Building resilience: Disaster risk reduction and climate action

Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action: Global Stocktake and Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework, a UNDRR-led event at Bonn Climate Change Conference

Bonn, 12 June 2023, As part of UNDRR commitment to climate action and its vital role in accelerating efforts in reducing the impacts of climate change, and recognizing that climate change and disaster risk are intricately linked, an event was organized at Bonn Climate Change Conference led by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR Mami Mizutori.

The event aimed to highlight key opportunities to scale up disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA), and avert, minimize and address losses and damages. The event was organized to share good practices in integrated DRR-CCA planning and implementation at national and local levels, building on the concurrent Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement. It brought together decision-makers, experts, and practitioners to address the urgent need for integrating disaster risk reduction and climate action.

The event commenced with a scene-setting presentation that shed light on the findings of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework. This review emphasized that globally, efforts to avert, minimize, and address losses and damages related to climate change, including disaster risk management, humanitarian action, and climate change adaptation have evolved in parallel, with little linkages between their planning, coordination, and/or financing mechanisms.

In her keynote remarks, SRSG Mizutori emphasized the need for immediate action and integrated approaches to effectively tackle the challenges posed by climate change and its impacts.

“There are existing silos within many countries separating development, disaster risk reduction, and climate action,” Mizutori stated. “One way we are trying to break silos is in the implementation of the UN Secretary Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All Initiative, which we are proud to co-lead with WMO.” This initiative was launched at COP27 with the goal of ensuring that every person on Earth is covered by early warning systems by 2027.

Speaking on behalf of Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paul Desanker, Manager of the Response Subdivision in the Adaptation Division highlighted the need for integrated approaches to scale up climate action, and pointed to mechanisms like the UN For NAPs and the Santiago network, to enhance the capacity of the developing countries.

The Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework has only recently concluded with a Political Declaration adopted through a resolution of the UN General Assembly. As the co-chair of this process, Indonesia, represented by Ir. Laksmi Dewanthi, Director General of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, presented key findings and highlights from the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework. This showcased the progress made so far and identified areas that require further attention and targeted efforts.

Subsequently, the Co-Facilitator of the Global Stocktake, Farhan Akhtar, Chief Scientist for Climate Change at the U.S. Department of State, shared valuable insights into the progress made within the framework of the Paris Agreement and highlighted the significance of integrating the findings from the Sendai Framework. This discussion further emphasized the need for a holistic approach to effectively address climate change.

In order to accelerate disaster risk reduction and climate action, the event delved into two key aspects: financing and local action. Jerry Velasquez, Director of the Division of Mitigation and Adaptation at the Green Climate Fund (GCF), provided insights into climate financing and emphasized how the GCF's strategic priorities align with the ever-growing climate and disaster risk reduction needs. He said: “The Paris Agreement already provides the logical space for a synergy between disaster risk reduction and climate action; the Global Stocktake is an opportunity to reinforce this”.

Kirsten Hagon, Senior Humanitarian Policy Analyst at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) highlighted the crucial role of local communities in building climate and disaster resilience. She emphasized the need to empower and support communities in implementing effective adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures, recognizing that climate impacts are most acutely felt at the local level.

A key highlight of the event was the launch of a “Leadership Programme on Synergizing Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation”, which has been developed through a partnership between UNDRR and the UN System Staff College and with financial support from Germany. The programme aims to enhance decision-making around disaster risk reduction and climate action. This interactive programme is free of charge, designed for government leaders and decision-makers at all levels, and for use by non-State stakeholders. Participants will have access to scenarios, cases, and resource material to enhance climate resilience.

The event concluded with a thought-provoking discussion and an engaging Q&A session. Participants called for revisiting the global financing landscape to ensure better donor alignment that would fuel synergy in complementary approaches like disaster risk reduction and climate action.

Sophie Rigg, a Board Member of the Global Network for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) and Co-Director of Climate Action Network UK, delivered closing reflections from a civil society perspective. Her remarks highlighted the importance of collaboration, cooperation, and a bottom-up approach to building resilience in the face of climate change and disaster risks.

Overall, the event served as a powerful platform to raise awareness, promote integrated approaches, and inspire decisive action in the realms of disaster risk reduction and climate action. It emphasized the urgent need for coordinated efforts, financial resources, and a strong focus on empowering local communities to build resilience and adapt to the challenges of a rapidly changing climate.