Technical workshop: validation of the prototype for the new losses and damages tracking system
UN Campus Bonn, Germany
- English
- French
- Spanish
This is event is by invitation only. If you/your organizations is interested to contribute please e-mail: undrr-bonn@un.org. If interested to listen in the discussions, the workshop plenary sessions will be broadcasted in UNDRR YouTube channel. Please use this link from the date of the workshop.
Background
Understanding the extent and magnitude of disaster impact is the foundation of understanding disaster risk. UNDRR, UNDP and partner organisations have been supporting governments in establishing losses and damages databases (www.DesInventar.net) since 1994 that record events and their impacts at national and subnational levels. While 110 Member States have benefited from such databases, which also contribute to the monitoring of the Sendai Framework and SDGs, both producers and users of such information have recognized limitations of these databases in meeting the present-day challenges. This also assumes significance in context of the growing need for disaster impact data to inform the Loss and Damage discussions under UNFCCC mechanisms.
WMO has been leading the ‘Cataloging of Hazardous Weather, Climate, Water and Space Weather Events’. This provides the basis for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) through their existing observation and monitoring capabilities to record the physical parameters of hazardous events.
There is, hence, a need to develop a system that builds on the progress made to date, addresses new needs, and is flexible enough to adapt to future needs. Internalization of globally agreed standards and adaptation of frameworks, methodologies and processes to national contexts is key for data value chains that support multiple relevant use cases for losses and damages data and at the national and local level while enabling global and regional comparability.
After initial phases of user needs discovery, data and digital maturity assessments[1], consultation and discussion with Member states and other stakeholders that produce or use losses and damages data, UNDRR, in close partnership with UNDP and WMO, is in the process of developing a prototype of the new system. User interviews have been conducted in the first quarter of 2023 to validate and confirm the existing and emerging needs previously identified by data producers and users across the losses and damages data value chain.
Multiple technical meetings with subject-matter experts, regional and global partners and stakeholders have been organized including the November 2022 “Technical Forum on Tracking of hazardous events and disaster losses and damages”[2]. These meetings and consultations are part of the co-creation process to consolidate a framework for tracking losses and damages as well as to develop a new system building on the needs and requirements by current as well prospective users.
Objectives
The key objective of this workshop is to gather feedback from practitioners, experts and other losses and damages’ data stakeholders on the draft prototype of the new tracking system.
Participants are drawn from the technical forum, users engaged during the need analysis and research phase and those technical partners that assist countries in enhancing data governance, improving data collection, management, analysis and application.
The workshop will provide the opportunity to confirm the next steps in the process to support the rollout of the new system. After the users' feedback is integrated into the prototype and specifications for system design, system development kicks off. The three partners, UNDRR, UNDP and WMO, will continue refining frameworks, guidance and toolbox for supporting countries in addressing governance, technical capacity and methodological challenges they face when assessing losses and damages, institutionalizing data architecture and enhancing the value chain on losses and damages data. In collaboration with other regional organizations and specialized agencies, UNDRR, UNDP and WMO are committed to a new approach for the new generation of losses and damages tracking systems to ensure data is used to generate insights for comprehensive disaster and climate risk management and risk-informed sustainable development policy making, programming and investment decisions.
Workshop modalities
The workshop will be primarily an in-person, at technical level and participatory experience with technical presentation and group work dynamics to elicit concrete feedback. Participants can also join virtually.
Ona Systems Inc, the international software company engaged for the prototype design and user testing phase, will co-facilitate with the organizing partners the feedback gathering through group dynamics and any other interactive methods at their disposal.
Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English – French – Spanish. For the breakout group discussions, participants following session in French and Spanish will be grouped in dedicated rooms/groups. Online facilitated session will be available only in English.
Participants will receive additional reference materials in advance and a set of guiding questions and/or exercise guidance to prepare and organize their feedback accordingly.
Target audience
Current users of disaster losses and damages data and information systems, key actors on data production and use are invited to provide feedback on the system structure, functionalities for data collection, ingestion, management, analysis and visualization, interfaces and usability. Considering the technical nature of this workshop, participants are targeted among those who have been previously involved in the co-design process for the new system and/or have familiarity with losses and damages data management and use as per their functions in Governments and/or partners and stakeholders collaborating with governments on assessments and data analysis.