The Asia-Pacific region is gearing up to tackle a looming crisis, as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) projects a 40% increase in disasters by 2030.
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila, Marco Toscano-Rivalta, UNDRR chief of the regional office, emphasized the dire need for improved disaster preparedness. \"This stark projection indicates that we are going off course from the goal we set in the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction, the Sendai Framework in 2015. We are building risk rather than decreasing it,\" Rivalta stated.
The Sendai Framework aims to help countries plan, respond, and rebuild after disasters, but current efforts seem insufficient. Rivalta highlighted the importance of doubling down on prevention and risk reduction to mitigate future impacts.
Hosted by the Philippines in October, the APMCDRR 2024 focuses on securing sustainable financing, ensuring inclusive risk reduction, integrating disaster strategies at the local level, and enhancing early warning systems. Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources and chair of the conference, remarked, \"The 2024 APMCDRR offers us the chance to come together, share what we have learned, and strengthen the partnerships necessary to move forward.\"
Loyzaga added that the meeting is an opportunity to build on successes and reinforce commitments to protecting communities and ecosystems from increasing disaster risks.
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UN body warns of 40% surge in disasters in Asia-Pacific by 2030
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