The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the 3^rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, March 2015 in Japan has seven strategic targets and 38 indicators for measuring progress on reducing disaster risk and losses. In 2016, “The Sendai Seven Campaign” was launched by UN Secretary-General to promote each of the seven targets over seven years. The 2020 target is “Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020” which lays the foundation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework and is closely linked with Priority for Action 2: “Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk”.

To strengthen the risk governance there are clear actions that we can take – as countries, communities, individuals and organizations – to improve how we manage disaster risk in order to reduce it. The issues of disaster risk governance – identifying and acknowledging, planning and acting on disaster risk – have come into sharp focus this year, as evidence accumulates of the failure of many countries to heed the many warnings in recent years, and prepare for global threats such as a major pandemic like COVID-19. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), Mami Mizutori, has highlighted the fact that only a few of the 86 national strategies for disaster risk reduction developed to date, make adequate inclusion of epidemic and pandemic risk management, including prevention and preparedness measures.

The United Nations General Assembly has selected 13^th October as International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction to encourage a global ethos of disaster risk reduction. In accordance to this day, Caritas India with the objective of (a) encouraging the national and community level events to mark the implementation of the Sendai Framework with a focus on disaster risk governance and Target (2020) and (b) to highlight achievements of selected states & agencies, has organized a virtual webinar on 13^th October, at 02:00 – 04:00 PM.

In the inaugural address by Fr. Jolly, Assistant Executive Director, Caritas India,  he shared the need of mainstreaming the inclusive & collaborative risk governance at all levels and how we can bring every stakeholder into this whole process.

This was followed by a special address from Shri Vyas Ji (Retd. IAS), who is currently rendering his wisdom as Vice-Chairperson of Bihar State Disaster Management Authority. Shri Vyas Ji shared about how a sub-national forward-looking governance can work along with the government’s experience on preparing DRR Roadmap in 2015 adopted after the Sendai Framework. He also shared about few achievements, the lessons learned and how different state governments can adopt it in respective state context working closely with CSOs.

Next in line were presentations from 4 speakers who have been working in the development sector (internationally and nationally) & CSR’s from many years. Mr. Zar Gomez, Regional Coordinator, Caritas Asia shared his experience of how “Empowering and resourcing local organization can result in successful DRR”.

Mr. Marshal, Associate Manager in HCL Foundation’s DRR unit – Chennai operations brought forward his experience on “CSR’s and the sustainability. How & what CSR’s are doing to ensure Sendai Framework’s principles”. How this existing government can tap into a public-private partnership, mitigation fund leverage from private/CSOs.

Moving to look forward to welfare approaches adopted at the grassroots level we had with us Ms. Aditi Kapoor, who has been into development sector from more than two decades and currently working as a Climate & Resilience Advisor for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies talked about the “Nature-based solutions to DRR and Climate Change Adaptation along with How Covid19 fits into this framework” focusing on the importance of blue, green and grey infrastructure.

The last session of the day was shared by Ms. Shivangi Chawda currently leads the GNDR flagship program Views from the Frontline (VFL) 2019 in 50 countries across Asia, Pacific, Africa, Europe, Arab States as well as the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Being an earthquake survivor of the 2001 Gujarat-Bhuj Earthquake herself, Shivangi felt the urge to serve humanity and joined the national organisation SEEDS India in 2001 and currently serving her passion under Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR).  Ms. Shivangi has talked about the how we have globally achieved towards achieving SDG or priorities which are led by COP 25 “Global conclusion on Risk & Resilience from frontline communities’ eye – the achievement, prevailing gaps and way forward from the bottom-top approach”. She shared the exclusion of community is rampant in policy formulation and emphasized on the importance of participation in governance.

Conclusion & way Foreword

The webinar concluded with the conclusion and way forward drawn by Mr. Rajesh Upadhyay, Head of Department, Caritas India concluded the event with a following way forward

1. Enhancing the change of knowledge, researches and findings that we are doing through various networks.
2. Collaboration between government and Non-government organizations is very important to take forward for joint learnings.
3. System strengthening especially the Inter-agency group collaborations at the bottom to top-level including different stakeholders.
4. The digital divide is a challenge in the country. However, we need to look solution using modern technology for awareness and community’s capacity building.
5. More focus should be put forward to integrated risk management and Eco based disaster solutions-based new grassroots models.
6. Closely linking with governance at ground level to the national level and inclusion of most excluded communities.