Regional Consultation on Sand and Dust Storms Risk Reduction and Developing Elements for a Regional Plan of Action on Sand and Dust Storms

Time

8:00 Geneva, 10:30 Tehran, 12:30 New Delhi, 13:00 Almaty, 14:00 Bangkok, 16:00 Incheon (4 hrs)

Background

The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) invites government officials, experts, and practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific region to participate in an online Regional Consultation on Sand and Dust Storms Risk Reduction and developing elements towards a regional plan of action on sand and dust storms.

Pursuant to ESCAP resolution 72/7 which requested the ESCAP Executive Secretary to: “(a) Within existing mandates and expertise, accord priority focus on the work of the Commission relating to sand and dust storms as a great transboundary challenge; (b) Work, including through the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management, as well as with other relevant regional organisations, utilising a combination of existing funds and extrabudgetary contributions, to promote regional and interregional networking on sand and dust storms”.

APDIM working in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization, the UNCCD Secretariat, FAO, UNDRR and in consultation with other UN agencies involved in combating the negative impact of sand and dust storms, is organizing an online consultation on the findings of the report on Sand and Dust Storms Risk Assessment in Asia and the Pacific with a sub-regional and thematic focuses.  The consultation aims at generating discussions amongst affected countries to identify common ground for joint follow-up action along with the three key areas for further action suggested in the report.

1. A deeper understanding of the socioeconomic impacts of sand and dust storms;
2. Extension of the monitoring system and improvements of the early warning system, with an impact-based focus, to timely forecast sand and dust storms and enable targeted measures to minimise exposure and reduce risks; and
3. Coordinated actions in most at-risk and exposed geographical areas with a view to mitigating the risks.

The outcomes of the consultation among others, will be used to develop elements of a regional plan of action on sand and dust storms for the attention of the Governing Council of APDIM for advice and guidance on further actions.  Subject to the advice of APDIM Governing Council on the following steps, an initial draft of regional plan of action on sand and dust storms will be made available online for ESCAP member States and expert’s review. A revised draft will then be presented to ESCAP member States’ representatives with a view to arrive at a final regional plan of action document.

The secretariat wishes to encourage broad participation of relevant government officials and non-governmental experts and communities involved with matters related to sand and dust storms, including those working on agriculture, disaster risk reduction, health, environment, transport, clean energy production and weather forecasting with a view to attend these meetings and contribute to the discussion.

Programme

Opening remarks and introduction , Ms Letizia Rossano, Director, APDIM (5 mins) 

Sand and Dust Storms Risk Assessment in Asia and the Pacific , Mr Amin Shamseddini, Programme Officer, APDIM (20 mins) 

The UN response to understanding and dealing with sand and dust storms  (30 min)

• Mr Nicholas Middleton, Sand and Dust Storms Expert, FAO
• Ms Sunisa Soodrak, Programme Officer, UNDRR
• Mr Alexander Baklanov, Science Officer, WMO
• Mr Sanjay Srivastava, Chief, Disaster Risk Reduction Section, ESCAP

Q & A (10 mins)

Break (10 min)

Process towards developing regional plan of action on reducing the risk of sand and dust storms, Ms Letizia Rossano, Director, APDIM (15 mins) 

Breakout Rooms (90 mins)

Discussion on:

1. Better Understanding
2. Coordinated monitoring and early warning system
3. Coordinated actions

*Key questions to be discussed and details are provided below

Reports from breakout rooms and discussion (40 mins)

Wrap up and closing, Ms Letizia Rossano, Director, APDIM (10 mins)

For more information