Background

Development and disaster risk are closely linked – exposure to disaster risk, vulnerability and resilience of people and assets are all shaped by development processes. Transformation is increasingly understood to be necessary for moving from current development patterns that increase, create or unfairly distribute risks, towards more equitable, resilient and sustainable development.

In 2015, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Initiative on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk (TDDR) began research and policy engagement to better understand transformation in this context. To advance this work, SEI, together with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS) at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, has partnered with the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) to establish the International Centre of Excellence on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk (ICoE-TDDR).

ICoE-TDDR seeks to transform the relationship between development and disaster risk by integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development through combined approaches and action in scientific research, policy engagement and capacity development.

Event details

During 10-11 October 2018, ICoE-TDDR will host a regional forum in Bangkok, Thailand. Through panel discussions and workshop break-out sessions, the TDDR in Asia Forum will examine how the current development model in Asia may increase disaster risk, and suggest actions for DRR and development actors to transform the relationship for more equitable, resilient, and sustainable communities, now and for the future. Specifically, we invite approximately 80 participants to engage in a deep exploration of how risks are generated, and can be addressed, within key areas of sustainable development:

1. Water resource management
2. Livelihoods and poverty reduction
3. Urban governance.

We will also discuss the gender and social equality challenges and opportunities that exist across these sectors, and within the notion and approaches of TDDR.

The desired outcome of this event is an initiation of a new research-for-policy and practice agenda around transformation in development and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Asia. To achieve this, the TDDR in Asia Forum will bring together researchers, decision-makers, practitioners and students working on development and DRR in Asia, to engage in a participatory and interactive two-day forum.

Contact TDDRForum@sei.org to register your interest in participating in this event.