The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Hyogo, Japan, 18 - 22 January 2005, embodied the common agreements and commitments at global level in promoting strategic and systematic approaches to reduce vulnerabilities and disaster risks, and HFA was subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly in resolution RES/60/196 of 2 March 2006.

In order to facilitate the implementation of HFA, ESCAP in collaboration with ADPC, has been promoting community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) through PDR SEA 3 and 4 since 2004, which have been focusing on building resilience at community level. The project contributes to building up resilience of communities in the project countries through integrating CBDRM into national socio-economic development process and through strengthening national capacity for the implementation of Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).

In this connection, ESCAP takes strategic approaches in cooperation with ADPC and country governments to improve CBDRM. The framework and the strategic approaches which the project PDR SEA 4 takes are as follows;

Project team of ADPC - UNESCAP strengthens the partnership to enhance the synergized effectiveness of the project through strategic partnership, i.e, through the cooperation with their respective comparative advantages (ADPC has long experience in CBDRM and UNESCAP founded strong network in socio-economic policy formulation)

Project team takes a top-down approach and a bottom-up approach at the same time to improve the effectiveness of the project. As a top down approach, the project team developed the strategic plan on CBDRM to mobilize commitment of top-level officials to the integration of CBDRM into the national socio-economic development process and to the enhancement of the leadership roles and capacities of NDMOs for disaster risk management.

In line with the strategic plan, the project team developed action plans on the recognition scheme to facilitate identification of CBDRM best practices with the objective of encouraging stakeholders to expand CBDRM in the countries and equally importantly to mobilize support from the top level authorities.

As a bottom up approach, project team undertakes pilot projects in Philippines and Viet Nam at local community level with the view to improving the local capacity development in the integration of CBDRM into the planning and programming of local development for better disaster risk management

Project team develops PDR SEA 4 web site and news letter to facilitate the dissemination of necessary information on CBDRM

Project team organizes the 5th Disaster Management Practitioners' workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for 2-4 April 2008 to share the knowledge, lessons learned and information among stakeholders

Project team produces the research papers such as disaster - poverty alleviation, work plans on strengthening partnership of NDMOs, and three regional synthesis papers on (1) Regional Experiences on institutionalization of CBDRM into socio-economic development through the application of strategic planning processes (in the 4 countries); (2) Regional experiences on the integration of CBDRM into the planning and programming of local authorities in South-East Asia (the Philippines and Viet Nam); and (3) Experiences of regional organizations on promoting CBDRM in their programmes, with emphasis on the ACDM, HTTF, MRC and TC, in order to back up the development of CBDRM in the region.