Manila, Philippines – As officials from the ASEAN Member States, development partners, and resilience experts gather at the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is drawing attention to evidence from disaster-prone contexts: recovery outcomes are shaped well before a disaster occurs.

Through its work on disaster recovery, governance, and local resilience across ASEAN, including the Philippines, UNDP has seen that recovery depends on how risks are reflected ex ante in planning, how institutions are organized, and whether financing and implementation mechanisms are already in place. This requires treating recovery readiness as a core development and governance function, embedded in national planning, public investment, financing systems, and local governance structures before crisis occurs. 

“UNDP’s work shows that recovery is more than responding after a disaster. It is also about anticipating what will be needed when hazards strike: the right systems, the right capacities, and the ability to act quickly socommunities can rebuild safer and faster,” said Christophe Bahuet, UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines.

Development gains can be quickly lost when disasters disrupt livelihoods, strain public finances, and deepen existing vulnerabilities. This risk is particularly acute in Southeast Asia, where communities, economies, and public institutions are repeatedly exposed to climate-related and other shocks. 

Financing is key. Too often, recovery finance is viewed solely through the lens of reconstruction after a disaster. However, resilient recovery requires financing systems that encourage risk-informed investments before disasters occur and support rebuilding efforts that strengthen resilience rather than recreate vulnerabilities.

Clear institutional roles and stronger local capacity are also essential, so that recovery decisions can be translated into timely action in the cities, municipalities, and communities where reconstruction takes place.

At the regional level, the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2026-2030 identifies Resilient Recovery as one of its priority programmes. In this context, UNDP is working with the ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Centre to help advance a more practical regional conversation on recovery readiness, including how countries can prepare before disasters occur and learn from one another’s experience.

Drawing on lessons from the Philippines and across the region, UNDP encourages greater attention to recovery readiness as an essential component of resilience. This includes developing pre-disaster recovery frameworks, putting financing arrangements in place before disasters occur, strengthening local leadership and capacities, and ensuring recovery systems are inclusive and responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations. Investing in these foundations can help countries protect development gains, reduce future risks, and support more resilient and inclusive development pathways. [E]