Localization and Urban and Rural Resilience

Disaster events are first felt at the local level, where households and communities are immediately exposed to the hazards. Moreover, vulnerability in these communities increases the losses and damages faced during disasters. However, these communities also have strong adaptive capacities that have reduced disaster risk the world over. Yet, their inclusion in the processes of disaster risk reduction decision making at the national, regional, and global levels remains largely untapped. This includes in decision making around resources, both financial and human, and the participation of groups which may be at greater risk, including women, children, and persons with disabilities, among others.

The Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction has underscored the critical need to enhance the involvement of local communities in disaster risk reduction efforts. It highlights that the localisation of disaster risk reduction is essential for achieving the Sendai Framework targets. Despite these recognised needs, local communities have limited access to capacity building, financial assistance, and technical expertise to continue building on disaster risk, a risk that is ever present in the Asia Pacific region where more than half the population—and growing—lives in urban areas whose growth is often unplanned.  

Yet, there are strong examples across the region where this capacity has been built and the experiences of local and urban communities has been integrated into larger processes. This has unequivocally led to a more inclusive, all-of-society approach to disaster risk reduction that leads to decreased disaster losses and damages. Through voices from across society and the Asia-Pacific region, this plenary session will highlight innovative approaches for communities to access financing, build capacity, and localize resilience initiatives to provide examples for governments, local organizations, and international partners to build upon in working to achieve the targets of the Sendai Framework.