ADRC Online DRR Seminar Series
18 October 2021(Mon.)
15:00 - 16:30[Japan Time, UTC+9]

Fifth Seminar

Promoting Disaster Mitigation Strategies for Urban Resilience
Objectives
The seminar aims to facilitate discussions about new tools and approaches to enhance awarenessamong ADRC counterparts (focal points of promoting DRR in the government). It specifically aims
to share: (i) current state of promoting mitigation strategies in urban areas, including
achievements, challenges, and possible solutions to problems we are facing; (ii) recent strategies
of mainstreaming DRR in urban development; and (iii) new approaches of working together toachieve urban resilience.

Mr. KORESAWA Atsushi

Ms. Pragya Pradhan

Mr. Ibani Padao

Mr. Christopher Rollo

Ms. Pannapa Na Nan

Chief
Monitoring and Evaluation
Division
Environmental, Land Useand Urban Planning andDevelopment Bureau,
Department of Human
Settlements and Urban
Development (DHSUD),
Philippines

Country ProgrammeManager
UN Habitat Philippines

Director
International Cooperation
Section, Research andInternational Cooperation
Bureau, Department ofDisaster Prevention andMitigation, Ministry ofInterior, Thailand

Dr. NGUYEN David N.

Regional Representative forAsia and the Pacific
UN-Habitat Regional Office
Fukuoka, JapanCountry ProgrammeManager
UN Habitat NepalRegister

https://bit.ly/adrcseminar5

YouTubehttps://youtu.be/wnD1cJT3lDA

ADRC Online DRR Seminar Secretariat

https://acdr.adrc.asia/home/2021Seminar

drr2021seminar@adrc.asia

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SeriesFifth Seminar

Agenda：15 00Opening
Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaaki
Executive Director, Asian Disaster Reduction Center ADRC , Kobe, Japan（：15 10：15 25：15 35）

UN-HABITAT’S WORK ON URBAN RESILIENCE IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Mr. KORESAWA AtsushiRegional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UN-Habitat Regional Office Fukuoka, JapanHIGHLIGHTS OF UN-HABITAT’S URBAN RESILIENCE PROGRAMME IN NEPALMs. Pragya PRADHANCountry Programme Manager, UN-Habitat Nepal
MAINSTREAMING DRR IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF THE PHILIPPINES
Mr. Ibani PADAO
Chief, Monitoring and Evaluation Division
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Philippines
Mr. Christopher ROLLOCountry Programme Manager, UN-Habitat Philippines：15 50：16：25
16：30
16 00

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION IN URBAN RESILIENCE IN THAILANDMs. PANNAPA Na Nan
Director, International Cooperation Section, Research and International Cooperation Bureau
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of Interior, Thailand
Discussions
ClosingENDADRC Online
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Summary

Urbanization accumulates disaster vulnerabilities when more people settle in weak buildings, use poortransportation and roads, and are increasingly exposed to the threats of floods, landslides, and tsunamis. In
this context, what actions have been promoted to mitigate disaster risks and prevent the loss of homes,
livelihoods, and lives? At the Fifth ADRC Online DRR Seminar held on 18 October 2021, speakers presented
various perspectives, tools, and approaches of promoting disaster mitigation strategies for urban resilience to127 participants from 14 countries.
Regional-Level Mitigation Strategies. Highlighting UN-Habitat’s programs on urban resilience in Asia andthe Pacific, Mr. KORESAWA Atsushi (Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UN-Habitat)
introduced the Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI) which has been implemented since 2009, andcovering 256 communities in 53 cities across 19 countries. CCCI supports cities in responding to the negative
impact of climate change by putting emphasis on participatory processes, sound analysis, sustainable urban
planning, good governance, responsive leadership, and practical initiatives at all levels. In implementing thesestrategies, UN-Habitat developed a range of normative and operational guidelines that communities couldadopt to assess their vulnerabilities and make risk-informed decision in planning and implementing theiractivities.
Mitigation Strategies in Nepal. In promoting urban resilience in Nepal, Ms. Pragya PRADHAN (CountryProgramme Manager, UN-Habitat Nepal) highlighted the recovery and mitigation strategies of preserving theheritage settlements, which were damaged during the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. One of the strategies isthrough “green-reconstruction” – an environmentally-sound practice of rebuilding heritage settlements that islinked with livelihood recovery. In the course of implementing the resilience programme, Ms. Pradhan pointed
out two key lessons. First, development efforts must be complemented with disaster risk reduction (DRR)
efforts to safeguard life and investment through risk informed spatial development planning, infrastructure
investments, and economic activities that caters to the need of all. Second, urban resilience is multidimensional that entails strengthening of social, economic, institutional, and spatial aspects.
Mitigation Strategies in the Philippines. One of the key mitigation strategies in the Philippines ismainstreaming DRR in urban development. Mr. Ibani PADAO (Chief, Monitoring and Evaluation Division
DHSUD, Philippines) reported that DRR has been integrated in the National Housing and Urban Development
Sector Plan (NHUDSP). Since the local governments are at the frontline in the implementation process, thenational government has provided relevant tools and guidelines to resiliency planning. These include:
Mainstreaming Guidelines for Local Land Use and Shelter Plans; Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment(CDRA) Tool; and National Guide for Climate Resilient Urban Plans and Designs. Regarding how thesestrategies and tools were utilized, Mr. Christopher ROLLO (Country Programme Manager, UN-Habitat
Philippines) presented the case of Legazpi City in developing and implementing the adaptation strategy forflood hazard. Legazpi city utilized the government’s resiliency tools/guidelines to come up with systematic andevidence-based structuring (e.g., designing sites and buildings that promotes structural resilience, safety ofpeople and facilitates evacuation and rescue). In addition, Mr. Rollo reported the case of Rebuilding Marawi
City following the Siege in 2017 through the “people’s process”. This process empowered and promoted social
cohesion, resulting in faster, cheaper, acceptable, and better-quality reconstruction.

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Summary

Mitigation Strategies in Thailand. Ms. PANNAPA Na Nan (Director, International Cooperation Section,DDPM Thailand) reported that the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has been
constantly improving its disaster mitigation efforts, especially after the 2011 floods that greatly impacted thecountry. Following that disaster, DDPM was sued by various stakeholders and it faced about 500 cases incourt. In improving the disaster mitigation strategy, DDPM leverages international cooperation support,
particularly through the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) and AHA Centre inimplementing urban resilience projects (e.g., community-based flood management project). Based on pastexperiences and learning from other ASEAN countries, DDPM came up with a range of disaster mitigation
strategies, including: integration of structural and non-structural DRR measures; promoting synergy andintegration of efforts from all levels; single plan with clear line of command and control; localization, and one
disaster management system.
As participants raised a number of questions during the discussions, Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaaki (ExecutiveDirector, ADRC), who moderated the event, noted them for his summary. He pointed that the phenomenon ofpeople moving from city centres to the suburbs during the COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns on how toreconcile this momentum with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and urban resilience while avoiding
urban sprawl. Quoting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying, “Today, we have the opportunity toreset our thinking on how we live, interact, and rebuild our cities”, Mr. Nakagawa mentioned that building
disaster resilient society is the overarching theme of the upcoming Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction(ACDR) that will further provide an opportunity to discuss other initiatives and actions to promote disaster
resilience.