In line with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directive to strengthen disaster resilience in Filipino communities, local government units (LGUs) are prioritizing disaster risk reduction strategies to protect lives and livelihoods.
These initiatives will take center stage at the 2024 Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR), which will gather over 4,000 participants from 69 countries. Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and hosted by the Philippines for the first time, the event underscores the country’s progress in disaster resilience.
“With the theme Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction, the conference aims to empower LGUs by providing a platform for knowledge-sharing, good practices, and innovative financing tools,” said Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
Set for October 14-18, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center, APMCDRR is a biennial event that helps LGUs bridge gaps by learning from successful global interventions. One key session, Enhancing Capacity and Resources for Local Resilience, will focus on best practices in capacity-building, local resilience assessments, and efficient resource allocation.
Discussions will also cover multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), a vital component in disaster risk reduction strategies. Examples include systems used in the Caribbean for hurricane warnings, Japan for geohazards and landslides, Bangladesh for monsoon flooding, and Makati City for geological and hydrometeorological hazards.
Co-organized by the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the DENR, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (NDRRMC-OCD), APMCDRR brings together stakeholders from governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academia. The event is a crucial platform for monitoring and enhancing cooperation in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
As the first APMCDRR since the adoption of the Sendai Framework Midterm Review Political Declaration, this conference provides a unique opportunity to evaluate progress, share solutions, and make commitments to accelerate disaster risk reduction in the world’s most disaster-prone region by 2030.
