An-R&R 25 9 04 · 2 southasiadisasters.net April 2015 ABOUT THIS ISSUE It is conventional wisdom...

southasiadisasters.net April 20152

ABOUT THIS ISSUE

It is conventional wisdom thatdisasters derail the development

process. However, the impacts ofdisasters can be far moredebilitating on developingcountries as compared to their moredeveloped counterparts. Plaguedby a plethora of humanitarianchallenges, the region of South Asiais consistently ranked as one of themost vulnerable regions exposed tothe risk of natural hazards.Recurring disasters in the regionand the devastation followed intheir aftermath only serve tohighlight this enhancedvulnerability of South Asia.

It is therefore timely and pertinentto focus on voices of DRR leadersfrom South Asia. The 3rd WorldConference of Disaster RiskReduction (WCDRR) was a perfectopportunity to focus on such voices.This issue of Southasiadisasters.nethighlights the country statementsissued by the dispensations ofvarious South Asian nations at the3rd WCDRR. A compendium ofthese statements helps inunderstanding the South Asianperspective on DRR. These countrystatements also list out theachievements of these nations inmaking their countries andcommunities safer to the variousrisks they are exposed to.

A lot of common strands emergefrom these country statements thatcan and they have been listed as a'Way Ahead' towards the end of thisissue. This issue is a must read forall who are interested inunderstanding the DRR aspirationsand apprehensions of South Asia.

Source of speeches: http://www.wcdrr.org/conference/programme/statements

INTRODUCTION

Voices of Leadership fromSouth AsiaRavaged by one disaster after another, the countries of South Asia have

emerged as highly vulnerable to the risks posed by natural hazards. Inlight of this enhanced vulnerability, a regional perspective on risk andresilience arising out from South Asia is both pertinent and desirable. The3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) provided anopportunity to hear the insights of South Asian perspective on disaster riskreduction (DRR). Held from 14-18 March, 2015 in the Japanese city of Sendai,the 3rd WCDRR saw the heads of disaster management dispensations fromall the South Asian countries issue country statements regarding the progressof their respective countries in implementing the priorities of the HyogoFramework for Action (HFA). These leaders also expounded on their visionfor the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) aptly puttingforward their nations' aspirations and apprehensions.

This booklet is a compendium of the country statements delivered by theseSouth Asian leaders at the 3rd WCDRR and aims to capture a South Asianperspective on DRR. It contains country statements from India, Afghanistan,Bhutan, Maldives (which represented the Alliance of Small Island States),Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. These statements provide a greaterinsight into the DRR achievements and anxieties of these countries.

A lot of common strands emerge from these statements such as the need forlocal level planning in DRR; promotion of risk sensitive development;integrating climate change adaptation with risk reduction; consolidatingupon the progress of HFA and enhancing international cooperation to builda safer world. Moreover, it was unanimously agreed upon by all the SouthAsian countries that the synergies between the SFDRR, the Climate Changenegotiations and Sustainable Development Goals be leveraged to engendersustainability in the present systems and processes of DRR.

The UN Secretary-General recently drew the attention of the world to thefact that an annual investment of USD 6 billion in DRR could lead to savingsin the vicinity of USD 360 billion. This implies widespread cooperation andsharing of resources, technology and manpower to cultivate a global cultureof preparedness. The first step towards this vision starts from South Asia,which is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world. This booklet is anattempt to present a regional South Asian perspective and vision on DRR asenunciated by its leaders. – Mihir R. Bhatt

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Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen!

It gives me immense pleasure to be apart of the Indian delegation for theThird World Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction. On behalf of theGovernment and the people of India,I wish to congratulate the UnitedNations and the host, theGovernment of Japan, for organizingthis event.

The Hyogo Framework for Actionhas provided a blue print for disasterrisk reduction activities includingpromotion of culture of prevention,mitigation, preparedness andresilience at all levels. Since then,considerable progress has been madeby investing resources and enhancingcapacities in dealing with thedisasters. However, much needs to bedone in the future. We are pleased tonote that the post–2015 frameworkhas provided us a practical and usefuldocument with people–centeredpreventive approach to disaster risk.This would contribute to the reductionof disaster risks and strengthenresilience of the poor and the mostvulnerable. We need to take riskinformed decisions while makingpublic and private investments.Mainstreaming disaster riskreduction in developmentprogrammes and communityresilience building are some of thenoteworthy features in the newframework. Indeed, the concurrentpost–2015 focus on sustainabledevelopment, climate change anddisaster risk would further providethe international community with aunique opportunity to ensurecoherence and alignment across

policies, practices and partnershipsfor implementation.

Recent events in India such as thelandslides and floods of 2013 in theHimalayan State of Uttarakhand,cyclone 'Phailin' in Odisha in 2013, thefloods and landslides in Jammu &Kashmir and cyclone 'Hudhud' inAndhra Pradesh in 2014 have onceagain brought into focus the need formultiplying our efforts towardsdisaster risk reduction. In addition,Typhoon 'Haiyan' in Philippines in2014, Ludian and Yutian Earthquakesin China in 2014 and extreme weatherevents in United States of Americaand South Canada have taken placein the world. The unplanneddevelopment of cities and lack ofproper infrastructure are the majorchallenges of the future. Whilecommunities, particularly women

and children, exposed to these eventsare trying to adapt to these regularoccurrences, the economic and socialcosts continue to mount year afteryear. In this context, we believe thatthere is a need to actively buildsynergies among the DRRframework, the climate changeadaptation framework and thesustainable development frameworkto ensure that our collective effortsenable us to create a safe, secure anddisaster–free environment.

In India, our ancestors gave us theconcept of 'VasudhaivaKutumbakam', which means that thewhole planet — with all its humanbeings, plants, animal, birds andnatural resources — is one family.This ancient realisation of our inter–connectedness is even more relevantand urgent today. I would like to call

Regional Cooperation for a ResilientSouth AsiaCountry Statement by His Excellency Rajnath Singh, Minister of HomeAffairs, India

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The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Head Ms Margareta Wahlstrommeets the HM Rajnath Singh at WCDRR in Sendai.


upon this august gathering toembrace this notion and enhanceinternational cooperation throughsharing of technology, expertise andnecessary resources. Here I wouldalso like to reiterate the commitmentmade by our Prime Minister inSAARC Summit last year by ensuringIndia's help and expertise to theneighbouring countries.

India hosts the SAARC DisasterManagement Centre which isworking towards putting in place aframework to reduce disaster risksand promoting knowledge sharingamong the SAARC countries. TheIndian National Centre for OceanInformation Services operates theTsunami Early Warning System. Thisis a State–of–the–Art warning systemwhich benefits not only India but alsothe littoral countries of Indian Ocean.As a part of SAARC MonsoonInitiative, an integrated OperationalSystem for monitoring andforecasting monsoon weathersystems has been set up to addressmonsoon induced hydro–

meteorological disasters in theregion. Our National DisasterResponse Force which has theexpertise in addressing nationaldisasters also attends to disasters inthe region and beyond. The NationalInstitute of Disaster Managementorganizes trainings on variousthematic domains of disaster riskmanagement. We are keen to shareour expertise and help other countriesin disaster response and capacitybuilding. We envisage a bigger rolein capacity building in the Asia Pacificregion and look forward to buildsustained regional and internationalpartnerships under the post–2015Framework.

I would like to share that theGovernment of India hasmainstreamed disaster risk reductionin its development policies at alllevels, and has earmarked 10 percentof development funds towardsinnovation, disaster mitigation andrestoration. Our FinanceCommission, a constitutional bodythat recommends distribution of tax

proceeds between the federalgovernment and the states, in itsrecent report has called for hazard,risk and vulnerability assessment inall our states. This will be critical firststep in ensuring that over time,notions of risk reduction areembedded in every penny we spendon development. We are promotingcooperative federalism anddevolving more power and resourcescloser to the ground of action.

Before concluding, we pledge oursupport to the post–2015 Framework,its goals and priorities. We commitourselves to work with countries inthe region and beyond in buildingresilient nations and communities,against disasters. We would also liketo call upon all entities, public andprivate, to strengthen theinternational support mechanismsfor disaster risk reduction by sharingof reliable and affordable moderntechnology for capacity–building andenabling institutional and policyenvironment at all levels.

Thank you all....

International Recovery Platform(IRP) Public Forum on "Actions

on Engaging Private Sector inRecovery: Ensuring greater impactsof recovery programs at thecommunity level" was held at TohokuUniversity on March 16, 2015 duringthird World Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction, Sendai, Japan.

Mihir R. Bhatt as a panelist, said thatBusiness of Reducing Risk is not yetregular mainstream business and asa result we cannot reduce risk fullyor involve private sector in reducingrisk. He said we need to know farmore on the market of reducing risk,the demand for risk reduction, andthe nature and extent of riskreduction services and products

available from supply side. We alsodo not know when risk is reduced,and how much, in most cases, andeven more so when we face individualfamilies. He said that we need to know

Business of Reducing Risk

far more on the nature and extentof business of reducing risk beforewe cannot on it in SendaiFramework for Disaster RiskReduction implementation.

from left to right: Mr. Stefan Kohler, UNOPS; Mr. Dale Sands, AECOM; Mr. Mihir Bhatt,AIDMI; Dr. Kit Miyamoto, Miyamoto International; Mr. Gay Mitchell, Former Memberof European Parliament, Ireland; and Mr. Damon Coppola, Bullock and Haddow, LLC.


Building Back Better for a Cultureof PreparednessCountry Statement by Dr Mohammad Daim Kakar, Director General,Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, Afghanistan

Excellences, distinguisheddelegates, ladies and gentlemen,

I am honored to be invited toparticipate to the 3rd UN WorldConference for Disaster RiskReduction. Our presence todayillustrates the importance andtimeliness to understand and learnfrom the experiences of each other inarea of Risk Reduction.

Now we have to address theunderlying risks factors to ensure thatthe future disasters will not causedevastation, in line with DRR policyto "Build back better" to create theculture of prevention. It is alsoimportant to ensure that medium andlonger-term disaster risk reductionand resilience building be made astrong component of the recoveryprocess and embedded in the needsassessment and implementationplans of disaster recovery framework.

Afghanistan is exposed to multiplehazards the most prominent amongwhich are earthquakes, extremewinter conditions, landslide,avalanches, floods as well as droughtsand sand storms threatening theAfghan population in 30 out of 34provinces of the country. Accordingto a study conducted by UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention andRecovery (BCPR), which reviewedvulnerability to the impact of variousnatural disasters in 200 countries,Afghanistan ranks at 5th and 17th

respectively in terms of its relativevulnerability to earthquakes andfloods. In 2014 the flooding seasonbrought particularly devastatingimpacts. Flash floods in northernAfghanistan from 24 to 30 April 2014

affected over 10,000 families (70,000individuals) across 10 provinces innorthern, north-eastern and north-western provinces. 2,500 families(17,500 individuals) were displaced,an estimated 450 people killed, 214other sustained injuries and over 8,000homes destroyed.

In addition to the natural hazards,Afghanistan is also facing thechallenges of man-made disasters,conflict, war, explosion and minescultivation. More than 500 Km squareof Afghan lands in 1700 villages arestill cultivated with remnants of warand mines which pose a huge threatto the local population.

Afghanistan is among those nationswhich is signatory to the Hyogoframework for action 2005–2015 andis committed to take necessary actionsfor reducing the risks of disasters andmaking its communities resilient.Moreover, Afghanistan is responsibleto monitor the progress of all fivepriorities for action with 22 indicatorsset for. And over all achievementstoward these indicators has been

satisfactory over the last ten years(The overall level achievement forHFA priority points is 2.5 out of 5score).

Thanks UNDP for being instrumentalin revising Disaster Management Actwhich significantly shift AfghanistanNational Disaster ManagementAuthority (ANDMA) from postdisaster response to comprehensiveDisaster Risk Reduction (DRR). It alsoprovides a legal basis for establishingthe roles and responsibilities of theAuthority. Simultaneously,preparedness and recoverymechanisms and capacities are beingformalized and improved includingguidelines for effective andtransparent use of the NationalEmergency Fund and strengtheningof the National Emergency OperationCenter.

Afghanistan is also fully committedto the Istanbul Process, for Heart ofAsia, Confidence Building Measuresfor disaster Management as itspermanent co–chair and will do itsbest to take it to the next level of

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gradual but concrete, practical results.We highly appreciate the significantimportance to Afghanistan'smembership in all existing regionalplatform, frameworks and initiativesand I would like to reiterate ourcommitment to contribute tostrengthening the existingmechanisms and seek mutual supportfrom these kind of platforms. TheIstanbul Process is not intended tosubstitute the existing efforts ofregional organizations, but tocooperate with them, andcomplement their work wherenecessary, particularly where theyrelate to Afghanistan. This process isa testament to the commitment, hardwork and success of the Heart of Asiacountries, the leadership of theAfghan Government and the positiveengagement of the supportingcountries. In this time of transition,the Istanbul Process plays a crucialrole in bringing together Heart ofAsia countries for politicalconsultations on the situation inAfghanistan and the region toenhance mutual cooperation andhighly appreciate the progress on theagreed confidence–buildingmeasures.

I will conclude myself byemphasizing the commitment ofGovernment of Afghanistan forstrengthening all instruments andmechanism for disaster managementand the same time I will be lookingfor mutual and complementarysupport from international andregional agencies in terms oftechnical, capacity and financialsupport to realize the commitment intrue sense on the ground.

At last let me take this opportunity toonce again convey my best wishes toUN office for DRR to the president, allheads of the states who has workeddiligently to put this great eventtogether made this conference possible.

Thanks for your attention.

Towards InclusiveDisaster RiskReductionCountry Statement by His Excellency Damcho Dorji, Ministerof Home and Cultural Affairs, Bhutan

In view of this, Bhutan has madesustained efforts towards

enhancing our disaster managementand risk reduction capacities. Andour development policies guided bythe unique concept of GrossNational Happiness (GNH) havebeen complimentary to these efforts.

Madam President,

I would like to highlight some ofthe key achievements made by theRoyal Government of Bhutan underthe five priorities of Hyogo Frame of Action:1. The Parliament of Bhutan enacted the Disaster Management Act of Bhutan

in March 2013, which calls for a decentralized and inclusive disaster riskmanagement.

2. Mainstreaming DRR has been included as one of the 16 National KeyResult Areas in our 11th Five Year and reflected as an important cross–cutting issue in the local development planning guideline.

3. Bhutan has invested adequate resources towards initiating andstrengthening Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)and Safe School Program throughout the country.

4. We have implemented the first National Adaptation Program for Action(NAPA) project in the region to enhance the adaptive capacity inpreventing climate-change induced disasters.

Bhutan places great emphasis on building community resilience and believesin participation of communities as equal partners in having an inclusivedisaster risk reduction policy. In terms of resilient public investments, Bhutanhas been advocating for linkages between sustainable development anddisaster risk reduction and the need to integrate climate change adaptationand disaster risk reduction.

Lastly, on behalf of Royal Government of Bhutan, I would like to offer ourearnest commitment to the adoption and implementation of the post–2015framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

I wish this third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reductionevery success.

Thank You for your attention and Tashi Delek!!

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Distinguished [SG, President, Co–Chairs, etc] Excellencies,

Colleagues,

May I begin by extending ourcongratulations to the Governmentof Japan, and this beautiful city ofSendai, recognised by the WorldDisaster Reduction Campaign, as arole model for its efforts onpromoting community baseddisaster risk reduction. I join previousspeakers in extending our gratitudefor the Government and the peopleof Sendai and Japan, for your warmwelcome and the generoushospitality.

The Maldives has the honor to speakon behalf of the Alliance of SmallIsland States (AOSIS), a coalition of44 low-lying and coastal nations.

[AOSIS would like to associate withthe statement delivered by SouthAfrica on behalf of the G77 and China.]

[Mr. President,]

2015 is a critical year at the UnitedNations. This year we will finalizethe multilateral frameworks throughwhich disaster risk reduction,sustainable development, financingfor development, and climate changeaction will be addressed in the comingyears. Given the close inter linkagesbetween these processes, whilekeeping in mind the respective anddistinct mandates for each process,our efforts in each line of discussionnecessarily impacts the others. At thesame time, the complexity of the

negotiations requires us to do whatwe can to ensure coherencethroughout.

[Mr. President,]

The international community haslong recognized the importance ofconcerted international action tolower the human suffering caused bydisasters. Despite these efforts, whichinclude the UN General Assembly'sdesignation of the 1990's as theInternational Decade for NaturalDisaster Reduction and thesubsequent adoption of the HyogoFramework for Action, globaldisaster risk may be at an all timehigh. According to the 2015 GlobalAssessment Report expected lossesfrom disasters associated withearthquakes, volcanic hazards andrisks, tsunamis, tropical cyclonewinds, storm surges and flooding arenow estimated at 300 billion USdollars annually.

Disasters violently undermine ourprogress towards sustainabledevelopment. They pose a particularthreat to small islands developingstates. Our small size, geographicisolation, narrow resource base, andexposure to global environmentalchallenges and external shocks makesit challenging to prepare for disastersbefore they strike and exceptionallydifficult to recover in their aftermath.

SIDS cannot think of disaster riskreduction in isolation from climatechange. For us, increasing impacts ofhuman–induced climate change haveonly added to the challenge of disasterrisk reduction. TheIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange has warned of increased andmore severe extreme weather events,such as heat waves, droughts andfloods, as a result of climate change.What's more, sea level rise, morefrequent and intense storms, coastalerosion, and saltwater intrusion from

Addressing Climate Change for aSafer FutureCountry Statement by His Excellency Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister ofEnvironment and Energy, Maldives

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human–induced climate change willonly compound the challenges wealready face from natural disasters.

Scientists are warning us that thepolicy space available to reduce theimpact of disasters is becomingsmaller. Impacts from disasters gobeyond direct deaths, and have widerand disproportionate implications onthe socio–economic order in SIDS. Itaffects our livelihood and the wellbeing of our peoples andcommunities. Given our limitedresources, we then remain highlyconcerned of our capacity to copewith and meet the challenges fromthe projected increase in extremeweather events.

[Mr. President,]

In the SAMOA Pathway, theinternational community recognisedthese realities that SIDS face. We alsoidentified the critical need to buildresilience, strengthen monitoring andprevention. We noted the need toreduce vulnerability, raise awareness,and increase preparedness in SIDS torespond and recover from disasters.

The post–2015 framework fordisaster risk reduction then mustundoubtedly take into considerationthe particular vulnerabilities of SIDSand LDCs. It must be an ambitiousrenewal of the Hyogo Framework forAction that prioritizes preventionand mitigation. It must also work insynergy with other related processeson sustainable development andclimate change. It is indeed necessaryto take a holistic approach. And weare glad that the Outcome documentindeed is action–oriented, and seeksto build on where the HFA1 left off.

Many of us have integrated disasterrisk considerations into nationaldevelopment plans and policies. Weare already spending significantamounts of public funds on resiliencebuilding and climate adaptation. Wehave the political commitment toinstitutionalize disaster riskreduction:

But the reality is we can't do this aloneand need the financial, technical andcapacity building support of theinternational community to respondto the increased risks we face.

Building Resilience of VulnerableCommunitiesCountry Statement by Her Excellency Myat Myat Ohn Khin, Minister forSocial Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Myanmar

Excellencies, President ofConference, Head of States and

Governments, Ministers, anddelegates from all over the World,Distinguished participants, Ladiesand Gentlemen

Very Good afternoon, Mingalapar…

First of all, I wish all of you for goodhealth, happiness, success and wellbeing. It is a great honor for me to be

here as designed by our President andto deliver the official statement at 3rd

UN World Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction, Sendai, Japan. In thisauspicious occasion, Myanmardelegation and I myself express ourspecial appreciation to theGovernment of Japan for warmwelcome and hospitalities.

Taking this opportunity, I have toexplore my sincere sympathy to the

We therefore ask for firm agreementfrom our partners to fulfill existingcommitments, as well as to mobilizethe resources required to build theresilience of vulnerable nations. Assuch, we wish to stress on the needfor financial resources for disasterrisk reduction and climate changeadaptation initiatives in SIDS. We alsocall for the strengthening of riskinsurance facilities at internationallevel to support SIDS and otherparticularly vulnerable nation statesto manage financial risk from naturaldisasters.

[Mr. President,]

We look forward to a strong andsuccessful outcome to thisConference. Through betterinternational coordination andcooperation we can make greatstrides in building resilience andreducing risks associated withdisasters. Let's endeavor here to set ahigh bar for the rest of the year. Theroad to the "future we want", mustbegin in Sendai.

Thank you.

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Government of Japan and its peoplefor the loss of lives and propertiescaused by earthquake and Tsunamiin Sendai City, Tohoku region inMarch, 2011. I'd also appreciate forthe most effective and successfulresponse and recovery tasks you havebeen taken.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen…

It has been nearly 4 years thatMyanmar is getting momentum totransform the Country into a newmodern, developed and democraticnation through 1st wave, 2nd wave and3rd wave reform processes. At thesame time, Myanmar moves to helpitself out of least developed countries(LDC) category.

You all aware that Myanmar hassuccessfully taken the ASEANChairmanship 2014. In doing so,success is being achieved and on theother hand, the challenges like man–made and natural disasters are alsobeing faced with. However, disasterrisk reduction programs generatedfrom our Cabinet plays a vital role inthe reform processes. It is sure thatthese disaster management activitieswill contribute for socio–economicdevelopment.


Our Ministry, Ministry of SocialWelfare, Relief and Resettlementtakes responsibility for DisasterManagement in terms of mitigation,preparedness, emergency response,recovery and rehabilitation in linewith international standards and forsocial welfare services for all agegroups ranging from child to olderpeople including women, personswith disabilities and youth.

By taking this opportunity, I wouldlike to highlight some obviousachievements –1. As legistration body, we have

enacted the Myanmar NaturalDisaster Management law onJune, 2013. We have alreadyadopted rules and regulations forthat law.

2. National Disaster PreparednessCentral Committee chaired byVice–President, NationalDisaster PreparednessManagement WorkingCommittee Chaired by me, subcommittees and up to villagetract committees have beenformed to carry out disastermanagement activities.

3. We have already ratified thestanding order for emergencymanagement. And we haveestablished the EmergencyOperation Center for rapidresponse and urgentcommunication among ASEANmember states as well as statesand regions in our country.

4. As mandated by our President,we are going to open theDisaster. Management TrainingCenter at Hintada Township,Ayeyarwaddy Region inSeptember, this year.

5. We are implementing SocialYouth Volunteers programs andDisaster Reduction YouthVolunteers programs with ourowned Government budget. Upto now, we have completed theT.O.T trainings and theMultiplier courses covering over(3000) youths resided from over(800) villages across the Country.

6. As a chair madam for theworking committee of SocialProtection, the MyanmarNational Strategic Plan forSocial Protection has beenlaunched at the end of 2014. Andwe have drawn a plan for disasterrisk management and socialprotection which is one area of(8) tasks.

7. We have been contributingASEAN Disaster Management

Emergency Response Fund(ADMER fund) and ASEANcoordinating center forHumanitarian Assistance (AHAfund) since 2012. Nationallybudgets have been allocated forrisk financing.


Myanmar is known as one of thedisaster prone countries like Japan,Indonesia, Philippine and other Asiancountries. Struggling for recovery andrehabilitation was in fact difficult.However, we have overcome itthrough cooperative, collaborativeand coordinated efforts with relevantall organizations. This Third UNWorld Conference on Disaster RiskReduction is extremely important forall of us because outcomes willaccelerate our ongoing efforts tostrengthen resilience and to buildculture of safety through inclusive andintegrated approach for forthcomingdecades.

With full commitment to HyogoFramework for Actions, we havedeveloped Myanmar Action Plan onDisaster Risk Reduction in June 2012.It includes 7 main components and65 priorities actions to achieve thestrategic goal of Hyogo Frameworkas well as our national goal whichmeans "to make Myanmar safer andmore resilient against NaturalHazards, thus protecting lives,livelihoods and development gains".

In conclusion, on behalf ofGovernment of Myanmar and ourMinistry, we have committed to takeappropriate actions and to join handswith all development partners forimplementation of post 2015framework for disaster risk reductionadopted from this Conference.

Thank you so much…


Mr. President, Excellencies Heads of State and

GovernmentH.E. Mr. Secretary General of theUnited Nations,Honourable Ministers,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is an honour and privilege for meto address this Conference. First ofall, I would like to congratulate you,Mr. President, on your election topreside over this conference andassure you of my delegation's fullsupport in the discharge of yourresponsibilities.

On behalf of the Government ofNepal, I would also like to expressmy sincere thanks to the Governmentof Japan for their warm welcome andgenerous hospitality accorded to us.I would also like to express oursincere appreciation to the UNISDRfor the excellent coordination for theorganization of this important event.

We attach great importance to thisconference as it symbolizes theculmination of our collectiveendeavours in ensuring that disasterrisk reduction is a sustainable andembedded process within the overalldevelopment of our countries.

Nepal is committed to the principles,goals and priorities of the HyogoFramework for Action (HFA). Thisframework has provided us avaluable guidance and support indeveloping our disaster riskmanagement approach. It hasinspired us to develop a NationalStrategy for Disaster RiskManagement. Based on this strategy,we have also drafted a new Disaster

Management bill for theconsideration of our parliament. Itwill provide us an importantinstitutional framework tostrengthen disaster risk reduction inthe country.

Even in the absence of a new andseparate Disaster Management Act inforce, the Government of Nepal hasbeen undertaking necessary actionson reduction of disaster risks. Withthe support of our nationalstakeholders and developmentpartners, the Government has createdthe Nepal Risk ReductionConsortium (NRRC) to implementkey areas of our National Strategy.Through the NRRC and the NationalPlatform, the Government has beencoordinating efforts to ensure thatrisk reduction work is also alignedwith the national vision.

We have made significant progressover the last decade in line with thespirit of HFA. Nepal has been able tostrengthen resilience both at local andnational levels. Our reach has beenexpanded to both rural and urbancommunities. We are also encouragedby the global recognition of ourprogress in this regard as well as ourefforts for innovative coordinationmechanisms. Nevertheless, we areseriously concerned that Nepalcontinues to remain one of the mostvulnerable countries in the world todisasters such as earthquake,flooding, landslide, glacial lakeoutburst flood (GLOF), etc. The factthat Nepal continues to lose anaverage of two citizen everyday tonatural disasters is something thatalarms us. It is also estimated that thehuman losses in the KathmanduValley alone, should there be a major

seismic event, will be similar to thosein Haiti in 2010.

The year 2015 is critical for Nepal asit is for the global community tounderpin resilience in our efforts topromote health, wealth and safety forindividuals and communities.Towards this end, our focus this yearhas been on improving our evidencebase. We are currently completing thestocktaking phase of a national riskassessment, strengtheningengagement with private sector andevolving our systematic search andrescue capacity. Nepal will shortlycomplete a substantive review ofprogress so far made towards searchand rescue plans and operations. TheGovernment is committed toformulating a long-term plan in linewith the global understanding,resolve and partnership that evolvesduring this conference. We alsoexpect continued support of andpartnership with the internationalcommunity in the implementation ofthis plan. Countries like Nepal whichis a lest developed country and at thesame time highly vulnerable tonatural and other disasters needsfocused attention in terms of building

Towards a Risk SensitiveDevelopment AgendaCountry Statement by His Excellency Mahendra Bahadur Pandey,Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nepal

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resilience thorough enhanced level ofresources and technology from theinternational community.

Nepal has accorded due priority toensure easy access to adequate riskinformation in view of its significancefor the promotion of evidence–baseddecision making and resourceallocation for risk reduction. Thestocktaking work, currentlyunderway in Nepal, is expected tosupport the Government's initiativetowards defining Nepal's riskreduction priorities over the longterm and also ensure that our work isclosely aligned with post–2015framework for disaster risk reductionfor the next decade and beyond.

The HFA has provided a solidfoundation for the global efforts inthe disaster risk reduction. Buildingon this, we expect that the post–2015framework for disaster risk reductionto be developed during thisconference will be a milestone inprotecting the lives and properties ofthe peoples in the world. It will helpshape priorities over the next decadeand allocate resources towards riskreduction. The stocktaking andanalysis currently underway in ourrespective countries will continue tofacilitate this task. The Governmentof Nepal is aware of the need for anenhanced disaster managementfinancing and expects developmentpartners to ensure that theirdevelopment support is riskinformed and disaster managementremains a priority for them as well.The Government looks forward toforging necessary collaborations withthe development partners in supportof our priorities on both hardwareand software.

Mr. President,

Disaster risk reduction cannot be astand–alone process. It must be wellintegrated with the governmentpriorities and development agenda.In Nepal, despite great progress in

our efforts towards attaining theMillennium Development Goals, wehave not always been successful inensuring that these achievements arerisk–sensitive. It is, therefore,important that the post–2015framework for action place greaterfocus on the integration of disasterrisk reduction with development. Atnational level, we must be preparedto engage all stakeholders across allsectors. In particular, working withprivate sector is a priority for theGovernment of Nepal. We welcomethe inclusion of this in the post–2015framework and look forward tosharing our experiences and learningfrom other countries onstrengthening Public–PrivatePartnership in the days to come.

Nepal also attaches importance to theregional cooperation for disasterpreparedness and response. Recenttrends in disasters also call forstrengthened regional cooperation.The decision to establish the SAARCEnvironment and DisasterManagement Centre in the region isalso an indication of ourunderstanding of the need forregional collaboration. We also lookforward to working under theumbrella of Asia Disaster ReductionCentre (ADRC) in the same spirit.

The HFA adopted a decade ago in Japanhas been an important instrument inthe disaster risk reduction. We needto keep the momentum generated byits implementation throughout theworld. Given the seriousness andcommitment of all gathered here, againin Japan, I am confident that the post–2015 framework for disaster riskreduction will be a significant documentfor the next decade and beyond.

Before I conclude, I would like toappreciate strong commitmentdemonstrated and proactive rolebeing played by Japan in advancinginternational cooperation in thisfield. Japan being one of the mostdisaster–prone countries hasexhibited remarkable resilience indealing with major disasters in thepast. As a global leader in the field ofdisaster management, its expertiseand experience both in the field ofdisaster preparedness and post–disaster management are exemplary.On this occasion, we also have freshmemories of how Japan effectivelyhandled the deadly triple disastercaused by Great East JapanEarthquake that hit the Tohoku regioncausing colossal loss of thousands ofprecious lives and virtual dislocationof the economy of three prefecturesin March 2011.Thank you!

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I thank you Chairperson

At the outset let me appreciate theefforts of co–chairs for bringing outthe zero-draft of the Post–2015Framework for Disaster RiskReduction that is intended to serve asthe basis for further negotiations. Iwish to emphasize that Pakistanwould continue its constructiveengagement with the process leadingup to the Sendai Conference.

My delegation envisions a Post–2015framework for disaster risk reductionthat builds on the experiences of HFA1implementation, which should besustained to consolidate its gains. Alot of progress has been made sinceHFA1 but much needs to be done,especially with respect to enhancinginternational cooperation thatremained one of the main gaps.

The availability of internationaltechnical and financial assistance tovulnerable developing countriesto achieve HFA / post HFA agendaneeds to be facilitated to bridgeresource constraints of thesecountries and to create enablingconditions for enhancedimplementation of DRR policiesand strategies. Developingcountries require predictable,adequate, sustainable andcoordinated internationalassistance, through bilateral andmultilateral channels, for thedevelopment and strengtheningof their capacities, includingthrough financial and technicalassistance and technology transfer.It is important that the finaldocument adequately deals with

this important aspect of the futureframework.

We share the believe that the overalltimeframe of Post–2015 Frameworkshould be aligned with the timeperiod as being set for ClimateChange and SDGs Framework, i.e. 15years.

We also feel that more clarity isrequired in each priority area

International Assistance for DRRin Developing CountriesCountry Statement by Mr Syed Tariq Fatemi, Minister of State forForeign Affairs, Pakistan

activities and more focused and actionoriented steps should be defined sothat they become clearer andmeasurable both in qualitative as wellas in quantitative terms. Furthermorethe priorities for action should clearlydifferentiate between developed anddeveloping countries.

Pakistan welcomes the sharing ofdraft elements for the PoliticalDeclaration by Japan. As an important

part of the Conference outcome,political declaration must benegotiated by the Member Statesin a formal, open–ended andintergovernmental process, forwhich sufficient time should beprovided.

In conclusion, I once again, expressmy delegation's strongcommitment to this consultativeprocess for a future frameworkthat is capable of responding tochallenges arising from disastersand vulnerabilities, especially indeveloping countries.

I thank you co–chairs.

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Madam PresidentSecretary General of the United

NationsHeads of Government and StateExcellenciesDistinguished DelegatesLadies and Gentlemen

We are gathered in this city of Sendai,today, in the Tohoku region of Japanwhich bore the brunt of theearthquake and tsunami in 2011.Coming from the island nation of SriLanka which suffered similarunprecedented devastation as a resultof the Indian Ocean, tsunami in 2004,we recognise fully the significance ofthis World Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction. Although severalyears have now passed since the 2011and 2004 disasters, our thoughts arestill very much with the victims ofthose tragedies and their loved onesand I convey the sincere appreciationof the Government and peoples of SriLanka, to the Government of Japanfor hosting this importantConference for the globalcommunity.

With increasing widespread disastersworldwide and the magnitude of thefinancial and human cost involved,the urgency of addressing disasterrisk reduction and framingappropriate strategies cannot beoveremphasized.

My country, Sri Lanka is experiencingdisasters with increased frequencyand severity. The Government hastaken a number of initiatives topromote and strengthen Disaster RiskReduction in the country as per theHyogo Framework for Action.

Following the 2004 tsunami,successive Governments in Sri Lankahave taken positive steps in thisaspect. As a result, Sri Lanka hasachieved substantial progress inpriority areas of governance, disasterresponse and preparedness. This hashelped to reduce mortality andimpact linked to hydro–meteorological disasters in terms ofreducing vulnerability ofcommunities.

Incorporating Disaster ImpactAssessment system for roadconstruction, Mainstreaming DisasterRisk Reduction into Housing sectorand Mainstreaming Disaster RiskReduction into development projectsand approval processes at bothnational and local government levelsare a few of our achievements duringthe last decade under HFA.

Sri Lanka now adopts the Who doesWhat, Where" (3W) database systemdeveloped by the UN Office for theCoordination of HumanitarianAffairs (OHCHA), as the standardreporting format in managing all

disaster response situations. This hasassisted in streamlining nationaldisaster management efforts.

Madam President,The UN Secretary–General recentlydrew the world's attention to the factthat annual investment in disaster riskreduction of USD 6 billion can resultin savings of up to USD 360 billion. Itis apparent that investment in disasterrisk reduction can save enormousfinancial and human resourcesnecessary for development.

Whilst identifying opportunitiesassociated with disasters is aprerequisite for more resilient,capable communities in the aftermathof disasters during the phase ofrecovery and reconstruction, post–disaster reconstruction andrehabilitation is a complex issue withseveral dimensions. Government,non-governmental and internationalorganizations all have aresponsibility in disaster recovery,rehabilitation and reconstruction.Therefore, stronger linkages must beestablished and forged among these

Addressing Vulnerability throughPolicy Level MechanismsCountry Statement by His Excellency John Amarathunga, Minister of PublicOrder, Disaster Management and Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka

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entities as well as withincommunities to promote disaster riskreduction.

Recovery, reconstruction andrehabilitation are phases that provideopportunities to minimize futuredisaster risk by identifying,planning, and implementing failuremodes as well as the intended risk ofuncertainties associated withphenomena such as climate change.The Government of Sri Lanka iscommitted to the activeimplementation of the concept of"Build Back Better" as per the postHFA frame work.

Since governments bear theresponsibility of ensuring nationalresilience, implementation,coordination and monitoring of postHFA mechanisms should be led bythe Government through a nationalplatform that assures multi-stakeholder participation.

Highlighting the common butdifferentiated principle at all levelsof disaster risk reduction, Sri Lankaearnestly urges the internationalcommunity for increased global

cooperation and partnership with aview to transfer technological know–how, financial assistance and capacitybuilding particularly for developingcountries. I may further wish to placeon record that a large number ofpeople in Sri Lanka, who wereaffected by natural disasters, are stilllanguishing due to scarcity of funds.As a result, the process ofreconstruction, rehabilitation andresettlement has taken an undulyextended length of time, thus makingthose people suffer even more. TheGovernment of Sri Lanka hastenaciously endeavored to raise fundsbut, often, has been abortive. Thatsaid, the Government of Sri Lankawould be most grateful andappreciative to the internationalcommunity and to donor agencies ifthey seriously consider extendingcooperation and assistance to SriLanka at times of such calamity.

Madam President,

The year 2015 is a significant year forthe world community. It is ourfervent hope that the new updatedglobal response framework fordisaster risk reduction, arising

through our deliberations here inSendai, would be well aligned withthe outcomes of the financing fordevelopment conference to be heldin Addis Ababa in July, the post–2015development agenda and the climatechange agreement to be reached inParis. These conferences provide aunique opportunity for the globalcommunity to execute moreefficacious courses of action, thusunderlying risk factors, risk sensitiveinvestment enhancing methodologyand public and private partnership,which are strongly envisaged toprevent disasters and extremechanges of climate, among others.

I wish this Conference all success inher deliberations and urge allstakeholders to be mindful of theresponsibilities we owe to ourcitizens as we take the initial steps inSendai which would galvanize theprocesses that would enable andfacilitate us to ensure that by the endof this year, the world communitywould have a better and more stablefoundation and road-map to realizeenduring sustainability.

Thank you.

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Way Ahead

South Asia ranks amongst one ofthe least developed regions in the

world and is plagued by diversehumanitarian challenges.Development and disaster riskreduction are inextricably linked inthis region and the SendaiFramework for Action (SFDRR) aptlycaptures this reality. The statementsissued by the 7 South Asian countriesat the 3rd World Conference onDisaster Risk Reduction (3rdWCDRR) also highlight this link.These country statements have givenan insight into the South Asianperspective on DRR. While manythemes from the field of DRR werediscussed in these country statements,some common strands have emerged.They are listed below:

• Promoting Local Level Planningin DRROne of the most importantthemes emphasized by SouthAsian countries is the importanceof local level planning in DRR.The impacts of disasters can varyvastly across the ground level duediffering contexts. To addressthis problem, local levelplanning that emphasises localrisks and provides measures toovercome them should beprioritized. Local approaches ofrisk reduction should be givenpriority.

• Promotion of risk sensitivedevelopmentRepeated disasters in South Asiahave constantly eroded thebenefits of development. Toensure that the developmentclock is not set back due to suchrecurring disasters all the SouthAsian nations should aim

mainstream disaster riskreduction in developmentprogrammes and communityresilience building. This willnecessitate a widespreadrealignment of developmentobjectives and practices toachieve coherence with theexigencies of disaster risksensitive development.

• Integrating climate changeadaptation with risk reductionThe threat of climate change hasemerged as one of the greatestchallenges of this age. Thedisruption of weather patterns asbrought about by climate changeis a recipe for disaster. It isalready acknowledged thatclimate change has exacerbatedthe severity and intensity ofdisasters. To effectively managethis emerging threat, there needsto be greater integrationbetween climate changeadaptation and disaster riskreduction. The repeated cyclonesthat hit the eastern coast of India(Phailin and Hudhud) along withthe devastating Typhoon Haiyanall bear testimony to climatechange making disasters moresevere and frequent. Thus, risksof climate change need to beincorporated in planning tomitigate the adverse impacts ofdisasters in South Asiancountries.

• Consolidating upon the progressof HFAThrough the HFA, South Asiancountries have indeed achieveda lot of progress in building upthe resilience of their countriesand communities to disaster risk.

This framework gave SouthAsian countries a model to worksystemically towards disasterrisk reduction. It should be notedthat the progress achievedthrough the HFA should beconsolidated by the newframework (SFDRR). Theprogress of HFA can beleveraged to meet the unmetDRR needs of the South Asiannations such as greater regionalcooperation.

• Greater Regional Cooperationin DRRSince South Asia is highlyvulnerable to the risks of naturalhazards and climate change, it isonly befitting that there shouldbe greater degree of regionalcooperation to address thisenhanced vulnerability. Greaterregional cooperation in the formof sharing of technology,expertise and necessaryresources should be strived for.The SAARC disastermanagement centre that aims topromote knowledge sharing inthe field of DRR among theSAARC countries is an aptexample of this regionalcooperation. Many more of suchstructures and practices need tobe promoted.

• Saving lives and protectinglivelihoodsAs the economic losses fromdisasters become astronomical,South Asian countries need tocome up with more innovativecoping mechanisms to keep themminimal. For instance, CyclonePhailin laid waste to paddy cropworth INR 24,000 crore.1 In such

1 Cyclone Phailin hits 90 lakh people, huge loss to crops, houses, http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-10-13/news/42993138_1_cyclonic-storm-severe-storm-odisha-coast


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Editorial Advisors:

Anshuman SaikiaRegional Programme Support CoordinatorARO, IUCN (International Union for Conservation ofNature), Thailand

Denis NkalaRegional Coordinator, South-South Cooperation andCountry Support (Asia-Pacific), United NationsDevelopment Programme, New York

Ian DavisVisiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management inCopenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford BrookesUniversities

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduInternational Strategy for Risk Reduction (ISDR) –South Asia, Sri Lanka

Mihir R. BhattAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPHThe University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell,New York, USA

T. Nanda KumarChairman, National Dairy Development Board(NDDB), Anand, Gujarat, India

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE411 Sakar Five, Near Old Natraj Cinema, Mithakhadi Railway Crossing, Ashram Road,Ahmedabad–380 009 India. Tele/Fax: +91-79-2658 2962E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net

a scenario, protecting thelivelihoods of vulnerablecommunities becomes asimportant as protecting theirlives. Livelihood resilienceshould be a theme which shouldbe actively pursued by all theSouth Asian nations. For, in theabsence of such strategies,disaster hit people can be pushedand entrapped in the viciouscircle of poverty.

• Promoting the leadership ofwomen in DRRIn the developing nations ofSouth Asia, due to patriarchalsocial structures, women tend tobear a greater burden of disastersthan men. Conventional riskreduction programmes knowthis fact and strive to increasewomen participation in DRR. Butthere is a need to promote theleadership of women in suchprogrammes. Promotion ofwomen's leadership in DRRwould not only make riskreduction more equitable butwould also impart a much neededsustainability of resilienceoutcomes.

• Leveraging on the synergies ofSFDRR, Climate Change

negotiations and the SustainableDevelopment goals2015 is a landmark year. It willsee the finalization ofmultilateral frameworks fordisaster risk reduction (DRR),climate change action andsustainable development. Sincesustainability is the key toachieving success in riskreduction, therefore South Asiancountries ought to leverage thesynergies of these multilateralframeworks. It is commonknowledge that developmentand DRR are inextricably linkedand nowhere is this link moreobvious than in South Asia.Perhaps common targets orreporting structures within all

these multilateral frameworksare a way forward to ensure thatthe synergies of all theseframeworks can be leveraged foreffective and sustainable riskreduction in South Asia.

Apart from these common points, theSouth Asian countries also listed theirachievements in implementing thepriorities of the HFA and emphasizedto consolidate on the progress of HFAto effectively achieve the goal of riskreduction for countries andcommunities of the region. Thispoints made in the country statementscan be viewed as the 'Way Ahead' forSouth Asia in the field of DRR for thenext 15 years.

– Mihir R. Bhatt

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An-R&R 25 9 04 · 2 southasiadisasters.net April 2015 ABOUT THIS ISSUE It is conventional wisdom...

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