17 September 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has issued a notification on incorporating disaster risk reduction (DRR) into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in advance of the adoption of a post-2015 framework for DRR that will succeed the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA). The document (SCBD/SAM/DC/DCo/VA/83873) highlights opportunities “to raise awareness of the importance of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to achieving DRR objectives.”

In the notification, the Secretariat encourages National Focal Points to fully integrate DRR-relevant objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets into all relevant areas at the national level. It highlights that the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD has taken numerous decisions noting the role of biodiversity in DRR, and draws attention to the need to integrate ecosystem-based approaches for DRR into relevant national policies and programmes. An annex to the document includes a list of key references to DRR in CBD COP decisions.

It also stresses the role of ecosystem degradation in natural disasters, and the role of ecosystem conservation in DRR, and explains the relevance of DRR to a number of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Furthermore, the letter mentions findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the impact of climate change on disaster events, and attention paid to DRR in the context of the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The notification highlights that the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA)’ will be revised into a post-2015 framework for DRR to be adopted at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) to be held 14-18 March 2015, in Sendai, Japan. In relation to the WCDRR, the letter encourages Focal Points to engage in national consultations to ensure that existing decisions taken in the context of the CDB are given visibility and support.

Finally, the notification provides information on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on ‘Disasters and Ecosystems: Resilience in a Changing Climate’ and an online resource containing guidance on how to consider ecosystems in DRR policies and strategies. [Notification on Incorporating DRR into NBSAPs and Opportunities to Engage on the HFA]