Discussion 2: The 5 Essentials for Business in Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Yoshiko AbeYoshiko Abe
    Dear All,

    Thank you for taking part in this discussion about the proposed next steps for the 5 Essentials for Business in DRR.

    The role of the private sector is fundamental in the effective implementation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. The current private sector commitment, ‘The 5 Essentials’, was established in 2011 and includes the following essentials:

    1) Promote public-private partnerships for resilience;
    2) Leverage private sector expertise and strengths;
    3) Foster a collaborative exchange and dissemination of data;
    4) Support national and local risk assessment;
    5) Support the development and strengthening of national and local laws, regulations, policies and programs.

    More information on the 5 Essentials can be found on this website: https://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/networks/public/psp/

    As part of the post-2015 HFA, voluntary commitments are now being called upon from the private sector (as well as other stakeholders). These are commitments to be made by private enterprises, industry associations and by business participants during the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, as representatives from the wider private sector.

    What needs to be updated in the 5 essentials? What should go into the voluntary commitments? This discussion is about getting your input and thoughts on these two key statements that will be used to describe, to other stakeholders, the private sector’s interest and enthusiasm in achieving resilience and business engagement in disaster risk reduction.

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    Key Questions for Discussion:

    1. Would your current ambitions to contribute to disaster risk reduction and resilience be well reflected by the 5 Essentials? Or does something need to be changed for the 5 essentials to fit your needs? Please explain why and how.

    2. With the coming of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, should the 5 Essentials be updated? Please share arguments to support your opinion and possible improvements.

    3. Based on current business practices, what do you see as an area of improvement when it comes to avoiding risk, reducing risk and building resilience (e.g. Business Continuity Management; building codes)? What, if any, of these improvements would you be willing to commit voluntarily as a show of support for resilience and disaster risk reduction?

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    It would greatly help if you can briefly describe your industry or sector somewhere in your answer, so that we may understand where your perspective comes from. Please note that industry-specific suggestions and opinions are as welcome on this forum as private-sector-encompassing ones.

    Thank you again for your participation and input!

    Yoshiko Abe
    Development Consultant, Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd.
  • Meshack NdirituMeshack Ndiritu
    Dear all,
    It is pleasure to participate in this discussion and thank you all. I am from the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development, based in Kenya. My organization is inter-Governmental and offers services to member states and beyond. We employ the Geo-Information Sciences tools in managing disasters.

    1. The current essential areas reflect a comprehensive coverage of the basics that a company would be seeking to be addressed in the interest of disaster risk reduction. Data dissemination is very key for my organization.
    2. However, for this period of post-2015, it is necessary to expound on the first item: what do we really mean by promoting public-private partnership for resilience? It is also important to check how different Governments encourage this partnerships by reviewing the protocols of disaster management in different countries.
    3. The involvement of private sector also depends on the community and I think it is good if the private sector may spend time building the capacity in communities. Emphasis also should be put on strengthening the National laws in a way to allow active involvement of the private sector and community in decision making.

    Regards
    Meshack Ndiritu
  • Yoshiko AbeYoshiko Abe
    Thank you, Meschack, for your comments from an inter-Governmental perspective. It is truly encouraging to know that those outside the private sector are also interested in understanding, clarifying, and ultimately engaging in public-private partnerships.

    It is true that the relationship between public and private sectors vary by geographical location, and affected by different governmental laws as well as societal rules. This is not a bad thing, but it makes understanding PPP more complicated. Can you share good examples of PPP and involvement of the private sector from your Regional and inter-Governmental perspective? I would welcome both country-specific good examples as well as any common threads you might have noticed in a wider regional context.
  • Tadao HasueTadao Hasue
    Dear all,

    Our company, Development Bank of Japan Inc.(DBJ) was established by the
    Japanese government after the World War 2. We have contributed to the
    recovery from the war and industrial development for about 60 years.
    In April 2011, just after the Great East Japan Earthquake(GEJE), we set up
    the Tohoku Revival Reinforcement Office in our Tohoku branch in Sendai.
    Our businesses are categorized to 3 main jobs. Finance, proposals & research and industrialization support.

    Through our activities in Tohoku region in Japan, where was severely affected by the GEJE, we believe that the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction should be more focused on the role of private sector companies, more practical cooperation with public sector bodies, NPOs and volunteers etc., as well as methods or know-how in the revival phase.
    Tohoku learned many lessons from the GEJE.
    we need to use this hard-earned knowledge to improve our disaster
    preparedness, our ability to handle disaster risks, and systems or
    processes of the recovery of affected areas.

    You all will easily imagine that an each sector alone – public, private or
    so – can not be able to deal with all the matters. And it appears to be more
    difficult to revitalize communities and industries than to just reconstruct
    facilities and infrastructures in severely affected areas in Tohoku. Wider
    cooperation of multi-sectors and practical measures and activities in
    ordinary,emergency and recovery phases are surely needed. Especially, we
    should focus more on the recovery period.

    As my colleague, Ms.Kumi Onuma introduced in her opinions in the discussion ”Codes, Planning and Voluntary Incentives”, we have created a multi-sector discussion platform for the recovery of Tohoku named “Tohoku Alliance” in March 2014.
    We see an important role for it. It will be a valuable venue for discussion,
    as participants will be able to draw on information from Japanese and
    foreign sources, as well as the lessons learned from disasters. Using these,
    they can develop strategies for disaster resilience and regenerating
    industries and communities.

    Private sector corporations will be able to play more important roles for
    the post-2015 framework by sharing information and know-how on
    disaster resilience, and by cooperating with various sectors through
    pre-disaster to post disaster(recovery) periods. Each private company will
    have a potential to contribute to it by applying its business skills and
    know-how.

    We hope that the Tohoku Alliance will be the effective function for
    discussion on various matters as I mentioned in this article before.

    Kind Regards,
    Tadao Hasue
    Deputy General Manager, Tohoku Branch
    Development Bank of Japan Inc.
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