WCDRR day 2

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai - day 2

Today I visited 4 sessions, the first three at the Sendai international conference building and the last at Tohoku University, located on a beautiful hill side, at Hagi hall (presentations will follow). The hagi tree is the symbol of the university.

My main question during the presentation of the Global Assessment Report 2015 was how the work of the GAR differs from ICHARM's goal to make a risk index. The main points include ICHARM's focus on flood hazards, end point indicators of governance and resilience of communities, and the national level and cooperation with national governments in creating and applying the index data.

Governance and development planning at national / local levels (HFA Priority 1)
Schedule	2015-03-15	10:00-11:30
Venue	Venue: Sendai International Centre Room N°: Main Hall
Organizer	Croatia, Cuba, Japan, Turkey, United Kingdom, OECD, UNDP, UNITAR, IFRC, IRGC, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (NUS). Secretariat: UNISDR
Number of participants	200
Moderator, Panelist, Speaker, etc.	Moderator • Mr. Rolf Alter , Director, Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate, OECD Speakers • Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, India • Dr. Ibrahim Chahrour, Head of the Department of Planning and Programming, Council for Development and Reconstruction, Lebanon • Mr. Fuat Oktay, Director-General, AFAD, Turkey • Ms. Christelle Pratt, Deputy Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat • Mr. Ryosei Akazawa, State Minister of the Cabinet Office of Japan. Christiana, Prof. at University in Brasil
Objective	In undertaking a critical analysis of successes and shortfalls of implementation of the HFA (and particularly Priority for Action 1), the session will examine models of risk governance (including institutional arrangements, public policies, incentives and compliance mechanisms). The session will also explain the trigger points and pathways that facilitate the development of effective risk governance arrangements, including but not restricted to institutional and organizational interaction and design, determination of responsibilities, integrated planning and decision-making protocols, coordination arrangements and accountability mechanisms.
Contents	Akazawa: If national awareness is low, implementation will lack. Both soft and hard measures are needed. Historically every 6 to 700 years an earthquake of magnitude 8 has struck. Yearly remembrance days of historic events, business continuity plans, preparation is essential. Mishra: Risk governance and good govervance need to be aligned. Housing schemes should incorporate DRM. Train people, e.g. masons, engineers. 10% of development funds go toward it. Christiana: Can laws make people less vulnerable? Disaster law often not having much effect. Chahrour: The local balance should be restored by informing the governing people. Oktay: International standards for DRM needed. Pratt: Two major storms occurring during this conference. Need to include climate change adaptation, need to coordinate in different sectors. Prepared to combine sus. dev. First with DRR and CCA, it addresses fragmentation of both policies and funding. Q&A: disasters leave emotions with people, but politicians lack these. Venezuela: 82% live in exposed areas, but 84% doesn’t care about this. How to involve the local people and get them interested in increasing resilience? Akazawa: Governments often have as message that people are safe, but real risk should be mentioned to raise awareness.

Global Risk Trends
Schedule	2015-03-15	12:00-13:30
Venue	Main Hall, Sendai International Conference Centre
Organizer	UNISDR, Ingeniar, IASA, IIHS, JRC, FLACSO
Number of participants	100
Moderator, Panelist, Speaker, etc.	Andrew Maskey Privant Fernando Takawra Ilan Noy Allan Lavell Omar Cardona
Objective	The session will provide an overview of risk information, current progress and future drivers of disaster risk at global scale, providing the evidence for framework for disaster risk reduction to be agreed at the WCDRR. It is expected that governments and private sector will take the opportunity discuss current and emerging risks and ways of integrating risk information into development planning and practice in support of sustainable development.
Contents	In practice there is weak governance, little motivation to act against the drivers of risk. Thinking must change. People are affected differently by disasters. 100 days lost in New Zealand is different than 100 days in Thailand; and for groups of people too. How to estimate indicators for this? GAR is now equalizing this (both health and economy). GAR is not measuring a lot of drought, no agriculture damages.

  

Applying Science and Technology to DRR Decision-Making
Schedule	2015-03-15	14:00-15:30
Venue	Venue: Sendai International Centre Room N°: Main Hall
Organizer	WCDRR, Japan Cabinet Office, International Council for Science (Organizing Partner of the Science and Technology Major Group), ISDR Science and Technology Advisory (STAG), Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), Science Council of Japan (SCJ), Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and many other science organisations worldwide working locally, nationally and internationally. UN: WMO and UNESCO with input from UNESCAP, UNOOSA, ITU, UNITAR and under the aegis of the UN High Level Programmes Committee Senior Managers Group on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience.
Number of participants	200
Moderator, Panelist, Speaker, etc.	Chair · Dr. Carlos Nobre, Director, Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas de Desastres Naturais (CEMADEN) Moderator · Ms. Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Panellists · Prof. Takashi Onishi, President, Science Council of Japan (SCJ) · H.E. Ms. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union · Dr. Roger Pulwarty Director, National Integrated Drought Information System at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA/OAR). · Dr. Wadid Erian, Expert Scientist, League of Arab States · Dr. Vladimir Sucha, Director General, Directorate Joint Research Center, European Commission · Prof. Gordon McBean, President, International Council for Science (ICSU) Dennis Wegner, Virginia Murray Jerry Velasquez Pedro Basabe
Objective	The session will: Highlight particular successes in applying science and technology for disaster risk reduction decision-making and confirm requirements from Member States. Announce commitments of the Scientific and Technological Community to support the implementation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. Identify next steps (road map) for the Scientific and Technical community to implement the proposed commitments. Launch the ISDR Science and Technology Advisory Group March 2015 report: Science is used for disaster risk reduction
Content (mainly how ICHARM member contributed to the session)	Sucha: Political attention triggers good policies but these depend on scientific knowledge Science and Technical Advisory Group STAG: did science make an impact on policy, and on vulnerability? Pulwarty: One satellite of the 4 becoming obsolete will be replaced, others unknown.

Public Forum: “Towards Mitigating Loss Caused By Mega-Disasters”Ways to save lives and prevent devastating damages to social and economic activities - Presentations will follow