Disaster Response Preparedness An overview

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Disaster Response Preparedness- An overview
OCHAs role
Final version 31.07.2007

• OCHA-Emergency Preparedness Section

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Table of content

• Why disaster response preparedness?
• What is disaster response preparedness?
• a. Terminology
• b. Disaster response preparedness in the DRR
  cycle
• c. Stages of disaster response preparedness
• III. OCHAs mandate in disaster response
  preparedness
• IV. Disaster response preparedness activities
  within OCHA

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I WHY DISASTER RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS?
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I Why disaster response preparedness?

• Over 300 million people affected by disasters
  every year number likely to increase.
• Adverse effects of disasters can be dramatic
  (loss of lives but also adverse economic social
  impacts), particularly in countries with low
  coping capacity.
• Rationale for preparedness Being better prepared
  to hazards can minimize their adverse effects
  is less costly than waiting for the response

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Number of disasters registered 1975-2006
Source CRED (Centre for Research on the
epidemiology of disasters) database
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Which disasters are more recurrent?
Disasters occurence 2000-2005
SLIDES 2
Source CRED (Centre for research on the
epidemiology of disasters) database
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II- WHAT IS DISASTER RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS?
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a. Terminology

• Disaster response preparedness
• Pre-disaster activities that are undertaken
  within the context of disaster risk management
  and are based on sound risk analysis. This
  includes the development/enhancement of an
  overall preparedness strategy, policy,
  institutional structure, warning and forecasting
  capabilities, and plans that define measures
  geared to helping at-risk communities safeguard
  their lives and assets by being alert to hazards
  and taking appropriate action in the face of an
  imminent threat or an actual disaster (ISDRs
  definition)
• NB it is a process that should be inclusive of
  all involved actors - governments, humanitarians,
  donors and communities- to be successful

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a. Terminology

• Different from Prevention/ Mitigation
• Prevention activities to provide outright
  avoidance of the adverse impact of hazards and
  means to minimize related environmental,
  technological and biological disasters
• (example constructing a dam)
• Mitigation Any structural (such as flood
  defences, strengthening physical structures) or
  non structural (such as building codes,
  regulation of land use) measures undertaken to
  limit the adverse impact of natural hazards,
  environmental degradation and technological
  hazards

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b. Disaster response preparedness within the
Disaster Risk Reduction cycle
Mitigation
Preparedness
Disaster
Prevention
Disaster Risk Reduction Cycle
Response
Reconstruction
Recovery
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c. The Stages of Response Preparedness

• 1- ASSESS AND MONITOR VULNERABILITY AND RISKS
• Risks depend on
• probability of a hazard
• vulnerability of the population
• response capacity
• Therefore a risk assessment should
• map the hazard
• take into account the degree of vulnerability
  focusing on the likely effects of the potential
  hazard, relief needs and available resources.
• This data should be regularly updated
  monitoring

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c. The Stages of Response Preparedness

• 2- PLANNING ACCORDING TO THE RISKS IN ORDER TO
  BUILD AN EFFICIENT RESPONSE CAPACITY
• Through Disaster Preparedness and Contingency
  Plans
• Objective strengthen local, regional, national
  and international response capacity by defining
  tasks and responsibilities for each actor and
  indicating systematic sequences of activities
  that need to be undertaken in case of a disaster

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c. The Stages of Response Preparedness

• 3- SET UP OR ENHANCE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
• Early warning systems include a chain of
  concerns, namely 1)understanding and mapping
  the hazard 2)monitoring and forecasting
  impeding events 3)processing and disseminating
  understandable warnings to political authorities
  and the population, and 4)undertaking appropriate
  and timely actions in response to the warnings.
• Failure in any one of these elements can mean
  failure of the whole early warning system.

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III- OCHAS MANDATE IN DISASTER RESPONSE
PREPAREDNESS
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Preparedness is OCHAs middle name(Jan
Egeland, former USG/ERC )

• GA resolution 46/182 (1991) Special attention
  should be given to disaster prevention and
  preparedness by the Governments concerned, as
  well as by the international community.
• GA resolution 56/103 (2002) Welcomes the role
  of OCHA as the focal point within the overall UN
  system for the promotion and coordination of
  disaster response preparedness
• Priority no.5 of Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)
  which is the internationally accepted policy
  document on disaster risk reduction, calls for
  the strengthening of disaster preparedness for
  effective response at all levels.

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OCHAs disaster response preparedness role

• Strengthening disaster response preparedness at
  all levels
• Preparedness of OCHA to respond
• Preparedness of the international humanitarian
  community to respond
• Preparedness of national (as well as regional)
  authorities to respond (in collaboration with
  UNDP, ISDR and IFRC)
• With a focus on high-risk, low capacity countries

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How ?

• Common risk analysis, clarifying roles and
  responsibilities
• Advocacy for effective disaster preparedness and
  funding
• Guidance for preparedness and contingency
  planning within the HFA framework
• Supporting readiness of humanitarian community
  and national authorities

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OCHAs UN key partners in the disaster risk
reduction cycle

• ISDR Secretariat
• The coordination body for the implementation of
  overall disaster risk reduction policy in
  accordance with the Hyogo Framework for Action
• Core function advocacy for disaster risk
  reduction international clearinghouse for
  information on disaster reduction strategies
• UNDP
• Support the implementation of disaster risk
  reduction policy at the country-level
• Core function building national capacities for
  disaster risk management, technical expertise in
  support to capacity-building efforts (Bureau for
  Crisis Prevention and Recovery)

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IV RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES WITHIN OCHA
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All of OCHA at both HQ and in the field has a
role to play in disaster response preparedness
Under-Secretary General/Emergency Relief
Coordinator --------------------------- Assistant
Secretary-General/Deputy Emergency Relief
Coordinator
Executive Office /Administrative Office
ISDR Secretariat
DIRECTOR, GENEVA -Displacement and Protection
Support Section -Emergency Preparedness
Section -Pandemic Influenza Contingency -Humanitar
ian Coordination Strengthening Project -Humanitari
an Reform Support Unit -IASC Secretariat
DIRECTOR, NEW YORK -CERF Secretariat -Donor and
External Relations Section -IASC Support and ECHA
Secretariat
COORDINATION AND RESPONSE DIVISION -Country
desks -Field Management and Support -Support to
HCs -Early Warning and Contingency Planning
Section -Field Security Management -Transition
and Recovery
ADVOCACY INFO MANAGEMENT BRANCH -Advocacy and
Public Information Section -Information Analysis
Section -Field Information Services Unit
-ReliefWeb -Information Technology Section
POLICY DEVELOPMENT STUDIES BRANCH -Disaster and
Vulnerability Policy Section -Evaluation and
Studies Section -Intergovernmental Support
Section -Protection of Civilians Section -Various
projects
EXTERNAL RELATIONS SUPPORT MOBILIZATION
BRANCH -Consolidated Appeals Process
Section -Donor and External Relations
Section -Geographical Coordination and Monitoring
Section -EU Liaison Office (Brussels) -Public
Information Section
EMERGENCY SERVICES BRANCH -Civil-Military
Coordination -Environmental Emergencies
Section -Field Coordination Support Section
-Surge Capacity Section -Logistics Support Unit
Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
O C H A F I E L D A N D R
E G I O N A L O F F I C E S
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Main actors dealing with disaster response
preparedness are

• At regional and country level
• Regional Offices (ROs) Dakar, Johannesburg,
  Nairobi, Bangkok,Dubai, Panama
• Regional Disaster Response Advisors (RDRAs)
  Dakar, Nairobi, Bangkok, Dubai, Panama, Almaty,
  Fiji and Regional Planning Officers for pandemic
  influenza (Bangkok, Nairobi, Dakar, Johannesburg,
  Cairo, Panama, Geneva)
• Field Offices
• National Disaster Response Advisors (NDRAs) in
  high-risk, low capacity countries
• At Headquarters
• All units are involved in DRP, and particularly
• The Emergency Services Branch (ESB)
• The Emergency Preparedness Section (EPS)
• The Early Warning and Contingency Planning
  Section (CRD/EWCPS)
• The Pandemic Influenza Contingency Support team
  (PICS)

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Role of Regional Office RDRA

• (Example
• Provide targeted support to Resident
  Coordinators, National Emergency Management
  Agencies and governments
• Front-runners of contingency planning support to
  UN Country teams and IASC Country teams as well
  as national authorities
• Preparing for, participating in and follow up on
  UNDAC preparedness missions
• Facilitation of simulation exercises to test UN
  and national contingency and preparedness plans
• Serve as a platform for global cluster leads
  cooperation and preparedness at the regional
  level
• Support familiarization at the country level on
  use of international humanitarian response tools
  such as CERF, the cluster approach, INSARAG
  guidelines and the UNDAC system)

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Role of Field Offices

• (Example
• Promote common understanding of disaster risks
• Strengthen/set up disaster coordination
  structures at the inter-agency level and with
  governments
• Support the development of inter-agency and
  governmental contingency planning
• Promote awareness of OCHAs and international
  disaster response tools
• Support as appropriate, civil societys
  preparedness activities)

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The Emergency Preparedness Section (EPS -
created on 1 January 2007)

• EPS has three main areas of activity in the field
  of strengthening disaster response preparedness
• Technical Support Capacity Development
• To provide support for disaster preparedness
  processes especially at the country and regional
  level as well as increasing OCHAs overall
  capacity in this field.
• B. Knowledge Management
• To analyze and foster exchange of information and
  cross-fertilization of knowledge on disaster
  preparedness issues.
• C. Policy Liaison Advocacy
• To promote policy liaison and advocacy for
  increased attention towards disaster preparedness
  and represent OCHA on disaster preparedness
  issues in coordination forums, events and
  mechanisms

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The Emergency Services Branch (ESB)

• Conducting international earthquake response
  exercises and awareness modules in earthquake
  prone countries under the INSARAG network
• Establishing operational standards and procedures
  for international urban search and rescue
• UNDAC disaster response preparedness missions
• Establishing and running of tools such as GDACS,
  virtual OSOCC
• Assessment and response tools for environmental
  emergencies
• Preparedness training and response tools related
  to military and civil defence support to
  humanitarian operations
• Internal stand-by capacity and stand-by
  arrangements with external partners for emergency
  deployment

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Emergency Preparedness Section Contact
ochaeps_at_un.org Palais des Nations 8-14, ave de
la Paix CH 1211 Genève 10  Villa La
Dépendance 
Further links www.hewsweb.org www.gdacs.org
www.unisdr.org www.reliefweb.int HFA
www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm