Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction
Asia and the Pacific
The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRR was held in Manila, the Philippines, with 7,000 ministers and participants in attendance. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who opened the event, emphasized funding as a priority issue of the conference and called for greater access for developing and least developed countries to financial resources. “We must significantly increase our investments and develop financing mechanisms in disaster risk reduction,” he said.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in discussions on key themes, including financing, inclusion and local-level engagement for disaster and climate resilience. The official deliberations were accompanied by major events and exhibitions, “Are You Ready? and Tsunami: Sea Change for Resilience”, engaging thousands of children and youth in prevention, as well as awards on women’s leadership in DRR.
Africa
After three days of discussions, the Ninth Session of the Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Namibia concluded with the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on advancing the Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 in Africa. This ambitious document sets the direction for the next three years, reinforcing Africa’s commitment to reducing disaster risks and building resilience across the continent.
Financing efforts were at the heart of the discussions. The Windhoek Declaration calls on Member States to increase budgetary allocation and establish innovative financing solutions, with support from regional and international partners to access funding, including for loss and damages and the EW4ALL initiative.
The Windhoek Declaration also reiterates the call for inclusivity, especially in legislation and policies, but also through better national systems for gathering disaggregated data. The event called for mainstreaming of DRR in development programmes, and aligned DRR strategies with sustainable development and climate resilience policies, ensuring coherent and comprehensive approaches across all levels of governance as climate-related disasters continue to grow.
Europe
The 2024 Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Budva, Montenegro, bringing together over 700 participants, including ministers, civil protection leaders and diverse stakeholders from 55 United Nations Member States.
In a show of unity, Member States endorsed a political declaration that committed to strengthening DRR and addressing the growing impacts of climate change in the region, ahead of COP29.
They acknowledged the escalating risks across the region, exacerbated by climate change, economic vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions, and committed to four targeted actions in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap 2021–2040: integrated action on DRR and climate resilience; inclusive risk governance; increased financing for resilience; and enhanced EWS.
Additionally, the Platform launched the Montenegro Call for Action on Earthquake Risk, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, improving technical capacity, and driving investments towards earthquake resilience.
Outcomes from these events, and the Regional Platform in the Arab States, will all feed into the Global Platform in Geneva in June 2025.