ESCAP Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy in Asia and the Pacific including North and Central Asia Nikolay Pomoshchnikov Head ESCAP Subregional Office for North and Central Asia

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) ESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region 62 members and associate members The largest United Nations body serving the Asia-Pacific region The Subregional Office for North and Central Asia (SONCA) addresses subregional development priorities ESCAP has more than five decades of experience integrating disaster risk management with economic and social development at the regional level.

ESCAP resolution 64/1 established an intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction as a regional platform to formulate regional perspectives and facilitate discussions on collective efforts and actions required Issues addressed by the Committee: Policy options and strategies on multi-hazard disaster risk reduction and mitigation Regional cooperation mechanisms for disaster risk management, including space and other technical support systems Multi-hazard assessment, preparedness, early warning and response to disaster risks ICT applications for disaster risk reduction Sessions of the Committee on DRR: First session was held on March 2009 Second session was held on 29 June-1 July 2011 Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction

Strategic framework for To promote applications of information and communications technology and to enhance regional cooperation for improved disaster risk reduction and management, as well as for improved management of the associated socio-economic risks, for inclusive and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific Regional strategy Improve the capabilities of ESCAP members to create more disaster resilient societies and reduce the socio- economic impact of disasters. Integrate disaster risk reduction with development and through regional cooperation ESCAP’s Subprogramme on ICT and disaster risk reduction

DRR with a socio-economic focus Socio-economic analysis of disaster risk reduction and assessment of the effects of disasters to development Promoting policies for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into economic and social development, putting people first Damage and loss assessment, including capacity building Regional advisory services and technical assistance to integrate disaster risk reduction into economic and social development, putting people first

ESCAP – Key Deliverables Evidence based Analytical Study -Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction, Strategic Investments -Climate Change Adaptation through DRR -Strategically using innovative technologies – ICTs, Space Information/knowledge Sharing -Repository of best practices from region -- Focus on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction -- Policies, Standard Operating Procedures etc.. Capacity development and governance -AVA Module 9 & 10 disaster risk management and Climate change abatement

Asia-Pacific Gateway for disaster risk reduction and development Aggregate information and improve online access to DRR resources Provide analytical tools for mainstreaming DRR into development planning Provide regional and subregional online network for information sharing Profile ESCAP regional cooperation mechanisms and others

Central Asia DRR Knowledge Network Central Asia DRR Knowledge Network portal set up on the Gateway Network for sharing of information and knowledge to improve disaster risk reduction and management in the subregion

Mekong River Commission ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction 2005 – ESCAP Tsunami Regional Trust Fund WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones Regional Space Applications Programme (RESAP) Regional cooperative mechanisms initiated by ESCAP 2010 – Asia-Pacific Gateway for DRR and Development 2010 – Central Asia DRR Knowledge Network

Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Networks – support to DRR components, Regional Advisory Services DRR aspects of CCA – Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Capacity building for Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) – Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) DaLA/PDNA for low impact & high frequency disasters –focused on highrisk LLDC, LDCs and SIDs Investment Tracking on DRR promoting investment Risk Transfer and Resilient Sectoral Development Emerging Issues related to CCA and DRR Asia Pacific Disaster Report ECLAC Typhoon Committee, Panel on Tropical Cyclone Partnership for DRR Economic and Social Issues of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) DRR as entry point to Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Economic and Social Issues of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) DRR as entry point to Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)

ESCAP: Regional Coordination Role Regional coherence, synergy and maximum combined impact from the efforts of UN agencies ESCAP - the secretariat of the Asia-Pacific RCM Post Cyclone ‘Nargis’ Response - Tripartite Partnership UN – ASEAN and Govt of Myanmar Expedited the flow of aid in desperate need and to begin quickly reconstruction Part of Post Nargis Joint Assessment Facilitation of Recovery/Rebuilding

3 rd ASEAN-UN Summit, Oct 2010, Ha Noi ASEAN-United Nations Strategic Plan of Cooperation on Disaster Management ( ) will address: Operational issues and capacity-building issues prioritised in the AADMER Risk and vulnerability assessment and risk reduction; preparedness, early warning and monitoring; prevention and mitigation; response and recovery; and aspects of reconstruction and development Collaboration between ASEAN and the United Nations following Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.. ASEAN and the UN-RCM…

Risk knowledge Systematically collect data and undertake risk assessments Monitoring and warning service Develop hazard monitoring and early warning services Dissemination and communication Communicate risk information and early warnings Response capability Build national and community response capabilities ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness Regional Architecture for Multi-hazard Early Warning

Regional Multi-hazards Early-Warning System (RIMES) Regional watch services National capacity building Community resilience Earthquake s And Tsunami heavy precipitation flooding drought flashfloods landslid e dry spell storm surge  Establishment of Regional core observation networks  Provision of Regional tsunami watch  R&D for hydro- met disaster risk information  Enhancing capacities to  respond to early warning  information at national /local RIMES Agreements Signed by countries

RIMES Member States Uzbekistan and Armenia in North and Central Asia Provides Hydro-met services to Afghanistan RIMES operates from its regional early warning center located at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology

Regional Cooperative Mechanism on Disaster Monitoring and Early Warning, Particularly Drought  The mechanism was launched by ESCAP in September 2010 and since then it is moving towards its operational phase with the efforts also on to expand the scope of the mechanism to cover floods, other disasters.  It aims at providing member countries substantive technical support, including satellite information products and services, an information portal and capacity-building activities, for the development of national drought disaster monitoring and early warning capabilities and services.  The mechanism draws the support expressed by China, India, Japan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation and Thailand as well as relevant international organizations, such as WMO and the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization

SONCA activities SONCA will work on enhancing cooperation in disaster risk reduction for sustainable development in Central Asia in the following areas: Establishment of geo-reference portal for disaster risk management (Geo-DRM) in support of Rio+20 outcomes and as part of the implementation of the UN Development Account Project on “Improving capacity for disaster risk preparedness in the ESCAP region” Strengthening the Central Asia Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Network, established in 2010 as part of the Asia- Pacific Gateway on Disaster Risk Reduction and Development Developing further a compendium on water-related hazards and extreme weather events in Central Asia. Assistance in developing the Regional Disaster Statistics

SONCA activities Implementation of the pipeline project on expanding ICT connectivity of North and Central Asia with the Asia-Pacific region. The project, seeks to analyze the status of the information superhighway infrastructure networks in North and Central Asia with the objective of creating an enabling policy environment that will deepen intra-subregional connectivity and expand connectivity of the subregion with the overall Asia Pacific region. The project aims to turn North and Central Asia into an ICT land-link connecting the Asia Pacific region with Europe and beyond, at improved speeds, affordability and reliability.

SONCA activities Implementation of the project on “Strengthening cooperation for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in North and Central Asia” The project aims at building capacity of the Central Asian countries on DRR and strengthening cooperation and information exchange between them on forecasting of extreme weather events

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