Legarda Echoes UN’s Call for Effective Risk Governance

FOLLOWING THE REGIONAL LAUNCH FOR ASIA OF THE 2011 UNITED NATIONS’ GLOBAL ASSESSMENT REPORT ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN BANGKOK, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA RENEWED HER CALL FOR A CLEAR STRATEGY ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (DRR) BY BOTH THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
Citing the Report which monitors the progress in DRR and offers suggestions on improving nations’ efforts to reduce disaster risks, Legarda pointed out that the national government, particularly the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), must ensure policy coherence in disaster risk management (DRM).
“The NDRRMC should drive the strategic vision for disaster risk reduction that allows for the immediate and full implementation of proactive measures such as early warning and forecasting systems,” said the Chair of the Committee on Climate Change.
“The NDRRMC should ensure that disaster preparedness mechanisms are in place across all levels long before a typhoon makes a landfall or an earthquake happens,” she added.
The Senator also noted that the Report clearly established that decentralization, accompanied by clear mandates and sufficient budget, promotes improved disaster risk governance capacities at all levels.
“Local governments are at the frontline of building community resilience against disasters. Making cities and municipalities disaster-resilient means conducting and sharing disaster risk assessments, establishing effective and efficient early warning systems, and protecting our ecosystems, among other actions,” Legarda said.
“However, to achieve this, additional resources must be provided to support ground-level work of local governments and communities.”
She explained that the proposed People’s Survival Fund (PSF) is anchored on the fact that government needs to decentralize responsibilities and resources for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts.
“The PSF will be a special trust fund for the financing of local programs and projects geared towards enhancing the capacities of communities in responding to the threats of disasters and climate change,” Legarda concluded.