Development of Resilient Mountain Cities: A proposal to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework

By: Fundación CoMunidad.

Edited by: UNDRR – The Americas.

Panama City, Panama, August 19, 2015 – In the framework of the Global Workshop of Focal Points and Advocates of the Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient”, twenty advocates of the Campaign as well as staff of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 18 countries in Africa, the Arab States, Asia, Europe and the Americas, proposed measures to enhance the dissemination, relevance and implementation of the campaign and its New Ten Essentials, such as the development of Resilient Cities.

During the recent meeting held in Panama City, Alberto Pascual, Advocate of the Campaign in Panama, specifically called  to recognize the need in mountains for greater disaster risk reduction, resilience building and fighting climate change, as a new priority of the Ten Essential of the Campaign in integrated disaster risk management plans and in line with the recently approved Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Ricardo Mena, Head of UNDRR’s Regional Office for the Americas, stated: “Advocates are crucially important for our regions, and their contribution in implementing the Making Cities Resilient campaign in the coming years is instrumental. With the adoption of the Sendai Framework, local governments have become even more at the centre of the efforts for building resilience to disasters, and advocates will be our partners in achieving our ambitious goals at the local level”.

During the three-day meeting, initiatives were proposed to increase both the number of cities participating in the campaign, as well as support for local governments to carry out risk assessments to significantly increase the number of cities and local governments with strategies for disaster risk reduction and resilience by 2020, as set forth in the Sendai Framework.

It is worth noting that Alberto Pascual, is also a member of the Mountain Partnership, a dynamic and voluntary association where governments and organizations share the same interest and work collaboratively to achieve the goal of sustainable development of mountain areas throughout the world.

Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready!"

The Global Campaign "Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready", promoted by the UNDRR since 2010, aims to ensure that a greater number of local governments and other key sectors are prepared for disasters, by increasing political commitment to disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change.

The campaign encompasses a growing global network of committed cities, provinces and municipalities, of various sizes, characteristics, risk profiles and locations, which can help and learn from each other, promote awareness and transmit specialized knowledge and skills, as well as technical support to achieve the goal of building resilience.

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Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient”

Mountain Partnership

 

 

Alberto Pascual is the Advocate in Panama for the Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready”, promoted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Professional profile. A graduate of the Latin University of Science and Technology with a Degree in Management and of the National University of Lanus with a Masters in Sustainable Development. Director of the NGO “Fundación CoMunidad”, member of the International Centre for Sustainable Development (CIDES) and the Mountain Partnership. “The lack of controlled growth keeps Panama in a situation of vulnerability to disasters, coupled with the loss of forest cover due to deforestation and the absence of land use planning, has led to the saturation of human settlements in floodplains and unstable areas for construction. "Working jointly with local governments in Panama gives me an excellent opportunity to promote policies and integrate risk management as key to addressing sustainable development and making cities in our territory comply with proper planning, the role that these localities should play in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change are the main challenges that motivate me to participate as an advocate of the Global Campaign Making Cities Resilient.” Alberto Pascual Read more about Alberto Pascual

 

 

 

 

 

 

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