Governments urged to strengthen disaster risk reduction measures

MANILA, Philippines – Parliamentarians from 10 Asian countries have urged governments in the region to allocate at least one percent of their national budgets to projects designed to strengthen disaster risk reduction, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) said.

The call for disaster risk reduction national funding came as delegates from across the world gathered in Cancún, Mexico, for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

State parties to the Convention vowed to ensure that disaster risk reduction is integrated into the final text of an agreement.

“We need to elevate national and global aspirations in addressing disaster risk from mere ‘reduction’ towards ‘elimination’, and to promote disaster prevention with ‘zero tolerance’ to disaster losses as a mindset and approach for international, national, and local development action,” the members of parliament said in their Manila Call for Action.

The appeal was signed recently by parliamentarians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.

During the meeting in Manila on Sunday, the members of parliament pledged to be “agents of change” and agreed “to transcend political boundaries in advancing disaster risk reduction and in fostering synergies with climate change adaptation for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

The MDGs are eight anti-poverty goals world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015.

The parliamentarians, who attended a consultative meeting under the theme of “Disaster Risk Reduction: An Instrument for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” agreed to strengthen their knowledge and capacity in disaster risk reduction through closer collaboration with the UNISDR.

The document also recommended that governments use UNISDR’s Advocacy Kit for Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction as an instrument for achieving the MDGs.

Disaster-resilient

Sen. Loren Legarda called on the local chief executives of Metro Manila and Rizal to join the United Nations’ campaign to make their respective areas more resilient to natural disasters considering that the National Capital Region is now one of most vulnerable areas in the country.

The campaign was initiated by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), which aims to enlist over 1,000 local government leaders worldwide to invest more in disaster risk reduction programs.

These include improving urban planning, infrastructure and building safety; reinforcing drainage systems to reduce flood, storm and health threats; installing early warning systems; conducting public preparedness drills; and taking measures to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.

Legarda, the UNISDR’s Asia-Pacific Regional champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, invited the NCR local executives and the Alliance of Six Mayors (Marikina City, Pasig City, Antipolo City, Cainta, Rodriguez, and San Mateo towns) to a commitment signing ceremony this Dec. 9 at the Manila Yacht Club.

Several local chief executives have entered the pact earlier this year, particularly those that belong to the areas most often hit by massive floods and landslides.

“Metro Manila has been dubbed as the convenience store of disasters because based on the latest Association of Southeast Asian Nations risk assessment synthesis report, NCR is most at risk of flooding and earthquakes within the region,” Legarda said.

“Presented with such facts, the logical step would be to put in place proactive measures to reduce the cities’ risk to disasters. We cannot be complacent and wait for another ‘Ondoy’ or ‘Pepeng’ to start doing what we ought to have done many years ago. A great start would be to take part in the UNISDR’s crusade to build more sustainable and disaster-resilient towns and cities,” she added.

The UNISDR’s program encourages towns and cities to commit to the “Ten Essentials” to scale up investments in urban planning, infrastructure and building safety; protect ecosystems to mitigate floods; and install early warning systems, among other measures.

The checklist is as follows:

· Put in place organization and coordination to understand and reduce disaster risk based on participation of citizen groups and civil society. –Pia Lee-Brago and Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star)