2020 – Target Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020 A detailed report on celebration of IDDR, 2020 and local DRR strategies adopted for management of COVID-19 hazard vis a vis Flood in Assam Report prepared By - Assam State Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of Assam “Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance to manage disaster risk” A BRIEF BACKGROUND 2019–Target (d): Substantially reduce disaster The United Nations General Assembly has damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of designated 13 October as International Day for basic services, among them health and educational Disaster Risk Reduction to promote a global culture facilities, including through developing their resilience of disaster risk reduction. It is an opportunity to by 2030; acknowledge the progress being made toward 2020 –Target (e): Substantially increase the number reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods of countries with national and local disaster risk and health in line with the Sendai Framework for reduction strategies by 2020; Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the 2021–Target (f): Substantially enhance international Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk cooperation to developing countries through Reduction in Japan in March 2015. adequate and sustainable support to complement In 2016, the UN Secretary-General launched “The their national actions for implementation of the Sendai Seven Campaign” to promote each of the present Framework by 2030; seven targets of Sendai Framework over seven 2022–Target (g): Substantially increase the years. availability of and access to multi-hazard early Sendai Seven Targets are as below: warning systems and disaster risk information and 2016 – Target (a): Substantially reduce global assessments to people by 2030. disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower the This year the target was “Substantially increase the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the number of countries with national and local disaster decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005- risk reduction strategies by 2020” which lays the 2015; foundation for the implementation of the Sendai 2017 – Target (b): Substantially reduce the number Framework and is closely linked with Priority for of people affected globally by 2030, aiming to lower Action 2: the average global figure per 100,000 in the decade “Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance to manage 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015; disaster risk” 2018 – Target (c): Reduce direct disaster economic Goal: Identify advocacy opportunities to highlight how loss in relation to global gross domestic product good disaster risk governance, planning and (GDP) by 2030; implementation leads to reduced numbers of people 3 | P a g e affected by disasters (especially in terms of death, achieve the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris injury, displacement and loss of livelihood). Agreement. Good planning, national and local DRR Objectives: strategies saves lives and reduces the risk of Promote and encourage events at State, displacement in floods, storms and drought. 25 million District and community level to mark people are displaced every year by climate and implementation of the Sendai Framework weather. Planning for drought, heatwaves and with a focus on governance and Target E, wildfires in local DRR strategies can reduce the risk Highlight challenges faced with the COVID- of all three and speed up adaptation to climate 19 pandemic; change. It is important to include the potentially Develop capacity to implement integrated vulnerable in developing and implementing a local whole-of-society action on disaster risk strategy to reduce disaster risk. #COVID19 has reduction including for biological risks and reinforced the need for people with life-threatening hazards; and chronic disease, living with disability or in poverty, Integrate risks associated with biological to be included in the design of policies and plans to hazards, including pandemics, in local manage their risks. Risk-informed land use planning strategies for disaster risk reduction and building codes are key elements of any national (especially in District DM Plan, Departmental strategy to reduce disaster risk. Careful planning DM Plan, Village DM Plan, School DM Plan around the location of critical infrastructure saves etc.) lives and avoids economic losses. Schools, hospitals, Integrate in Local DRR strategies the risk of bridges, roads, public utilities should be planned in climate emergency and full blown pandemic such a way to make sure they are still there when we at the same time need them most. Unplanned urbanization creates greater risk of floods. Too many people die in Disaster Risk Reduction requires all of society earthquakes, floods and storms because of poor engagement to develop and successfully implement planning and failure to implement adequate building local strategies for disaster risk reduction. Unless codes. Climate and extreme weather displace an global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent average of 25 million people every year in their own each year between 2020 and 2030, the world will not countries. Reducing risk of displacement needs to be 4 | P a g e a goal of local DRR strategies. About 95% of Some questions for local authorities to consider #COVID19 cases have come from urban areas. for promoting the day- Pandemic preparedness in cities and towns must be Do your local strategies for disaster risk reduction take adequate account of included in urban and local strategies for disaster risk biological, technological and environmental reduction. Disaster risk reduction is the desired hazards and risks? outcome of all measures which can be taken to Have you been able to establish and strengthen government coordination forums reduce loss of life, injury and displacement, damage composed of relevant stakeholders at the to critical infrastructure and loss of access to basic state and local levels, such as State and services, because of both man-made and natural local platforms for disaster risk reduction? Have you designated focal point for hazards. #COVID19 shows that consumption implementing the Sendai Framework for patterns, travel & trade, urban density, lack of access Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030? to clean water combined with poor risk management Are you addressing disaster risk in publicly owned, managed or regulated services and creates conditions for an outbreak to become an infrastructures? epidemic, a pandemic– and a global economic & Do you include financial incentives, public social disaster. If we do not improve disaster risk awareness-raising and training initiatives? Does your local strategy for disaster risk governance, the #COVID-19 pandemic will be viewed reduction have a clear vision supported by by future generations as a lesson that was ignored in plans, the necessary competence, the course of destroying the planet. The greatest legislation, resources, guidance and co- ordination within and across sectors? single driver of disaster risk is weak governance and Have you put in place organizational lack of political commitment to invest in disaster structures to implement the Sendai prevention. Good governance means good national Framework or risk-informed sustainable development? and local DRR strategies. If the benefits of investing in disaster risk reduction were fully realised, we would not be facing a global economic crisis. The world would have been better prepared to mitigate the impact of the #COVID19 pandemic. Good disaster risk governance can be measured by lives saved, fewer people affected and reduced economic losses. 5 | P a g e CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY (State Disaster Risk Management Fund) to sensitize FOR DISASTER REDUCTION, (IDDR, 2020) people and minimize deaths. He laid more focus on ON 13TH OCTOBER, 2020 the cause of drowning of people which is a major Assam State Disaster Management Authority concern during flood every year. He talked about (ASDMA) celebrated the International Day for strengthening village level teams for better Disaster Reduction (IDDR) on 13th October, 2020. To preparedness and implementation of community mark the occasion of International Day for Disaster based disaster risk reduction activities. Reduction, a Video Conference was held under the Chairmanship of Shri. M.S. Manivannan, IAS, Chief Executive Officer (CEO, ASDMA) with all the Deputy Commissioners of Assam. The Video Conference was attended by the staff of District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) s. The Video After the speech from Chairperson, a short Conference was chaired by Shri. M.S. Manivannan, presentation was made by Shri. Mukta Ram Deka, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary (Revenue & DM & Project Manager (DRR) on the “Cumulative Flood Chief Executive Officer (ASDMA) and convened by Deaths of last 5 years” and an analysis of flood deaths Shri. Dhiraj Saud, ACS (Deputy Secretary & State that occurred in last 5 years. Project Co-ordinator, ASDMA). Shri. Manivannan highlighted on the sufferings every year due to floods The Deputy Commissioners of Barpeta, Goalpara, in Assam. He also mentioned about loss of precious Morigaon, Kokrajhar presented the cause of death in lives every year and that the trend of loss of lives is their District along with initiatives taken to minimize increasing day by day. He spoke about the concern the deaths. The reasons for increasing death were of losing 122 lives in 2020 flood and the trend in last discussed