The role of local governments and their achievements on disaster risk reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean region

By: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean.

PANAMA CITY, Panama, March 26th, 2019 – More than 45 representatives from 13 countries in the Americas and Caribbean Region joined in Panama City from March 26th to 27th with the purpose to highlight the role and responsibilities of local governments in disaster risk reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean. Participants from local and national governments, key stakeholders, advocates of the Global Campaign Making Cities Resilient, national disaster risk management authorities and other organizations from the Americas and the Caribbean region gathered in Panama City to discuss achievements related to Target E of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The Target E calls to substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020. This event served as an opportunity to gather evidence on the advances in the region, show achievements and to exchange experiences related to disaster risk reduction both at national and local levels.

The Minister Alexandra Ocles, chief of the Secretariat for Risk Management of Ecuador’s National Service for Risk Management and Emergency, expressed that “strengthening of resilience by local governments is important, as they are key building more livable and prosperous communities, towns and cities, promoting land use planning, and ensuring safe, planned and resilient cities. Through this workshop, we are learning from experiences in disaster risk reduction, which generate ideas to optimize our work and focus on the development of our cities.”

Among the conclusions, participants expressed that there is so much to tell as to learn from disaster risk reduction. They also mentioned that resilience should not be a topic reserved to authorities, but a multisectoral one, which is achieved through raising awareness and implementing integral policies based on the understanding of risk.

Raúl Salazar, Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean stated that “through this workshop, we are promoting the dialogue, knowledge exchange and stories gathering about the achievements of local governments in disaster risk reduction. Also highlighting the key role of the multisectoral approach for investments and decision making that is informed by risk at the community to local and national levels.”

The workshop “Dialogue about the role of local governments in disaster risk reduction (DRR)”, organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, is framed under the initiative Making Cities Sustainable and Resilient, Implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 on a local level. This is a joint initiative with UN-Habitat and it was possible due the support of the European Commission (DEVCO).

Related links:

https://www.unisdr.org/campaign/resilientcities/

https://www.preventionweb.net/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.pdf