Protecting development gains: 2008-2009 biennial report and 2010-2011 work plan highlights

This report documents the achievements of the UNISDR Asia and Pacific office, in its effort to support on-going disaster risk reducing (DRR) actions of people, governments, United Nations Country Teams, regional and international organizations, and the many stakeholders exposed to various hazards and risks during the 2008-2009 biennium in its 27 countries and 16 territories coverage, and its sub-regional offices in Suva, Fiji for the Pacific, as well as its liaison office in Kobe, Japan (UNISDR Hyogo Office).

The document reports on the office's success: (i) in rationalizing UNISDR operations, in supporting the service provision focus of the ISDR Asia Partnership (IAP), a key regional partnership on disaster risk reduction, and in strengthening systematic partnerships with inter-governmental sub-regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC); (ii) in the successful conclusion of the first regional joint work plan in the European Union-funded project, “Building Resilience to Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean,” which shows the potential of working together; and (iii) in the strong country-level leadership which led to holistic, integrated and multi-stakeholder approaches to the development of National Platforms (NP) for DRR, Strategic National Action Plans (SNAP) for DRR, and joint investment planning for DRR at the country level.

The report also shares the view of what can still be done, building upon the collaborative work with partners and donors, as UNISDR future vision can only be realised in a spirit of cooperation, collaboration and support. With evidence of what it can achieve, it outlines what is in store in 2010 and 2011 as an invitation to the reader to work with UNISDR in reducing disaster risk in the Asia-Pacific region.