Landlocked Developing Countries affirm Disaster Risk Reduction as a core development priority

The Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), which convened heads of state, international organizations, youth groups, private sector representatives and civil society from 5 to 8 August 2025 in Awaza, Turkmenistan, reaffirmed resilience as central to sustainable development. The conference provided an important platform to advance progress for the world's 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and mobilize coordinated action to achieve their sustainable development goals.

About 7 per cent of the world's population-some 560 million people-live in LLDCs. Although these countries account for about 12 per cent of the world's land surface, they have experienced nearly 20 per cent of global droughts and landslides in the past decade, underscoring their disproportionate exposure to climate-related disasters. These risks are compounded by geography: 54 per cent of LLDC territory is classified as dryland, many are in mountainous or seismically active regions, and their lack of sea access increases reliance on neighbouring transit countries, heightening vulnerability to shocks.

"Landlocked countries suffer about three times the economic losses compared to the global average," said Natalia Alonso Cano, Chief of the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. "Also, the disaster mortality rates are much higher than the global average. Such big differences are explained by a combination of their vulnerability and cascading impacts." This reality, she noted, underscores the need to move away from a response-oriented approach and towards one that prioritizes prevention and resilience.

DRR as a foundation for development

The key focus of the conference was the implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs for the Decade 2024-2034, a 10-year roadmap that sets out five priority areas for action. For the first time, a Programme of Action for LLDCs includes a dedicated priority area on disaster risk reduction (DRR): Priority Area 4 on Enhancing Adaptive Capacity, Strengthening Resilience and Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Disasters.

This priority area calls for investments in early warning systems, comprehensive risk assessments, resilient infrastructure, and the use of both scientific and traditional knowledge to reduce disaster risk. It references the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, recognizing DRR as essential for achieving sustainable development and climate resilience. DRR is also embedded in related areas such as transport, food security, energy and trade, reflecting the need to address risk across all sectors.

UNDRR's contributions at LLDC3

UNDRR's delegation participated in several key sessions of the official programme, including the High-Level Thematic Round Table on resilience and vulnerability and a Youth Forum session on climate leadership.

UNDRR also organized the side event Disaster risk reduction and resilience building in LLDCs: from commitment to action, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Poland and UNOPS, and took part in four additional partner-organized side events. Throughout the week, the delegation presented UNDRR's Offer of Support for the implementation of the Awaza Programme, outlining strategic guidance and technical assistance to help LLDCs integrate DRR into their development agendas.

Youth engagement

The LLDC3 Conference also underscored the essential role of young people in building resilience: "If we don't act, no one will," said Svain Davaasuren, a youth delegate from Mongolia. The two-day Youth Forum, which took place on the margins of LLDC3, featured young leaders who are developing innovative, community-driven solutions to climate and disaster risks. Youth-driven initiatives showcased at the Forum included: in Nepal, engineering students created low-cost climate education kits now used in rural schools; in Zambia, youth-run cooperatives are training farmers in regenerative agriculture and rainwater harvesting; in Laos, students are developing drought-resistant rice strains; and in Kyrgyzstan, a start-up is using AI to predict flash floods in mountain villages.

"We are not just victims of climate change," said Tinaye Hazel Mabara, a young climate strategist and co-founder of the Bokamoso Resilience Initiative, who built Botswana's first national youth-led flood database. "We are building the solutions."

Early warnings

"We know that early warning saves lives. It's a fact," said Alonso Cano, during Round Table 3 on enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and addressing vulnerability to climate change and disasters in LLDCs. She stressed that early warning systems are one of the most cost-effective tools for saving lives and livelihoods.

"When communities know what is coming and how to prepare, they can take measures to protect themselves," she explained, giving the example of drought preparedness plans that help farmers adjust livestock numbers or move towards water points in advance of severe dry spells. She also called for long-term planning, warning that climate change will bring increasingly extreme weather events in the decades ahead.

The value of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and the Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative - which aims to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027 - was echoed by many countries and stakeholders. Colonel Major Abdourahamane Amadou, Niger's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, called for the full implementation of the EW4All initiative in LLDCs.

Similarly, Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the United Nations, urged speeding up universal coverage of early warning systems and stressed that EW4All "ought to be coupled with resilient infrastructure, community weather services, and awareness raising among local populations."

From momentum to action

The conversations and commitments at LLDC3 built on a two-year preparatory process that included regional consultations, the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework, and negotiations in New York. With the Awaza Programme now in place, the focus turns to implementation.

The inclusion of disaster risk reduction in the Awaza Programme of Action and its prominence in the LLDC3 Conference reflects a growing consensus that resilience is essential to sustainable development. UNDRR is committed to continue working with LLDCs to translate this recognition into action, supporting them to integrate DRR into national policies, mobilize resources for resilience-building and strengthen partnerships across borders. By embedding risk-informed decision-making into every stage of development, LLDCs can reduce their vulnerability, protect hard-won progress and build a more sustainable future.