Karen Mrema 1
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosys- ecosys-tems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt
and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
It has been assessed that ‘[t]he global targets and priorities for action set in the Sen-dai Framework can contribute substantially to the achievement of the SDGs and targets through its stronger focus on resilience-building and risk reduction meas-ures’.51 For example, target 4 in the Sendai Framework, which aims to promote resilient infrastructure and thus access to basic social services such as health and education, contributes to the achievement of SDG 9 (building resilient infrastruc-ture), SDG 3 (promoting well-being for all ages), and SDG 4 (promoting life-long learning opportunities for all).
As can be seen, there are clear links between disaster risk reduction and development in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti, left more than 300,000 people dead and caused estimated total
49 See World Bank, Risk and Opportunity, supra note 2.
50 Ibid.
51 See Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, available at <http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/pub-lications/43291>.
losses of USD7.8 billion, equivalent to 120 per cent of the country’s 2009 GDP.
Hurricane Tomas, which hit St. Lucia in 2010, wiped out an equivalent of 43 per cent of the country’s GDP,53 whereas the 2004 Hurricane Ivan in Grenada cost the country 200 per cent of its GDP.54 Within minutes of the tsunami that struck the Maldives in 2004, the country was setback 20 years in development gains. Total damages were estimated to be USD470 million, 62 per cent of the GDP.55 The tourism industry, the country’s main source of income (accounting for 70 per cent of the economy), suffered significant impacts with over 20,000 jobs lost.56 In the re-construction following the 2010 Haitian earthquake, the Government enhanced its efforts to provide for disaster risk management, leading to the establishment of the National Construction Code and subsequent guideline documents.57 Nevertheless, international funding for disaster risk reduction has been inadequate compared to the total funding spent on development aid. Over the past 20 years, USD3trillion was committed in development aid, USD106.7 billion of which was allocated to disasters, with USD13.5 billion for risk reduction compared to USD69.9 billion for response.58 Moreover, in this same period, disasters that occurred in developing countries alone caused direct financial losses of over USD800billion.59
4 Conclusion
Natural hazards are part of the world we live in. Their occurrences are inevitable and we have no control over such. Nonetheless, waiting for the inevitable to occur is not a plan of action. The magnitude of human suffering in times of disasters is substan-tial and thus it is important to lay the groundwork and establish response and re-covery strategies for natural disasters before they strike. Disasters are unpredictable.
However, even with the challenges to adequately plan for and mitigate them, a lot can be done to prevent and mitigate their effects as well as to strengthen the response capacity and resilience of those communities at risk.
52 World Bank, ‘Managing Disaster Risks for a Resilient Future: The Sendai Report’ (2012), available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DEVCOMMINT/Documentation/23283830/DC2012-0013(E) DRM.pdf> (visited 15 October, 2016).
53 Ibid.
54 UNISDR and WMO, ‘UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda: Disaster Risk and Resilience’ (2012), available at <http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/untaskteam_
undf/thinkpieces/3_disaster_risk_resilience.pdf> (visited 18 October, 2016).
55 ADB, UN and World Bank, ‘Tsunami: Impact and Recovery’, Joint Needs Assessment (2005), available at <http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTMALDIVES/Resources/mv-na-full-02-14-05.pdf> (visited 26 October, 2016).
56 Ibid.
57 Ministry of Interior, ‘Haiti facing risks together: achievements in disaster risk management since 2010’
(2014), available at <http://www.preventionweb.net/go/44137> (visited 21 October, 2016).
58 Jan Kellett and Alice Caravani, ‘Financing Disaster Risk Reduction: A 20year story of international aid’ (2014), available at <https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opin-ion-files/8574.pdf> (visited 17 October, 2016).
59 Ibid.
With disasters rising at an alarming rate and continuing to devastate many nations, both in the developed and developing worlds, this paper has examined the impor-tant issue of governance and its role in disaster risk reduction. It is clear that merely having disaster-related laws and policies in place is not enough, and what matters most is their effective implementation. Good governance is a fundamental aspect of disaster risk reduction. Good governance is driven by public awareness and par-ticipation, as well as sufficient resources and capacity in supporting disaster risk reduction efforts and enhancing coping capacities in societies. Countries with strong governance systems are better able to prepare for and mitigate negative impacts of disasters. Within the last few decades, with support from the international commu-nity, there has been an increasing shift from a culture of response and recovery to giving more attention to preparedness and prevention.
The international community continues to play a crucial role in promoting good governance for disaster risk reduction. International instruments like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which are shaping global efforts in address-ing the underlyaddress-ing drivers of risk and future levels of risk and resilience, provide guidance on how to meet the challenge of being prepared to respond to the priorities set out in the Framework, at the local, national, regional and international levels.
Effort should continue escalating at all levels to enhance preparedness and resilience to disasters.