ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Disaster Risk Reduction: A Global Geospatial Perspective Greg Scott Inter-Regional Advisor Global Geospatial Information Management United Nations Statistics Division Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges The geospatial edge for disaster prevention, mitigation and response

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Australian Disaster Conference, 1999 Disaster Prevention for the 21 st Century

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Disasters remain a growing global trend…

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges with more events…

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges and an escalating economic cost… Changing patterns Globalization Cost of infrastructure

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges“Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges”

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Economic losses from disasters since 2000 are in the range of $2.5 trillion, a figure at least 50% higher than previous international estimates. These will continue to escalate unless businesses take action to reduce their exposure to disaster risks. Recent major events such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the 2011 floods in Thailand and the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami highlighted the growing impact of disasters on the private sector. Damage and disruptions to transport, energy networks, and other critical infrastructure interrupts business and imposes additional costs. In the years ahead, due to increasing globalization, trillions of dollars will be invested in hazard-prone regions, mostly by the private sector (70-85%). If that money fails to account for natural hazards and vulnerabilities, risk will increase and will have consequences on global supply chains.

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Super-Typhoon Haiyan A turning point for disaster risk management. It is clear that the world is in uncharted territory when it comes to disaster events like Typhoon Haiyan. There is a need for a dramatic scaling up of our efforts to protect vulnerable populations and exposed assets from the threat of natural hazards. Changes to the built environment, combined with the influence humankind is having on climate change, makes it likely that we will see more unpredictable and unprecedented weather events where storm surges, violent winds and heavy rains will combine to undermine development efforts. This event will have a major impact on the discussions now underway on a new global framework for disaster risk reduction. Margareta Wahlstrom Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction 12 November 2013

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges UN-GGIM A global geospatial initiative Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges UN-GGIM: A global initiative Formal inter-governmental UN Committee of Experts to: Discuss, enhance and coordinate Global Geospatial Information Management activities by involving Member States at the highest level. Reports to ECOSOC. Make joint decisions and set directions on the use of geospatial information within national and global policy frameworks. Work with Governments to improve policy, institutional arrangements, and legal frameworks. Address global issues and contribute collective knowledge as a community with shared interests and concerns. Develop effective strategies to build geospatial capacity in developing countries.

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges How can you measure and monitor sustainable development… …without location and geography

ggim.un.org Monitoring Sustainable Development: Why Location Matters?

ggim.un.org Monitoring Sustainable Development: Why Location Matters? “ I am pleased to see that the importance of reliable, trusted geospatial information is now recognised. The United Nations has now established a Committee of Experts of Member States, which the UK co-chairs, to move this agenda forward ” Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister, United Kingdom Government, Rio+20, June 2012

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges The Future We Want: 19 th June 2012

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges 2 nd High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management 4-6 February 2013, Doha, Qatar Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Ministers emphasised global challenges including: Sustainable geodetic networks; mitigating and managing disasters; population growth and food security; urban planning and sustainable development; and privacy and confidentiality in the face of growing public demands for data. Participants affirmed the importance of: A reliable national geospatial information infrastructure in each country built on internationally recognized standards that will integrate, manage, and deliver geospatial information for timely, evidence based and authoritative decision making and policy formulation on location-based development issues, including disasters and humanitarian needs; Greater use of geospatial information in sustainable development with an initial focus on managing risks of natural disasters to urban populations and developing effective mitigation strategies; and Authoritative core global reference datasets to support global sustainable development activities, and to work jointly towards the preparation, improvement and maintenance of these datasets. 2 nd High Level Forum on GGIM

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges The Global Geodetic Reference Frame

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Chengdu Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management October 2013, Chengdu, China Development and Applications in Urban Hazard Mapping Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges “…there will be a consensus on the vital role of geospatial information in all phases of hazard and disaster risk management and reduction. This will extend the ability for nations to not only map their geography and topography, but also those areas that are vulnerable to natural hazards, particular in urban environments. It will also provide better understanding to decision-makers and emergency responders” Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Chengdu Forum

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges 1.GI needs to contribute to the post-2015 sustainable development agenda: disaster risk reduction; sustainable development; and the global trend towards urbanization. 2.Provide leadership in raising the awareness and importance of GI in disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, sustainable development and safeguarding life. 3.Recognize the important role of standards and interoperability when using GI in disaster phases. Need for standardization and terminologies across countries. 4.DRR requires a data driven and a geospatial approach – risk, hazard, exposure, vulnerability, communities, infrastructure at risk, etc. It is also a statistical approach – populations, addresses, postcode, census, village, etc. Need definitive population and economic data to understand exposure and vulnerability. 5.New requirements for combining authoritative information, including access and coordination, with response information from the crowd and citizens, particularly as it applies in rapid response situations. 6.Institutional and policy barriers to data sharing fall away in response to disasters. At other times there are data silos and security concerns. These concerns need to be balanced with the need to make more data available. Chengdu Forum Main Conclusions

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges 7 th Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals The SDGs will depend on human and physical geography. In order to measure and monitor change and progress you must have access to fundamental and consistent geospatial information – geography. Not all targets will be equal and will require different means of measure. Indicators will need to be linked to the targets and be well defined, measurable over time, cost effective and clearly and easily communicated. There will be a need to create a network of consistent global data – reliable geospatial information – to measure and monitor trends, change and progress over time in a standardized manner.

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Concluding Remarks: Climate change and disaster risk reduction The inter-connected nature of risks posed by climate change and natural disasters was recognized. Strong actions on climate change mitigation and adaptation are among the most effective means of reducing disaster risks. Without such actions, the frequency and intensity of, and the vulnerability to, disasters will only intensify in coming years and decades. There is a need for a range of solutions, including access to technology and early warning systems for disaster management, and enhanced stakeholder capacities at all levels. The role of good governance and incorporation of lessons learned from indigenous knowledge was also recognized. 7 th Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges 3 rd High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management October 2014, Beijing, China ‘The contribution of geospatial information to the post-2015 development agenda’ Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Flood Defences “How can you manage that which you cannot measure? This (data) can be used for measuring. How can you monitor effectively that which you cannot map?” Mr. Nereus Acosta, Presidential Advisor on Environmental Protection Government of Philippines, September 2011 Taguig City, Metro Manilla, Philippines

ggim.un.org Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges Thank you Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges