Enhancing Resilience of Coastal Communities to Water Disasters

1. International WorkshopStrengthening the Resilience of Local Communities in Coastal Areas to Water Related Natural DisastersCopenhagen16-18 November 2005 Organised by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark in collaboration with UN-ISDR MAIN RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

2. Coastal zone is particularly at risk • 1.2 billion people live within 100 km from the coast. • This is 23% of the world population. In 2030 this figure may rise to 50%. • Half of worlds GDP is in the coastal urban areas. This figure will increase to 75% in 2015.(World Bank) • More than half of GDP is located in high risk areas. (World bank) • 10 million peoble experience flooding each year due to storm surges and typhoons. • Tsunamies, floods, storm surges, typhoons continue to happen in the coastal area and climate change is expected worsen the situation.

3. The Workshop Goal Support the implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Implementation 2005-2015 and the recovery and reconstruction work after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Promote a dialogue between governments and local level institutions in the Indian Ocean countries worst hit by the tsunami, aiming at increasing the resilience to water related natural disasters in coastal communities.

5. Workshop Participants

6. 45 Participants from: • National and local government, government agencies and universities, local community organisations, national NGO´s from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. • International NGO´s and humanitarian organisations • Regional instituions (ADPC, ADRC, UNESCAP) • UN organisations (ISDR, UNEP, UNDP) • IFI´s (World Bank) • Bilateral organisations ( DFID, MFA, Denmark, Danida)

9. The Three Workshop topics: • From communities to policies:Enhance the integration of existing and effective community initiatives on disaster risk reduction into relevant national and sub-national policies and plans. • Linking disaster risk reduction to development sectors:Promote disaster risk reduction as an integral part of coastal zone management and community development activities - and thereby linking environmental management, livelihood and disaster risk reduction concerns. • Sustainable recovery - and preparing for the next disaster:Integrate disaster risk reduction into ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts in the communities affected by the tsunami

10. Output Format for Workgroup Recommendations:

12. General recommendations • Better integration of disaster risk reduction into long-term development planning in disaster-prone coastal areas • Community concerns to be better integrated into public policies • Strengthening the resilience of coastal communitis require that good practices and are identified, compiled and disseminated and that mechanisms for this is functional.

13. Priotitisation of good practices, way forward and stakeholdes. • 70 recommendations from the four working groups • 23 recommendations were listed and prioritised by more than one working group. • from the 23 recommendations 11 recommendations were given the highest priority by all participants

14. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders • Disaster risk reduction integrated into education at all levels Disaster risk reduction should be integrated into education at all levels and public awareness initiatived and including school curricula, dissemination of knowledge, especially local knowledge. • Risk, vulnerability and capacity assessment linked to action planning by communities. Participatory multi-hazard risk, vulnerability and capacity assessment (and reassessment-post disaster) linked to action planning by communities, facilitated by NGO´s, local government structures and other civil society organisations

15. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders • Promote diverse and sustainable livelihoods as integrally linked to disater risk reduction and recovery. Authorities at all levels should encourage sustanable livelihoods which incorporate risk reduction and recovery planning. 4. Bilateral and other partners to focus more on DRR and introduce financial incentives to integrate risk reduction. Bilateral partners and other providers of resources are recommended to focus more on disaster risk reduction in the budget and other kinds of support to authorities and to integrate financial incentives in regular development and recovery processes to integrate risk reduction.

16. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders 5. Influence national governments to integrate Community Based Disaster Risk Management into national and local policies at all levels. Educational institutions and media and others to engage in advocacy, public awareness and education campains, research and documentation and dissemination of good practices and success stories. 6. Integrate equity concerns into risk reduction response and recovery effort including gender and disability. National authorities to consolidate and generalise good practices and tools on gender, disability, conflict, agem ethnicity and cultural sensitivities. Local auhtories and practitioners to integrate this into programmes and projects.

17. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders 7. Training and motivation of community leaders in disaster risk reduction. NGO´s and local authorities to take the lead, with support from nationan authorities and multilateral partners. 8. Improved land use planning Goverments bare prime responsibilities for enforcing and improving land use planning through risk mapping including links to EIA. Practices to include participatory approaches, risk mapping and conflict resolution at all levels.

18. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders 9. Appropriate warning systems for communities. National government bodies to cooperate with local government and community organisations to promote timely dissemination to communities, establish and maintain monitoring systems and provide appropriate shelters and escape routes 10. Clearly defined roles and tasks of national and local authorities in recovery management. Strengthen the role of local authories. Integrate new institutions established for a disaster event with existing ones including link with local authorities. Provide technical support from national and provincial level to local governments. Promote accountability at all levels.

19. Good practices, way forward and stakeholders 11. Improve access to alternative technologies, experiences and lessons learnt through South-South cooperation. . Extension services, neighbouring communities, NGO´s, community facilitators, community organisations such as tarde unions (carpenters, masons, boat builders) to promote the transfer of knowledge and skills. Include gender dimension

20. Way forward as recommended by the participants of the workshop • Governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations active in the region to integrate the priorities in their daily activities • Widely disseminate the findings of the workshop • Continue the effort to identify, compile and disseminate good practices on strengthening the resilience of coastal communities. • Monitor the actions taken on the recommendations of the workshop.

21. Way forward for the Danish Government • Support restructuring of ISDR incl. Biennial programme of work – core funding • Support to regional follow-up (Asian Disaster Preparedness Center) • Integrate Disaster Risk Reduction into Danish Development Assistance – policy and operational (PRS)

22. THANK YOU! For more information www.dhi.dk/resilience and www.um.dk