UNDRR event at APUF-7: 'Accelerating Local Action for Climate and Disaster Resilience'

More people live in urban areas than in rural areas today, and the proportion is expected to be over two-third by 2050. Urbanisation mirrors economic growth, but rapid and unplanned urbanisation and environmental degradation act as key risk drivers leading to a growing spate of disasters in cities. Climate change will further amplify risk and exacerbate disaster impact, and in several cases pose an existential threat to the communities, especially in urban coastal areas.

The event “Accelerating local action for climate and disaster resilience” at the Seventh Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-7) will highlight emerging challenges to urban resilience and will focus on addressing them through local disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience strategies. In particular, a roadmap on how to strengthen the capacities of local actors to embrace a risk-informed approach to local development will be shared for feedback at the session. This roadmap is being developed through a consultative process and aims to catalyse Target (e) of the Sendai Framework to “substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies”. Target (e) is the only target that needs to be accomplished by the year 2020 as it sets the stage for achievement of other targets by 2030. The proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies forms a key indicator of this target and is aligned with SDG 11.

The event will build on the recently launched Global Assessment Report 2019, the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. Moreover, a status update on progress in achievement of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and relevant goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (in particular, SDGs 1, 11 and 13), at the local level, will be shared.

Feedback received from the participants and ensuing discussions will also inform how urban and local action will be addressed at the 2020 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which is being co-organised by the Government of Australia and UNDRR.