PH-hosted APMCDRR 2024 to accelerate risk reduction programs

MANILA – The 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) next month is expected to provide local government units (LGUs) with a vital platform to enhance disaster risk reduction strategies, adopt best practices from other countries, and fast-track mitigation programs.

Hosted by the Philippines for the first time, the APMCDRR on Oct. 14 to 18 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City will train the spotlight on disaster risk reduction initiatives and investments of participating nations.

The biennial event is expected to draw over 4,000 participants from 69 countries, convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

The 2024 conference theme is "Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction," underscoring the urgency of strengthening regional efforts to ensure a safer future for all.

"The ministerial conference aims to offer LGUs a platform to share knowledge, learn from good practices and access innovative tools and financing," Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said in a news release on Friday.

The event aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to improve disaster resilience across Filipino communities and LGUs, while encouraging investment in risk reduction strategies to protect lives and livelihoods.

Loyzaga said that the conference will offer LGUs the chance to learn from one another.

A key session, titled "Enhancing Capacity and Resources for Local Resilience," will focus on capacity-building, assessments of local resilience and efficient resource allocation.

"The goal is to help LGUs overcome challenges by using successful global examples," she added.

Among the showcased disaster risk reduction techniques are multi-hazard early warning systems successfully implemented in regions like the Caribbean for hurricanes, Japan for geohazards and landslides, and Bangladesh for flooding.

Localities in the Philippines, such as Makati City, have also adopted the systems to prepare for multiple hazards.

Co-organized by the UNDRR, DENR and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the APMCDRR 2024 will bring together governments, organizations, businesses and community groups.

The conference serves as the primary platform in the Asia-Pacific region for monitoring and reviewing progress on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The framework adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015 outlines seven clear targets and four priorities for action to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks: understanding disaster risk; strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; investing in disaster reduction for resilience; and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to build back better in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

It aims to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health, and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries over the next 15 years. (PNA)