The Opening Ceremony marks the start of the official programme of the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Featuring high-level speeches and cultural interludes, the ceremony will be an exciting and motivating start to GP2022 for participants joining from all over the world.
Session objectives
Highlight the importance and role of the GP2022 in global development agendas
The Closing Ceremony of GP2022 will highlight the outcomes of the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The ceremony will feature high-level, forward-looking interventions outlining the contributions of the GP2022 to the midterm review of the Sendai Framework for DRR, to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development as well as the links between the GP2022 outcomes and upcoming policy processes and events.
Session Objectives
Highlight GP2022 outcomes
Outline the road to the eighth session of the Global Platform for DRR
H.E. Muhadjir Effendy - Coordinating Minister For Human Development and Culture, Indonesia
Ricardo Mena – Director, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Manuel Bessler - Deputy Director-General and Head of Humanitarian Aid Department, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
The growing impact of the climate emergency and the certainty that the 1.5° threshold will be breached, points to the urgency to scale-up disaster risk reduction (DRR) and build resilience. While progress has been made in creating coherence across global frameworks, for instance through alignment in reporting mechanisms, gaps remain when it comes to aligning implementation.
The systemic and interconnected nature of risk calls for an integrated, multi-sector, multi-hazard and multi-level approach that systematically integrates disaster and climate risk management to its governance. Climate and disaster risk management should be embedded in the larger domain of governance that is preventive, adaptive, anticipatory, absorptive and transformative. Planning and investments need to be risk-informed, to avoid creating new risk and maladaptation.
The GP2022, building on the decisions and outcomes of the COP 26, provides the global community with a unique opportunity to identify means to strengthen climate and disaster risk governance. This High-Level Dialogue will showcase how integrated climate and disaster risk governance can be achieved by overcoming persistent challenges and building on successful examples. It will consider how to ‘build back better’ in the years to come and in the remaining period of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Session objectives
Stress the importance of comprehensive climate and disaster risk management for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and for integrated approaches to analysing, planning, implementing, and monitoring disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, at both national and local levels.
Demonstrate how integrated climate and disaster risk governance can be implemented and improved, building on experiences since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for DRR and the Paris Agreement.
Discuss how to overcome persistent challenges and leverage the learnings and opportunities of the COVID-19 recovery and ‘building back better’ for strengthening the integrated governance of multi-dimensional/systemic risk within and across sectors and systems.
Emphasize the role of laws, strategies and policies, at both national and local levels, as well as multi-hazard early warning systems and multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms, for enhancing inclusiveness, gender responsiveness and accountability.
Selwin Hart - Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action & Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations
Filimon Manoni - Deputy Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum secretariat
Jochen Steinhilber - Director General for Displacement, Crisis Prevention and Civil Society, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
Mark Howden - Director, Australian National University, Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions
Natalia Gómez Solano - President, Costa Rican Youth and Climate Change Network
Learn more about why integrated climate and disaster risk management governance is important and how it can be ensured through comprehensive risk management
Where do we stand
Key Challenges
The impact of climate emergency is growing and will be increasingly felt. Climate-related disasters have almost doubled compared to the previous twenty years and the frequency and spread of extreme events such as droughts, floods and storms will considerably increase in future.
Governance mechanisms in countries remain siloed dealing with climate change and disaster risk separately, impeded by institutional and financing barriers. Such gaps can often be worsened by trade-offs in implementation between sectors.
Capacity gaps remain across governance mechanisms, especially in least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Opportunities
There is a growing understanding and political will to adopt integrated approaches across governance structures.
Increasing risk analytics, the big data revolution and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide common bases for integrated planning and implementation. Tools and guidance on integrated governance of climate and disaster risk have been developed that need to be applied and turned into concrete actions through capacity development.
Good practices exist across countries and regions that need to be replicated and contextualized to national needs.
Effective partnerships and coordination mechanisms have been developed that can support countries to successfully implement multi-sectoral, multi-hazard and multi-stakeholder approaches.
Session guiding questions
How have national and local strategies for disaster and climate resilience evolved since 2015 and what have been the main takeaways in meeting Target E of the Sendai Framework? How have the relevant and complementary sectoral planning processes evolved?
Which governance arrangements have enabled the implementation of comprehensive risk management strategies and plans? Which governance challenges have hindered implementation?
What should we do to accelerate actions stemming from both the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement at the local levels?
What are the COVID-19 crisis and the climate emergency teaching the DRR community in adapting disaster risk governance?
What is required in terms of accelerators and, drivers to transform the way we work?
Where do we want to be by 2030, and what needs to happen in the coming years to get there?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
Germany, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development-Christiane Amari
Indonesia, Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency -Dwikorita Karnawati
Japan, Cabinet Office-Takeo Murakami
Japan, Cabinet Office-Takuya Taniguchi
Japan, Cabinet Office-Shuhei Yasumatsu
Japan, Cabinet Office-Shoko Kabuto
Nigeria, National Emergency Management Agency-Vincent Owan
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union-Natalia Ilieva
Citizens' Disaster Response Center Foundation, Inc., Philippines-Sharlene Lopez
InsuResilience Global Partnership-Astrid Zwick
IFRC-Isabelle Granger
Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre India-Asha Hans
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how under-prepared governments are to tackle the systemic nature of risk and how prevention and resilience is under-prioritized and underinvested in. As the reality of climate impacts hit, we will continue to face losses from disasters, where vulnerable groups are expected to be most affected.
Political leaders are today faced with an increasingly tight fiscal space and existential dilemmas over whether to allocate scarce public resources to immediate relief or to invest in a more inclusive sustainable recovery. Development finance in the era of COVID-19 recognizes the value of investing in ex-ante disaster risk reduction to bridge the short term with the long term, whilst addressing climate change and ensuring overall sustainability. But such an investment requires a fundamental shift in mindset across both the public sector as well as investment and financial sectors. A move to long term thinking, considering current and future risks, is required to achieve risk-informed and sustainable development pathways.
This High-Level Dialogue will identify options for enhancing inclusive financing for prevention. It will discuss and unpack the ‘Think Resilience’ financing approach as a necessity in all public, as well as private sector investments.
Session objectives
Share experiences and showcase opportunities for enhancing financing for prevention especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and most vulnerable countries, with focus also on gender dimensions.
Demonstrate opportunities for risk informing sustainable development financing strategies and for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into investment decision frameworks.
Discuss opportunities to scale up advocacy on the full costs and impacts of disasters.
Identify opportunities for strengthening the effectiveness of investments and enhancing access to finance for prevention and risk reduction at local and community level.
Russell Isaac - Professional moderator, World Broadcast Unions
Speakers
Armida Alisjahbana - Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
H.E. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed - Minister of Finance, Nigeria
Olaya Dotel - Vice Minister of Economy Planning and Development, Dominican Republic
H.E. Igor Driesmans - Ambassador to ASEAN, European Union
Read this section to learn more about the topic of financing for risk prevention, ensuring you come prepared to the session.
Where do we stand?
Key challenges include:
Unprecedented debt accumulation amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Vicious cycle of disaster-response-recover-repeat due to lack of ex ante investment in resilience
The true costs of climate change, crisis and disaster are not fully accounted for or known
Negative impacts are often disproportionately borne by marginalized groups as disasters impact people differently
At the same time, risk prevention financing presents opportunities, notably:
Improving the effectiveness of risk prevention investments through better inclusiveness and access to funds at local and community level.
Better understanding of investment impacts through strengthened assessment and tracking of investments and accountability systems
Better use of climate risk and vulnerability assessments, as well as evidence and data of climate impacts, help demonstrate the need for early risk prevention measures as well as comprehensive insurance coverage
The possibility for international ratings agencies and major creditors to shift towards a sustainable business model by considering investments in risk prevention or adaptation.
Session guiding questions
What challenges prevent investment in risk prevention both in public and private portfolios? How do investment challenges differ between national, local and community level?
What opportunities and good practices and mechanisms exist for making risk-informed investments? Who are the emerging key players in this field?
What are the key steps for putting in place a common vision towards increasing risk prevention investments?
How can we ensure that investments in prevention support the and benefit the most vulnerable, including women?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
Japan, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Akihiro Shimasaki
Huairou Commission, Rocio Diaz-Agero
International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation, Tarbuck Shaun
International Finance Corporation, Philippines Country Office, Angelo Tan
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Verónica Ruiz
Middlesex University, Sarah Bradshaw
AI Systems Research, Brazil (ARISE representative, Fernando Britto
World Food Programme (WFP), Giorgia Pergolini, Katiuscia Fara, and Sapphire Metcalf
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the cascading nature of risk. It shows clearly the importance of coordination among health and other sectors for effective and gender responsive disaster risk reduction and systemic risk governance.
This session will consider the lessons learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at the national and local level. It will
(i) explore the cascading socio-economic impacts of complex risks on vulnerable populations, and
(ii) identify opportunities for strengthening multi-sectoral risk governance.
The session will highlight how evidence-based and just recovery can help us prepare for future disasters as well as protect and sustain the sustainable development goals.
Session objectives
Share lessons learned from COVID-19 in the context of complex and interconnected risks;
Identify key means to move towards resilience and social and economic recovery for all;
Highlight good practices and opportunities for whole-of-society and all-hazards risk governance;
Put forward essential elements, concrete actions and commitments for consideration at different levels and across sectors for enhancing adaptive and transformative social and economic recovery for all.
Read this section to learn more about the topic of COVID-19 lessons to ensure social and economic recovery for all.
Where do we stand
Despite strong efforts to strengthen disaster risk governance systems over the years, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that significant challenges remain. These include:
Insufficient knowledge and integration mechanisms of the health and other sectors as part of the scope of disaster risk management
Lack of understanding of risk complexity and the effects of cascading socio-economic impacts on vulnerable populations
Absence of investment in prevention and preparedness actions as part of recovery efforts, notably those that would address social and economic drivers of inequality
At the same time, there are opportunities.
Despite insufficient past coordination between the health and other sectors, there has been a recent increase in the establishment of policy frameworks and recognition to increase coordination between the heath and other sectors in response to COVID-19, particularly disaster managers that should be taken advantage of.
Recognition of the need for multi-hazard risk management for effective risk governance and evidence-based recovery.
Recognition of the impact of disasters on the more vulnerable and of the need to adopt a whole of society and inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction and recovery from COVID-19.
Session guiding questions
Considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different co-existing groups, sectors and systems, how can governments and stakeholders better identify and manage current and emerging systemic risks, including the climate crisis?
How can we address identified challenges and accelerate progress in managing the “new” and multiple types of hazards and disaster risks included in the Sendai Framework for DRR1?
What are the key elements identified from the pandemic experience that can help us strengthen disaster risk governance and build stronger and more forward-looking, innovative and transformative systems for managing all types of hazards and risks?
How can governments and stakeholders plan using the information on current and emerging systemic risks, including the climate crisis to better manage risks in the future?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN)-Amirrol, Hafiz
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-Pilar Pacheco
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-Valerie Bemo
Central African Republic, Disaster Reduction Committee-Marguerite Ramadan
Egypt, Information and Decision Support Center -Abdelsameaa Mohamed
GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)-Ria Hidajat
GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)-Stella Lehning
Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction-Valeria Drigo
Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction-Liza Hernandez
ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability-Dr Nazmul Huq
International Science Council-Anne-Sophie Stevance
Paraguay, National Emergency Secretariat-Joaquin Roa
United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth -Terry Otieno
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-Maryline Py
United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)-Dr Michael Hagenlocher
We stand at a pivotal moment when it comes to delivering on the policy commitments agreed in 2015 and stipulated in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Agenda 2030, and the Paris Agreement. Accelerating progress towards global risk reduction requires system-wide transformational change. This includes better leadership and coordination, scaling-up data and analytics to improve the evidence base, fostering best practices and learning across sectors and regions, boosting international cooperation for DRR, and empowering those at the frontline of climate and disaster risk.
This High-Level Dialogue will present a comprehensive stock-take of progress towards global, regional, national and local disaster risk reduction commitments. It will consider the challenges faced and the enabling environment needed to achieve the goals of the Sendai Framework and catalyse synergies across the post-2015 commitments in the count-down towards 2030.
Session objectives
The High-Level Dialogue will:
Benchmark progress towards Sendai Framework implementation
Identify barriers and opportunities for inclusive, integrated, sustainable, and localised implementation of the Sendai Framework at global, regional and national level
Recommend good practices to accelerate achievement of the Sendai Framework goals and targets by 2030, identifying the way forward for accelerating progress.
Read this section to learn more about Sendai Framework implementation, its progress and challenges, ensuring you come prepared to the session.
Where do we stand
The first seven years of Sendai Framework Implementation have seen increased efforts of countries and communities to reduce risk and protect hard-earned development gains. With 153 countries now reporting on at least one of seven Sendai Targets, new trends are emerging. Global disaster-related mortality is on a downward trajectory and has declined by 40% compared to the 2000s, bringing us closer to reaching Sendai Target A. In the meantime, there has been a 1.5-fold increase in the number of countries with national and/or local DRR strategies, reaching 120 in 2020 (Target E).
Despite this progress, disaster risk is proliferating, pointing to an urgent need to significantly accelerate action to implement the Sendai Framework. At no other point in history has the world faced such an array of familiar and unfamiliar risks, interacting in a hyperconnected world and a precipitously changing landscape. Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and is happening quicker than anticipated. The ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that disasters are not confined to one sector, one location or one community and can quickly escalate into global crises.
To be effective, global, national and local DRR efforts must be grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the far-reaching impacts of disasters, threats, crises and climate change. Achievement of the Sendai Framework requires greater focus on managing disaster risk in all its dimensions (hazards, exposure and vulnerability) with a particular focus on addressing the drivers of risk (including poverty, inequality, structural discrimination, and social norms) alongside building the enabling environment for more inclusive decision making. Furthermore, managing risk in all its dimensions is also a critical means of achieving the ambitious goals and policy commitments of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement.
Session guiding questions
Where do we stand on Sendai Framework implementation?
Are we on track to reach the expected outcomes, goals and targets by 2030?
What are key good practices, experience and learning at regional level?
What are we learning from recent global DRR policy stocktaking processes?
How do we strengthen our understanding of risk?
How to strengthen the evidence base for DRR and incorporate risk analysis at all levels of policy, programming and action?
How do we accelerate progress?
How to promote an effective enabling environment for comprehensive disaster risk management and achieving the Sendai Framework?
What is needed to hardwire disaster and climate risk into humanitarian and development policy and action in order to catalyse synergies across the post-2015 commitments?
How do we work together?
How to strengthen international cooperation for disaster risk reduction that is multi-hazard, multi-disciplinary, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder?
Way forward: what are the foremost priorities for action towards 2030?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
Ahmed Abdulla Al-abdulla, Qatar, Ministry of Interior, Civil Defense Department
Alejandro Alba Fernández, Mexico, Geneva mission
Alexandra Nichols and Tricia Addie, National Recovery and Resilience Agency
Erica Allis, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Kai Gatkuoth, African Union Commission
Karin Fernando, Centre for Poverty Analysis
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability
Matthias Amling, Germany, Federal Foreign Office
Michelle Yonetani, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Saikia Jekulin, United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth
Sarah Selby and Rahel Steinbach, UN Women
Shivangi Chavda, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 outlines the inclusive, all-of-society approach that is needed to reduce disaster risks. It explicitly recognises the need to promote women and youth leadership and to empower women and persons with disabilities to publicly lead and promote gender equitable and universally accessible disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and risk informed and resilient development. However, truly inclusive diverse leadership must extend beyond the three groups explicitly mentioned. Addressing the structural barriers, capacity gaps, discriminatory attitudes and stereotypes that continue to restrict participation in decision-making, including in DRR, must be a priority to effectively manage disaster risk and build resilience.
Session objectives
This session will:
Showcase the transformative impact that diversity in DRR leadership can have on risk informed development and resilience that leaves no one behind.
Stocktake progress and recognise the skills, knowledge and achievements of diverse leaders that are building resilience in their communities.
Abel Walekhwa - Deputy Secretary General, Africa Youth Advisory Board on Disaster Risk Reduction, African Union Commission
Speakers
Sarah Knibbs - Officer-in-Charge, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, UN-Women
Lizra Fabien - Executive Director, ARISE Dominica | Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce
David Zambrano Maya - President, Community Risk Management Committee of Olón
Noelene Nabulivou - Executive Director, Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for equality
Elham Youssefian - Inclusive Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Advisor, International Disability Alliance
Manuel Bessler - Deputy Director-General and Head of Humanitarian Aid Department, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
Read this section to learn more about the topic of diversity in DRR leadership, ensuring you come prepared to the session.
Where do we stand?
Increasingly, there is recognition that diverse leadership is fundamental for challenging and addressing norms and discriminations that drive unequal disaster risk; and for ensuring more effective and resilient outcomes that leave no one behind. Yet significant barriers remain for women, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly, and other groups most at risk to take a transformative leadership role and meaningfully participate in disaster risk reduction recovery and resilience building. These barriers include:
Lack of targeted funding
Inadequate capacity development and challenges in accessing knowledge and skills for leadership
Insufficient coordination between representative organisations and DRR/climate change adaptation/resilience actors
Collective influencing and advocacy power of national and local groups to ensure DRR/resilience processes are influenced by their priorities, needs and capacities.
At the same time, there are opportunities, which could accelerate diverse leadership in DRR and resilience building and fast-track gender-responsive and inclusive implementation of the Sendai Framework. These opportunities include
Building awareness of the rationale for diverse leadership in DRR and how diversity in decision-making can reduce disaster risk for all
Identifying the enablers of change to overcome key barriers to diverse leadership
Disseminating and applying existing tools to measure and accelerate progress
Securing commitments to move beyond box ticking to systemic inclusion of diversity
Identifying priority actions for different stakeholder groups.
Session guiding questions
How can diverse leadership drive progress in achieving the implementation of the Sendai Framework?
What are the primary enablers to diverse and transformative leadership in DRR and resilience building?
Sustainable and resilient infrastructure provides communities and the environment with their first line of defense against shocks and is critical for the support it provides in recovery efforts. Robust and resilient infrastructure are key drivers of local and national economic growth.
However, evidence shows that existing infrastructure systems and the services they provide are increasingly being affected by natural and man-made hazards, and from the impacts of climate change. The current approach to managing and financing disaster risk reduction is lagging behind the rapid rate of creation and increasing complexity of disaster risk.
The session will look into several important issues that require concerted efforts:
Establishing overarching benchmarks for resilient infrastructure
Increase and improve data collection on SF Target D
Include infrastructure resilience in national DRR strategies
Promote a ‘Think Resilience’ approach to all infrastructure investments,
Urge international financial institutions and development banks, as well as national financial institutions, to align their strategies, operations and activities with the 2030 initiatives.
Consider specific country requirements (e.g. SIDS and LDCs) and specific needs of the most vulnerable.
Session objectives
Improve the understanding of what “infrastructure resilience” means and how to accelerate its implementation.
Showcase ways for inclusion of infrastructure resilience into national DRR and Climate Change Adaptation strategies;
Discuss means to improve data collection in relation to Sendai Framework (SF) Target D objectives in a manner that ensures no one is left behind (e.g. improve segregated data collection);
Showcase how applying a ‘Think Resilience ‘approach in infrastructure investment and decision-making can ensure infrastructure is sustainable and resilient.
Join this session to learn more about decision-making and investments related to resilient infrastructure.
Where do we stand?
Key challenges in integrating resilience in infrastructure planning and management include:
Lack of agreed upon terminology and resilience metrics
Insufficient investment in prevention and resilience
Regulatory frameworks do not take full account of risks and vulnerability and do not include resilience measures
At the same time, there are opportunities which could put us on the path to sustainability and resilience. These include:
Establishing overarching benchmarks for resilient infrastructure
Include infrastructure resilience in national DRR strategies and develop/update national and local regulations around infrastructure so that resilience measures are taken into consideration
Promote a ‘Think Resilience’ approach to all infrastructure investments, creating an enabling policy and investment environment for the integration of resilience into infrastructure development
Urge international financial institutions and development banks, as well as national financial institutions, to align their strategies, operations and activities with the 2030 initiatives.
Session guiding questions
What do we understand by “resilient” infrastructure and what should some basic metrics of resilience look like?
What are some good examples of national DRR strategies incorporating infrastructure resilience and in what ways?
What tools and collaborations would best address the critical infrastructure damage and basic service disruption data gap in relation to SF Target D?
What regulatory and policy changes would bring the most dividends to communities and would ensure the resilience of infrastructure?
What kind of incentives could governments provide to private sectors to invest in resilience of infrastructure?
What are some of the bottlenecks for increasing investment in resilient infrastructure?
What measures and tools should we use to ensure that those investments are risk informed?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
India / Ministry of External Affairs, Basir Ahmed
WHO, Qudsia Huda
UN-Habitat, Esteban Leon
US Georgia Emergency Mgmt Agency, John Krolikowski
JICA Bangladesh, Naoki Matsumura
Wetlands International, Susanna Tol
Global Buildings Performance Network, Kate McFarlane
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Tanaji Sen
Dominican Foundation for Risk Management, Delka Espinal
In today’s interconnected world, risk is increasingly systemic, and disaster impacts cascade across boundaries. Strengthened risk governance and cooperation across borders is subsequently critical to manage and reduce disaster risk. Data shows that international financing for disaster response and recovery far outweigh financing for prevention and risk reduction. While increased official development assistance for disaster risk reduction (DRR) is certainly needed, international cooperation for DRR must go beyond funding to include support for capacity building as well as transfer and exchange of science, technology, and innovation. Cooperation must also go beyond traditional development assistance through traditional partners to cross-border networking between civil society organizations, academic institutions, and experts working on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
This session will examine means to strengthen cross border cooperation for disaster risk reduction, and specifically across non-traditional actors and mechanisms.
Session objectives
Share examples of successful South-South and triangular partnerships and transboundary cooperation initiatives for DRR that can be scaled up or replicated.
Highlight means to strengthen international cooperation for DRR and the integration of DRR into financing for sustainable development and climate action.
Consider the transfer and exchange of science, technology, and innovation in DRR between countries, providing recommendations for scaling up collaboration between public, private, academic, and science and technology sectors.
Synthesize key steps required to boost multi-stakeholder cross-border partnerships for DRR in the coming years and ahead of 2030.
Neeshad Shafi - Executive Director/ Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar/ Global Carbon Council
Speakers
Ken O'Flaherty - COP26 Regional Ambassador Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Olaya Dotel - Vice-minister for International Cooperation, Dominican Republic
Cristelle Pratt - Assistant Secretary-General, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States Secretariat, Environment & Climate Action
Nuraini Rahma Hanifa - Secretary-General, U-INSPIRE Alliance, National research and innovation agency
Heidi Schroderus-Fox - Acting High Representative, The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
Read this section to learn more about the potential of cross border cooperation for strengthened DRR capacity and action to ensure you come prepared to the session.
Where do we stand?
Challenges
A mere 0.5% of the total amount of official development assistance between 2010 and 2019 was allocated to DRR. Moreover, only $5.5 billion was aimed at ex-ante risk reduction measures, compared to $119.8 billion spent on post-disaster response and recovery. Very few national development cooperation policies include disaster risk reduction. International development cooperation must become more risk-informed, given the increasingly complex risk landscape and the scope of resources and expertise required. A much broader range of experts and stakeholders must be engaged in cross-border collaboration for DRR.
Opportunities
Development cooperation can be a catalyst for disaster risk-informed domestic public and private investment as well as foreign direct investment. Yet traditional development partners cannot meet the scale of investment needed for DRR alone. COVID-19 recovery packages as well as C0P 26 commitments to increase financing for climate change adaptation provide opportunities to increase cross border collaboration for DRR. Moreover, the wealth of knowledge and expertise within civil society organizations, and academic, research and scientific institutions, in both developed and developing countries can be leveraged to strengthen cross-border cooperation and capacity support for DRR.
Cross-border cooperation between such organizations and actors:
supports the exchange of risk data and science and technology for disaster risk reduction
allows for more systemic and regular sharing of expertise, best practices and lessons learnt
promotes coherence and synergies between their work
supports cost-sharing for a more effective use of both financial and human resources more efficiently.
Session guiding questions
How can DRR be better integrated into international development cooperation across all sectors?
What kind of approaches to cross-border disaster risk governance and cooperation have been most effective, including across shared ecosystems, water resources, and infrastructure assets?
What opportunities exist to better integrate academic, research, and science and technology institutions into cross-border cooperation for risk reduction? What types of policies, mechanisms and networks are needed?
To what extent are South-South and triangular cooperation being sufficiently leveraged as means of implementation?
Event bucket
Official Programme
Organizing Team members
National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, Haruo Hayashi
Solomon Islands, National Disaster Management Office, Loti Yates
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Elin Sari
Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, Fang Lian
The Alliance of International Science Organizations on Disaster Risk Reduction, Gretchen Kalonji and Peng Cui
The Asia Foundation, Nandita Baruah
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Plotnykova Hanna
Investing in disaster risk reduction is a precondition for developing sustainably in a rapidly changing climate. It is estimated that global investments of €1.6 trillion in appropriate disaster risk reduction strategies could avoid losses of €6.4 trillion. However, the current level of DRR finance does not match the scale of the challenges. While several tools are available to support the development of inclusive local disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans, the challenge has been the conversion of the actions in these strategies into bankable projects. This session looks at how technical and institutional capacity may be developed at the local level to prepare and coordinate complex resilience project portfolios that can attract finance.
Session objectives
This session will:
Analyze existing gaps and challenges hampering the ability to access and mobilize required financial resources;
Understand how local governments and communities, including women’s organizations, have accessed funding and finance;
Discuss practical solutions for developing risk informed and bankable resilience projects;
Identify opportunities for increasing national budgetary allocations and city revenue generation for DRR;
Deliver recommendations on what more needs to be done by stakeholders.
Read this section to learn more about the topic of local financing for climate and disaster resilience, ensuring you come prepared to the session.
Where do we stand?
Investing in disaster risk reduction is a precondition for developing sustainably. Given the differentiated impact of disasters on women, children and other groups, an investment in gender, age and disability-responsive disaster risk reduction is needed. Studies indicate Benefit to Cost Ratios (BCRs) that range between $1.7 and $150 of benefit for every $1 spent on programming for women and girls. Also, with much of the socio-economic, infrastructural, and other development likely to take place in urban centers, there is a need to augment local financing for resilience. The climate finance flows for cities reached an estimated USD384 billion annual on average in 2017/2018. This is far less than existing needs, estimated at USD4.5 to 5.4 trillion annually.
At the same time, many grassroots groups have developed new financial mechanisms to help increase pre-disaster investments. For example, the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) is a flexible financial mechanism that puts money at the hands of grassroots communities to develop risk-informed planning and actions, builds partnership with the local government and drives locally-led implementation. The municipality of Livingston, Izabal in Guatemala, agreed to finance actions aimed at community resilience, which are implemented by local leaders. The Municipality of Wiwili in Nicaragua, agreed to allocate a municipal fund of 10% for disaster risk reduction projects at the grassroots level, specifically targeting women's organizations.
But while successful examples exist, the question remains: “How can these examples be scaled up to achieve results across communities and continents?”
Session guiding questions
How can local governments and communities work together for better access to financing that empowers the most vulnerable in decision making?
How can civil society and women’s organizations influence financing decisions and policy making?
What are the emerging trends for increasing the financing at the local level?
At global, national, and community levels, what actions are needed to accelerate progress to strengthen capabilities and capacities of local governments to better prepare DRR/resilience project portfolios?
