10 Nov 2016

GIDRM discusses resilient urban land management and critical infrastructure design at AMCDRR in New Delhi

by GIDRM

The first Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) after the adoption of the Sendai Framework was hosted by the Government of India from 02-05 November 2016 in New Delhi, India. The AMCDRR followed up on the outcomes of its pre-successor conference in 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference provides a platform to shape the implementation and monitoring of the Sendai Framework in Asia. Its main outcome was the adoption of the Asia Regional Plan for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). Ministers and heads of delegations also agreed on the New Delhi Declaration to consolidate the paradigm shift from disaster management to disaster risk reduction as well as increased investments in disaster risk reduction for resilience including multi-hazard early warning systems.

The GIDRM attended the conference and showcased its strong partnerships with the public and private sector in the region at its exhibition booth. Together with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), GIDRM also organised the thematic session “Reducing Disaster Risk by Managing Urban Land Use and Strengthening Critical Infrastructure”. Urban areas in Asia are at high risk due to the interplay of economic and physical geography and their rapid unplanned growth. The objective of this session was to share experiences of cities on integrating disaster and climate risks in land use management to reduce exposure and vulnerability to disasters in urban areas and to discuss enabling factors such as policies, regulatory frameworks, funding and capacities to incorporate disaster risks in land use management and resilient investment decision-making processes. The GIDRM presented its Suitability Mapping Methodology developed and piloted in the Philippines as a specific tool to guide risk-informed planning processes and decisions. The GIDRM presentation serves as concrete experience on the ground to Philippine Urban Resilience Framework presented on the abovementioned thematic session by the Director of Local Government Academy of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-LGA) in the Philippines.