ESCAP Disaster Resilience Week

23 to 27 August 2021 | By invitation only

Virtual, Bangkok, Thailand
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The convergence of COVID-19 with natural hazards has created a hitherto unseen complex, compounding, and cascading risk landscape in the Asia-Pacific region. Amidst the pandemic, countries in the region are also being hit by cyclones, floods, landslides, and locust infestations. The capacity of disaster management, including climate adaptation and public health systems together to respond to these converging risks will inform the recovery for COVID-19 and beyond. Noting the convergence, ESCAP member States adopted resolution (77/1) requesting ESCAP to promote “…discussions on the implementation of the health aspects of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, including by taking note of the Bangkok Principles for the implementation of the health aspects of the Sendai Framework and other relevant regional and subregional frameworks and initiatives…” to strengthen post-COVID-19 resilience and disaster preparedness in the region.  

To take this forward, ESCAP will hold the third Disaster Resilience Week from 23-27 August 2021 under the theme “Building back better after COVID-19: addressing cascading risks and systemic gaps for resilient peoples and economies.” Under the Asia Pacific Disaster Resilience Network, ESCAP’s partnership network for disaster resilience, a Regional Learning Platform, as well as a series of  thematic sessions will showcase various pathways to build systemic resilience to address multi-hazard risks from both natural and biological hazards will be held.  

The Week will also feature the launch of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2021 as well as a soft launch of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Resilience Network Portal, an online and interactive knowledge portal which aims to support risk-informed policymaking.   

The various events will help enrich the deliberations of the ESCAP Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR)- the key platform for regional dialogue and intergovernmental collaboration on disaster risk reduction – which will convene its seventh session (CDRR7) during the week from 25-27 August.   

23 Aug 2021
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10:30
11:00
Opening Keynotes 
Virtual (MS Teams and YouTube webcast) read more

Organizing Partner(s): United Nations Satellite Centre (UNITAR-UNOSAT)  

  • Mr. Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)   

  • Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development, UNESCAP   

  • Launch of The Risk and Resilience Portal- An Asia Pacific Disaster Resilience Network Initiative (Video)  

11:00
12:00
Theme Session on the disaster-climate-health riskscape  
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Organizing Partner(s): United Nations Satellite Centre (UNITAR-UNOSAT)  

  • Brief presentation of The Risk and Resilience Portal of the Asia Pacific Disaster Resilience Network by ESCAP and UNITAR-UNOSAT  

  • Expert discussion on the disaster-climate-health  riskscape  

 

Panelists: Papua New Guinea, AHA Centre  

12:00
13:00
Break 
13:00
14:15
The Regional Learning Platform on Strengthening Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience
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Session 1: Policy Coherence

Organizing Partner(s): UNDRR, Thailand (MFA)  

  • Expert discussion session on the process of including biological and natural hazards into a multi-hazard framework. Towards building resilience post COVID-19, the session will further discuss the potential for inclusion of cascading risks into the multi-hazard framework.  

  

Panelists: UNDRR, Thailand, WHO, Rockefeller Foundation  

14:30
15:45
The Regional Learning Platform on Strengthening Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience 
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Session 2: Multi-hazard integrated early warning systems

Organizing Partner(s): WMO, Republic of Korea (NDMI)  

  • Expert discussion session on pathways to facilitate regional cooperation on integrated early warning systems for natural and biological hazards to address complex and cascading risks, include through leveraging the Asia-Pacific Disaster Resilience Network and the annual sub subregional and national climate outlook forums.  

  

Panelists: Thailand, UK Met Office, WMO, RIMES 

24 Aug 2021
10:00
11:15
The Regional Learning Platform on Strengthening Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience 
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Session 3: Climate change adaptation and resilience   

Organizing Partner(s): NEASPEC, ASEAN Secretariat   

  • Expert discussion session to facilitate regional cooperation on integrating climate adaptation and resilience into development planning processes post COVID-19 and deliberate on the key adaption priorities for Asia Pacific as well as for each ESCAP sub-region based on the respective specific riskscape.  

 

Panelists: NEASPEC, ASEAN Secretariat, NIES, IWMI, AIT    

11:45
12:45
Break 
12:45
14:00
The Regional Learning Platform on Strengthening Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience 
Virtual (MS Teams and YouTube webcast) read more

Session 4: Investing in disaster and climate resilient infrastructure for better preparedness

Organizing Partner(s): UNDRR, CDRI   

  • Launch of the Issue Based Coalition for Resilience Policy Paper: "Climate and disaster resilient infrastructure: Building resilience to future uncertainties and shocks"

  • Expert discussion session on the challenges and opportunities to strengthen resilience among critical infrastructure including health infrastructure for future shocks and facilitating regional and sub-regional cooperation to build disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.     

  

Panelists: Bangladesh, Maldives, Beijing Normal University, Republic of Palau

14:15
16:00
Thematic Expert Meeting 
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Building Disaster Climate and Health Resilience  

25 Aug 2021
10:00
11:00
Item 1: Opening of the Session 
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  • Opening statements 

  • Launch of the Asia Pacific Disaster Report 2021  

  • Election of officers  

  • Adoption of the agenda  

11:00
12:00
Item 2: Emergence of cascading risks and extension of the disaster riskscape 
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  • Panel Discussion   

  • Country Statements  

12:00
14:00
Break 
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Side event of CDRR7 (12.15 – 13.45)  

Regional conversation: Ministerial Panel on Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience 

14:00
16:00
Item 3: Scaling-up subregional and regional cooperation frameworks to manage cascading risks
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  • ESCAP presentation   

  • Country Statements  

26 Aug 2021
10:00
11:00
Item 4: Overview of the work of the secretariat and the United Nations system at the regional level 
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  • Statement by Secretariat on review of work of Asia Pacific Disaster Resilience Network (APDRN), Regional Space Action Plan for DRR and Resilience, and the Asia Pacific Disaster Information Management Centre (APDIM)   

  • Statement by Chair of Issue Based Coalition   

  • Country Statements  

11:00
12:00
Item 5: Consideration of the future focus of the sub-programme on disaster risk reduction 
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12:00
14:00
Break 
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Side event of CDRR7 (12.30 – 13.45)  

From UNOSAT to UN Satellite Centre- Celebrating two decades of rapid mapping services   

  

Side event of CDRR7 (12.30 – 13.45)  

Sand and Dust Storms Risk Assessment in Asia and the Pacific: Potential for concerted action at regional level to reduce risk and strengthen resilience  

14:00
14:30
Item 6: Other matters  
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27 Aug 2021
10:00
11:15
Please refer to "Side events" tab for more information read more

Side event of CDRR7   

Risk Communication for Better Disaster Risk Management

Please follow the link to the Webinar.  https://undrr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fIJRp7kBRfOWLcOLCpCR-w 

14:00
16:00
Item 7: Adoption of the report of the Committee on its seventh session 
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Regional Learning Platform 2021
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General

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants as well as taking into account the ongoing travel restrictions in many countries, it is decided that the Disaster Resilience Week will be in virtual format with speakers to join virtually through MS Teams videoconference platform.  

All other participants are invited to follow the proceedings via the live broadcast on the website of the Disaster Resilience Week at 

The Third Session of Disaster Resilience Week, 23 August 2021 (1st Day) https://youtu.be/U9OCHzI_ql8

The Third Session of Disaster Resilience Week, 24 August 2021 (2nd Day) https://youtu.be/K5Ec0himBbg

Credentials

N/A

Registration and identification badges

Participants are kindly requested to register online at: https://meetings.unescap.org/. 

Communications

For questions related to the Disaster Resilience Week, please contact [email protected]. 

Meeting documents

N/A

Daily subsistence allowance

N/A

[content to be added after the Disaster Resilience Week] 

for more information, please contact

Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division [email protected]