In September 2021 UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the pledge that “no one will be left behind” and to “endeavor to reach the furthest behind first”. This principle is ingrained in Target G of the Sendai Framework for Disaster risk reduction which is to “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.” Early warning saves lives, however one-third of the world’s people, mainly in the least developed countries and small island developing states, are still not covered by early warning systems. Access to EWS is not homogeneous. In ensuring that there is coverage however, explicit action must be taken to reach the poorest of the poor, curb inequalities, and confront discrimination to fast-track progress to ensure that all persons can access, understand and have the capacity to respond to the warnings.  This is the last mile of an effective MHEWS which has three critical components: multi-hazard, people centered and end to end. Recent disasters in the Caribbean and the Americas highlight the need to scale up actions that ensure EWS are inclusive. Vulnerable people, including disadvantaged people groups, undocumented migrants, older persons and persons with disabilities, women, and children among others must not be left behind.

Session objectives

1. To highlight the importance of leaving no one behind- addressing  inclusiveness and diversity in EWS.
2. To highlight who is being left behind and why (the key drivers) in the context of the Caribbean and the Americas.
3. To demonstrate how science and technology can be leveraged to bridge gaps in access- inequalities.
4. To show progress being made to ensure EWS reach the most vulnerable, to address inequalities and discrimination.
5. To provide recommendations to bridge the gap in EWS to ensure that no one is left behind, including to address the role of youth.

The panel is made up of two renowned world experts in development, risk management and climate change. The panel seeks to answer the main questions of a select group of women regarding the main challenges that risk management and climate change have in the processes related to prospective risk management and investment.

Allan and Andrew have been part of numerous joint projects, representing different institutions as experts in Risk Management, Climate Change and Development. For decades, they have developed a crusade to communicate the importance of reducing the risk of disasters faced by the exposed and vulnerable population.

Risk is in the DNA of development, which is why knowledge of risk, particularly its systematic, intensive and extensive expression that is present as a sine qua non condition, dictates concrete actions that increase the resilience of livelihoods and resistance. of the infrastructures.

The systemic risk perspective must propose a methodological response to act at different levels in a systemic way to complex economic, environmental, social and governance problems in order to move towards real sustainable development beyond 2030.

Session objectives

• Reflect on the state of the art of investment for disaster risk reduction and prospective risk management.
• Propose concrete ideas to promote public and private investment that reduces the risk of disasters.
• Evaluate the path that has been forged in risk management considering events that can trigger global crises such as pandemics, wars, hacks, etc.
• Rethinking the way forward for disaster risk management, within the framework of the climate change adaptation and mitigation agenda towards 2030, 2050 and 2100.

The Sendai Framework recognizes a systemic vision of risk and emphasizes the promotion of transversal and inter-institutional governance, as well as the inclusion of vulnerable populations. This parallel session will stimulate the understanding and appropriation of this perspective from a regional and community analytical perspective.

Session objectives

The purpose of the session is to share with the public the meaning of the concept of systemic risk, in such a way that its understanding, based on science, can be useful for all the actors involved in disaster risk reduction. This task will be carried out based on the following objectives:

1. Offer a comprehensive perspective of the dynamics, relationship, and interdependence between socioeconomic and environmental systems, whose vision incorporates the territorial, economic, social, political, institutional, community, and risk governance dimensions;
2. Highlight the importance that science-based risk communication should have, as well as decision-making in the context of the interaction of socioeconomic and environmental systems at their different territorial and administrative scales, from the local to the global, and their impact on disaster risk reduction.

The parallel session seeks to provide participants with a regional look at the infrastructure agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean, based on technical and political dialogue around the concept of "resilient infrastructure."

In order to achieve the objectives set for SP8, a balance will be sought between technical/scientific knowledge, regulatory principles/frameworks, examples of good practices, and the challenges of the future resilient infrastructure agenda.

It is essential to highlight that the concept of infrastructure will be addressed comprehensively, including: (i) physical infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and green infrastructure; (ii) regional, national and local perspectives; (iii) an active participation of the face-to-face and virtual attendees to the session in the selection of the questions for the presenters; (iv) a geographic and gender balance for the experts and the person in charge of moderation.

Session objectives

1. Present the panorama, context and needs of public and private investment in infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. Discuss the challenges and implications of systemic risks in the design, construction and operation of infrastructure.
3. Socialize advances in measuring the resilience of infrastructure.

In the Americas and the Caribbean, disasters increasingly affect urban areas, predominantly small and medium-sized cities, which were affected by 80% of urban events between 1995 and 2015.

Unplanned urbanization processes in the region have led to the concentration of risks and vulnerabilities in households, livelihoods, infrastructure, and socioeconomic assets. In informal settlements, disaster risks are linked to various other challenges, for example, unequal conditions, social cohesion, population displacement, and citizen security. For this reason, comprehensive joint efforts are required to influence the socio-economic and institutional causes that generate risk.

In this way, the session is related to SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities – specifically focused on making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. More specifically, it contributes to the achievement of Target 11.5, which focuses on the need to reduce the human and economic cost of disasters in cities.

In addition, the session is linked to the UN New Urban Agenda, in particular to articles 77-78 that promote resilience building through spatial planning, inclusive planning to reduce vulnerabilities (in formal and informal settlements) and strengthening the capacities of households, communities, institutions and services to respond to and recover from disasters in a transformative way.

The session is also linked to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which emphasizes the critical role of local governments in reducing disaster risk. Risk management in urban areas cuts across the four priorities of the Sendai Framework, since it requires "localizing" the processes of understanding risk, integrating it into urban governance, investing in resilience and risk reduction, and strengthening the response and recovery capabilities.

Session objectives

1. Recognizing the complexity of the urban problem and the determining factors that are exacerbating the generation of risk conditions, motivate the reflection of government actors, the private sector, civil society and international organizations on the importance of a specific intervention in urban areas.
2. Identify key elements to take into account for risk management in urban areas, based on the experiences of actors from different territorial levels (e.g. urban governance, community participation, involvement of the private sector, science and technology).
3. Explore entry points for a comprehensive and inclusive intervention towards urban risk management, linked to development processes, based on existing capacities and opportunities.

The discussion will provide key information on the incorporation of nature as a solution in technical and political processes to generate more resilient territories and improve the quality of life.

The discussion space will provide a comprehensive vision of the implementation of NbS at a demonstrative level, the monitoring, systematization and generation of knowledge around the application of NbS and how these are complementary to other approaches and capacities, facilitating their inclusion in programs and development actions.

The results will provide guidelines to facilitate the integration of science and technology through NBS at all levels (plans, programs and budgets), as part of the commitment to address disaster risk reduction and increased resilience in the context of the sustainable development.

The discussion is also intended to serve as a resource for national and local capacity building by exploring the role of NBS in Comprehensive Risk Management, what funding opportunities exist for implementation, and how these local actions can be incorporated into development projects. larger.

Session objectives

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• Exchange multisectoral experiences on how NbS-related science and technology can be applied to reduce climate risks by investing in the sustainable management of protected areas, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and cities.
• Indicate how climate changes are interrelated with human activities with ecosystems and the main tools and approaches available in the application of NbS to reduce risks.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Provide technical and practical elements that guide the application of NBS and its contribution to the protection, conservation and restoration of protected areas, terrestrial, marine, natural or modified ecosystems, and sustainable cities.
• Provide evidence of the benefits of NbS implementation in terms of increased adaptive capacity of ecosystems, investment, job creation and sustainable livelihoods for communities.
• Evidence aspects for the articulation of these solutions at the subnational level with adaptation strategies at the national level.
• Understand the co-benefits of NBS implementation with a landscape approach, both for the field of adaptation and mitigation to Climate Change.

The development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MiPYMES) is a priority for sustainable economic growth and productive development in the region. According to the OECD (2019) and SELA (2022), MiPYMES, large entities that generate value for our communities, represent more than 90 percent of the companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and are responsible for 60 percent. percent of the sources of formal work in the region, and contribute, in particular, to the maintenance of the means of subsistence of groups in situations of poverty and vulnerability (women, youth, among others).

It is important to measure the magnitude and responsibility that MiPYMES have in the face of different threats, as well as the impacts of different disasters (mainly the result of climatic and hydrometeorological threats) and conflicts. According to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), between 40% and 60% of small businesses close their doors permanently after disasters caused by hurricanes and tornadoes ; occurrence of impacts of earthquakes or floods and fires, for different reasons that will be analyzed in the session.

Given the current climate crisis scenario and in these post-pandemic learning periods, it is important to ask ourselves: how can MiPYMES face these challenges, expand their life range and increase their profitability at the same time? One answer would be in digital transformation, an ally for reducing costs, disaster risk and increasing value produced in communities, which makes it possible to guarantee business continuity, provide greater competitive advantages and promote sustainability in business models. business.

Sources:

https://www.oecd.org/latin-america/programa-regional/productividad/desarrollo-de-las-pymes/

https://tecnopymes.cl/2019/03/26/la-tecnologia-es-fundamental-en-el-desarrollo-de-las-pymes/

https://iberonewsla.com/pymes-en-america-latina/

Session objectives

1. Understand how more sustainable MSMEs with less vulnerability contribute to DRM and the role of science and technology in that purpose
2. Position the importance of DRR and Business Resilience for the sustainability of business models
3. Know first-hand the pain points for MiPYMES in the region
4. Connect theory with the experience of entrepreneurs in the field
5. Present how digital transformation is key to the development of more competitive, disaster resilient and sustainable MiPYMES
6. Share solutions and good practices to develop MiPYMES more resilient to disasters.

The session will rescue experiences and good practices from the Central American, Caribbean and Pacific subregions and from those people who are most exposed to high levels of disaster risk, showing examples of how the knowledge of communities and indigenous peoples represents a relevant opportunity and low-cost to build resilience. A space for the exchange of experiences and learning will be promoted, highlighting the knowledge of the communities and discussing the articulation or reflection of this knowledge with the academy and the education systems of the indigenous peoples, who have autonomy, government and own education. Sustainable community solutions centered on people as active subjects of the GdR will be shown, and a debate will be generated on how this knowledge could be integrated into the national systems of GdR. An intersectional perspective of how vulnerability factors related to gender, age and ethnic origin come together will also be addressed.

In this sense, there will also be a discussion on how to recognize, value and promote the exchange of intergenerational knowledge and ancestral knowledge, especially indigenous women. The role of women and how these experiences are harmonized with agendas, as well as public policies, strategies or plans for DRR under the intersectional gender perspective or approach.

Session objectives

The objective of the session is, through the voices of the community, to give visibility to those experiences and local knowledge that arise from the communities to respond to threats, and that are the result of knowledge accumulated at the local level. Likewise, it seeks to highlight the experience accumulated by civil society in the Latin American and Caribbean region, as well as the long tradition of working in knowledge networks. Finally, it is expected to promote the incorporation of local and ancestral knowledge in governance and national GDR systems.