Development of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strategies at National and Regional levels for the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP)
Background note
At the Second World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Hyogo, Kobe, Japan, 18-22 January 2005), 168 countries adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) and identified five high priority areas of which the second stresses the need for “identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warnings” as a critical component of disaster risk reduction. According to HFA decision processes in disaster risk reduction fall under three categories (i) risk identification, which involves development of risk knowledge needed for development of strategies and measures for reducing the risks; (ii) risk reduction, involving: medium to long term sectoral planning, emergency preparedness and early warning systems, disaster response, relief and recovery; (iii) risk transfer, involving catastrophe insurance and other financial risk transfer mechanisms that would enable spreading of remaining risks to minimize impacts across sectors. Furthermore, each of these three elements needs to be supported by appropriate governance, organizational coordination and knowledge sharing mechanisms.
As a benchmark, in late 2006, a survey was conducted by WMO, in which 139 of the 187 Member countries (74%) provided critical information about key hazards impacting them, as well as their disaster risk reduction capacities, gaps and needs related to: (i) governance, (ii) organizational coordination, (iii) technical and (iv) capacity-development and training.
In June of 2007 Congress XV adopted WMO Strategic Goals in disaster risk reduction, derived from key activities of the HFA falling under the mandate of NMHSs and the needs of Members derived from the survey. Furthermore, a sustainable DRR integrated capacity development action plan was approved, based on Members’ needs that were not currently addressed by ongoing activities and built upon the following five major thrusts: (i) modernization of NMHSs and observing networks; (ii) implementation of national operational multi-hazard early warning systems; (iii) strengthening of hazard analysis and hydrometeorological risk assessment tools; (iv) strengthening NMHSs cooperation with civil protection and disaster risk management agencies; and (v) coordinated training and public outreach programmes. This action plan is built upon priority areas of the WMO Strategic Plan 2008 – 2011 and is being implemented through concrete regional and national projects.
On basis of the above, WMO in now initiating national and regional demonstration projects, leveraging WMO capacities with resources and expertise from external partner agencies for development of multi-hazard early warning projects.
Building on the successful implementation of the first phase of the SWFDP in 5 countries in southern Africa, efforts are underway to develop a proposal for the expansion of the scope of the SWFDP. In order to build the foundation, as part of the meeting of the CBS Steering Group on SWFDP to be held at the WMO headquarters in Geneva, 17-20 March 2008, a one day session on the development of disaster risk reduction strategies at national and regional levels for the SWFDP is scheduled for the 18th of March 2008. During this day the following is expected:
· Bring stakeholders to the same understanding of the benefits of expanding the SWFDP to link technical advances to disaster management, emergency response and relief agencies and regional and international organizations; and
· Review and discuss a proposal from the region with a view to build consensus on the focus, outputs, planning, coordination mechanism and implementation strategy of the expanded SWFDP
For more information please contact:
Mr. Filipe D. F. Lúcio
Senior Scientific Officer
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme
World Meteorological Organization
7bis, avenue de la Paix
Case postale No. 2300
CH – 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 730 8579
Fax: +41 22 730 8023
Email: