Thematic platforms
From HFA-PEDIA
Contents |
Introduction
Thematic platforms, or networks of expertise, focus on specific priority areas identified in the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).
Thematic platforms currently in process for the region of the Americas include: climate change and DRR, early warning systems, education (curricula and school safety, communications), health (& Hospital Security), legislation, risk financing (CAPRA), Urban risk platform.
DRR-related themes and issues
Capacity Development: Building and supporting the capacity of nations and communities to confront disaster, including: learning and training support to people, organizations and institutions
Civil Society/NGOs: Strengthening local capacities, preparedness and response to natural hazards through initiatives at local level by and in partnership with civil society and non-governmental organizations - see: Global NGO Network Announcement, NGO webpage of the UNISDR website
Climate Change: Strengthening the integration between adaptation to climate change and disaster reduction into policy, capacity-building, and sustainable development programme-design
Community-based DRR: Strengthening and sharing local, community-based knowledge to increase community capacity, preparedness and response to natural hazards and decrease vulnerability to disasters
Complex Emergency: Relating to complex emergencies post-disaster of natural hazards. "A humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing United Nations country program".(IASC)
Early Warning Systems: and procedures that capture and evaluate risk knowledge, monitor and warn of natural hazards, communicate risk information to communities, and practice and test operational and evacuation procedures
Several early warning system projects will be implemented by OAS (in the Caribbean) and UNDP (in Bolivia).
Economics of DRR: Economic costs of disasters have risen 14-fold since the 1950s, reaching in 2005 up to 209.530 million USD (in 2006 USD). For many countries a disaster event can have a significant impact on GDP and other macroeconomic factors. Disaster risk reduction measures are cost effective investments to build economic resilience to natural hazards.
Education: Knowledge sharing and awareness building to enable people to make informed decisions and take informed actions during natural hazards from local to institutional knowledge
Environment: Mainstreaming DRR issues at all levels of the environmental discussion including sustainable development, environmental degradation, ecosystems and environmental management
Gender: Addressing the gender-based gaps and imbalances in DRR policy and practice, raising awareness of gendered vulnerabilities of both men and women, and promoting gender-sensitive approaches to DRR
GIS & Mapping
Governance
Health: Strengthening capacity and resilience of health systems and countries to mitigate and manage disasters
Information Management: Facilitating access to DRR data and information to support information exchange and decision-making to support specialists and non-specialists working in DRR
Legislation
Media: Mainstreaming activities aimed at raising the awareness of mass media to adopt a proactive approach to reporting news and information on DRR, emphasizing the processes of DRR and not simply disaster-related events
Private-Public Partnerships: fostering relationships between governments and companies to strengthen cooperation, funding, compliance with regulatory and safety standards, and contribute to building the capacity and resilience of communities to disaster
Recovery: Strengthening systematic approaches to reduce disaster risk and vulnerabilities in the post-disaster recovery process
Risk Identification: Collecting, analyzing, monitoring and disseminating disaster risk information and loss data to improve disaster risk management and provide data to DRR specialists and non-specialists
Risk Transfer & Insurance: Financial mechanisms aimed at reducing vulnerability to disaster by structuring financial solutions to meet disaster funding requirements and spreading remaining risks across sectors
Space Technology: Using space-based technologies to improve disaster management and provide data for DRR
Urban Risk: Coordinating, collaborating and exchanging information to support DRR mainstreaming at city level, including urban planning and management
Related documents
Linking Disaster Risk Reduction and Poverty Reduction - 2008 Good Practices and Lessons Learned
A Publication of the Global Network of NGOs for Disaster Risk Reduction; 2008
This is the second publication of the "Global Network of NGOs for DRR". A first publication, titled "Building Disaster-Resilient Communities - Good Practices and Lessons Learned", was published by the Global Network in June 2007.
Building on previous effort, this publication seeks to highlight initiatives that have successfully linked poverty reduction and disaster risk reduction in various parts of the world. It features several projects and initiatives that show how DRR can be integrated into poverty reduction (or vice-versa) to help reduce the vulnerability of the poor and protect their livelihoods and development gains.
Related HFA-Pedia pages
See also Thematic Reporting Framework 2007-2009 for information relating to thematic reporting
