A Risk Informed Approach to Sustainable Development and Resilience for Countries in Special Situations

25 May 2017
15:00 - 17:00
Arena A view map
Organizer(s)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS)
Contact
Ms. Elina Palm (palm@un.org)
Mr. Huw Beynon (beynon@un.org)
Participation: Public
Accessible: Yes
Primary floor language: English
Interpretation: Yes [AR, ZH, EN, FR, RU, ES]
ISL Interpretation: Yes
Live Broadcast: Yes
Remote Participation: Yes

Least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) include 90 of the world's most vulnerable countries. While a large number of poor people currently live in middle-income countries, it is estimated that around 21 percent of the world's population will live in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS by 2050.

Countries in special situations often bear the brunt of climate change, from the increasing intensity, frequency, and variability of extreme weather events, to drought and other slow onset disasters. The environmental, social, and economic consequences, including significant impacts on health, food security, and population displacement, are already being observed.

Acknowledging this, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction underscore that African countries, LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS, as well as middle-income countries facing specific challenges, warrant particular attention. This includes enhancing their capacity to implement these inter-governmental agreements at the national and local level, including through mobilizing international cooperation in the form of financial, technological, and technical assistance as means of implementation in accordance with their national priorities.

The plenary session will explore how countries in special situations can utilize the Sendai Framework to develop new and strengthen existing national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020. In particular, experiences and practical examples of how countries in special situations have developed and implemented innovative disaster risk reduction strategies tailored to their specific needs, vulnerabilities, and capacities will be shared. The session will also identify and share means to overcome the main gaps and obstacles that prevent some vulnerable countries from pursuing equitable economic growth and social development that does not exacerbate or generate disaster risk.

Videos

A Risk Informed Approach to Sustainable Development and Resilience for Countries in Special Situations