Transcript Disaster Reduction, Sustainable Development and Climate Change

Governance of Disaster Reduction
Priorities and Organizational
Arrangement for the Implementation of
HFA
Martin Owor
Assistant Commissioner
Head of Disaster Devision
Office of the Prime Minister
Uganda
Regional Governance of DRR
During the preparation of the WCDR, AU/NEPAD, AfDB have
jointly studied the disaster situation in Africa, with support of
UN/ISDR Africa, and developed, based on the study findings,
three major outcomes :
 Africa Regional Strategy on Disaster Risk
Reduction;
 Guidelines for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk
Assessment in Development;
 A Plan of Action for implementation for the Africa
Regional Strategy on DRR;
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
Africa Regional Strategy on DRR aims to:
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Increase political commitment to DRR;
Improve identification and assessment of disaster risks
Enhance knowledge management for DRR
Increase Public Awareness of DRR
Improve governance of DRR institutions
Integrate DRR into emergency response management
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
Guidelines for Mainstreaming Disaster Assessment
into Development provide:
 key principles for disaster risk reduction in development
themes and sectors, including poverty reduction, agriculture,
environment management, water resource management, land
use planning, infrastructure development, gender issues,
HiV/AIDS and other health Issues and climate change
adaptation.
 key guiding principles and guiding questions for governance
and institutional aspects, risk identification, knowledge
management, risk management applications, integrating
disaster risk reduction in development investment decision
making, preparedness and emergency management and
integrating DRR in development themes and sectors.
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
A Plan of Action has been developed for the
implementation of the regional strategy, with the
guidelines as a tool.
The plan of action is focusing on activities underlined
under the strategic directions of the six objectives set
by the Africa Regional Strategy on DRR. (see the
strategy for details of strategic directions).
The Plan of Action is for a period of five years and it is
in line with the five thematic areas of the WCDR.
The plan of Action will be implemented by the joint
efforts at national, sub-regional and regional levels
with support of international communities.
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
To follow up the HFA, some areas of priorities have been
identified at regional, sub-regional and national levels:
 AU has identified six development areas where they see as priorities as a
follow up of HFA.
 National platforms identified areas of priorities to promote the subject of
DRR and its mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction.
 A forum of national platform focal points has been created and agreed to
meet twice a year at regional level to share information and experience and
discuss the way forward.
 ADB is in consultation with UN/ISDR Africa on how to implement the
guidelines developed and increase the capacity of its staff for
mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development activities.
 ECOWAS is starting to address disaster risk reduction, focusing on strategy,
policy and legal framework.
 IGAD is planning to facilitate the capacity building of national
governments.
 An Advisory group will be established, with its first meeting to be held on
11-12 June in Nairobi.
 Higher level Advocacy has been carried out by the joint efforts of UN/ISDR
Africa and national platforms
Main Constraints in Achieving Progress
The main constraints in implementing the HFA and
Africa Regional Strategy on DRR are:
 Lack of capacity for mainstreaming disaster risk
reduction at national and community levels;
 Lack of seeds money for carrying out Africa Plan of
Action which aims to implement the Africa
Regional Strategy on DRR, which is in line of the
five priority areas of HFA;
 Limited capacity and knowledge of UN country
offices of HFA and DRR
Expectations from the ISDR System to
Support the Process of Implementing the
HFA
To mainstream disaster risk reduction for sustainable development,
we would expect the ISDR system under the leadership of USG,
to do the following:
 Increase the understanding of and commitment to DRR among the
heads of state and government through GA and ECOSOC meeting;
 Increase the understanding of and commitment to DRR among the
heads of UN agencies and heads of UNDP country offices;
 Make the DRR an integral part of all development policy-oriented
documents such as UNDAF and PRSP and a required element for all
development programmes;
 Increase the capacity of UN country offices in DRR so that they are
in a position to support national processes for mainstreaming disaster
risk reduction in development policies and programmes;
 Consider to increase the capacity of UN regional presences, If this is
difficult, the UN may consider to set up a joint Regional Center for
disaster risk reduction….
THANK YOU