First National Consultation Workshop: Updating Jordan National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Platform Structure
Amman, 7 July 2021 – The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Office for the Arab States (UNDRR-ROAS), launched the first national consultation workshop under the umbrella of the regional disaster risk reduction initiative “Building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arab countries: through the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the activation of a risk-informed preventive approach.” The workshop aimed to initiate the process of updating the Jordan National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Platform Structure; the process includes integrating biological hazards and public health system resilience.
“Jordan was among the pioneering countries that developed advanced systems in disaster risk management and the UNDRR ROAS was the first to cooperate in this regard with the National Center for Security and Crisis Management and the General Directorate of Jordan Civil Defense,” said Fadi Janan, Deputy Chief of UNDRR ROAS, adding “these systems have been based on long-term visions and are compatible with the best international standards and frameworks, especially the Sendai Framework.”
In his turn, Katsuhiko Araike, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in Jordan, representing the Government of Japan, commended the role of UNDRR in promoting international cooperation in the field of disaster risk reduction and highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the Government of Japan and UNDRR. “This workshop is part of a project launched in March of this year by UNDRR with an additional contribution from Japan of approximately US$1 million to support ‘building back better’ from COVID-19 in the Arab countries,” he added.
The workshop included an introduction to national disaster risk reduction efforts over the past two decades. A dedicated session was delivered by UNDRR ROAS and WHO on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and guidelines for the development of national strategies for disaster risk reduction in line with the Sendai Framework, along with integrating biohazards and pandemics.
Furthermore, the workshop comprised presentations on the National Special Forum for Disaster Reduction in Jordan and the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the need for updates. It saw discussions and brainstorming on the approach and methodology for updating the Forum and the Strategy, focusing on integrating biological hazards, including pandemics, into disaster risk reduction planning.
The workshop was organized with the support of the Government of Japan, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, Jordan Country Office (UNDP-Jordan), and in close coordination with the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the National Center for Security and Crises Management (NCSCSM), Jordan Civil Defense and all other national partners. It saw the participation of all national stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental organizations, and from all concerned sectors.
Jordan is among the first Arab countries in the region to develop its strategy for disaster risk reduction (2018-2022) and to present an in-depth vision of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (2017). All these efforts were built on the great successes in implementing pioneering projects over the past two decades focusing on risk governance, risk assessment, capacity building, and others.