Local and National Level Actions

UI2

Our Actions

governments to mainstream and integrate
Ask UN Secretary-General to invite member states to 01
01 National
disaster potential assessment and risk reduction within undertake the proposed action.
their development plans to promote economic growth.
governments to promptly develop people
02 National
centered warning systems, comprehensive flood risk
maps and assessments linked to communication
systems such as cell phone networks. These systems
to include observation and warnings for flash floods.
governments and key research institutes to03 Nationalverify and communicate the social and economic costeffectiveness of disaster risk reduction measures.
governments to establish or strengthen
04 National
national coordination committees in charge of water,sanitation and hygiene emergency responses during
and after disasters. UN-WASH cluster, WWC and IWA
to identify and promote the best tools including databaseof experts and taskforce for quick assessment of theWASH needs after disasters/conflicts.

Request WMO and UNESCO (via the International
Flood Initiative) to assist governments in undertaking
the proposed actions and invite international financial
institutions to support the fulfillment of the proposedactions.

02

Identify and request interested national governments
and key research institutes to conduct the proposedstudy.

04

Invite UN-WASH cluster to investigate the effectivenessof national coordination committees and to makerecommendations. Where such committees do notexist, member states to be invited to create them.
Invite the Heads of the UN-WASH cluster, WWC andIWA to request the proposed action.

05

governments and associations to design programmes Approach local government groups such as UCLG,
05 Local01
for capacity development, greater awareness of water- ICLEI and CITYNET to urge its members to realize therelated hazard risks, most vulnerable communities/groups,
educational programmes for young people.

Regional Level Actions
UN organizations to approach member
06 Regional
states to arrange among neighboring countries
mechanisms to help each other sharing informationand experiences, conduct disaster preparedness
drills, and dispatch human resources and urgent
supplies when needed.
Climate Centers are needed and should
07 Regional
provide outputs to national hydro climatic agencies

proposed actions.

Our Actions

UIApproach UN Secretary-General to ask UN regional
bodies to facilitate the proposed actions by memberstates.

04

Invite WMO to take the lead in strengthening and, wherenecessary, establishing Regional Climate Centers.

03

Ask the World Bank president and UN SecretaryGeneral to request their country offices and resident
coordinators to hold the proposed meetings.

04

which link users with early warnings, climate predictions,risk assessments and climate change scenarios.
The World Bank country offices, UN resident coordinators,
08 andnational governments to hold regular meetings on
disaster preparedness and risk reduction.
regional organizations and regional development
09 UN
banks to co-organize a workshop designed to increase

Ask UN regional organizations and regional development 01
banks to organize the proposed workshop.

public outreach and awareness of water-related risks.
development banks to convene regional
10 Regionalseminars on how effective disaster planning cancontribute to economic growth. Banks to propose
incorporation of disaster preparedness indevelopment plans.

2

Request regional development banks to invite waterrelated disasters and planning ministries and convene
proposed seminars.

01

Urgent Imperatives

Water and Disaster | 17Invite international financial institutions and River
Basin Organization networks to help river basinorganizations to develop proposed plans.

02

organizations to call for the establishment of
12 Regional
networks of ministers for water disasters.

Approach regional organizations such as ESCAP, ECLAC
to call for the establishment of the proposed networks.

01of regional organizations to identify gaps in
13 Heads
existing provision of disaster insurance. This to be

Approach heads of regional organizations such asSADC, ASEAN and UN regional economic
commissions to realize the proposed action.

01

networks to organize regional Water Summits
14 Regionalwith a special focus on disaster prevention.

Approach regional networks to realize the proposed
action.

01

relief bodies to organize regional workshops
15 Emergency
to promote better understanding of the current gap

Invite WASH cluster, ICRC, Early Recovery Cluster,
ECHO and the World Bank to organize the regionalworkshops.

05

River Basin Organizations to develop
11 International
early warning systems in transboundary river basins
and secure assistance from international financial
institutions for their implementation.

achieved via regional conferences in which insurancecompanies report on the benefits, potential andexperience of different types of insurance cover.

between emergency response, recovery anddevelopment plans.

Global level Actions

Our Actions

UI

to dedicate a substantial proportion of a
16 ECOSOC
future session to disaster management.

Approach the head of ECOSOC to realize the proposedaction.

01

to embed disaster potential assessment and
17 UNFCCC
risk reduction in adaptation to the impacts of climate

Recommend through the UNFCCC process thatmember states realize proposed actions withinappropriate conferences and negotiations.

03

Request IPCC and WMO respectively to include waterand disasters as a key topic in the preparatory processes
for the IPCC Special Report on the Management ofExtreme Events and the programme andrecommendations of the World Climate Conference.

03

change, and to urge Member States to promote disasterrisk reduction within their national adaptation plans.
and World Climate Conference to produce
18 IPCC
specific recommendations on the topic of water anddisasters in their 2009 events and the follow-up
processes.

Ask WMO/GWP/UNESCO to create the proposedto create a database on best
19 WMO/GWP/UNESCO
practice in responding to early warnings, and to approach database.

02

NGOs and local authorities active in community-based
flood risk management to register their experience.
regional organizations and regional development
20 UN
banks to organize workshops on how international

Approach UN regional organizations and regional
development banks to organize proposed workshops.

03

Ask UN Secretary-General to suggest OCHA to create
the proposed mechanism.

03

financing institutions and donors can help enhance
adaptation to climate change.
to create a mechanism whereby funds unused
21 OCHAin emergency appeals can be used for resilience andearly recovery.
Economic Forum, UN Global Compact, UN and22 World
international business associations to organize aworkshop to encourage the business sector to include
awareness-raising activities on disaster reduction andpreparedness in their CSR activities.
handbooks on water and sanitation responses
23 Existingby relief agencies to be appraised and existing data

Lobby the World Economic Forum, UN Global Compact, 01
and UN and international business associations toorganize proposed workshop.

Invite the UN-WASH Cluster and the WWC to undertake
this task.

05

exchanges and platforms to be reviewed. Gaps to be
filled in new handbooks to be identified.
organizations involved in post-disaster provision of24 All
WASH to adopt and respect a Code of Conduct.
18

Request WWC, UN-WASH cluster and ICRC to examine 04
the existing Code(s) of Conduct and to prepare a new one.

Bank to conduct a study to assess the relative
25 World
merits of structural and non-structural measures for

Ask the World Bank to conduct the proposed study.

04

Approach the World Bank to request countries torealize the proposed action.

03

Approach G8 states and OECD to call for proposed
dialogue process.

03

to no longer consider disaster risk reduction Request OECD/DAC to realize the proposed action.
28 OECD/DAC
solely a humanitarian task. This would enable donors to03

water-related disaster risk reduction.
Bank to request that countries add disaster
26 World
potential assessment and risk reduction andmanagement in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers.
G8 states and the OECD to initiate a North-South
27 Thedialogue on the role of disaster risk reduction as part ofadaptation to climate change.

increase their investment in preventative measures fordisaster risk reduction.
and international hydrological institutes must
29 Nationaltake the initiative to identify underlying analytical and data

Call key international hydrological and hydraulicinstitutes to realize proposed actions.

06

Request International Flood Initiative and internationalhydrological and hydraulic research institutes toconduct the proposed studies.

04

requirements to meet climate changes that are likely tobe highly uncertain and so as to support structural andnon-structural measures for disaster risk deduction.
International Flood Initiative and international
30 Thehydrological and hydraulic institutes to examine theefficiency and effectiveness of disaster prevention
measures and develop disaster preparedness indicesfor implementation by local authorities.

Chamber of Commerce to urge private sector Invite the International Chamber of Commerce to31 International
companies to incorporate disaster potential assessment
undertake the proposed action.

01

and risk reduction into their management policies.
government associations to urge members toContact local government associations such as UCLG, 01
32 Localintegrate disaster potential assessment and risk reduction ICLEI and CITYNET inviting them to urge their members
into their economic development planning and policy.
government groups such as UCLG, ICLEI and33 Local
CITYNET to help establish an international network ofto undertake the proposed action.
Contact local government groups such as UCLG, ICLEIand CITYNET to help establish the proposed network.

02

local governments for promoting disaster preparedness
and response including flood fighting and drills.
governments to declare hydro-climatic data as Appeal to heads of state by UNGA to make a declaration 06
34 National
public goods to be shared at all levels (regional, national endorsing this claim.
and local) in order to assist in disaster risk reduction.
governments to report to UN/ISDR on the current Approach UN/ISDR to realize the proposed action.
35 National
status of early warning systems in their country/region

02

including a map of areas covered by these systems.
states to call for the establishment of a Large Delta Identify and approach core member countries to call
36 Delta
States Network to jointly tackle the negative impacts offor the establishment of the proposed network.

06

sea level rise associated with ongoing climate change.
to declare an “International Year”on water and37 UNdisaster reduction in conjunction with related

Appeal to heads of state for establishing an“International Year” on water and disaster reduction.

01

Approach inter parliamentary organizations andassociations such as IPU and Globe to realize theproposed action.

01

international organizations.
parliamentary organizations and associations
38 Intersuch as IPU and Globe to request Parliaments aroundthe world to create a Day to discuss economic growth
and water-related disasters.

companies, governments, and international Invite reinsurance companies, governments, international 04
39 Reinsurance
financing institutions to create new funding mechanisms financing institutions to create the proposed mechanisms.
for preventing water-related disasters.
professional engineering societies to40 International
develop guidelines for water-resistant buildings.

Identify and approach appropriate international professional
engineering societies to develop the proposed guideline.

03

Water and Disaster | 19