“Local change is spurred by local leadership, and I believe Mayor Dorjee’s foresight and commitment will inspire others to take action.” The Fifth Asia-Pacific Forum was a preparatory event for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that will be held under the auspices of the Social and Economic Council at the UN Headquarters in New York in July.

A key focus for the HLPF will be on Sustainable Development Goals which impact urban risk including clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production.

Advocates for the Making Cities Resilient Campaign came together at the Asia-Pacific Forum to raise awareness of the need for improved disaster resilience in their communities – meaning the ability to withstand and recover from hazards such as storms, earthquakes, drought and floods.

Panellists at a special side-event included Ms. Violeta Seva, a lawyer and urban planner from the Philippines who specialises in mega-cities disaster planning. Ms Seva highlighted the importance of understanding risk – and how taking part in the Resilient Cities Campaign could attract support and funding.

Sri Sofjan, Senior Strategist from the Huairou Commission, an organisation which inspires grassroots women’s leadership, stressed that effective resilience planning means identifying citizens who are most at risk.

Wanun Permpibul, Director of Climate Watch Thailand, highlighted the need to understand individual motivations for moving to cities and what makes populations vulnerable.

The discussion came as preparations gain pace for the 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 3-6 July in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Delegates will review the regional progress in the Sendai Framework implementation and achievement of its targets.

Asia-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world, with more than $1.3 trillion in assets lost through disaster since 1970. Recent projections indicate the region’s cities will grow by more than one billion people from 2010 to 2040, with two-thirds of Asia-Pacific’s population living in these cities by 2050. Rapid urbanisation – coupled with climate change – makes urban resilience a pressing issue facing leaders across the region.

Date:

4 Apr 2018

Sources:

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

Hazards:

Earthquake

Countries:

Bhutan