Living with Risk: The need to build partnerships

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Perspectives for a DRR regional Strategy in Europe
www.unisdr.org
Expert Meeting on NMHss participation in DRR
mechanisms and Early Warning Systems
Paola AlbritoUN/ISDR Secretariat - Regional
Coordinator Europe
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GFDRR

• Track 1 Global and Regional Deliverables
• Track 2Country level deliverables
• Track 3Accelerated Disaster Recovery in Low
  Income Countries

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Vulnerability of SEE Region

• SEE is prone to variety of disasters caused by
  the natural and man-made hazards
• Earthquakes (Skopje 1963 Bucharest 1977)
• Floods (seasonal water surges in Balkans)
• Landslides (localized, affecting communities)
• Drought
• Forest Fire
• Technological accidents

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Rationale for the Regional Cooperation

• Many hazards are common to a number of
  neighboring countries
• Information sharing will allow for greater
  reduction of hazard risk at the national and
  regional level
• Individual countries may not be able to cope with
  a major disaster on their own
• Stand-by, fully equipped emergency response units
  and relief materials are expensive
• Countries are small in size and hazards risk
  insurance may not be optimal at the country level

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Objective
To reduce vulnerability of SEE countries, in
line with the Hyogo Framework for Action, by
building the capacity and promoting a coordinated
approach in disaster risk mitigation,
preparedness and response. The initiative will
build on the existing cooperation in the region,
and will complement and consolidate the
activities promoted by active organizations and
initiatives in the region.
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Key Areas of the Initiative

• Hydrological and meteorological forecasting, data
  sharing and early warning system
• Strengthening regional capacities in disaster
  risk reduction and response
• Financing of disaster losses and risk transfer
  mechanism

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What to do and how to do it

• Step 1) Undertake a review for each of the 3
  areas of focus (Get involvement and buying in of
  national, regional partners)
• Step 2) Based on outcome review develop project
  proposal (WB leader) Identify a number of
  countries to express interest on loans/grants WB
  as well as committed partners to support the
  initiative (WMO, EU/EC etc..)
• Step 3) Implementation phase. (Strengthen
  sub-regional existing organizations to facilitate
  the implementation phase in the SEE context)

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Hydrological and Meteorological Forecasting, Data
Sharing and Early Warning System

• Initiative has been agreed during the ICEED
  meeting in Dubrovnik in May 2006
• Strong partnership with WMO
• Objective of this initiative is to promote a
  coordinated approach and data sharing in Hydromet
  services in South Eastern Europe
• Feasibility assessment has been completed and was
  discussed in a regional meeting on October 24-25,
  2007 in Zagreb
• Coverage Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia,
  Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia
  Herzegovina

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Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System on
Sava River

• Initiative was agreed during Podgorica meeting of
  the Directors of Hydromet services in Sava river
  countries in April 2007.
• Objectives is to build capacity and to
  re-establish data sharing and collaboration on
  flood forecasting and early warning system on the
  Sava river.
• Feasibility Assessment has been completed and
  discussed in a regional meeting in Zagreb on
  October 24-25, 2007.

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Disaster Risk Reduction and Response

• Objectives is to promote and implement investment
  priorities for strengthening the capacity and
  promote a coordinated approach to disaster
  preparedness and response
• Will be built on existing agreements
  Civil-Military Emergency Planning Council and the
  Disaster Preparedness Initiative of the Stability
  Pact
• Vulnerability Assessment is completed
• More detailed assessment of disaster response is
  needed.

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Catastrophe Risk Transfer

• Creation of a regional catastrophe insurance pool
  that would offer affordably-priced catastrophe
  insurance coverage to governments of SEE
  countries.
• Development of national catastrophe insurance
  programs for homeowners.
• Development of standardized tradable weather risk
  hedging instruments to protect businesses against
  loss of revenue due to adverse weather
  conditions.
• Structuring and issuance of a catastrophe risk
  bond for countries of the region.

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Disaster Risk Reduction and Response

• Objectives is to promote and implement investment
  priorities for strengthening the capacity and
  promote a coordinated approach to disaster
  preparedness and response
• Will be built on existing agreements
  Civil-Military Emergency Planning Council and the
  Disaster Preparedness Initiative of the Stability
  Pact
• Vulnerability Assessment is completed
• More detailed assessment of disaster response is
  needed.

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Partnership

• WB-UN/ISDR secretariat in partnership with main
  UN agencies and actors based on the priority
  areas
• UN Agencies part of the ISDR system WMO, UNICEF,
  UNDP etc..
• Regional Organizations Council of Europe, the
  EU, DPPI, OECD etc..
• Bi-lateral/Multilateral donors Denmark, Finland,
  Switzerland, Italy etc.. (if interest shown by
  the SEE countries and by donor)

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Program ComponentsWB on the DRIVING SEAT

• The following broad components/activities are
  eligible for financing under the program
• Disaster Preparedness
• Disaster Risk Insurance
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation
• Contingency funding
• Components/activities will be tailored to
  country-specific needs

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Regional Landscape

• Council of Europe EUR-OPA Agreement
• The European and Mediterranean Major Hazards
  Agreement (EUR-OPA) is a platform for
  co-operation between European and Southern
  Mediterranean countries in the field of major
  natural and technological disasters its field of
  action covers the knowledge of hazards, risk
  prevention, risk management, post-crisis analysis
  and rehabilitation.
• The Agreement is partial, as not all member
  States of the Council of Europe participate, but
  also open, as 3 Southern Mediterranean
  countries count among its members. It has to date
  25 Member States.

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Regional Landscape

• European Network of National Platforms
• Germany (Chair), Switzerland, France
• Aim of the network
• To facilitate and improve the exchange of
  information on good practices, the experiences
  and public policies by establishing a more
  structured approach to issues and problems.
• To support the integration of DRR into all
  aspects of policy, decision making, private
  sector and civil society of the national,
  regional and international level of European
  countries with the aim to reduce the
  vulnerability of the society.
• To become a partner to the European Union, the
  Council of Europe and other relevant
  international organisations in all aspects
  related to DRR.
• To provide consolidated, substantive input to the
  Global Platform.

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Regional Landscape

• EU/EC
• Main DG involved in DRR issues
• DG Environment (Civil Protection), DG Relex, DG
  Research, DG Enlargement, DG ECHO and others ..
• A number of Working Groups with sets of meeting
  where DRR issues can contribute to advance on the
  topic and vice-versa. Ex. Green Paper on Climate
  Change Adaptation
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
  Development)
•  Support sustainable economic growth, Boost
  employment,  Raise living standards,  Maintain
  financial stability,  Assist other countries'
  economic development,  Contribute to growth in
  world trade.

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Sub Regional Landscape

• DPPI Disaster Preparedness and Prevention
  Initiative.
• The Disaster Preparedness and Prevention
  Initiative for South Eastern Europe was conceived
  as a regionally owned initiative that seeks to
  provide a framework for South Eastern European
  nations to develop programs and projects leading
  to strengthened capabilities to prevent and
  respond to natural and man-made, i.e.
  technological disasters.
• It brings together 12 countries (Albania, Bosnia
  and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece,
  Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia,
  Turkey, FR Yugoslavia).
• The DPPI SEE used to operate with donor
  resources, mainly from Norway, Switzerland and
  the United States of America.
• Now DPPI is a regional owned and driven
  initiative before part of Stability Pact for SEE.

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Thank you
United Nations, secretariat of the International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction International
Environment House II 7-9 Chemin de Balexert, CH
1219 Chatelaine Geneva 10, SwitzerlandTel 41
22 917 8908/8907Fax [phone]isdr_at_un.org
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Component I Disaster Preparedness

• Eligible activities
• Emergency management equipment such as fire
  trucks, ambulances, search and rescue equipment,
  ..etc
• Communications equipment
• National Command Center
• Forest fire fighting equipment, including planes
  
• Weather forecasting and flood early warning
  system, etc.

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Component II Disaster Risk Insurance

• Eligible activities
• Development of disaster insurance schemes that
  cover
• Government budget
• Business
• Individual households
• Technical Assistance to build government capacity
  in catastrophe risk analysis and risk transfer

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Component III Disaster Risk Reduction and
Adaptation

• Eligible activities
• Hazards mapping
• Flood control
• Dam safety
• Retrofitting of schools and hospitals
• Retrofitting of major infrastructure
• Revisions of building codes and land use plans
• Etc..

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Component IV Contingency Funding

• Eligible activities
• Immediate Funds for the use of government in the
  aftermath of a disaster caused by the impact of
  natural hazards.

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Phasing

• Phase I Will include relatively cheap, but high
  impact, non-structural components/activities
• Disaster Preparedness
• Insurance
• Non-structural activities under Disaster Risk
  Reduction and Adaptation such as revisions in
  building codes and land use plans and hazards
  mapping
• Development of comprehensive national strategies
  for disaster risk mitigation and adaptation

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Phasing (Cont.)

• Phase II Structural investments
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation such as
  flood control, dam safety, retrofitting of
  buildings, retrofitting of key infrastructure,
  ..etc.
• Countries may choose to combine phase I and phase
  II under one operation

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Phasing (cont.)

• In both phases governments could have access to
  contingency funding (called DDO) in the aftermath
  of disasters
• DDO will provide financing to meet the immediate
  cash needs of government following a disaster

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Advantages of Phasing

• Will enable speedy preparation and start
  implementation of critical activities under phase
  I
• Will give governments time to come up with a
  comprehensive strategy for disaster risk
  reduction and adaptation to define priorities
  according to economic, financial, environmental
  and social criteria

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Next Steps and Timing

• Bank communicated to all governments on the
  proposed program
• Interested governments will decide on the list of
  components/activities to be included in their
  project
• Bank team will work with governments to finalize
  project documents
• Financing arrangements will be agreed with
  governments and other partners.