The Strategy, Forum outcomes

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The Strategy,Forum outcomes

• Pablo Torrealba

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Proposed Forums Topics

• Discussion of the member economies on the
  strategy document
• Public/Private Investment, territorial planning
  and vulnerability reduction in future markets
• Support of Cooperation agencies and regional
  institutions to improve the proposal

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Internet Forum
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Outcomes of topic 1 Discussion of the member
economies on the strategy document

• Existing results
• In the Americas, ISDR is working on a thematic
  platform for urban risks (being cities complex
  systems)
• OIT DELNET program has developed the Disaster
  Risk Reduction Programme in its Local
  Sustainable development framework.

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Outcomes of topic 1 Discussion of the member
economies on the strategy document

• Comments to the existing Strategy document
• Preparedness and response elements dont appear
  to be all included as they should be. And risks
  indicators should include community services and
  not only commercial processes
• When centred in only 3 strategic lines (technical
  and economic cooperation investment
  liberalization and market facilitation) is too
  limited and does not allow to include local
  governments, grass-roots organizations and
  community impacts
• It is very important to strengthen local
  communities resilience, but seems isolated. This
  should be better integrated in the Strategy

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Outcome of Topic 2 Public/Private Investment,
territorial planning and vulnerability reduction
in future markets

• 4 questions were proposed to be discussed
• Which disaster impacts do you know from your
  experience?
• How does territorial knowledge or lack of
  knowledge influence the increase of negative
  disaster impacts?
• Which positive examples relating territorial
  management and vulnerability reduction do you
  know, in order to allow competitive economic
  activities to continue after extreme events?
• What kind of mechanisms should we implement in
  the years to come and before 2015 to avoid ENSO
  setback the economies?

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Outcome of Topic 2 Which disaster impacts do you
know from your experience?

• Disaster impact affects more those with less
  resources. Disasters and development should be
  discussed jointly
• There is a need to go from reactive actions to
  prospective actions. We should thing the
  challenge is to decrease vulnerabilities
• To reduce vulnerabilities, all actors should be
  aware, so mass communication media are
  fundamental allies
• Examples from El Niño in Peru and Katrina
  hurricane were given

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Outcome of Topic 2 How does territorial
knowledge or lack of knowledge influence the
increase of negative disaster impacts?

• Even though information access can not guarantee
  vulnerability reduction, lack of it surely
  produces vulnerabilities (2 examples from Peru)
• Civil Defences organizations in the Americas are
  often left aside after big disasters by
  temporary Gov. Organizations, generating
  confusion and institutional overlapping

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Outcome of Topic 2 Which positive examples
relating territorial management and vulnerability
reduction do you know, in order to allow
competitive economic activities to continue after
extreme events?

• Exposition levels are determined by territorial
  usage. Territorial planning is a key tool to
  reducing risks
• Development sustainability cant be ensured if it
  does not include territorial and risk management.
  Vulnerability needs to be recognized in order to
  include its reduction as a development and
  investment goal.

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Outcome of Topic 2 What kind of mechanisms
should we implement in the years to come and
before 2015 to avoid ENSO setback the economies?

• 7 out of 10 models predict one similar 82/83 ENSO
  during 2009-2015
• Education, policy, legal and scientific actions
  should then be taken, such as
• Generate local capacities in Risk Management and
  adapt the tools to territories and cultures
• Strengthen inter and intra-institutional
  coordination
• Support citizen participation in decision making
  for territorial planning and event monitoring
• Strengthen the scientific agenda with South-South
  and North-South cooperation
• APEC Strategy is then an opportunity by
  invigorating several processes such as technical
  information and good practices exchange,
  integrating information systems, and affecting
  policy

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Outcome of Topic 3 Support of Cooperation
agencies and regional institutions to improve the
proposal

• Suggestions
• Include the risk variable into public investments
  plans (with a risk analysis which methodology is
  still to be built). There is an example in Peru,
  supported by GTZ
• Systematize and disseminate case studies on risk
  variable inclusion in planning process, risk
  variable inclusion at local, national and
  regional levels
• Integrate all information systems by establishing
  exchange mechanisms for early warnings, impact
  information an disaster management, and
  territorial information for risk reduction
• The strategy should focus on strengthening
  existing capacities, develop research programs,
  develop information production programs, and
  define information production and exchange
  policies.

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Thank you

• Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and
  Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Asia
  Pacific region 2009-2015 Internet forum outcomes