Towards a post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction BUILDING THE RESILIENCE OF NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES TO DISASTERS

Dear colleagues in the online dialogue,

A key point that recurred in discussion in the first two rounds of this on line dialogue was the need to connect these discussions with the ongoing in person consultations taking place at national, regional and sectoral consultations on the post 2015 DRR Framework. In the last three months there have been at least three regional consultations, namely the Pacific regional discussions in September, the Asian ministerial meeting and consultations in Indonesia, and the European platform meeting in Croatia, in October. Full reports of the consultations at these meetings will be posted on the post 2015 website, and I would encourage you all to read them.

In today’s post I am sharing some key conclusions from the consultations at the 5th Asian Ministerial Conference from 22-25 October 2012 in Yogyakarta attended by more than 2,600 participants from 72 countries. Two Heads of States (Indonesia and Nauru) addressed the Conference and 50 Asia Pacific countries sent high-level delegations, 24 of which were led by Ministers.

An interesting feature was the integration of the post 2015 DRR discussion with consultations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and the use of a multi stakeholder format. Governments met in meetings of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, SAARC Disaster Management Center, and coordination meetings by delegations from the Pacific and from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Ten stakeholder groups that held discussiosn were (1) Mayors and Local Government; (2) Parliamentarians; (3) Research and Academic Institutions; (4) Organizations and Individuals dealing with Gender and Women’s issues; (5) Media Organizations; (6) Private Sector; (7) Civil Society Organisations; (8) Organisations and Individuals dealing with Children and Youth; (9) Organisations and Individuals dealing with People with Disabilities; (10) National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent. Besides consultations in groups, a half-day Conference Plenary session attended by 180 participants synthesized the key messages from the Asia Pacific region on the Post-2015 DRR framework and development agenda.

The participants called for the process for the development of the post-2015 DRR Framework and Development Agenda to take a bottom-up approach that is inclusive, integrated, and comprehensive.

The key messages that emerged are:

1. Integrated planning and action for DRR, CCA and Development

Take integrated planning and action in policy, practice and investments on DRR, CCA and Development, while understanding the impacts of causal relationship between disasters – development – climate change, especially on people’s lives. For DRR-CCA-Development integration to materialize, it is recommended to create the required enabling environment by developing appropriate policy and legislation and by the provision of investments both for developing capacities and for implementation at all levels. Such resource allocation, including national budget allocations, needs to consider all levels of planning and implementation, as well as the short term and long term.
The importance to utilize and invest the limited resources available to achieve combined gains and outcomes was highlighted, including a suggestion to connect social protection investments and mechanisms and private investments with DRR-CCA action.

2. Turning vulnerability into resilience

The conference acknowledged that social and economic inequalities, existing institutional arrangements, the social and cultural norms make some social groups (such as children, aged, persons with disabilities, women and girls) are more vulnerable to disasters than others, it clearly observed that even the most vulnerable have capacities, skills, and knowledge valuable for risk reduction. The common reference to women as a vulnerable group and as helpless victims in disasters was strongly challenged.

Consistent with discussion in the third round of this dialogue, the ‘specifically vulnerable’ groups stressed the need for recognizing their capacities and for stronger emphasis on their resilience building, and recognizing the productive and constructive role of women and other groups are already playing in this regard. It also called for greater acknowledgement of the cross-cutting nature of issues of Gender and PWD among others, and to be inclusive, by consulting and engaging these constituencies in the design and implementation of DRR and CCA interventions, especially in risk assessments and risk communication

3. Risk governance and Accountability
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Discussions noted gaps in transparency and accountability in disaster risk management. The importance of effective disaster risk governance with reference to national, local, regional and international levels was recognized, along with accountability to the commitments as an integral component. Deliberations called for a) extending the achievements made in terms of policies, legislation and institution development to the provincial, district and local levels, supported with resources and capacity for execution, b) improving the vertical coordination between the different levels of risk governance: national- provincial- local; and lateral coordination between the sectors (land use, agriculture, irrigation, health, DRR, CCA etc, c) importance of local level risk governance, which is the primary interface for communities living with risks.

There was a call for the post 2015 framework to include well defined targets, indicators and monitoring mechanisms to measure not only the outputs, but also the impacts of risk reduction interventions, and for the framework to include follow-up mechanisms to keep track and monitor the resource allocation and other commitments made by the national and local governments, international, regional development and donor community in support of DRR-CCA- development integrated policies and programmes and for ensuring the inclusion of specifically vulnerable groups .

4.Strengthening bottom-up and multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder engagement

Recognizing that a larger share of HFA implementation achievements remain at the national level, and have not reached the local level in a substantial manner, there was a strong call for local engagement taking centre stage in the Post 2015 framework - with reference to each of the above, i.e. risk governance, access to financial resources, skills and capacities, risk information, community participation, inclusive planning and implementation, and accountability. ‘Inclusiveness’ is reiterated as principle to be incorporated at all levels, without compromise. Promotion of ‘community centered DRR’ is suggested to operationalise this principle. The role of the National Platform (NP) as a mechanism which can encourage multi – stakeholder, multi- sector participation and dialogue, also including the private sector for resilience building is strongly recommended as a mechanism to be emphasized in the Post – 2015 framework.

5. Other issues

Other issues identified were a) the importance of conflict as potential source of disasters, b) emerging risks such as hunger and food security, climate and disaster related migration, c) Trans-boundary hazards and sub-regional cooperation crucial for DRR and CCA, d) the role of Inter- Governmental Organizations (IGO) and the IGO cooperation defined in the Post-2015 framework, e) The role of the private sector, including Public-Private Partnership in DRR-CCA with private sector partnership, engagement and accountability as one of the pillars for resilience building in the region.f) ensuring that policies are better informed by science and research and enhancing the currently poor links between science and academia with the policy decision making.

Warmly,

LOY REGO