Demand-driven cooperation helps build resilience to disaster- and climate-related impacts in Asia and the Pacific
In 2022 alone, over 7,500 people died due to more than 140 disasters, which affected 64 million people in Asia and the Pacific.[1] In the same year, there were 22.6 million internal displacements as a result of disasters in th
In 2022 alone, over 7,500 people died due to more than 140 disasters, which affected 64 million people in Asia and the Pacific.[1] In the same year, there were 22.6 million internal displacements as a result of disasters in the Asia-Pacific region, more than 70 percent of the global total. Climate change is projected to increase these trends as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, compounded by rapid and unplanned urbanisation, population growth, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, which also heighten the needs of those affected. Disaster risk reduction and prevention are key to mitigating the impact that displacement will have on affected populations. Measures to help disaster displaced people achieve durable solutions should be also integrated in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction plans, recognising them as a disproportionally affected group with specific needs that may face challenges in accessing services and the benefits of development and reconstruction programmes.[2]
The Issue-Based Coalition on Building Resilience (chaired by UNDP and UNDRR) serves as a platform for UN agencies to work together in four workstreams[3] to accelerate action on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. Driven by demand in the region, the working group on disaster- and climate-related displacement organised a workshop on preventing, managing and finding solutions to disaster- and climate-induced displacement in December 2023, bringing together representatives from twelve countries across the region for a peer-to-peer exchange. Government representatives presented effective practices for preventing, responding to and solving disaster displacement sustainably in sessions that were organised by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) and the Asian Development Bank. The workshop served as a platform to strengthen collective efforts in finding innovative solutions and promoting resilience, as well as to focus future efforts of the disaster-and climate-related displacement working group. A community of practice for national technical focal points has been established to foster ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange going forward.
Addressing climate-induced #displacement demands united efforts!
Check out some highlights from our joint workshop with @UNDRR where we discussed the #challenges & #solutions in the #AsiaPacific region.
We invite you to join the conversation on finding durable solutions today pic.twitter.com/3UQbrcEVm2IOM Asia-Pacific (@IOMAsiaPacific) February 5, 2024
In 2023, the Issue-Based Coalition (IBC) achieved significant milestones through demand-driven cooperation based on peer-to-peer exchange facilitated by the UN system and partners providing technical knowledge and support. This approach underpinned the progress in advancing the Early Warning for All (EW4all) initiative, marked by the endorsement of the regional strategy and collaboration with UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and Country Teams (UNCTs) to translate the global initiative into national actions. National consultations in countries like the Maldives, Lao PDR, Nepal, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, as well as the Pacific sub-region, have laid the foundation for implementing the EW4all Initiative. Notably, the Maldives and Lao PDR have made significant strides in designing their national roadmaps through government leadership and collaboration with the UN system and partners. Additionally, the IBC's efforts addressed displacement challenges and disseminated knowledge on building disaster- and climate-resilient health systems and the state of the climate.
For 2024 the Issue-Based Coalition on Building Resilience intends to continue working with Resident Coordinators and Country Teams to support governments in implementing their plans, ensuring the necessary regional assistance is identified, including for displacement, loss and damage, the successful implementation of the Early Warnings for All Initiative, and by providing state-of-the-art risk analytics on the ESCAP Risk and Resilience Portal.
[1] UN-ESCAP, Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2023
[2] The United Nations Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement focuses on three key areas: prevention, response, and solutions. Similarly, the Early Warning for All Initiatives aims to embed strong early warning systems in all countries by 2027 to ensure that all people are protected from disasters.
[3] Four workstreams of the IBC on Building Resilience: 1) integration of health emergencies in DRR, 2) disaster and climate risk analysis, 3) resilient recovery and 4) disaster and climate-related displacement.