UN, Red Cross cite PH progress in reducing risk

IFRC, Philippine Red Cross and ICRC. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines, along with Vietnam and New Zealand, has been cited as “positive examples of progress” in disaster risk reduction and management by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the UN Development Program.

In a joint report, the two agencies, based in Geneva and New York, respectively, said these countries not only had “strong disaster management laws” but also “have made progress in initiatives, such as establishing early warning systems, promoting insurance to help people recover from disaster losses and pushing for greater disaster risk reduction awareness and education for the public, particularly in schools.”

The report, titled “Effective Law and Regulation for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR),” was based on a multi-country study that assessed legal frameworks for disaster risk reduction and management in 31 countries, including the Philippines.

The report, released during the just concluded 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in Thailand, however, said that “many countries face a huge challenge in implementing laws and other regulations at the local level. Ensuring that local authorities have the resources and capacity to carry out their responsibilities under the law is essential.”

“Strong legal frameworks can create an enabling environment for building community resilience. We hope the examples set in countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and New Zealand will encourage other governments in Asia to follow suit.”

New laws

The report noted that “at least 10 countries in the Asia Pacific (including the Philippines) have adopted new laws for disaster management since 2005, the year more than 160 nations worldwide signed the Hyogo Framework for Action, a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards.”

“This trend to adopt legislation on disaster management indicates the growing significance of the issue to national development, safety and security,” it added.

Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, had earlier commended the Philippines for its laws on climate change adaptation and DRR, saying they were the “best in the world.”

On a scale of 1 to 10—with 10 being the highest—the Philippines ranks “somewhere between 6 and 7” as far as the level of preparedness for natural disasters is concerned, she said.

Wahlstrom, however, asserted that “the Philippines’ aspiration should be higher.”

“It should be an 8 or 9, given that your country has experienced many disasters.”