Session objectives

1. Review global trends in extreme events and implications for cascading risk
2. "Take stock" of progress in the implementation of Target G of the Sendai Framework and review gaps
3. Report on latest trends in MHEWS and early action design, results, and impact and share knowledge, lessons learned, and emerging examples of good practices

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

The Sendai Framework was adopted by 187 Member States at the Forth United (UN) World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015 “to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries over the next 15 years”.  

The Sendai Framework puts forward seven global targets including Target G: Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030. 

While considerable progress has been made, for example, in terms of information and communication technology access and use, many challenges remain including reaching the “last mile”. It is estimated a third of people globally – mostly in developing countries – are still not covered by EWSs.  Integrating early warning systems into coherent multi-sector and multi-hazard risk governance and reaching all exposed and vulnerable populations in many countries remains a challenge. 

Seven years into the  implementation of  the  Framework, the  Disaster Risk Reduction community has an excellent opportunity to take stock of where we are, what we have accomplished, what we have learned, and to jointly explore how we can collectively transform our engagement  to  accelerate progress in achieving the Framework’s ambitions.  Moreover, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has tasked the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to lead an effort in collaboration with other UN agencies to address the gap in early warning access and present an action plan by 27th  Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC in November 2022, to achieve the goal that Early Warning Systems protecting everyone within five years . 

The mid-point of Sendai Framework implementation marks a time of increased global urgency. Disasters strike at an unprecedented rate, with the most recent decade experiencing an over three-fold increase in the frequency of disaster occurrence, compared to the 1980s. Disasters are also becoming more costly, disrupting critical services and economic activities, setting back the global economy by an average of USD 170 billion every year.   

Agenda

Panel 1: Speakers from different regions will share progress, challenges and solutions

Panel 2: Good practice examples of EWS to enable action, and remaining challenges and solutions.

Concluding session: Stocktake on progress on ensuring early warning is accessible and for Sendai Framework Mid-Term Review.

Local governments are on the ‘frontline of opportunity’ to protect lives, livelihoods and their infrastructure assets and systems. The Local Leaders Forum will showcase how municipalities are using disaster risk management to strengthen resilience across various sectors and achieve progress against the SDGs. The Forum is organized by the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) global partnership which aims to Leave No Municipality Behind as they scale up their climate and disaster risk reduction action. MCR2030 has more than 1,000 member cities and municipalities as well as 200 service providers offering a range of tools and supports to local governments.
 

Session objectives

1. Capture practical experiences and learnings from local governments of ‘SDGs in Action’
2. Provide policy recommendations for local governments to scale up their progress towards the SDGs
3. Guide how the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) global partnership can better support local governments to be more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable

As the population is growing and urbanization is progressing, higher numbers of people are exposed to disaster risks, especially in developing countries. Climate change is further worsening the impacts of existing risks and introducing new ones. To date, various international arenas have recommended increasing investment in DRR. The Sendai Framework for DRR, adopted by the UN member states in 2015 during the Third UN World Conference on DRR, emphasizes investment as a priority for decreasing disaster risks and losses. It is imperative that countries need to invest more in disaster risk reduction (DRR) as well as climate change adaptation (CCA) not only to minimize their impacts but also to build resilience.

In this Ignite Stage session, the CADRI Partners - UN & IFRC - will present what the CADRI Tool can deliver for governments. The tool has been designed to support countries in their efforts to strengthening their national and local capacities to reduce disaster and climate related risks. It is a ground breaking offer to governments to help identify the best adapted policies, methodologies, tools, or financing mechanisms to help address the risks they face in different sectors. The tool is meant to support governments to shift from response centric systems to risk informed planning.

DARAJA, which means ‘bridge’ in Swahili, is a service and partnership that aims to improve weather and climate information services (WCIS), including early warnings of extreme weather for urban users. By adopting a systems-wide approach, DARAJA builds ‘bridges’ and operational partnerships between the actors critical to the co-design of the products, dissemination channels and feedback loops for weather forecasts and extreme weather alerts. The DARAJA service has been piloted already in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam with strong impact results. These included a 20:1 benefit cost ratio (BCR) in enhanced productivity and avoided climate related damage and loss to users. The service is also being adapted for deployment into Small Island States (SIDS) via a demonstrator for the Caribbean based in Kingston, Jamaica (IDB).

In honor of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) Conference taking place in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, the Host Government is inviting delegates and accompanying families to take part in the Host Government Field Trip Program on Saturday, May 28, 2022. The program is designed to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Indonesian culture and heritage, including cultural activities, handicraft workshops, music and dance lessons, nature and landscapes, temples and houses, as well as the Balinese hospitality. The field trip participants will learn how Balinese people protect the environment and prevent environmental disasters. You are welcome to choose one of three field trip programs, all escorted by English speaking guides. The Field Trips are free of charge for the first 600 participants, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Participants who are interested are invited to register for the field trips on the Host Government Field Trip page as soon as possible.

Session objectives

1. Learn how Balinese people protect the environment and prevent environmental disasters.
2. Showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Indonesian culture and heritage.

When a disaster occurs, governments grapple with many questions: How extensive is the damage? Where are the impacts greatest? What are the priorities for response and recovery? And how quickly can we assess the resulting costs and social impacts? Since 2020, these questions became even more complex, and the compound impact of natural hazards and COVID-19 lockdowns made disaster response much more challenging.

The World Bank’s Global RApid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) methodology, first deployed in 2015, was adapted as needed to address the new complexities posed by COVID-19. GRADE is a remote, desk-based approach, that answers many of the above questions, typically within one to two weeks. Using sophisticated catastrophe modeling techniques, historical damage data, census and socio-economic data, engineering, satellite imagery and social media, the approach estimates the direct costs of damage with a high degree of accuracy.

GRADE assessments support in determining the appropriate levels of financial and technical support and provide decision-makers with a first order of the disaster’s impact. Assessments can also contribute to baseline information needed for the design of rehabilitation and recovery plans. 

Interested participants are invited to register for the Learning Labs as soon as possible through this link.

Session objectives

1. Introducing the concepts of the GRADE methodology 
2. Highlighting a case study where a GRADE is conducted 
3. Help in interpreting the GRADE results 
4. Highlighting the FAQs of GRADE 
5. Developing a community of practice in the Asia-Pacific on GRADE.

This learning lab provides knowledge and tool for local and regional governments to:  

• Enhance understanding of risk and resilience 
• Explore how decision making and budgeting scenarios can impact cities’ risk reduction and resilience in the short, medium and long term 
• Reflect on workable decision making and financing solutions to risk reduction with multi-sectoral engagement 

Interested participants are invited to register for the Learning Labs as soon as possible through this link.

Session objectives

The session objectives include: 

1. To discuss why it is important to invest in resilience and develop financing mechanisms for DRR 
2. To examine challenges local governments face in financing DRR and resilience actions 
3. To showcase instruments and examples to develop governance and financing mechanisms to accelerate local DRR and resilience actions

Building on the experiences gained through DesInventar implementation, UNDP and UNDRR, partnering with other organisations like WMO, are in the process of developing a new disaster loss accounting system that meets the growing needs, with higher level of sustainability. Interested participants are invited to register for the Learning Labs as soon as possible through this link.

Session objectives

• To learn from the good practices in the strategic applications of disaster loss accounting 
• To demonstrate the process for establishing and maintaining national / sub-national Disaster Loss databases 
• To explain the methodology for the systematic collection, documentation and analysis of disaster-related loss and damage data.  
• To provide a basic training on the use of the “DesInventar-Sendai” system software  
• To consult on the new generation of Disaster Loss Accounting System that will be developed and piloted over the current biennium. 

Watch this session on-demand 

Session objectives

• Acknowledge and thank the host country (Indonesia), sponsors, speakers, and participants
• Summarize the key findings from WRC5 by sharing joint communique
• Set the scene for WRC6
• Welcome participants to the GPDRR

Expected Outcome:

Participants will leave the session with a clear understanding and sense of enthusiasm about new approaches to recovery and will advocate for their adoption in the GPDRR as well as their work in the future.