French Government backs Sendai Framework
MARSEILLES, France, 22 March 2016 - The French government today outlined an ambitious series of measures to reduce disaster risk and tackle climate change, and pledged full support to implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction across Europe.
The President of COP21 and French Minister for the Environment, Ms. Ségolène Royal, today said that 50% of French municipalities are vulnerable to flooding and the country and its overseas regions were also exposed to storms, earthquakes, forest fires, avalanches and volcanic eruptions.
Speaking at the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Minister Royal proposed using International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, October 13, to anchor a week of activity devoted to raising disaster risk awareness across the country and its territories.
The Minister made the proposal directly to Mr. Robert Glasser, the head of UNISDR, who welcomed the initiative as this year’s International Day will kick off a seven year campaign which will focus on implementation of the seven targets in the Sendai Framework designed to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses.
Following a bilateral meeting with the Minister during which they discussed climate change as a key driver of multi-hazard disaster risk, Mr. Glasser said: “We agree that climate change adaptation is a fundamental aspect of disaster risk reduction.”
Ms. Royal also spoke about the close ties between climate change, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. As President of COP21, the climate change conference which adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change, she would work hard on mitigation and adaptation measures until COP22 in Marrakesh later this year.
She recalled France’s commitment at the UN World Conference which adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015, to develop the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems (CREWS) targeting small island developing states and others lacking such capacity.
Minister Royal said that France would play a full part in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction across Europe. An action plan developed by the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) under her chairmanship is expected to be approved in Finland at the end of the year.
Ms. Royal outlined several measures aimed at meeting the key targets of the Sendai Framework which include reducing mortality, numbers of people affected by disasters, economic losses and damage to critical infrastructure.
Speaking about the importance of spreading a culture of disaster risk reduction, the Minister recalled how last October’s heavy rains in Alpes-Maritime took the lives of people trying to save their cars. “A culture of disaster risk reduction is essential through information, education and training,” she said.
Highlights of a programme of mobilization to be carried out with the Ministries of Education and the Interior, include modernizing public alert systems using sirens and mobile phones, targeting 1.4 million parents, teachers and students with training and boosting overall preparedness in 2,500 municipalities with high flood risk.
“This mobilization of territories could take place in during a week of prevention and security, and I have proposed to Mr. Robert Glasser to reserve the second week of October for this exercise in the build up to October 13, the UN International Day for Disaster Reduction.” A prize would be offered for the most innovative actions undertaken at community level.
In his remarks to the French National Platform, Mr. Glasser noted that France is well placed to take on a leadership role in implementation of the Sendai Framework. He cited the recent EU Sequana 2016 flood management exercise staged over 11 days in Paris, a simulation of the flood experienced in 1910 when the River Seine rose eight metres above its usual level following months of heavy rainfall.
He said the Paris flood management exercise reflected the four priorities for action in the Sendai Framework, focused on improved understanding of risk, strengthening disaster risk governance, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and enhancing preparedness for effective response.
Addressing climate change, Mr. Glasser said: “The increased attention to disaster risk reduction in the Paris Agreement creates a timely and welcome opportunity to bring together the disaster risk management and climate communities in a more formal setting.”
He continued: “There are a number of concrete ways that the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework can be realized: Assessing progress in reaching the Sendai targets on reducing disaster losses could also be used for tracking progress on climate change adaptation.
“Disaster loss data are essential for identifying the gaps in disaster risk management, and revealing how exposure and vulnerability are distributed across the landscape. There are currently over 80 national disaster loss databases and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is working to expand this number. This data is equally pertinent for the climate change community.
“Financing disaster risk reduction through climate change funding mechanisms would also help accelerate national implementation of the Sendai Framework, and reduce duplication on the ground.”