At the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (Geneva, 13-17 May), the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management called, on Thursday 16 May. for a strengthening of the resilience of societies and economies against disaster risks, with a focus on risk-proof investments.
This biennial multi-stakeholder forum created by the United Nations is an essential component for the monitoring and implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2020. This year, it focused on risk prevention and preparation.
“No country is immune to disaster risks. No country is immune to climate change. Thus, today's new climate reality requires us to intensify our search for viable and innovative solutions: [We must] find the best solutions to disaster risks”, the Commissioner said.
According to him, “risk-proof investments and economic policies are an effective way to address the risks of disasters and climate change, which is why we need investments and capital flows that are tested against disaster risks, that directly help people, through public-private partnerships, and that contribute to more sustainable and inclusive growth”. This is a top priority for the European Union, both within and beyond our borders.
To meet this challenge effectively, he called for: - integrating risk-informed investments into national and local disaster risk reduction strategies; - strengthening the alliance between the public and private sector for “greener, more efficient, better insured investments”, - focussing on risk prevention; - placing environmental and social concerns at the heart of investment strategies.
This should all be strategically guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, adopted by the United Nations to promote a stronger and more systematic interface between policy and science, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)