G20 nations discuss disaster risk reduction amid rising frequency of natural calamities

With the increasing frequency and severity of disasters that are wreaking havoc around the world, India, under its Presidency of the Group of 20 nationshas constituted a first-of-its-kind Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group. After completing the initial meetings in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the G20 Working Group commenced its third meeting in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

This key outcome of this meeting is expected to be the release of the Communique or the Joint statement, which is a set of recommendations that the group will put forth to the Sherpa (G20 representative of the Head of State/Head of Government) and will thereafter be discussed at the G20 Leaders meeting in September, at New Delhi.

Ambition of G20Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group must match scale of problem: PK Mishra

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Speaking at the inaugural session, Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the effects of climate change, and related disasters and listed out the Forest fires in Canada, the resultant haze in North America, major cyclonic activity on India's East and West Coast, unprecedented flooding in New Delhi (worst in 45yrs), among others. "Climate change-relateddisasters are already here - enormous, interconnected and affect everyone across the planet. The ambition of this group must match the scale of the problem, we need a transformation of local, national and global disaster risk reduction systems" he said.

According to Kamal Kishore, Member Secretary of India's National Disaster Management Authority, the key focus areas of this group are: Ensure early warning for all, Investing in climate and disaster resilient infrastructure, Improving financing framework for disaster risk reduction, Improve systems for better post-disaster recovery, Ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction.

Preparing for and working towards reducing the risk of disasters is the primary objective of India's National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) and this activity is now being taken to the global stage and the exchange of ideas is being carried out with foreign counterparts, he said.

Spotlight on Sendai Framework

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Member, NDMA said that the G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Meeting was aimed at fulfilling the criteria that are envisioned by the Sendai Framework.The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides Member States with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.

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The Sendai Framework works hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, including The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), and advocates for: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.

Queried about the increased international cooperation in sharing sensor data and warnings on Tsunami, earthquakes, and cyclones,Kamal Kishore told WION that the observation data from various sensors are global public goods and such data is fed to global models and is useful to all nations. He also highlighted the need to improve the density of such networks, provideaccess to warnings and timely dissemination and the capability to act on the warnings.

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