9 October 2014: The 5th European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) has called for joint action to face the challenges of climate change, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Participants discussed the role of science, the use of national platforms to coordinate policy among different stakeholders, and the need for greater interaction with other international negotiations, particularly those on climate change.

The meeting, which brought together over 60 delegates from 6-8 October 2014, in Madrid, Spain, was hosted by the Spanish General Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergencies. It constituted the last in a series of regional meetings to help achieve consensus on a new international framework for disaster reduction, to succeed the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), and discussed areas in which all actors can boost resilience efforts and support implementation of a post-2015 DRR framework, including through improved: coordination of efforts to prevent and mitigate hazards and disasters; development and dissemination of knowledge; and use of resources.

The meeting also highlighted synergies with ongoing climate change and sustainable development negotiations, both of which are expected to agree on new frameworks in 2015, and called for: strengthening of local awareness through national networking and international exchanges of information and best practices; an international scientific mechanism for better integration of research and scientific assessments into prevention and resilience strategies; and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) to integrate the outcomes of European events focused on people with disabilities to ensure the issue is discussed in the post-DRR framework.

Margareta Wahlström, UNISDR Head, said that scientists should play a greater role in efforts to reduce the prevalence and impact of disasters, and welcomed increasing recognition of local governments’ role in developing resilience to natural disasters, stressing that such involvement requires access to scientific and technical data. Virginia Murray, Vice-Chair, UNISDR Science and Technology Advisory Group, lamented that the role of scientists was not included in the HFA, adding that the successor agreement should “remedy that” through the creation of an international science advisory mechanism for DRR. She also stressed the importance of effective communication on the part of scientists with the non-scientific community.

Regarding national platforms, many delegates emphasized they could: bring together a wide range of expertise; help increase public awareness about climate change and DRR; and help coordinate research, allocate resources and identify common needs. Others issues discussed included: risk-sensitive investment; the needs of vulnerable communities, including disabled people and children; financing; how to measure success in achieving goals; the need to involve local communities and the private sector; improving accountability, transparency and governance; and agreeing to a framework with targets and indicators.

The meeting’s conclusions will feed into post-2015 DRR framework discussions, including the preparatory committee, which will next meet in November to continue working on a revised draft document for Sendai. A post-2015 DRR framework is expected to be agreed at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to take place in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015. [UNISDR Press Release, 6 October] [UNISDR Press Release, 7 October] [UNISDR Press Release, 8 October] [EFDRR Concept Note] [Meeting Webpage]