Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: November 2021 Edition

Youth set stage for Americans and Caribbean Regional Platform 
Young people from across the Americas and the Caribbean have asked for a greater role in preparing and implementing policies to reduce disaster risk in one of the most hazard-prone regions of the world. The Youth Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction is an opportunity for some of the region’s 106 million young people to share priorities, concerns and make proposals over four hours of presentations, plenary sessions and panels.

Climate risk assessment gaps: seamless integration of weather and climate information for community resilience
Understanding climate and weather impacts is essential for risk assessment and building resilience. In this blog, Bapon Fakhruddin and Jana Sillmann examine how collaborative digital platforms to integrate and share weather and climate information could support risk assessment.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction with Bapon Fakhruddin
October 13 marked the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – a UN observed day that highlights the importance of international cooperation to reduce disaster risk and save lives. For Tonkin + Taylor Technical Director – DRR and Natural Hazards, Bapon Fakhruddin, protecting communities vulnerable to disaster became his life’s work. In recognition of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we asked Bapon to reflect on his journey in DRR, how DRR has interfaced with climate change, and advice to share with the emerging generation of DRR practitioners.

UNDRR-ISC Hazard Definition & Classification Review – Technical Report
The UNDRR/ISC Sendai Hazard Definition and Classification Review Technical Report supports all other agreements such as the Sendai framework, sustainable development goals-agenda 2030 and the Paris agreement by providing a common set of hazard definitions for monitoring and reviewing implementation which calls for “a data revolution, rigorous accountability mechanisms and renewed global partnerships”

COP26: Special report on Climate Change and Health
Extreme heat, floods, droughts, wildfires and hurricanes: 2021 has broken many records. Health and equity are central to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and to making COP26 a success. Protecting health requires action well beyond the health sector, in energy, transport, nature, food systems, finance and more. The ten recommendations outlined in this report – and the action points, resources and case studies that support them – provide concrete examples of interventions that, with support, can be scaled up rapidly to safeguard our health and our climate.

How Atma and The Nature Conservancy Joined Forces to Share Resources for the Disaster Risk Reduction Community
The Atma Connect tech team landed a contract to build a robust learning platform to serve this audience, the team leapt into action. Here’s a look at how the tech team quickly created a platform for The Nature Conservancy to support DRR professionals and humanitarian organizations in how to use nature to reduce coastal disaster risk

New report offers concrete steps for risk-informed investment
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) launched a new report this week – Delivering risk-informed investment: addressing the barriers – which offers eight concrete areas where stakeholders can take immediate action to incorporate disaster risk into their investment decisions.

International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction: Target F
This report highlights low levels of investments in disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction for the world’s most vulnerable countries. The costs benefits of investing in prevention and resilience have been demonstrated time and time again, but for every US$100 of disaster-related Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), only 50 cents are invested in protecting development from the impact of disasters.

USA: Federal Climate Adaptation Plans 
As directed by President Biden’s January 28, 2021, Executive Order 14008, major Federal agencies are required to develop an adaptation and resilience plan to address their most significant climate risks and vulnerabilities. On October 7, 2021, the White House announced the release of more than 20 Federal Agency Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plans

1-12 November – COP26 – Glasgow
COP26 Summit runs from the 31st October till the 12th of November. The aim is to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris agreement and the UN framework on climate change.

Fifth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 8 November 2021 – 11 November 2021 Online Rabat Morocco
Hosted by the Government of Morocco, the Fifth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction will be organised under the theme “From Risk to Resilience: Accelerating Local Action for Disaster Risk Reduction” from 8 to 11 November 2021.

International Data Week 2022, 8-11 Nov 2021, Seoul, South Korea
The International Science Council’s Committee on Data (CODATA) and World Data System (WDS), and the Research Data Alliance (RDA) are delighted to announce that the 2021 edition of International Data Week (IDW 2021) will be held on 8–11 November 2021 in Seoul, South Korea.

Eighth Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 
The Government of the Republic of Kenya will host the Eighth Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Seventh High-Level Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction from 16-19 November 2021. The Africa Regional Platform will be held under the overarching theme: “Towards disaster, Risk informed Development for a Resilient Africa in a COVID-19 Transformed World.”

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021: Pacific Webinar
In 2021, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) will position the World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) as an opportunity to advocate for reducing tsunami risk globally in the context of the “Safe Ocean” outcome of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and the promotion of International Cooperation to Developing Countries, the chosen target for this year’s edition of the Sendai Seven Campaign.