The
link between Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and disaster risk reduction
The UN Millennium
Summit gathered in New York in September 2000. A total of 189 world
leaders met and adopted the UN
Millennium Declaration (A/RES/55/2). Under “Protecting
our common environment” the declaration "adopt in all our
environmental action a new ethic of conservation and stewardship and,
as first steps, resolves...to intensify cooperation to reduce the number
and effects of natural and man-made disasters” [paragraph 23]."
Strategies linked
to ISDR for moving ahead on this goal were outlined in the Road
map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration (Secretary-General
Report to GA A/56/326), which included:
- developing early
warning systems, vulnerability mapping, technological transfer and
training;
- supporting interdisciplinary
and intersectoral partnerships, improved scientific research on the
causes of natural disasters and better international cooperation
to reduce the impact of climate variables, such as El Niño
and La Niña;
- encouraging governments
to address the problems created by megacities, the location of settlements
in high-risk areas and other manmade determinants of disasters;
- encouraging governments
to incorporate disaster risk reduction into national planning processes,
including building codes.
Eight targets, known
as the Millennium
Development Goals were also established in this Roadmap, providing
guidance for achieving development for the international community,
national governments and, in particular, the United Nations.
All of these targets
touch upon areas which are closely linked to vulnerability to natural
hazards, such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving
universal primary education, promoting gender equality, ensuring environmental
stability and partnerships for development. For example, the goal of
improving the lives of thousands of slum dwellers around the world
living in high-risk areas by 2020, involves poverty eradication, proper
land use planning and the improved understanding of vulnerability to
disasters in densely populated areas.
The UN Secretary-General
report In
larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for
all (A/59/2005) of 21 March 2005, includes a section on Other
priorities for global action in chapter II. Section E., in which
natural disasters have been identified as an obstacle to achieve the
development goals.
Natural
disasters
65. The
devastating impact of the Indian Ocean tsunami has reminded
us all of the vulnerability of human life to natural
disasters, and also of the disproportionate effect they
have on poor people. Unless more determined efforts are
made to address the loss of lives, livelihoods and infrastructure,
disasters will become an increasingly serious obstacle
to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in early
2005, adopted the Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005-2015, which identifies
strategic objectives and priority areas to reduce disaster
risk in the next 10 years. We must proceed with its implementation.
66. The
countries of the Indian Ocean region, with the help of
the United Nations and others, are now taking steps to
establish a regional tsunami early warning system. Let
us not forget, however, the other hazards that people
in all regions of the world are exposed to, including
storms, floods, droughts, landslides, heat waves and
volcanic eruptions. To complement broader disaster
preparedness and mitigation initiatives, I recommend
the establishment of a worldwide early warning system
for all natural hazards, building on existing national
and regional capacity. To assist in its establishment,
I shall be requesting the International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction secretariat to coordinate a survey
of existing capacities and gaps, in cooperation with
all United Nations system entities concerned, and I look
forward to receiving its findings and recommendations.
When disasters strike, we also need improved rapid response
arrangements for immediate humanitarian relief, which
are considered in section V below.
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Failure to incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction measures into strategies for
achieving the MDG’s will lead to instability as demonstrated by the
following graphic:
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