengwi 6+7+8.

Join this session via Zoom. Click here.