Establishing disaster risk management as a priority

Bolstering existing disaster risk management capacities

Major policy developments

Global partnerships and initiatives


Achievements in Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery

Natural disasters are not only rising in frequency, but the lives and economic losses they claim are also increasing at alarming rates. In the first seven years of the 21st century, an average of 400 disasters per year affected 230 million people in 120 countries. And in 2008 alone, more than 300 disasters killed more than 235,000 people, affected more than 200 million others and caused losses and damage worth USD 181 billion. Intense weather events such as storms, floods and droughts destroy housing, livelihoods, social services and community infrastructure, rendering survivors all the more vulnerable. What’s more, the destruction typically impacts the poorest and most exposed populations disproportionately, hitting women, children, youth and the elderly the hardest.

“When the earthquake
started we thought it
was just a tremor until
the entire wall of the
neighboring church
fell on our entrance,
blocking our way out;
we ran towards the back
exit while hearing people
trapped in the church
screaming.”

- Elizabeth Ormeño,
Leader of Flora Benavente
Soup Kitchen, San Luis Cañete,
Peru

UNDP refuses to accept that the human losses and destruction caused by disasters are unavoidable tragedies. On the contrary, we have prioritized disaster risk reduction, recognizing it as a key component of any country’s overall development plan. This involves identifying risks, developing tools and training for government personnel, and establishing pre-disaster recovery plans that anticipate losses as well as the financial, institutional and technical resources that need to be in place for a faster and more effective recovery. High-risk countries in particular need to be able to put in place measures to reduce their exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards through early warning systems, appropriate building codes and disaster-sensitive local development plans. These efforts not only help to protect lives, livelihoods and assets, but they can also prevent hard-won development gains from disappearing overnight, blown away by gale-force winds.

Country support

The overall strategic guidance to UNDP’s work in the area of disaster risk management is provided by the Hyogo Framework for Action, which was adopted by 168 governments present at the 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan. UNDP contributes to implementing the Hyogo Framework through its support to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system. This system has overall responsibility for coordination, information sharing, and working with partners to implement and strengthen disaster risk reduction in accordance with the framework. The five priority areas are:

UNDP’s efforts focus on the national and local levels, where we assist governments in implementing disaster risk reduction activities. In 2008 BCPR provided technical support to more than 40 UNDP offices in highly disaster-prone countries, including Armenia, Belize, China, Ecuador, Jordan, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

In such countries, UNDP has established working relationships with relevant government counterparts and has dedicated staff to anchor disaster risk reduction activities. To this end, UNDP has a global network of regional and national disaster risk experts who help develop disaster risk reduction programmes; work to ensure disaster risk reduction is part of the development agenda; and help country offices integrate this work into development planning and programming. Full-time National Disaster Reduction Advisers are currently present in seven high-risk countries around the world, and others are being recruited for two other nations. UNDP has also placed full-time Senior Regional Disaster Reduction Advisers in each region to roll out UNDP’s programme portfolio, promote information exchange between countries, and offer technical advice.

The conditions within each country – such as the degree of disaster risk and vulnerability – dictate all country level activities. UNDP’s engagement at the country level can be classified in two categories. The first category refers to countries where UNDP is working with the government to establish disaster reduction as a national priority and strengthen basic institutional structures for disaster preparedness. In these countries, UNDP has supported governments to devise a solid institutional and legal basis for disaster risk reduction and strengthened key government institutions.

Establishing disaster risk management as a priority

China

According to official figures, the massive 2008 Sichuan earthquake killed an estimated 69,000 people and injured another 374,000; more than 18,000 are listed as missing. It affected more than 45 million people. Fifteen million people were evacuated from their homes, and at one point 5 million were living in temporary shelters. The structural and economic damage was also devastating. The earthquake pushed 10 million people below the poverty line and 6.5 million homes were destroyed. The total economic loss caused by the earthquake has been estimated at a stupendous USD 86 billion. Aftershocks, quake lakes, landslides and rain further aggravated the crisis.

UNDP took immediate steps to assist the government in its relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts. For example, UNDP helped the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development and other partners develop a plan to support the government in early recovery and disaster risk management.

In 19 of the poorest affected villages in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, UNDP provided financial and technical support for rural reconstruction. To strengthen the response of local authorities and communities, UNDP organized briefing sessions on resettlement planning, and helped train more than 2,000 men and women from 35 villages in safe building skills. It also helped the government implement micro-credit and cashfor- work schemes to support small-scale public facility reconstruction projects, including roads, irrigation and drinking facilities, as well as restoration of farmlands.

To address pressing legal needs, UNDP supported the China Law Society to undertake an assessment in the quake-affected areas in Sichuan to identify possible interventions, focusing in particular on the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Based on the assessment, UNDP is supporting follow-up actions on key legal issues, including property and land rights, employment interests, adoption, inheritance and insurance, and legal assistance outreach to affected communities.

The Dominican Republic

When tropical storms Noel and Olga hit the Dominican Republic in late 2007, they caused widespread flooding and landslides, displacing over 140,000 people. Many people were living in temporary shelters and could no longer support themselves through the agricultural livelihoods on which they had previously relied.

UNDP responded immediately, using funds to help local non-governmental organizations form community work teams that paid local people to perform public works. Activities ranged from cleaning canals and clearing debris on the roads to landslide prevention activities. This infusion of capital into the community not only allowed families to buy medicines and other necessities, but it also helped restart the local economy and accelerate the return to normal life.

To help affected populations “build back better” and rehabilitate their communities, UNDP provided technical support to newly-created local monitoring and support committees. Women are playing a major role in these committees, which develop provincial recovery plans and support other rehabilitation activities.

UNDP also works at the national level to help the government strengthen its risk reduction efforts. For example, it is supporting the establishment of a monitoring system to track international cooperation aid for emergency response and recovery. In addition, UNDP and partners are working with the director of the national Civil Defense to establish three provincial and 15 municipal Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response Committees to oversee all risk management work in their areas.

Madagascar

Madagascar is one of the most disaster-vulnerable countries in Africa. A single cyclone in 2008 caused an estimated USD 333 million in damage, over USD 259 million of which hit the private sector. The impact was equivalent to about 4 percent of the nation’s total GDP. According to government statistics, an estimated 350,000 people were displaced, 200,000 of whom were rendered homeless. These recurrent disasters undermine development efforts and pose a challenge for economic growth.

UNDP has a longstanding engagement in disaster risk reduction in the country. By the end of 2008 UNDP achievements in Madagascar included:

• Strengthening the operations of the national disaster risk management bureau (Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et Catastrophes) through training measures and the creation of a standard operating procedures manual

• Helping design disaster risk management plans in nine regions

• Facilitating the creation of disaster risk management committees in high-risk communities and regions to better prepare populations for the next natural hazard

• Supporting the decentralization of risk management by setting up communications systems and risk management offices in eight districts, as well as systems to collect, analyze and share information among communities

• Setting up an early warning system and improved radio communication network across the country that effectively serves all levels of society (commune to national)

• Strengthening the national emergency operation centre

UNDP also helped develop and obtain funding for a comprehensive follow-up programme for 2009 through 2011. With a focus on the community level and women, the new programme is designed to further strengthen local and national disaster risk reduction and recovery mechanisms. It will also improve integration of disaster risk management into other areas of government programming, and establish regional funds to support concrete risk reduction efforts at the regional level. The programme will hire a gender specialist to make sure gender issues remain a strong component of the programme’s activities. For example, the programme specifies that women are to select up to 50 percent of the projects to receive regional funds. Furthermore, the tools and guidance developed for national institutions will consider the role of women and integrate their needs.

The second category of countries with which UNDP works have already established disaster risk reduction mechanisms; UNDP helps them further these efforts by working to incorporate disaster risk reduction into key development sectors and at all administrative levels.

Bolstering existing disaster risk management capacities

Indonesia

Natural disasters are common in Indonesia, causing loss of lives and livelihoods, property destruction and environmental damage. Strong seismic activity not only exposes people to the direct consequences of earthquakes, but also to storm surges from tsunamis. This, coupled with 128 active volcanoes and frequent floods from the country’s 5,000 rivers, makes Indonesia one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world.

With this in mind, both the government and its international partners have great incentive to reduce the country’s vulnerability to natural hazards. The government’s multi-pronged approach includes policy initiatives for long-term risk reduction and action at the community level to increase people’s resilience. UNDP has been a key interlocutor with the government in recovery and disaster risk reduction, contributing to lowering vulnerability as well as helping communities to recover.

At the national level, UNDP supports initiatives to ensure that disaster risk reduction is an integral part of development planning. Key contributions in 2008 included support to develop the Disaster Management Law, which makes disaster risk reduction one of nine national development priorities and substantially increased relevant funding from USD 17 million for pre-disaster mitigation in 2007 to USD 150 million in 2008. UNDP helped create the Disaster Management Agency and supported its production of guidelines for local disaster management agencies. UNDP also provided assistance to local governments to ensure women are included as members of disaster risk reduction decision-making bodies.

At the community level, UNDP helped develop early warning systems and conduct risk assessments that enhance effective planning and recovery efforts. With a focus on the disaster affected areas of Aceh and Yogjakarta, UNDP supported efforts to ensure reconstruction is done in a way that reduces risk. For example, the Early Recovery Assistance Programme for Yogjakarta and Central Java provided tradesmen, homeowners and village solidarity groups with ready access to technical advice on earthquake-resistant design and reconstruction. It also helped establish local technical expertise on risk reduction in 17 sub-districts to serve 51 disaster-prone villages.

Pakistan

For the past four years, UNDP has worked with the government of Pakistan to establish a national disaster risk management system, assisting in the preparation of the National Disaster Risk Management Framework and the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority.

In support of these efforts and as part of the “One UN” approach – a UN-wide effort to ensure that all UN entities operating in Pakistan harmonize their activities – 13 of the 19 UN agencies present in Pakistan, including UNDP, have developed a joint programme to address the nation’s disaster risk management needs. Developed in 2008 with an estimated budget of USD 66 million, the two-year programme will assist the government in strengthening systems for disaster risk management to reduce the impact of disasters and thus contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. It will focus on areas such as strengthening institutions, early warning systems and community level risk reduction – all through a variety of initiatives including training, technical support, mobile response teams, and outreach and advocacy.

Major policy developments

Meeting the climate challenge

According to UNDP’s 2007 Human Development Report, the number of people in developing countries affected by climate-related disasters grew steadily from less than 50 million in 1975-1979 to more than 250 million from 2000-2004. Climatic hazards – such as drought, floods and storms – threaten lives, affect livelihoods and exacerbate poverty. Rising temperatures and prolonged periods of drought already cripple harvests in many parts of the world. Future climate change is expected to put almost 50 million people at risk of hunger by 2020. Shrinking freshwater supplies for drinking and agriculture will affect billions of people.

Recognizing these challenges, in 2008 UNDP placed greater emphasis on the link between climate change adaptation and disaster reduction through climate risk management. UNDP stresses the importance of strengthening national institutions and expertise to manage these climate-related risks, underscoring the link between climate and development.

UNDP has adopted a strategy to ramp up its capacity to meet climate related needs. The strategy commits UNDP to meeting three targets by 2010: (1) work with 25-30 disasterprone countries to adopt critical disaster risk reduction measures; as a first stage, help five high-risk countries develop and implement comprehensive risk reduction measures; (2) ensure adequate relevant UNDP staffing; and (3) integrate efforts within UNDP to manage risks associated with short-term climate variability and longer-term climate change. As part of this endeavor, UNDP is developing an integrated support package for UNDP country offices that equips staff to recognize disaster- and climate-related risks and opportunities for addressing them within existing development portfolios. At national and regional levels, UNDP Disaster Reduction Advisers and Climate Change Adaptation Advisers are working together to assess existing disaster/climate change risks within particular countries, as well as to build and develop national expertise and provide technical support in these areas.

For instance, UNDP worked on climate risk management in Armenia, Ecuador, Indonesia and Mozambique, strengthening national technical expertise to analyze risks related to climate variability and define risk management solutions. In Cape Verde UNDP conducted a review to determine how climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction could be better integrated into the activities of UN agencies in support of the government. The recommendations now form the basis of a new UNDP-funded climate risk management project. And in more than 12 high-risk countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP is working to develop integrated climate risk management programmes.

Towards a comprehensive approach to urban risks

In 2007, for the first time in history, the world’s urban population exceeded its rural population. Largely unplanned, this urban expansion does not respond to the increased risks caused by escalating urban populations. These risks include demographic pressure on social services, scant attention to hazards in the development process, weakened governance, and inadequate risk awareness among populations and governing institutions.

Reducing urban risk requires not only good urban governance, but also public awareness of risk patterns, and policies for including disaster risk in urban development processes; these should be based on appropriate land use planning and effective implementation of disaster reduction regulation and standards. In this context, UNDP has stressed urban disaster risk reduction as an important area of engagement pursuing a series of initiatives.

In Jordan, for instance, earthquakes represent a major natural hazard for the city of Aqaba, resulting in loss of life, damaged buildings and infrastructure, and economic losses. To reduce that city’s vulnerability to future quakes, UNDP supported the local government in conducting a risk assessment that provides the necessary tools for legislators and scientists to quantify the level of seismic risk affecting the city. UNDP also assisted in the development of a city master plan for earthquake risk management.

Linking disaster risk reduction and development

To complement its support to disaster risk reduction systems at the country level, UNDP promotes efforts to integrate disaster risk reduction into national development programmes. With support from the Canadian government, UNDP launched a Global Mainstreaming Initatitive in 2005 to strengthen the capacity of governments to integrate disaster risk reduction in national development planning and programmes. Key activities include:

UNDP IN ACTION

India

The Indian sub-continent is prone to a variety of natural disasters – earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, and cyclones – affecting approximately 30 million people each year. In addition to these regular annual events, severe disasters in recent years have led to losses on an unprecedented scale, causing development resources to be diverted to relief and recovery efforts. In line with the commitment of the government of India on disaster management, the UN Country Team in India made disaster risk management a priority in its development assistance framework for 2008-2012 to ensure that disaster risk reduction is integrated throughout all aspects of UN programming. UNDP’s contributions to this achievement included: providing training to the UN Country Team on how to integrate disaster risk reduction in annual work plans; and including disaster risk reduction in a training package for public health workers. As a next step, UNDP’s new comprehensive disaster risk management programme for 2009- 2012 specifically seeks to integrate disaster risk reduction into India’s sectoral flagship development programmes.

Global partnerships and initiatives

Global cooperation is critical to disaster risk reduction. To this end, UNDP has made it a priority to play an active role in supporting international efforts and mechanisms that strive to improve coordination and strengthen regional capacities.

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction System

In the context of the Hyogo Framework of Action, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction System (ISDR) is a key mechanism for coordinated disaster reduction work around the world. UNDP is actively engaged in the global governance structures of ISDR, consisting of: a Global Platform in which international and regional organizations, Member States and other partners are represented; a Programme Advisory Committee to oversee the ISDR work plan; and a Management Oversight Board, which is chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs with the United Nations Development Group, represented by the Director of BCPR, as the Vice-Chair. UNDP continues to use its participation in ISDR to advocate for enhanced efforts to integrate disaster management, climate change response and development.

Thematic platforms. The ISDR thematic platforms respond to needs identified by the Global Platform. UN organizations select global best practices and link them with regional and national disaster risk reduction efforts. For example, UNDP leads ISDR’s Global Risk Identification Programme and its Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative.

Launched in 2007, the Global Risk Identification Programme (GRIP) supports national partners in high-risk countries to identify and map the factors that cause natural disasters. To assist high-risk countries, GRIP has developed a package of services that offer risk reduction options. This service package includes methods for national and local risk assessments that help governments to better understand risk patterns over time. GRIP is working on: a disaster data portal to improve access to information from various disaster databases; a pre-disaster shelter planning methodology for local authorities to produce shelter plans before disasters occur; and disaster data standards and quality control mechanisms for the collection and exchange of disaster information at the national level.

GRIP also supports the establishment of national disaster observatories. These observatories document recurrent disaster losses and help identify future disaster risks. In Ecuador, Mozambique and Sri Lanka, for example, work on national and local risk assessments and the establishment of national disaster observatories has already started. Similar activities are in preparation for Armenia, Belize, and Laos.

The Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) is a joint programme of UNDP, the ISDR secretariat and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). CADRI’s goal is to serve as a global resource for information and guidance on disaster risk reduction, supporting UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinators and helping selected high-risk countries efficiently manage disaster risks. In Mozambique, for example, CADRI identified measures to increase local disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness capabilities. In 2008, CADRI helped design and deliver three regional trainings on humanitarian coordination in disaster settings in Panama, Senegal and South Africa for a total of 54 Resident/Humanitarian Coordinators. Similarly, CADRI helped orchestrate a session on humanitarian action in disaster situations for nearly 100 staff from country offices. Materials developed for these trainings have been compiled and will be made available online in 2009.

Inter-Agency Standing Committee1

As a result of UNDP’s active engagement, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has established an informal climate change task force and has continued to prioritize DRR strategies and risk management practices as critical elements for climate change adaptation. For example, IASC developed a plan to strengthen adaptation through: disaster risk reduction strategies, risk management and risk transfer mechanisms; national planning for adaptation; enhanced knowledge sharing; improved financial and technological support; and institutional frameworks.

United Nations Development Group2

To further incorporate disaster reduction into development processes, UNDP and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) co-chaired a United Nations Development Group (UNDG) task team that issued guidance to help the UN system integrate disaster risk reduction in its work at the country level. Its accompanying implementation strategy maps existing capacities in the UN system and identifies the necessary support structures, mechanisms and tools to be developed or further strengthened. Both the guidance note and roll-out strategy for integrating disaster reduction into Common Country Assessments and UN Development Assistance Frameworks were approved by UNDG in January 2009. UNDP will work with UNEP and other partners to implement the strategy in 2009 and beyond.

Cooperation with the World Bank

UNDP and the World Bank cooperate closely in countries affected by natural disasters and other crises, where the two organizations frequently play a leading role in coordinating international response at the country level. As discussed more fully in the institutional partnerships chapter of this report, 2008 saw significant advances in the continued strengthening of this relationship, with the creation of a new UN-World Bank partnership framework which creates common guidelines for the two organizations at the operational level and advances coordinated response.

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1The Inter-Agency Standing Committee Working Group is composed of the directors of the Emergency Programmes of the Inter- Agency Standing Committee agencies or their equivalent counterparts. It meets on regular intervals three times each year. The Working Group is chaired by the Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance office in Geneva.

2 The United Nations Development Group is an instrument to improve the effectiveness of UN development at the country level. It brings together the operational agencies working on development, namely the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund, the World Food Programme and UNDP.