Global Platform For Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 (GP2022)

In news– Recently, the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2022 (GP 2022) was held in Indonesia.

About GD2022-

The Global Platform is an occasion for the global community to come together to learn from the COVID-19 tragedy, evaluate successes and challenges in working on disaster risk reduction, and to accelerate progress towards disaster resilience and sustainable development.
The theme for 2022 was ‘From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development For All in a COVID-19 Transformed World’.
It was organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in May 2022.
It is an important first milestone in the mid-term review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) as 274 million people will receive humanitarian aid in 2022.

Outcome of GP2022-

The outcome of GP2022 was summarised in the co-chairs’ Bali Agenda for Resilience. The takeaways of the document were:

There is a need for a whole-of-society approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR), ensuring no one is left behind.
DRR must be at the core of development and finance policies, legislation and plans to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The real cost of disasters is that of inaction, which must be weighed against investments in DRR.
Current greenhouse gas emission levels far exceed their mitigation, resulting in an increase in frequency and intensity of catastrophic events.
A participatory and human rights-based approach in DRR planning and implementation is crucial as people are affected differently by disasters.
The development of multi-hazard early warning systems, inclusive of communities most at risk.
The need for a transformative recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, to build back better, greener and more equitably.
Recovery and reconstruction are most successful when they are community-driven and support existing local structures and resilience-building mechanisms.
Ecosystems should be considered as critical infrastructure and recognised for their basic services, bringing environmental, socio-economic and cultural benefits.
DRR and climate change adaptation have the common objective of reducing vulnerability and enhancing capacity as well as resilience.
Risk understanding remains limited, particularly regarding emerging and future hazards, with government policies largely reactive.

About UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)-

UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) is the United Nations focal point for disaster risk reduction.
It oversees the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supporting countries in its implementation, monitoring and sharing what works in reducing existing risk and preventing the creation of new risk.
It brings governments, partners and communities together to reduce disaster risk and losses to ensure a safer, more sustainable future.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework)-

It was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides Member States with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.
It works hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, including The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.
It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), and
It advocates for: The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.
It recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector and other stakeholders.