National Workshop on Sendai Framework Monitor and Disaster Loss Accounting System for Yemen

Workshop Background:

Strong accountability is one of the cornerstones of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. A set of 38 indicators were recommended by an Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group to track progress in implementing the seven targets of the Sendai Framework as well as its related dimensions reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 11, and 13. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030 marks a crucial shift from managing disasters to managing risk and establishes resilience-building as a common denominator of the 2030 Agenda. According to the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020, over the last twenty-five years the region faced 276 disaster events, killing nearly 100,00 affecting 10 million and rendering nearly 1.5 million homeless; without even accounting for economic losses and conflict-related fatalities, injured, displaced and other affected population segments. Reported disasters are continuing to increase due to both improved reporting and increased exposure and vulnerabilities. However, it should be recognized that there are major gaps in data loss collation at the national level, where data is collated for compensation purposes rather than for informing the science-policy interface As of March 1, 2018, Member States must report against the indicators for measuring the global targets of the Sendai Framework, and disaster risk reduction- related indicators of the SDGs, using the online Sendai Framework Monitor.

The Sendai Framework Monitor functions as a management tool to help countries develop disaster risk reduction strategies, make risk-informed policy decisions, and allocate resources to prevent new disaster risks. The Sendai Framework Monitor can contribute to the Target E of the Sendai Framework related to the development of actionable national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020. In this regard, reporting disaggregated data on loss and damage will be a critical input for disaster risk management generally and specifically for implementation and reporting on the Sendai Framework and disaster-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators. Systematically accounting for losses and comprehensively assessing risks help governments categorize and stratify 2 their stock of both extensive and intensive disaster risks. The resultant data is expected to provide a basis for monitoring loss and damage, spatial patterns, and temporal trends, allowing to calibrate investments in disaster risk management, enabling improvement of vulnerability curves and calculation risks of future losses, providing baseline information for establishing national and local level risk reduction strategies and allowing the evaluation the efficiency and efficacy of risk reduction measures. The monitoring has been supported by the availability retrofitted disaster loss database (DesInventar Sendai), which have made available to the Member States to establish their national disaster loss databases, and which now, with the retrofitting supports the data collection for the global indicators for Target A through Target D of the Sendai Framework. The national disaster loss accounting system development represents a low-cost, high-impact strategy to systematically account for disaster losses. Systematically accounting for losses and comprehensively assessing risks help governments categorize and stratify their stock of both extensive and intensive disaster risks.

Workshop Objectives:

1. Advocate the importance of DRR governance and put in place sound institutional arrangements to support DRR efforts and SFM reporting at the country level as well as achievement of Target E.

2. Deepen knowledge of the importance of monitoring the implementation of the Sendai Framework and developing the national capacities in using the Sendai Framework Monitor to report on progress made against the 38 indicators of the Sendai Framework.

3. Deepen understanding of the need for disaggregated data on disaster losses to enhance meaningful analysis that informs decision-making on programs and resources to reduce risk.

4. Train the participants on Disaster Loss and Damage Database through introducing “DesInventar-Sendai” system software and its methodology as well as national systems for the systematic collection, documentation, and analysis of data about losses caused by disasters.

5. Deepen knowledge of the new Disaster Loss Accounting System (DesInventar-Sendai) and its importance in establishing the baseline for post-2015 monitoring of Sendai Framework implementation.

Language of Workshop: English and Arabic