Regional Conference on Strategies and Tools for Integrating Disaster Risk

Reduction into Development Planning and Financing

UNESCAP, 16-18 February, 2015, Bangkok, Thailand

Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction

into National Planning and Financing:

“Iran`s experience”

Mostafa Mohaghegh

Manager, Urban Diaster Risk Reduction, IFRC

Mostafa.mohaghegh@ifrc.org

Iran, risk profile

• Main natural hazards:

� Seismic risks (earthquake, landslide…)

� Climate/weather related (draught,

floods, forest fire, …)

� Sand storm

• Main vulnerabilities:

� Built environment: physical, infrastructure,..

� Social environment: rapid urbanization , rural to urban areas migration, population density,…

� Natural environment: environment degradation, deforestation, …

Impact of disasters

• From 1980 to 2000 earthquakes were 52.7 percent of all

events but responsible for 95 percent of recorded mortality

and 73 percent of buildings affected.

• In contrast, climatic events represented 47 percent of

disasters but caused only 5 percent of mortality and 27

percent of damage to buildings.

• Floods accounted for 38.1 percent of all events but drought,

mainly in the southern and eastern provinces of Iran, caused

the greatest economic losses of all types of disaster during

this period amounting to about USD 20 billion .

• In recent years, sand storms mainly from the western border

region have also posed severe challenges to the country.

National Disaster Risk Management System

• National Disaster Management Law (latest revised 2008), DRR oriented and includes disaster prevention and risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery

• National Supreme Disaster Management Council, chaired by the President of I.R of Iran, meets twice a year, members include 14 Ministers and Iranian Red Crescent , its Secretary is the Minister of Interior

• National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO), headed by Deputy Minister of Interior and its structure extended to provincial and city levels

• 14 Specialized Committees of NDMO on the relevant themes and functions

• Provincial and city level branches of Specialized Committees

• Responsibility of Tehran megacity DRR/DM with Tehran municipality

DRR and Development in Iran

• National Development Outlook (2000-2020):

Ensure well being and safety of people and communities

• Fifth National Development Plan (2011-2015)

� 2% of national annual budget allocated to disaster risk reduction

(based on the assessment and recommendation of the National

Supreme Disaster Management Council), Approx USD 4 billion in 2012

� Reducing vulnerabilities and retrofitting of at risk infrastructure such

as schools, hospitals, vulnerable rural and urban areas

� Enhancement of preparedness for effective response to disasters

• National Disaster Management Law

� Integrated approach, multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder and multi-

hazard

DRR financing

Multi-sectoral collective financing:

� Proposed by the Specialized Committees and through NDMO

submitted to MPO and approved by Parliament annually

� For DRR/DM multi-agency activities under the Disaster

Management Law (institution and structure, research and

innovation, major national programmes and project,

education and training, …)

Sectoral/Agency level financing

• Proposed by each Ministry/organization as part of its annual plan and budget and submitted to MPO and approved by the Parliament

For activities as part of Ministry /organization main

mission with a DRR dimension (e.g. DRR in health,

DRR in urban development, DRR in agriculture.

• Two types of proposed budgets are reviewed and aligned by MPO to ensure consistency and complementarity

DRR and Development in Iran, lessons learned

• The clarification on DRR as natural/normal mission and function of sectors/agencies or as additional duty which requires extra independent financing is important which should be made by the relevant laws and higher level policies and strategic plans.

• It is preferable to explore and identify DRR from within normal mission and functions of agencies as much as possible and thus allocate the appropriate budget rather to centralize DRR functions and activities through separate systems.

• Legislation and legal frameworks are very important but should be considered only as minimal obligations and should be properly linked to maximal development goals through appropriate strategies and plans.

• Multi-year development/DRR plans are strategic and strong but should extended to annual plan and budget in a holistic and systematic manner

• A better understanding of risk factors and risk reduction solutions in each development sector is required

• Integration of DRR into development planning and budgeting should not be programme/project- based , rather should be an integrated institutional process-based (organization, structure, planning) and a continuous and progressive trend

• There is need for an appropriate discourse or methodology for positioning the DRR/Development agenda in an appropriate context , e.g. Built environment, Natural environment and Social environment

• There is need for specific capacities to support the process (regulations, methodologies and tools…) Policies, regulations and decisions are not enough !

• Need for specialized, disaggregated , accurate, reliable and relevant information for development planners

United Nations Development Assistance Framework

(UNDAF), 2012-2016

• Based on the acknowledgement of disaster risk reduction and

management as one of the priorities at national level and in line

with the national trend of considering DRR as a key

development related subject, unlike the previous UNDAF, DRM

in the new UNDAF is considered as one of five main priority

areas.

• UNDAF Five Priority Areas:

1.Poverty Reduction

2.Health

3.Environmentally Sustainable Management

4.Drug Control

5.Disaster Risk Management

Priority 5: Disaster Risk Management

1. Joint Government/UN primary scoping study and context

analysis, results:

� Disasters risk increases despite the rapid socio-economic

development, hence a different approach toward disaster risk

reduction and management is required.

� Emerging risks such as climate and urban risks

� Iran developed robust disaster preparedness and response

capacities one of the strongest worldwide, but there is need for

strategic disaster risk reduction capacities and measures.

� Advanced technical and scientific knowledge on hazard mapping, assessment and analysis and physical safety but more should be done on reducing non-physical vulnerabilities such as social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities

Disaster Risk = Hazard X Vulnerability X Exposure

Vulnerabilities

Physical: building and construction, ….

Social: rural-urban migration, public awareness, community engagement

Economic: investment, insurance,…

Environmental: environment degradation, new patterns of flood, sand storms,….

� Need for expansion of regional and international cooperation to exchange data, information, knowledge and expertise and various types of resources

2. Areas for intervention:

• Positioning disaster risk management in the context of national development policies and programmes.

• Improving assessment and measuring of disaster risks and impacts (e.g. comprehensive mapping of hazards and vulnerabilities)

• Institutional capacity development (structure, management, knowledge, skills, information, tools, equipment and resources)

• Promotion of culture of safety, community and private sector participation and capacity development of community-based institutions in the field of disaster management

• Strategic and operational planning processes (general and

specific e.g. urban disaster management like Tehran

earthquake, climate related hazards like sand storm, public

training…)

• Development of disaster risk management standards,

mechanisms , methodologies and tools (e.g. monitor,

assessment , early warning, contingency planning,

communication and information sharing, …)

• Promotion of regional and international cooperation (e.g.

South –South cooperation, presence of Iran at the regional

and international disaster management frameworks, systems

and mechanisms like AMCDRR, WCDRR, APDIM, INSARAG,

UNDAC, etc

3. Disaster risk management component of UNDAF,

Expected Outcomes :

Outcome 1: Disaster risk reduction and management integrated into national development policies and programmes.

Outcome 2: National and local capacities are enhanced to ensure systematic monitoring and multi-hazard early warning of disaster risks

Outcome 3: Institutional, operational and coordination capacities for effective multi-sectoral and multi-hazard disaster risk reduction and response strengthened

Outcome 4: All communities and in particular those most at risk have enhanced abilities to prevent, prepare, respond, and recover from disasters

(15 expected outputs and relevant activities were planned under the above 4 Outcomes)

Summary: Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in

UNDAF 2012-2016

Key priority areas:

1.Poverty Reduction

2.Health

3.Environmentally Sustainable Management

4.Drug Control

5. Disaster Risk Management

Expected outcomes of Disaster Risk Management

Outcome 1: Disaster risk reduction and management integrated into national

development policies, programmes and budgeting.

Outcome 2: Ensure systematic monitoring and multi-hazard early warning of

disaster risks

Outcome 3: Institutional, operational and coordination capacities enhanced

Outcome 4: All communities have enhanced abilities to prevent, prepare,

respond, and recover from disasters

4. Joint Government/UN working Groups for DRM

component of UNDAF

1. Objective:

To set the outputs, programmes and indicators for DRM component of UNDAF for five years

2. Members selected based on the set priorities:

Government of Iran:

- National Management and Planning Organization (MPO)

- National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO)

- Ministry of housing and urban development

- Municipality of Tehran

- Iranian Red Crescent Society

United Nations:

UNDP, UNOCHA, UNISDR, UNHABITAT, WHO, FAO, UNESCO

Ad hoc members:

Academic and technical centres, experts, … (as required)

5. Specific outputs of Outcome 1:

“Disaster risk reduction and management integrated into

national development policies, programmes and budgeting”

1. “National Regulations and Guidelines for Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction in Development Planning and Budgeting “ developed and adopted by 2015. Based on this various sectors and Ministries annual plans and budget are approved only if they have included DRR elements according the Guidelines.

2. The next five year National Development Plan (2016-2020) developed and adopted in accordance with the disaster risk reduction and management concerns , priorities and solutions in a holistic and multi-sectoral approach

3. The institutional set ups and capacities for risk informed development planning and budgeting” created at national, provincial and local levels

Methodology

• A specialized multi-sectoral committee for integration of DRR into development planning led by the Management and Planning Organization was established

• The available policies, strategies and frameworks at national level (e.g. Iran 20 years Outlook Document, Iran NDP, DM Act, etc..) and at international level (e.g. HFA, UNDG Guidelines for Integration of DRR into CCA/UNDAF, ESCAP/ISDR Reports,) were reviewed.

• Draft regulations and guidelines piloted in Housing and urbanization, Health and Education sectors through which the annual plan and budget of the relevant Ministries are guided and supported by established DRR components.

• The results and outcomes of studies, pilot projects and consultations will be used to draft the Regulations and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for adoption.

Sector example for DRR integration into development

Housing and Urban Development

1960: Adoption of the first comprehensive national building and construction code

1972: Adoption of housing and urbanization planning master plan

1995: After Manjil destructive earthquake of 1990, the first national Earthquake Safety

Regulations was adopted and a standing national committee to review and update the

regulations was established. (focus on physical vulnerabilities)

1997: Earthquake safety lessons and courses included in all schools and universities

curricula and earthquake preparedness exercised annually in about 115,000 schools with

15 million students

2005: After Bam huge earthquake in 2003, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

started to take major steps to develop multi-hazard and multi-vulnerability (also non-

physical) approaches in building and construction codes.

2006: The Ministry was appointed as the host to the newly established National Platform for DRR in Iran and the secretariat for the implementation of HFA

2010: Principal risk reduction elements become obligatory for construction and material producing company

2012: The new building safety regulations are being developed to include:

� Multi-hazard approach and regulations

� Factors of non-physical vulnerabilities such as migration, population density and movement, insurance, public and private sector education, environmental degradation and climate change

� Economic factors such as investment, insurance ,

� Other sectors such as health, education and energy