Disaster Risk Reduction Mainstreaming in Development Plans

The devastating toll that disasters, such as the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, impose in terms of loss of lives, livelihoods and developmental gains brings to light the urgency to understand the multi-dimensional aspects of disaster risk and the importance to adopt a risk-informed approach towards national development plans and policies.   

 The Plan and Budget Organisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (PBO) organized an online workshop on “Disaster Risk Reduction Mainstreaming in Development Plans” on 14 and 15 September 2020 in cooperation with the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and with the support of the CIMA Foundation.  The workshop, which was attended by planning managers and officers from all major ministries and administrations in Iran, offered an opportunity to discuss approaches and options to mainstream risk reduction across the national development planning process.  This is especially timely as Iran is in the process of kick-starting the development of its 7th Five-year National Development Plan (2022-2026). 

At the opening of the workshop, Mr Amir Amini, Head of the Secretariat for the Development of the 7th Five-year National Development Plan and Development Programs in PBO referred to the positive and effective role of this workshop on the preparedness to minimize the costs of disaster in various sectors.

The UN Resident Coordinator in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ms. Ugochi Daniels, stated in the opening session: “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s institutional capacity and preparedness to respond is significant.  Climate and weather-related wide-scale hazards are a relatively new phenomenon and the country is striving to improve its capacities to reduce the risk and negative impacts of such disasters in the future.”

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ali Gholampour, Director of Environmental Development Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that the outcomes of this workshop could be shared with other countries in the region bilaterally or through APDIM and elaborated on the significant role APDIM can play as a facilitator for regional cooperation in the region. He further echoed the support and encouragement of the Government of Islamic Republic of Iran to APDIM to continue to provide its services to the countries in the region.

Director of APDIM, Ms. Letizia Rossano in her opening remarks said: “I am delighted that APDIM could contribute to this important work with the Plan and Budget Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ensuring that risk reduction is mainstreamed across national development planning is a core message of the Sendai Framework and a pre-requisite to safeguarding development gains”. Ms Rossano further noted that APDIM will be gathering important learnings from this process to share with other countries in the region. 

Dr Roberto Rudari, Research/Program Director at CIMA research Foundation appreciated the strong understanding from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the need to mainstream disaster risk in their National Development Planning and added: “Iran would be one of the leading countries to connect disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.”

Thanks to the efforts of PBO, the Persian translation of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report (APDR-2019), published by ESCAP and APDIM, was launched at the opening session of this workshop.

Mr. Mohammad Hadi Daryaei, Deputy for International Affairs, Plan and Budget Organization highlighted the scientific and technical value of the APDR 2019 Persian translation for Iran and even for some countries of the region.  Mr. Daryaei suggested that this report can be valuable for exchanging information and know-how among countries considering the variety of disasters and vulnerability.

 During this two-day workshop experts from PBO, APDIM, CIMA Foundation   discussed areas such as the multi-sectorial dimensions of risk, risk assessment methodology, practical risk assessment applications in the decision-making process and planning, multi-hazard risk assessment and development planning, nexus between SDGs and Sendai indicators and using risk metrics to make disaster and climate risk-informed investments. The Plan and Budget Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran made a presentation on the process to prepare the 7th Five-year National Development Plan (2022-2026).  

APDIM is one of the regional institutions of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific established in Tehran and strives to reduce the risk and negative impacts of disasters in the region by improving disaster knowledge and information management.