18 April 2024

Investing in resilience to build sustainable development: UNDRR announces regional report at Latin American and Caribbean Countries Forum on Sustainable Development

Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean

In the context of the VII Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries on Sustainable Development 2024, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) - Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean has unveiled the Regional Assessment Report 2024 (RAR24). This report places a critical emphasis on investment and financing for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), offering a series of recommendations for sustainable development policies.

Despite evidence showcasing the effectiveness of investment in DRR for safeguarding development gains, funding for this area remains insufficient. Representing just 0.92% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) received by the region, this underinvestment in prevention and resilience exacerbates vulnerabilities, leaving many countries in a constant state of disaster recovery.

The 2024 Regional Assessment Report underscores key findings demanding urgent attention:

Disaster damage and losses are surpassing our response capacities, disproportionately impacting the most marginalized and vulnerable.
Comprehensive DRR management is imperative, necessitating active participation from all stakeholders and significant investments in both corrective and forward-looking strategies.
There is a crucial need to shift focus from disaster response to risk management, recognizing the inherent connection between DRR and sustainable development.
It stresses the intersection of climate change and disaster risk reduction, advocating for enhanced complementarity within the global development finance architecture.

It also showcases various DRR models and strategies in the region, emphasizing the importance of scaling up these initiatives and translating them into public policy. It acknowledges the pivotal role of the private sector as the region's largest investor and urges its active involvement in integrating DRR into its endeavors.

Despite the challenges, RAR24 asserts a path towards a more resilient and sustainable future. Investing in disaster risk reduction and bolstering resilience not only shields communities and economies but also propels development forward. With coordinated action at national and international levels, coupled with a renewed commitment to implementing preventive and adaptive measures, a future where every individual thrives in a secure and sustainable environment is attainable.

Download the report here.

Nahuel Arenas García, chief of UNDRR - Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, unveiled the report during the Climate Action segment of the VII Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries on Sustainable Development, an event organized annually by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile. "Disasters pose a direct threat to global sustainable development, with their impact particularly pronounced in Latin America and the Caribbean, where their frequency and severity have surged in recent years. This scenario underscores the imperative for investment centered on management and prevention," remarked Arenas.

The discussion, aimed at exploring avenues to galvanize momentum for DRR and climate change adaptation financing through sustainable development lenses, featured the participation of various stakeholders, including Laura Fernández Delgado, Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy of Costa Rica; Maisa Rojas, Minister of Environment of Chile; Martín Francos, Director General of Public Investment of the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development of the Dominican Republic; María José Lubertino, representative of the Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic; María José Lubertino, representative of the Citizens' Association for Human Rights, the Network of Defenders of the Environment and Buen Vivir, and the Ecofeminist LAC Network, as well as representative of the Mechanism for Civil Society Participation in the Sustainable Development Agenda and the Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries on Sustainable Development; and André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, Secretary of Climate, Energy, and Environment of Brazil.