| United Nations |
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E/CN.17/1996/20/Add.1 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
29 February 1996
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fourth session
18 April-3 May 1996
PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME
OF ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
Management of natural and environmental disasters
in small island developing States
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1 - 6 2
A. Background ....................................... 1 - 2 2
B. Perspective ...................................... 3 - 6 2
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND POLICY ISSUES ............. 7 - 45 3
A. Vulnerability of small island developing States .. 7 - 10 4
B. Current state of progress in disaster reduction .. 11 - 27 4
C. Main policy issues ............................... 28 - 45 8
II. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................... 46 - 58 13
A. Conclusions ...................................... 46 - 53 13
B. Recommendations and priorities for action ........ 54 - 58 15
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
1. The present document reports on progress in the implementation of
relevant recommendations of Agenda 21 as well as of the Programme of Action
for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States with regard
to reducing the impact of natural and environmental disasters on the
populations and the economies of small island developing States. The report
is the result of coordinated input from concerned entities within the United
Nations system and the international community. It provides a brief updated
assessment of the current state of implementation of the Programme of Action,
identifies the main relevant policy issues and makes a number of
recommendations and proposals for actions.
2. The document has been prepared within the context of the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-2000), and in line with the
guiding principles on the strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian
emergency assistance of the United Nations, as adopted by the General
Assembly. 1/ The secretariat for the Decade is an integral part of the
Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, which
serves as task manager for the issue of natural and environmental disasters.
The report, accordingly, takes account of progress made in implementing the
outcome of the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, 2/ held at
Yokohama, Japan, from 23 to 27 May 1994, with particular reference to those
aspects that are of concern to the small island developing States. Thus, it
provides a further stage in the broader-based evaluation of synergy between
the future implementation of Agenda 21 and the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of
Action, in support of the international community's efforts to achieve
sustainable development.
B. Perspective
3. In 1994, the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small
Island Developing States adopted the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States. 3/ The Declaration of Barbados
affirms that small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to
natural and environmental disasters and have limited capacity to respond to
and recover from such disasters. 4/ Chapter 2 of the Programme of Action
outlines a set of actions to enable small island developing States to counter
the threat from natural and environmental disasters.
4. Also in 1994, the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction was held
at Yokohama, Japan, in the context of the International Decade for Natural
Disaster Reduction. The Conference provided input for the Decade's mid-term
review and adopted the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action as a guideline for
implementation during the second half of the Decade, and as a basis for a
comprehensive natural disaster reduction strategy into the twenty-first
century. Both the outcome of the World Conference and the action plan for its
implementation have been endorsed by the General Assembly.
5. The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action 5/ is built around the Decade's
overall objective of reducing through concerted international action,
especially in developing countries, the loss of life, property damage and
social and economic disruption caused by natural disasters. It recognizes
that, in many countries, sustainable economic growth and sustainable
development cannot be achieved without adequate measures to reduce disaster
losses, and that there are close linkages between disaster losses and
environmental degradation, as emphasized in Agenda 21. It emphasizes the need
for the United Nations system to pay special attention to the needs of small
island developing States in this regard.
6. In the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the
United Nations, the General Assembly, inter alia, placed natural disaster
reduction within the perspective of the international community's commitments
on development cooperation for the benefit of fostering sustained economic
growth, social development, environmental protection and social justice. 6/
The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly on an Agenda for
Development has defined a need for disaster reduction to become an integral
part of national strategies and programmes for sustainable development. It
calls for the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action and
points to the need for adequate financial resources and transfer of technology
for developing countries.
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND POLICY ISSUES
A. Vulnerability of small island developing States
7. The small island States of the Caribbean and Pacific regions and
elsewhere are highly prone to devastating natural disasters, owing to (a)
their small geographical areas, which account for the fact that disasters take
country-wide proportions; (b) their location in some of the highest risk areas
of the planet, such as mid-ocean ridges with strong volcanic and seismic
activity, tropical cyclone belts, and direct exposure to the forces of the
oceans; and (c) the fact that they are often dependent on single or few
sources of income, in the agricultural sector or in tourism, for a substantial
part of their gross national product (GNP). The economy of some even relies
on one single crop. These sources of income can sometimes be severely reduced
for months or years by a single catastrophic event. The adverse effects of
disasters of major magnitude for small island States' economies, if recurrent,
are even greater.
8. Another critical factor in this vulnerability, in particular in the least
developed small island States, is their limited capacity to reactivate the
development process. The fragility of their ecosystems and their limited
human resources often preclude any possibility of developing and implementing
meaningful disaster-mitigation programmes and the substantive vulnerability
studies called for in this respect.
9. According to a study carried out by the Office of the United Nations
Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO) in January 1990, which ranked countries on
the basis of the impact of disasters on their GNP, 13 of the 25 most
disaster-prone countries are small island States. Some lost, in certain
years, between 28 and 1,200 per cent of their GNP. Vanuatu has lost as much
as 57.7 per cent of its GNP, on average, in the four years 1981, 1985, 1987
and 1989 when it was hit by cyclones, and has incurred an overall estimated
loss of more than two years of GNP as a consequence of significant disasters
between 1970 and 1990. Such massive impacts can result in negative
development for the countries concerned, i.e., steps backwards in terms of
relative development. While over the long term they may still reach a modest
economic growth rate, there is no doubt that disaster mitigation would allow
these countries to sustain much higher rates of development through the
effective reduction of their vulnerability to natural disasters.
10. Equally, environmental hazards can have serious impact on small island
States. In particular the pollution of marine living resources, both from
land-based sources and from transit shipping, is an area of concern.
Reference is made to the report of the Secretary-General on the protection of
the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and
coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living
resources (E/CN.17/1996/3) for a more detailed analysis of this aspect.
Sealevel rise as a consequence of global warming is considered by most small
island States as the major long-term environmental risk to which they are
exposed. Climate change is perceived by many as having an influence on the
frequency and intensity of extreme meteorological and hydrological events,
although research in this field is still continuing.
B. Current state of progress in disaster reduction
11. Induced both by the Barbados Programme of Action and the Yokohama
Strategy and Plan of Action, and based on existing programmes and activities,
significant progress has been achieved in disaster management, in particular
with regard to natural disaster reduction, in the small island States in the
Caribbean and South Pacific subregions. They relate primarily to
strengthening and building institutional disaster-management capacities at the
national and local levels, as well as to the promotion of respective regional
and subregional frameworks for cooperation, and the coordination of their
activities at the regional and sub-regional levels.
12. The small island countries of the Pacific region have been very active in
the area of developing their disaster-management capabilities with the
support of the South Pacific Disaster Reduction Programme (SPDRP). The
project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and eight
bilateral donors and implemented by the South Pacific Programme Office of the
Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Its aim is to strengthen institutional
capabilities and develop human resources in order to reduce the impact of
natural disasters and thus reduce the constraint to sustainable development.
It provides a framework for regional cooperation and exchange and extensive
in-country and regional support in a range of disaster-management aspects,
including disaster mitigation, preparedness and emergency and relief
management. Two regional meetings on disaster reduction were held within the
framework of the project since its start in May 1994.
13. Under the framework of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World
Weather Watch Programme, the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Fiji has
been designated as a fifth Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC),
with activity specialization in tropical cyclone analysis, tracking and
forecasting, since June 1995. The Nadi RSMC has responsibility for providing
advisory services on tropical cyclone detection, monitoring and forecasting to
the national meteorological services of the South Pacific and several
initiatives have been taken to improve its facilities and services. These
activities are expected to improve the forecasting and early-warning
capabilities in the South Pacific region substantially before the end of the
decade. Other RSMCs with similar specialization, whose areas of
responsibility are shown in parentheses, are located in Re'union (south-west
Indian Ocean), Miami (Caribbean Sea, north Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico),
Tokyo (north-west Pacific Ocean), and New Delhi (north Indian Ocean, Arabian
Sea and Bay of Bengal). They provide services to national meteorological
services, in particular of small island States, in their regions of
responsibility.
14. A third area in which significant progress is being made is
telecommunications. The commissioning of a new satellite for regional
telecommunications through the PEACESAT programme and the establishment of a
sustainable development network provide opportunities for Pacific island
countries to improve their pre- and post-disaster information exchange.
15. Progress is less evident in the integration of disaster policies into
national development planning because this is a long-term development that can
only be implemented in a gradual way. The establishment of national emergency
funds has not been a priority in Pacific island countries. Although some
countries have emergency reserves, these are, in general, small compared to
the funding requirements in case of a disaster. Greater emphasis is placed on
emergency procedures for disbursement, and countries continue to rely on
external support for disaster relief, in particular from the United Nations
and neighbouring countries.
16. As to environmental disasters in the Pacific, the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) is working on maritime safety, including the development of
pollution-combating centres, direct assistance in the event of serious spills,
as well as continued efforts to establish regional maritime coordination
networks.
17. In September 1995, at the twenty-sixth South Pacific Forum in Papua New
Guinea, the Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island
Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary
Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region,
was signed by all Forum members except Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. The
signing of the Waigani Convention is an indication of the seriousness with
which countries are now treating the problems posed by hazardous and
radioactive wastes. The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
acts as the secretariat for the Convention.
18. The small island countries of the Caribbean region have experienced
several major natural disasters since April 1994: tropical storm Debby passed
through Saint Lucia (September 1994), tropical storm Gordon ran through Haiti
and Cuba (November 1994), hurricanes Luis and Marilyn hit Antigua and Barbuda,
Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Netherlands Antilles (September 1995),
and Montserrat is still under continuous threat of volcanic eruption. The
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) coordinates disaster
relief in the Caribbean region. For the purpose of improving disaster
preparedness, it has established arrangements for regional cooperation for
support to countries affected by disasters. The Department of Humanitarian
Affairs of the Secretariat has organized a training seminar for stand-by
emergency teams.
19. Many of the Caribbean small island States are currently undertaking
disaster-reduction activities in a number of sectors. Priority attention is
given to tourism, health, education, infrastructure and agriculture. These
activities are supported by the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project (CDMP),
implemented by the Organization of American States (OAS), with funding by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Emphasis is
placed on regional disaster-mitigation activities and exchange programmes.
20. Insurance against disasters is an important issue in the Caribbean
region. Several initiatives are being taken to address the need for
appropriate availability of insurance. The Caribbean Disaster Mitigation
Project attempts to improve cooperation between national disaster-management
agencies and insurance companies. WMO and the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized a Workshop on Meterological and
Hydrological Data for the Insurance Industry at Port-of-Spain on 26 and 27
October 1995, during which innovative measures on insurance were discussed,
and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provided
advice on the basic requirements for agricultural insurance for weather
damage.
21. As to environmental threats, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean
States, based in Saint Lucia, manages a project on pesticides and toxic
chemicals legislation, which seeks to educate the public on the use of
chemicals, train pesticide users and institute controls on storage and
transportation. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Department of
Humanitarian Assistance Environment Unit is developing a network of national
focal points so that notification of environmental emergencies and request for
assistance can be made as efficiently as possible, thereby strengthening the
international capacity to provide support for countries requiring help. The
network includes Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Haiti, Saint Lucia
and Trinidad and Tobago.
22. WMO organized an Expert Meeting on Public Weather Services and Hurricane
Disaster Preparedness at Port-of-Spain from 11 to 15 December 1995. The main
focus of the meeting was to review the current methodology used to make
seasonal and inter-annual predictions of hurricane activity, and the level of
skill of such forecasts. The meeting concluded that seasonal forecasts
already had some skill regarding hurricane activity in the Caribbean and it
was expected that the skill level would continue to improve with further
research. The use of seasonal forecasts must be put in perspective of decadal
scale trends, which currently indicate a lull in hurricane activity in the
Caribbean Basin compared to decades prior to 1960. The meeting also addressed
the important issue of public education and understanding in dealing with all
information concerning hurricane-related disasters.
23. A study relevant to the efforts undertaken during the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, to reduce the adverse impacts of
natural disasters, namely, the design and implementation of the building code
CUBiC (Caribbean Uniform Building Code), was presented at the meeting. The
project was developed some nine years ago in Trinidad and Tobago and it is
envisaged that its implementation should result in safe and economic design
structures. The Miami RSMC offered to include CUBiC on its Home Page on the
Internet.
24. New initiatives for disaster reduction in small island States outside the
Caribbean and Pacific regions have been less comprehensive. A series of three
African subregional workshops on natural disaster reduction was carried out
during 1994-1995. These workshops have initiated the formulation of country
programmes. Other activities reported include a WMO seminar and training
course for the Indian Ocean and a regional workshop sponsored by the
UNDP/Department of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management Training
Programme, which is planned for 1996, with the participation of Mauritius,
Seychelles, Reu'nion, Comoros and Madagascar. The Department of Humanitarian
Affairs provided technical support in disaster mitigation to Cape Verde.
25. A wide range of other international programmes and projects contribute to
disaster reduction in small island States. A framework for these activities
is provided by the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and
many of the small island States are active participants in Decade activities.
They organize national activities for the annual International Day for Natural
Disaster Reduction (the third Wednesday in October), contribute to the overall
development of programmes and policies within the International Framework of
Action for the Decade, and use the Decade resources and materials to
strengthen in-country public awareness and education activities.
26. In the context of the major programmatic areas of international
cooperation in support of disaster reduction in small island States,
activities are undertaken, with the wide participation of the United Nations
system, in the fields of information management and communication, hazard
forecasting and warning, and technical cooperation. Several bodies and
organizations of the United Nations system, including the Department of
Humanitarian Affairs, WMO, the World Health Organization, the United Nations
Children's Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
report on programmes that support disaster reduction in small island States.
27. With regard to more detailed information, reference is made to the
report of the Secretary-General report on action taken by the organs,
organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to implement the
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States (A/50/422). Reference is also made to the reports of the
Secretary-General, both on the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (A/50/201-E/1995/74), in general, and on early-warning capacities of
the United Nations system with regard to natural disasters (A/50/526), which
were submitted to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session. A
complementary publication of the secretariat of the Decade provides a summary
of global and regional activities since the World Conference on Natural
Disaster Reduction.
C. Main policy issues
1. Regional cooperation
28. Regional cooperation is a vital factor for success in addressing the
natural disaster problems of small island States. The regional level performs
a support role by providing a framework that enhances the national
capabilities to reduce disasters. Regional cooperation enables a continuous
dialogue on risk analysis and vulnerability assessment, as well as the
identification of common interests and requirements of countries, the regional
exchange of knowledge and traditional indigenous technologies, joint
approaches to education, training and awareness-raising, and the development
of common approaches, where appropriate, with regard to international
technical cooperation. Regional as well as sub-regional cooperation
arrangements are traditionally strong in addressing issues of common concern,
in particular in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. During recent years, for
example, programmes based on such mechanisms have provided substantive support
to disaster reduction.
29. The small island States outside those subregions have been generally less
successful in realizing concrete progress in disaster reduction. This may in
part be attributable to a lack of comparative mechanisms of cooperation
between those small island States, even though they face similar problems and
opportunities for disaster reduction. Interregional cooperation could be
beneficial for all these small island States, and could, in particular, assist
countries that have relatively less strong regional ties.
2. Policy support at the national level
30. A fundamental precondition for successful disaster reduction is its full
integration into national planning. The effectiveness of applying necessary
measures at all levels of society and administration is proportionate to the
degree of political recognition and support for disaster reduction at the
highest level. In this way, stronger policy support can be generated for key
decision makers within all the relevant sectors. Three areas of policy making
at the national level for reducing disaster impacts in small island States
stand out from the rest:
(a) Institutional development and human resources development;
(b) The implementation of disaster-mitigation projects that contribute to
the integration of natural and environmental disaster policies into national
development planning;
(c) The improvement of systems and arrangements for information
management and communication.
31. Other priority areas, according to local circumstances, include the
strengthening of local broadcasting arrangements, the establishment of
national emergency funds and the use of traditional knowledge and approaches
for disaster reduction and preparedness.
3. Vulnerability index of small island States
32. Vulnerability to natural disasters is one of the most important factors
to be considered in analysing the overall risk of small island States and in
determining their potential for development. This requires the development of
reliable vulnerability indices, comprising a sound assessment of hazards and
risk, as well as ecological, economic and social data. A vulnerability index
of small island States would provide the basis for establishing integrated
frameworks for all aspects of disaster management, in particular natural
disaster reduction, as part of national planning. One such building block for
an integrated approach of this kind is already being developed, inter alia, by
means of a comprehensive and coordinated project strategy in the context of
the Decade, whereby possible methodologies for reliable data collection and
analysis are being considered.
4. Insurance
33. The issue of insurance is closely related to assessments and perceptions
of the overall vulnerability of small island States, and the devastating
impact that disasters often have on development as a whole. In the Caribbean,
access to insurance had been reduced during recent years as a result of a
sequence of major natural disasters. Following the Barbados Conference,
however, several initiatives are in process to improve access to insurance and
stimulate cooperation between insurers, with a view to providing suitable
solutions for small island States. More research and experiments are needed
to optimize the contribution insurance can make to reducing the impact of
disasters as well as to diminishing the impact of perceived and real disaster
risks on the overall development potential and level of investment in small
island States. Among the topics to be considered in that process are:
(a) The use of building codes and engineering certificates in insurance;
(b) Proper land use based on multiple risk analysis and detailed risk
maps;
(c) The impact of hazard mapping and long-term weather forecasts on
access to insurance, and on premium structures;
(d) Opportunities for sectoral insurance, in particular in agriculture
and tourism;
(e) The establishment of mutual insurance between small island States as
a means of spreading developmental risks between countries;
(f) Insurance compensations in the informal and subsistence sectors of
the economy;
(g) The use of other financial instruments such as mortgage policies and
housing loans and subsidies, in conjunction with insurance, for disaster-
prevention purposes.
34. The interdependence between the coverage of risk through direct insurance
and through reinsurance, as well as the issue of developing appropriate
national insurance programmes, which, as part of a market of increasingly
global dimension, depend on distinct recognition and support from the
international reinsurance sector, is also an important factor. Concerns about
global warming and its potential impact in terms of natural disasters have led
to an increasing awareness on the part of insurance and reinsurance companies
of the need to go beyond traditional insurance schemes and to promote
disaster-mitigation measures at all levels in order to reduce the rapidly
increasing volume of insurance claims in the years to come. (This has been
evidenced, recently, by a "Statement of Environmental Commitment" signed by a
number of insurers under the auspices of UNEP.)
5. National emergency funds
35. Irrespective of improved access to insurance and related private sector
mechanisms, and in addition to the institution of direct transfers from
national Governments for disaster relief and rehabilitation, there will remain
a distinct need for contingency resources that enable adequate support to
disaster victims. Recent experience in the Caribbean indicates that the lack
of national emergency funds, and of effective procedures for emergency
disbursement, slows down the capacity of competent national administrations to
provide adequate emergency assistance in an appropriate time. This is of
particular importance in the case of disasters of a magnitude requiring
international assistance, so as to form a bridge between the launching of an
appeal and the receipt of external relief. This also applies to disaster
situations that are limited to the local level but that nevertheless need to
draw on national resources for adequate response action. In addition to
supporting relief activities in acute emergency situations, national emergency
funds can also form part of an overall national disaster-management strategy,
embracing prevention, early warning and preparedness, as well as disaster
relief and rehabilitation.
6. Environment, disasters and development
36. The Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States provides an integrated framework for addressing natural
disasters in the context of environmental fragility and social and economic
development. By considering disaster risks as a cross-sectoral issue in the
development of small island States, disaster management can be recognized as
extending beyond emergency relief and disaster response. This approach was
also emphasized during the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, in
May 1994, where this comprehensive approach was referred to as "building a
culture of prevention".
37. Experience gained from the implementation of current policies and
programmes indicates that disaster management needs to be defined and applied
in a more integrated way and that such an approach would be particularly
appropriate for small island developing States. Natural disaster reduction as
an integral part of the concerted efforts of the international community
towards sound environmental management, the protection of natural resources
and the achievement of sustainable development will be a long-term process,
extending well into the next century. The development of a vulnerability
index for small island States, and the establishment of various pilot
programmes to integrate disaster considerations into overall development
strategies, indicate that small island States can take a leading role in
developing disaster-management approaches appropriate to this new role.
7. Socio-economic impact assessment
38. The far-reaching effects of natural disasters on the economies of the
affected countries need to be addressed in a much more systematic way than
hitherto. As already indicated, it is recognized, for example, that in many
disaster-prone developing countries, natural disasters account for the loss of
several percentage points of GNP, which for many of them is often tantamount
to negative development. However, no systematic data collection on the true
impact (direct, indirect and secondary damage) of natural disasters has ever
taken place; yet, this is fundamental for enlightened national development
policy making.
39. Within the framework of the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction, a world survey of disaster damage in the first half of the Decade
is being initiated. It is expected to yield not only reliable quantitative
data on which disaster-prone countries could base their policy decisions, but
also a methodology for future disaster damage assessment and cost-benefit
analyses of mitigation or prevention measures. This and other efforts,
including practical studies on the use of financial instruments like mortgage
policies, housing and business development loans and grants, as well as
insurance for disaster- mitigation purposes, are aimed at facilitating the
integration of natural disaster variables in national development plans, with
a view to enhancing sustainable development, particularly in the least
developed disaster-prone countries and in small island developing States.
8. Human resources development
40. Natural and environmental disasters probably present the biggest ongoing
systematic threat to achieving development goals in small island developing
States. Consequently, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to
disaster reduction as a universal focus rather than an approach that
concentrates largely on high profile current events. Because disasters are
endemic to many of the countries, programmes of disaster reduction can be
looked upon as protecting the process of development. The capacity and
resources held by populations to minimize their risk and vulnerability to such
disasters are essential factors for the effective integration of disaster
reduction into development programmes and strategies. Optimum use of human
resources is also essential to operate within the limits of, often scarce,
available means.
41. Education in all its aspects, as well as scientific and vocational
training, and awareness raising, both in general and in hazard-specific terms,
are key to capacity-building and human resources development. Several
programmes are being undertaken by a number of small island States at the
regional, subregional and national levels. Interregional cooperation between
small island States could further enhance the opportunities for learning
lessons from capacity-building programmes in other such countries. The
Scientific and Technical Committee of the Decade is initiating a strategy for
improved natural disaster reduction training as part of implementing the
Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action.
9. Technological development in disaster reduction
42. The major trend in disaster management is towards a more integrated and
proactive approach. This trend is firmly based on the international policies
established in Barbados and Yokohama. New developments in technology for
disaster reduction relate to an important extent to increased opportunities
for collecting, processing, analysing and sharing extensive amounts of data.
Development trends can be better analysed and integrated with information on
hazards and vulnerability. Technological advances in the use of materials is
providing new ideas for the application of updated or modified traditional and
local practices, such as improved construction techniques applied to
indigenous materials. Advanced biological practices are encouraging the more
varied or extended use of natural resources to limit the depredation of local
environments from natural hazards. Modified strains of crops can also
increase their durability or resistance to hazard agents. The increased use
of recycling technologies is able to provide a greater conservation of
resources and to retard their disastrous overuse or depletion.
43. Disaster-management and emergency operations can be based on more
detailed information that is available to a wider range of people
internationally, leading to more focused support programmes. Technological
advances in communication and educational practices present significant
opportunities for smaller habitations or scattered population groupings in
small island States.
10. Early warning
44. The effective early warning of natural hazards and the integration of
community awareness pertaining to disaster-management capabilities are viewed
as essential components in the protection of community resources. It is
widely recognized that political and social commitment to the development of
community-based disaster-awareness programmes, and the encouragement of
informed participation in developing local capacities to protect social and
economic assets, contribute to the realization of developmental
accomplishments. The General Assembly has recognized this importance, with
particular reference to developing countries and small island States, in its
endorsement of the review and analysis of early-warning concepts and practices
which can provide proposals for the improvement of both international
coordination and local capacity- building in disaster reduction. The General
Assembly has also encouraged all countries subjected to the severe effects of
natural hazards, such as small island States, to actively undertake regular
reviews of their early-warning requirements and capabilities at the national
and local levels, with the full support of the United Nations system. 7/ For
greatest effectiveness and the most efficient use of limited resources, this
needs to be done within the framework of their overall national development
objectives for the protection of their populations and assets.
11. Participatory approaches
45. The ultimate success of any disaster-reduction activity is overwhelmingly
determined at the community and local levels by the extent to which lives are
being saved and property and infrastructural investment is being protected.
This calls for the active participation of populations and societies directly
at risk from natural or environmental hazards. In most of the small island
States, the local communities implement, for example, land-use policies.
While advocacy for disaster reduction and the promotion of national
development in this field, as well as the commitment for international
technical cooperation and the adequate provision of such resources, are to a
large extent major responsibilities of the United Nations system and its
Member States, the concrete transformation of such commitment into practical
achievements requires the full participation of all concerned sectors. This
requires the active involvement of local authorities, indigenous and
international non-governmental organizations, the scientific and technical
communities, the private sector, including financial institutions, insurance,
service providers and industry, as well as the media. Such a participatory
concept is a key objective of the Decade, as reaffirmed by the Yokohama
Strategy and Plan of Action.
II. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Conclusions
46. As a result, inter alia, of the Declaration of Barbados and the Programme
of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,
and in the context of the implementation of both Agenda 21 and the Yokohama
Strategy and Plan of Action, progress has been made in better addressing the
disaster problems of small island States, in particular in the Pacific and
Caribbean regions. However, it needs to be recognized that many new
activities that have been defined and presented in this process are yet to be
implemented in concrete terms. Most of the activities currently supporting
disaster reduction in small island States were already in advanced stages of
planning at the time of both Conferences.
47. Some countries continue to express concern that, in the follow-up to the
Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States, additional resources have only come forward to a very limited and
still insufficient extent. Also, the call for additional support for natural
disaster reduction, as reiterated during the World Conference on Natural
Disaster Reduction, and as endorsed by the General Assembly, 8/ has yet to be
translated into the provision of adequate resources. The present chapter,
therefore, outlines some key requirements for effective and continued
implementation of chapter 2 of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States.
1. National programmes for disaster reduction
48. Institutional development, mitigation programmes, information access and
exchange, as well as education and training, are recognized as priority areas
for natural disaster reduction programmes. These priority areas need to be
addressed through coherent national programmes as outlined in the targets of
the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. Not all small island
States have yet been able to establish these programmes. This, together with
the generation of the necessary policy support for disaster reduction
activities, is a particular priority need. Adequate external support for
national programme development is equally essential to build capacities at the
regional, subregional, and national levels.
2. Subregional, regional and interregional cooperation of
small island States
49. The findings in the present report demonstrate that subregional and
regional cooperation between disaster-prone small island States has played a
positive role in generating progress in countering and reducing the effects of
natural and environmental disasters in the Caribbean and in the South Pacific.
It is also concluded from these experiences that cooperation between small
island States on an interregional basis will enhance these possibilities even
further. Interregional cooperation would, in particular, allow small island
countries outside the Pacific and Caribbean regions, which to date depend
mostly on their own limited capabilities and international bilateral or
multilateral support, to increase their interaction with other small island
States and to draw on the potential of a South-South transfer of knowledge and
technology.
50. Major opportunities for strengthening or developing means of subregional,
regional and interregional cooperation lie in establishing an interregional
mechanism for training in disaster reduction, in particular by facilitating
networking between existing institutes and programmes and by establishing
scientific or technical exchange programmes. This could lead to broadening
the possibilities for the development and implementation of joint disaster-
mitigation activities.
3. Development of new subprogrammes
51. The disaster-reduction programmes implemented in the Pacific and
Caribbean regions should provide a basis for the full and successful
implementation of chapter 2 of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, if they can be sustained over
the longer term. Still, there remains the need to consider additional
subprogrammes: (a) in support of the small island States outside both
regions; (b) with regard to further developing the understanding of the
specific vulnerabilities and opportunities of small island States; and (c) for
the purpose of establishing mechanisms for cooperation and exchange, as
indicated above. In addition, targeted research and further development of
knowledge is needed in a number of thematic areas for building risk-reduction
capacities in small island States.
4. Interdependencies and linkages
52. As outlined in the introduction to the present report, measures of
disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation are an integral part of
national planning. Natural disaster reduction contributes, as a cross-cutting
issue, to poverty alleviation through sound environmental management, the
protection of natural resources and the achievement of sustainable
development. The implementation of Agenda 21, the pursuit of concrete
progress with regard to the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States and the efforts to attain the
goals and objectives of the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (1990-2000) must go hand in hand. Thus, the closest coordination
with the action plans of all recent thematic global conferences, organized
under the auspices of the United Nations, is required, in particular with
regard to those components of particular relevance for small island developing
States.
53. The full recognition of the interdependence and the linkages between
natural disaster reduction and the achievement of sustainable development is a
decisive prerequisite for all progress both at the policy level and at the
operational level. In this context, any notion that disaster management is
limited to action in specific disaster situations, and by specialist sectors
of society only, is detrimental to the objective of saving lives and
protecting property at risk from natural and environmental disasters.
Equally, there is a need to avoid the erroneous perception among some decision
makers and the public that disasters are, by definition, synonymous with
man-made or politically induced emergency situations. Natural and
environmental hazards constitute a major threat to both developing and
industrialized countries; natural and environmental disasters kill and maim
people and can heavily disrupt the long-term economic and social stability of
societies. Concepts and measures to counter this threat deserve the highest
possible attention.
B. Recommendations and priorities for action
1. Recommendations
54. In considering the findings of the present report, and in recognition of
the continuing need for the full and effective implementation of chapter 2 of
the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States, it is recommended that the Commission on Sustainable
Development:
(a) Encourage the Governments of small island developing States, with
the active involvement of local authorities, indigenous and international
non-governmental organizations, the scientific and technical communities, the
private sector, including financial institutions, insurance, service providers
and industry, as well as the media, to integrate fully programmes and measures
related to natural and environmental disaster reduction into their national
development plans, policies and projects for sound environmental management,
the protection of natural resources and the achievement of sustainable
development;
(b) Also encourage the Governments of small island developing States to
increase further their efforts towards subregional, regional and interregional
cooperation;
(c) Call on all Governments, with the active involvement of all
concerned sectors of society, to consider the issue of natural and
environmental disaster reduction as fully integrated into the international
community's efforts towards sound environmental management, the protection of
natural resources and the achievement of sustainable development, and to
support the facilitation of an effective synergy between the implementation of
Agenda 21, the Barbados Programme of Action and the Yokohama Strategy and Plan
of Action;
(d) Call on Member States to support the efforts undertaken within the
context of the Decade, towards improving the early-warning capacities for
natural disasters and similar disasters with an adverse effect on the
environment, including the establishment of effective global and regional
mechanisms for the collection, analysis and dissemination of reliable
disaster-reduction data, and the transfer of early-warning related technology
within international technical cooperation;
(e) Support the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of
Action with particular regard to improved education and training in disaster
reduction, including the creation of interdisciplinary scientific and
technical networking at all levels, for the purpose of capacity-building and
human resources development;
(f) Invite Governments to consider establishing an informal open-ended
working group within the existing International Framework of Action for the
Decade, 9/ with membership from concerned small island developing States, as
well as of all relevant sectors in disaster reduction, with a view to ensuring
the full integration and participation of small island developing States in
the mapping of a concerted strategy for disaster reduction into the
twenty-first century. 10/
2. Priorities for action
55. The Commission is further invited to consider a number of priority
actions, which are set out in the following paragraphs in relation to the
national, regional and international levels.
(a) National level
56. At the national level, activities should be undertaken within the
framework of coherent national programmes, as outlined in the targets of the
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. Not all small island
States have yet been able to develop such programmes. This remains, thus, in
itself an area of priority, for which adequate external support is essential.
The activities should comprise:
(a) Integration of natural and environmental disaster policies into
national development planning;
(b) Institutional development, including early-warning systems and human
resources development for disaster management;
(c) Improvement of systems and arrangements for information and
communication;
(d) Strengthening of local broadcasting;
(e) Establishment of national emergency funds to provide adequate
support to disaster victims;
(f) Use of traditional systems for disaster reduction and preparedness;
(g) Development of appropriate national insurance programmes.
(b) Regional level
57. At the regional level particular emphasis should be placed on activities
that would assist more isolated small island developing States to increase
cooperation with others. In addition, consolidation and further strengthening
of regional cooperation mechanisms in the Pacific and the Caribbean are
required. The following actions are recommended:
(a) Strengthening of regional and interregional cooperation between
small island States in disaster reduction, including through exchange
programmes, joint disaster-reduction programmes and other mechanisms;
(b) Formalization and strengthening of cooperation arrangements at the
regional level through the designation of a regional policy body for disaster
reduction;
(c) Development of operational working arrangements for disaster
mitigation, preparedness and response, and consolidation of existing disaster-
reduction programmes;
(d) Establishment of an interregional mechanism for training in disaster
reduction, in particular by facilitating liaison between existing institutes
and programmes;
(e) Assessment of the needs in each region on the basis of a detailed
analysis of the regional situation and an analysis of requirements at the
national level, as indicated above.
(c) International level
58. Both the Yokohama Conference and the Barbados Conference call for the
mobilization of additional resources for disaster reduction in small island
States. It is not clear to what extent those Conferences have already been
instrumental in mobilizing resources, yet the perception in some small island
developing States is that more can and should be done. A second subject area
that plays a central role for international-level action is access to
technology, training and information. The following could be considered by
the Commission as priorities for international action in addressing disaster
problems of small island developing States:
(a) Provision of expert support for the establishment of national
programmes for disaster reduction in small island States in the context of
their national strategies;
(b) Mobilization of additional resources to address urgent disaster-
reduction requirements and to build early-warning capacities for natural
disasters in small island States;
(c) Improved access to disaster and warning information in order to
enhance the capability of small island States for disaster management;
(d) Provision of technical, financial and expert support for the
establishment of a mechanism for interregional cooperation and exchange of
small island States in disaster reduction, in particular in training,
institutional development and disaster-mitigation programming;
(e) Establishment of a specific international programme for disaster
reduction in small island States to provide a framework for cooperation and
exchange of knowledge and technology;
(f) Support for targeted research and further development of knowledge
in the following thematic areas for building risk-reduction capacities in
small island States:
(i) Insurance as a preventive and mitigating tool for disaster
reduction;
(ii) Telecommunications and information management as a tool for disaster
reduction;
(iii) Limits and opportunities for the establishment of national disaster
emergency funds and emergency administrative procedures;
(iv) A systematic analysis of developmental vulnerability and the
establishment of indices and indicators;
(v) Evaluation of constraints in small island States' access to reliable
data, disaster-specific knowledge and technology means;
(vi) A review of the linkages between disasters, development and
environment, including the development of methods for systematic
appraisal of developments in relation to disaster risks;
(vii) An analysis of the linkage between global climate change and the
characteristics and occurrence of natural hazards in small island
States.
Notes
1/ General Assembly resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, annex.
2/ See Report of the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction,
Yokohama, Japan, 23-27 May 1994.
3/ Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, 25 April-6 May 1994 (A/CONF.167/9
and Corr.1 and 2) (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.I.18 and
corrigenda), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
4/ Ibid., annex I.
5/ Report of the World Conference ..., chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.
6/ General Assembly resolution 50/6 of 24 October 1995.
7/ See General Assembly resolution 50/117 B of 20 December 1995.
8/ See General Assembly resolutions 49/22 A of 2 December 1994 and
50/117 A of 20 December 1995.
9/ See General Assembly resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, annex.
10/ See General Assembly resolutions 49/22 A and 50/117 A.
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