Concept Note

#IDDR2018 #ResilienceForAll

1. THE SENDAI SEVEN CAMPAIGN IN 2018 – DISASTERS HAVE A HUMAN COST

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 13 October as International Day for Disaster Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the substantial progress being made toward reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health. Such an outcome is the aim of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.

The Sendai Framework has seven strategic targets and 38 indicators for measuring progress on reducing disaster losses. These indicators align implementation of the Sendai Framework with implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

In 2016, the UN Secretary-General launched "The Sendai Seven Campaign" to promote each of the seven targets over seven years. The 2018 target is focussed on target (c): "Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030."

 

In keeping with the Day's focus on the impact that disasters have on people's lives and well-being, this year's theme is about conveying the message that disasters have a human cost and reducing economic losses from disasters can transform lives

 

This follows a year in which natural hazards have contributed to record economic losses worldwide of an estimated US$ 350 billion in insured and uninsured losses, impacting severely on many sectors of the economy in affected countries as well as impacting on availability of public monies for social expenditure in areas such as education and health which are vital to achievement of sustainable development and the SDGs in particular. The World Bank estimates that disasters cost the global economy US$520 billion and push 26 million people into poverty every year.

 

 

The Seven Global Targets 2016 – Target (a): Substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015; 2017 – Target (b): Substantially reduce the number of people affected globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average global figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015; 2018 – Target (c): Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030; 2019 – Target (d): Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and educational facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030; 2020 – Target (e): Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020; 2021 – Target (f): Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030; 2022 – Target (g): Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by

 

2. INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION 2018

"REDUCING ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM DISASTERS HAS THE POWER TO TRANSFORM LIVES"

#IDDR2018 #ResilienceForAll

Goal: Use International Day for Disaster Reduction on 13 October 2018 to: 

Provide an advocacy platform to all governments, local governments, disaster management agencies, UN agencies, NGOs, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, civil society groups, businesses, academic and scientific institutions, and other interested groups to highlight the economic consequences of failure to manage disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable groups in low and middle-income countries. 

 

3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Promote and encourage events at national and community level to mark implementation of the Sendai Framework; • Highlight the impact of economic losses from disasters on efforts to achieve sustainable development; • Highlight the consequences for social expenditure in low and middle income countries of the rise in extreme weather events; • Profile the impact of economic and others losses in at least one country per region; • Launch a report analysing disaster trends, human impact and economic losses;

 

4. ACTIVIDADES/RESULTADOS ESPERADOS

4.1       GENEVA: October 10, 2018

UNISDR will produce a report "Economic losses, Poverty and Disasters" in collaboration with partner organisation(s). This evidence based report will be launched in advance of October 13 at a press briefing in the Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Main purpose: to highlight the importance of disaster risk reduction to achieving SDG1, the eradication of poverty

Target audience: media, policymakers, donors, civil society

 

4.2       NEW YORK: October 11, 2018 

UNISDR will work with appropriate UN agencies (WTO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNDESA, ILO) to organise a high-level panel discussion on the impacts of economic losses on low and middle income countries with representatives from Vanuatu (Cyclone Pam), Dominica (Hurricane Maria), Sierra Leone (heavy rains, landslides), Nepal (earthquake), Honduras (Hurricane Mitch, 20th anniversary).

Main purpose: to highlight the importance of national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction, and the challenges of reducing economic losses in a warming world with entrenched poverty

Target audience: UN Member States, key influencers, policymakers

 

4.3       TUNIS: October 13, 2018

UNISDR's Regional Offices for the Arab States and Africa will work with UNISDR Communications and FAO to organise a high-level event as part of the Regional Platform which will focus on drought and economic losses across the two regions. It will also address the impacts of climate change on daily life in the regions. It will feature the SRSG, experts and representatives from the regions.

Main purpose: to commemorate the Day and to draw attention to a natural hazard which is responsible for great economic loss, displacement and unrest.

Target audience: Regional Platform participants, local media

 

4.4       BALI: October 13, 2018

The IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings will take place in Bali, Indonesia, October 8-14,

2018. UNISDR will explore with the WB and WMO (TBC) the possibility of a live-streamed side-event for International Day for Disaster Reduction, including a focus on tsunami hazard, and exploring links between disaster-related economic losses and poverty eradication;

Main purpose: Raised awareness of Sendai Framework and importance of its implementation for the success of both the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. 

Target audience: Audience of influencers comprising UN Member State representatives, ministries of finance, the private sector, banking community, academic institutions, civil society organizations, parliamentarians and other observers.

 

 

The six indicators
adopted by the UN General Assembly for measuring achievement of Sendai Framework Target (c)

- Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (Compound Indicator). - Direct agricultural loss attributed to disasters. - Direct economic loss to all other damaged or destroyed productive assets attributed to disasters. - Direct economic loss in the housing sector attributed to disasters. - Direct economic loss resulting from damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure attributed to disasters. - Direct economic loss to cultural heritage damaged or destroyed attributed to disasters.

 

 

5. KEY MESSAGES

- If it's not risk informed, it's not sustainable, and if it's not sustainable it has a human cost. - Disasters are gateways to poverty and distress for many vulnerable people living in low and middle-income countries. - Increasing exposure of people and economic assets has been the major cause of longterm increases in economic loss from disasters and shows that the economic incentives for location in many hazard-prone areas continue to outweigh the perceived disaster risks; - While absolute economic loss is concentrated in higher income countries, in relative terms it is a far greater problem for low-income countries; - Expressed as a proportion of social expenditure, expected annual losses in lowincome countries are five times higher than in high-income countries; - The countries with the greatest need to invest in social development are those most challenged by disaster risk; - Investment in disaster risk reduction generally represents a large saving in terms of avoided losses and reconstruction costs with cost benefit ratios ranging from 3:1 to 15:1 or higher in some cases; - Integrating disaster risk reduction into investment decisions is the most cost-effective way to reduce risk; - Investing in disaster risk reduction is a precondition for developing sustainably in a changing climate; - If risk reduction can be included explicitly in national development and climate adaptation plans and budgets, all parts of government are then able to programme risk reduction actions and investments;

 

6. #ResilienceForAll Campaign

The #IDDR2018 website will be launched to highlight key initiatives and engage global stakeholders by issuing a global call for partners and sectors to contribute content. Visualizations and stories will be included to illustrate action and partnerships, with a particular focus on reducing exposure to disaster impacts in order to avoid displacement, loss or damage to housing stock and work places.

 

UNISDR will develop branding for the page which will be a resource for the entire DRR community to use for posting details of their planned events for the day including photographs, video clips, posters and commentary. This page will also be a resource including logos, infographics, press releases, news stories, photographs, public service announcement and other useful materials.

 

6.1 Reports from the field

The #IDDR2018 web site will feature multi-media reports from at least one country per region on the consequences of economic losses on progress towards sustainable development, speaking to affected people and local representatives.

 

6.2 Blog Roll

A blog roll will be set up on the page to include expert opinion and insights on reducing the numbers of people affected by disasters.

 

6.3 Social Media/ THUNDERCLAP

UNISDR will use the Twitter THUNDERCLAP platform to engage and generate support from as many organisations and individuals as possible for the theme of the day, requesting they share the following message, accompanied by a suitable image, with their followers:

If it's not risk-informed, it's not sustainable and if it's not sustainable it has a #HumanCost #IDDR2018

 

6.4 PSA/ videos

UNISDR Comms will produce a PSA for the day which will be available for broadcast a month in advance.

 

6.5 Expected Outcomes

1. Greater global awareness of the Sendai Framework and a key target;

2. Greater focus on risk-informed investment in agriculture, housing stock, critical infrastructure, and the protection of cultural heritage;

3. Greater focus on protecting livelihoods, housing and places of work in hazard-prone areas;

4. Public discourse to promote attitudinal and behavioral change towards disaster risk management;