Isabelle Granger, IFRC’s Policy and Diplomacy Manager a.i. and Global Legislative Advocacy Coordinator says the prominence of this topic at the GPDRR shows the importance and benefits of good governance for disaster risk reduction and climate action.
“Strong disaster and climate laws form the foundation of disaster risk management systems that can respond to a multitude of hazards, regulate early action, help reduce risk, involve all, and enable a response that quickly reaches those most in need.
“Through strong and well-implemented disaster and climate risk management laws and policies, the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation can happen. Integration ensures coherence, stronger coordination, and enables concrete impacts on the ground and reduces the impacts of disasters.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need to integrate laws and policies for public health emergencies with general disaster management, as public health emergencies are indeed disasters.
“Amid a global climate emergency, and as we emerge from a pandemic - it is clear - we need to act quickly to strengthen disaster and climate risk governance.”
Strengthening risk governance and ensuring integration across law and policy for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation is needed to meet states' commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sendai Framework’s Bangkok Principles, furthermore, call for cooperation, integration and, coherence between disaster and health risk management.
In partnership with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC has supported governments for 20 years in more than 95 countries to strengthen legislation for disasters and is ready to help governments turn their commitments into action.
Case studies on our work strengthening disaster and climate governance, and on our research and guidance on law and public health emergencies will be shared at the GPDRR. Including; Fiji and the Pacific, the Philippines, and Asia, Malawi, Uganda and Africa, and St Lucia and Panama. A case study outlining our work in Southeast Asia regarding law and public health emergencies can be found here.