Turkey, Chair of the Governance and Accountability for DRR Working Group, presented the “Report on Governance and Accountability of the Hyogo Framework for Action: The European Perspective” during the recent European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) in Madrid, Spain this October. The report examined best practices in disaster risk reduction based on a review of completed country questionnaires within the national HFA national progress reports from 2011-2013. In particular, the findings focused on risk governance principles for disaster risk reduction.
The report mentioned good practices in several countries such France, Switzerland and Turkey.
On 3 May 2012, France’s National Platform agreed to a partnership between the Government (represented by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and the Central Reinsurance Treasury) and the private sector, represented by a reinsurance industry association. The partnership was formed to establish a registry of natural hazards and a standardized risk review.
In 20013, Switzerland commissioned the Swiss National Platform PLANAT to undertake a study on the annual expenditure on natural hazard protection in Switzerland. The financial tracking analysis found that CHF 2.9 billion was spent on natural hazard protection, on which private actors spent 60 percent and the public spent 40 percent. If the National Platforms were to gather financial data on DRR spend by surveying private-sector actors, the results would be more comprehensive data and the opportunity to raise awareness of the work done by business, NGOs, the news media and others that have not yet engaged in the National Platforms.
In order to help users, decision-makers, implementers and researchers and ensure that public can better understand the risks they face, the development of the Turkish National Disaster Archive – a system that provides an electronic environment for the data and information about the disasters – began in 2012. With the technical upgrades that have been undertaken, the Turkish National Disaster Archive has been put in service to users with more modern technologies.
The work of different countries on sustainable development goals and DRR is challenged by the lack of adequate financial resources. Based from this study, supporting and improving national, international, public and private insurance and reinsurance systems will mobilize additional financial resources.
The European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) was established in London on 11-13 November 2009 and serves as a forum to stimulate and facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge among participating national Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) Focal Points, National Platforms and regional/sub regional partners. The Governance and Accountability for DRR working group was established in 2013 during EFDRR’s annual meeting in Norway and includes Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the European Commission and UNISDR Europe in its membership.
