“The vulnerability gap in deprived urban areas will only grow if we do not ensure that the priorities for action of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction become embedded in risk governance at the level of both national and local government.

“The Sendai Framework is the global plan for reducing disaster losses adopted in 2015 after three years of exhaustive consultations. Three years later we are now at the point of ensuring that there is a global surge in the adoption of national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction which will make a real difference to the lives of people living in harm’s way.”

Mr. Glasser said there has to be recognition "that when disaster strikes we need to be ready with plans already in place for the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase so that what was lost can be built back better for the future benefit of the disaster-affected community.

"The opportunity to build back better is an opportunity not just to prevent loss of life but to restore a community’s morale and to integrate disaster risk reduction measures into daily civic life."  

Dr. Farzin Fardanesh, Urban Development and Regeneration Corporation (UDRC), I.R. Iran, highlighted the approach taken by the Iranian authorities following the devastating Iran-Iraq earthquake. While funds were provided to affected families from the disaster which damaged or destroyed 40,000 homes in rural and urban areas, the Housing Foundation also provided trained masons for hire by the affected population who worked together to rebuild the homes to earthquake-resilient standards.

The session overall served to highlight the linkages between SDG11 focused on resilient cities and communities, the Sendai Framework and the New Urban Agenda which all support efforts to build back better in the wake of a disaster and to reduce the number of future deaths and number of people affected, by 2030.

Date:

12 Feb 2018

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)

Themes:

Advocacy & Media

Hazards:

Cyclone, Earthquake

Countries:

Haiti, Iran, Islamic Rep of, Mozambique, Nepal, Philippines

Regions:

Africa, Americas, Asia