Prof. Ashutosh Mohanty, PhD., is the Dean and Professor, Research and Development, Faculty of Science and Technology, Center of Excellence in Disaster Management & Environment, Madhyanchal Professional University, Ratibad, Bhopal.
The theme for the 2021 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is focusing on Target F of the Sendai Framework for DRR: Enhancing International Cooperation for Developing Countries to Reduce Disaster Risk and Losses. This article argues that it is pivotal for least developing countries in South Asia to have international cooperation focus on DRR for strategic interest and achieving the SDGs.
Globally, more than 200 million people experience a natural disaster every year, and 90% are citizens of developing countries. The socially disadvantaged, including women, children, the elderly, and the disabled, tend to be at greater risk. Furthermore, in a globalised world in which masses of people, goods and capital are moving across national borders, natural disasters impact not only the regions they hit but have immediate effects on countries around the world as they disrupt supply chains. The average economic damage from natural disasters is said to exceed $100 billion every year. For developing countries, natural disasters are a major impediment to poverty reduction and sustainable development.
International Cooperation on DRR – A UN Perspective
As a country with a long history of experience with natural disasters, Japan is undertaking many disaster risk reduction initiatives in the international community. One such initiative is hosting the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, organised by the UN to establish an international disaster risk reduction framework. Its first meeting convened in Yokohama in 1994. The second was held in Kobe in 2005, resulting in adopting the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. Within that framework, participants agreed on the five priorities for action that countries, international organisations and others should strive to realise (listed below). Japan is working along with other countries to implement disaster risk reduction measures based on this framework.
In March 2015, the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Sendai, a city that experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. The meeting established a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction after the end of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. Japan not only aimed in establishing an effective post-2015 framework that can also respond to new issues such as urbanisation and climate change but to reflect its own experiences with disasters and knowledge of disaster risk reduction in the next Framework. As a country that has supported women empowerment, Japan also strives to integrate the perspective of women into the Framework. Furthermore, Japan promoted mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction by including perspectives on disaster risk reduction into its development policies and plans. This Conference was an excellent opportunity to promote the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction. Approximately 5,000 people involved in disaster risk reduction, including country representatives such as heads of state and cabinet members, representatives of international organisations, and people from internationally recognised NGOs attended the Conference. With the participation by members of the general public, the meeting drew over 40,000 participants in total. In addition to conference meetings, side events showcased the progress of reconstruction in the places ravaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, including visits to the affected areas that had attracted keen interest from many countries and international organisations.
During a speech at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasised Japan’s contributions to the global community through international cooperation in disaster risk reduction enabled by harnessing its accumulated knowledge and expertise in the field. As the threat of natural disasters increases and the importance of disaster risk reduction continue to grow, the international community is increasingly expecting Japan, a country that has overcome several disasters and possesses a wide range of knowledge and technology for disaster risk reduction, to play a vital role in reducing risks from natural disasters. Japan hopes to contribute even further to help countries and communities worldwide become more resilient to disasters by hosting the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Hyogo Framework for Action – Five Priorities for Action
- Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation.
- Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning.
- Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.
- Reduce the underlying risk factors.
- Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels.
At the outset of the theme, it is vital to know the timeline analysis of disaster management from the UN perspective in DRR.
Section 4
International Cooperation for Disaster Risk Reduction
Japan has accumulated a great deal of experience and knowledge concerning disasters, along with numerous policies on disaster risk reduction. By sharing them with other countries, it is driving global discussions in disaster risk reduction and contributing to initiatives worldwide. In particular, the international community expects Japan to play a leading role in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR), which concluded at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Accordingly, the Cabinet Office is proactively promoting cooperation in disaster risk reduction through the UN and other international organisations and bilateral disaster risk reduction cooperation.
4-1 Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation through the UN and other international organisations
(1) Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation through the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is undertaking intensive activities focused on three strategic objectives to promote the SFDRR.
Strategic Objective
1: Strengthen global monitoring, analysis and coordination of Sendai Framework implementation
2: Support to regional and national Sendai Framework implementation
3: Catalyse action through the Member States and Partners
As well as playing a leading role in the activities of UNDRR, Japan provided financial support for those activities, contributing a total of approximately $5.12 million (approximately ¥563.37 million) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet Office in FY2018.
The establishment of an Open-Ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group (OEIWG) to formulate indicators to measure progress toward global targets and relevant terminology was approved by the UN General Assembly in June 2015, and the OEIWG began its deliberations that September. In this process, Japan made a substantial contribution to OEIWG’s discussions, conducting a prior survey to ascertain whether countries held any data concerning indicators tabled for consideration. As a result of these deliberations, the recommendations of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Global Indicators for the Global Targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the follow-up to the operationalisation of the indicators were adopted at the UN General Assembly in February 2017. Accordingly, various countries have submitted their indicators. The UNISDR plans to conduct follow-ups on these indicators.
Ms. MISUTORI Mami, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, visited the Cabinet Office on May 17, 2018, and discussed with H.E. OKONOGI Hachiro, then Minister of State for Disaster Management. The SRSG expressed her gratitude to Japan for its international contribution and leadership in disaster risk management and established a shared understanding of closer collaboration between the Government of Japan (Cabinet Office) and UNDRR in promoting the SFDRR.
(2) 8th Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR)
The 8th Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) hosted by the Government of Mongolia and the UNDRR was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, between July 3 and 5, 2018. Once in every two years since 2005, Ministers in charge of disaster risk reduction from Asia gather to report the progress of each their country’s initiatives under the Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, exchange opinions on measures to promote such initiatives, share the results and challenges of DRR efforts, and discuss preparedness measures for disasters that may occur in the future. Approximately 3,000 people from about 50 countries and regions attended the 8th Conference. H.E. Mr. AKAMA, State Minister of Cabinet Office, Japan, attended the conference and delivered a speech in the Ministerial Session where he expressed Japan’s support for the Sendai Framework. He presented Japan’s efforts for implementing initiatives under the Sendai Framework. He also chaired the Technical Session regarding disaster governance to enhance DRR management measures.
(3) International Recovery Platform (IRP)
The Hyogo Framework for Action was adopted in 2005 at the Second UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which was held in the city of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. In response to this, the IRP was established in Kobe city the same year to enhance networks and frameworks for supporting smoother post-disaster reconstruction, disseminate lessons concerning reconstruction and develop common techniques and mechanisms to facilitate reconstruction and provide advice and support to those formulating reconstruction plans and visions following a disaster. The IRP’s activities include holding the International Recovery Forum, preparing guidance notes on recovery and organising workshops for human resource development. The SFDRR advocates that the IRP should be enhanced as an international mechanism for promoting the “Build Back Better” approach positioned in the SFDRR as the fourth priority area for action. The Government of Japan (Cabinet Office), as Co-Chair of the IRP Steering Committee, supported the activities of the IRP and contributed to enhancing the infrastructure for its development.
The International Recovery Forum in FY2018 was held in Kobe on January 18, 2019, focusing on the theme “Attaining the Build Back Better Dividend.” It was attended by 168 people from 32 countries, including the Deputy Director-General for Disaster Management of Cabinet Office, Mr. KANASAWA Kazuo, Vice Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, and Mr. HAYASHI Haruo, President of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). Participants shared case studies of recovery from past disasters and the lessons learned and discussed strategies to extend the benefits of “Build Back Better.”
(4) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum
The 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum (SDMOF) was held in Papua New Guinea (Kokopo) on September 25-26, 2018. The Chairman of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) attended the forum and presented recent Japanese initiatives in developing an early warning platform about warning communication using the quasi-zenith satellite technology.
(5) Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation through the Activities of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ARRC)
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) was established in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture in July 1998 to share the lessons of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in January 1995 and other disasters in Japan with the rest of Asia. With Turkey joining in October 2018, the number of members became 31. The ADRC’s activities centred on four key areas: sharing information about disasters, human resource development in member countries, improving disaster resilience of communities, and promoting partnerships with member countries, international organisations, local organisations and NGOs. It also hosted visiting researchers from member countries each year: as of March 2019, the ADRC had hosted a total of 111 such researchers, thereby helping to foster personnel who contribute to policymaking in the field of disaster risk reduction in member countries. The ADRC also gathers information about disaster risk management systems, the latest disasters in each country and publishes them on its website. It also provides information obtained from satellite observation of the extent of the damage when a disaster occurs. Reference: https://www.adrc.asia
International Cooperation for South Asian Countries: A Panoramic Analysis
To mark the occasion, South Asian researchers reflect on the role of international cooperation, the challenges faced in the COVID-19 pandemic context and what can be done to ensure developing countries are supported effectively to reduce vulnerability and build resilience, reduction of risks from natural hazards, the areas in which these investments were made. The results that have been achieved aligned with the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in seven pilot countries:
Risk Governance: Focus on Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India
HFA Priority 1 – Make disaster risk reduction a priority; Risk assessment and monitoring: focus on Nepal
HFA Priority 2 – Know the risks and take action; imparting knowledge and expertise: focus on Bhutan and Maldives
HFA Priority 3 – Build understanding and awareness; upfront risk reduction: focus on Bangladesh
HFA Priority 4 – Reduce risk; preparedness for better response: focus on India and Afghanistan
HFA Priority 5 – Be prepared and ready to act. The effects of DRR mainstreaming in Sri Lanka and Pakistan
Cross-sectoral Regional Cooperation in Response to COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us of the importance of cooperation not only on a regional scale but also across sectors. The highly contagious virus has threatened the health and well-being of communities beyond national borders, forcing countries to tighten border controls and increase surveillance over international travels to reduce transmission. However, global and regional solidarity has also emerged stronger given the realisation that without shared resources, information and dialogues, no country is safe.
COVID-19 is inherently a disaster, with cascading impacts on social and economic systems and a reminder to increase collaboration between DRR action and the health sector. For instance, the Sendai Framework places health at the centre of DRR efforts and articulates the importance of cross-sectoral coordination. However, implementing the Sendai Framework requires deeper and wider regional solidarity across sectors, with health and DRR actors working together to increase the health resilience of the region’s population.
In the Asia-Pacific region, although nations and island territories have made efforts to strengthen working links between health and DRR, these efforts are still located within the health sector, with little evidence of collaboration between the health and DRR sectors, particularly at the policy level. Even when the sectors come together, it is mostly for technical support or information sharing for emergency management.
India’s Role as Leader for DRR Mainstreaming in South Asia
With multi-dimensional initiatives and expertise, India is taking a leading role in strengthening regional cooperation among South Asian countries for reducing disasters. While addressing a webinar on ‘Bringing about Greater Cohesion in International Response to Disasters’, organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management, Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan said, “The Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) formed last year will conduct country-specific and global activities, and also serve as a platform for facilitating investment in disaster-resilient infrastructure systems. India is one of the participating countries and works closely with the United Nations United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction. India has been working closely with many countries for the exchange of ideas and expertise in disaster management. We live in a world where natural disasters do not respect national borders. We have not forgotten that the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was triggered by an earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. The tsunami travelled more than 5,000 km across the open ocean and struck the east coast of Somalia, destroying lives and property along its wake.”
Conclusion
At the outset of the analysis, given the evidence on the existing status and scope of integrating disaster risk reduction and adaptation for promoting cooperation in various development projects, policies, and planning across South Asia, it has been learned that some fundamental and implemental constraints necessitate priorities of attentions.
Henceforth, for South Asian Cooperation, it concludes a few priorities that require agreement and development within the South Asia Partner States, governmental and international agencies, and disaster/climate experts and offer some practical means to achieve them.
To address the DRR over South Asia, top priorities should be to establish institutional cooperation at both the national and regional levels by removing structural barriers. Emphasis should be given to establishing integration among various institutions both horizontally and vertically. A mechanism for convergence of policies, planning, and programmes should also be prioritised. The South Asia Member States should put in place a framework for ensuring complete integration of policies, plans, and programmes undertaken for DRR including CCA among individual countries and the entire region. There is also a need to establish a platform for knowledge sharing, like a climate change knowledge management centre parallel to the South Asia Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) or a division within the SDMC to facilitate sharing knowledge and information, conducting regional research, and replicating good practices among South Asia Member States. To leverage their capacity, a regional response facility should be created under the SDMC to facilitate quick mobilisation and deployment of critical resources.
A precise and efficient mechanism for monitoring and evaluating implemented projects is also required. Such a mechanism is necessary for maintaining standards among all the implemented projects. Guidance notes on compliance, quality control, and evaluation criteria on different scales may also be developed to assist both policymakers and practitioners. Additionally, a non-lapsable South Asia fund should be constituted with the development of new tools and techniques to support the DRR by the Member States. A regional coordination mechanism for various agencies in relevant sectors such as agriculture, water resources, and health is necessary for the Member States to manage common resources.
We also felt the necessity to set up a roster of regional and international disaster/climate experts within the South Asian Member States. Various South Asia Member States have developed considerable expertise (for example, scientific, technical, administrative, and search and rescue) in various aspects of DRR. Such expertise may well be utilised and shared for the common good across the region. The South Asian countries should create and maintain a panel of experts from the Member States that may be utilised as, and when needed, by the individual Member States. We also strongly advocate for constituting a platform for corporate engagement using engaging chambers of industry and commerce for all Member States to facilitate partnerships in the efficient implementation of DRR in South Asia.
International cooperation among South Asian countries is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the region’s perspectives and promoting innovative partnerships and approaches to make South-South cooperation more effective and demand-driven.
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