The pre-conference took place as from 12-14 May, mainly to serve as an opportunity to prepare for the main conference that took place as from 15-17 May. Stakeholders delved in details to the issues that were either hindering or pushing for the successful achievement of Sendai Framework. The issues were cross cutting across sectoral areas and in depth discussions were paramount in unpacking as well as revealing underlying issues

Taking the Sendai Framework implementation forward

Risk Informed Development

If its not risk informed, its not sustainable and if its not sustainable it has a human cost. Reducing economic losses from disasters has the power to transform lives Development that is informed is one that is able to respond to the needs of this and future generations. While weak development choices expose people to disasters, good, risk-informed development makes people and communities more resilient. Early warning systems, post disaster recovery and reconstruction require input from communities to ensure that it’s a process that has input from the communities. The development processes at national, sub-national, sectoral and community levels needs to be risk-informed in order to achieve the objectives of development sustainability, resilience building, poverty eradication and leaving no one behind.

Inclusion (leaving no one behind)

Despite global commitments to leave no one behind, those most affected and vulnerable are not receiving the assistance they need when disasters strike. Older persons, people with disabilities, women, poor and socially marginalized people with lack of access to information, decision making structures, resources and social justice are disproportionately affected by hazards. Displaced persons also often live in disaster-prone areas and more often than not they are consulted when public projects are being implemented. Inclusion requires that all living beings including animals and plants are also included and properly considered in development. We need to be steadfast and intentional in ensuring we are all moving forward and accounting for all in development. The four key strategies shared by stakeholders in the 6^thedition of GPDRR are as follows:

• Prioritizing the most vulnerable people
• Ensuring global commitments translate into local action and impact
• Strengthening early warning to enable early action by at-risk communities
• Adopting an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

Coherence (SFDRR, Agenda 2030 and Paris Climate Change Agreement)

The Sendai Framework strongly encourages building coherence across core post-2015 development agendas. It puts particular emphasis on coherence with the SDGs, the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change, with its ambitious goals for strengthening the global response to climate change and for dealing with its impact. The momentum towards coherence is strong. Governments are being called on to meet the 2020 deadline for developing national and local disaster risk reduction strategies (Target E) while at the same time they are developing or updating national adaptation plans (NAPs) and/or nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change – and updating national development plans to integrate SDGs.Enhancing coherence between disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development:

• Ensures that development does not exacerbate existing and future levels of natural hazard, including climate risk, and create additional man-made hazard, and that development gains – better livelihoods and living standards – are protected from the impact of disasters and climate change.
• Allows for economies of scale in technical, financial and operational resources by investing in tools that can be used across frameworks (i.e. multi-hazard climate and risk assessments, financial instruments) in the process of developing policies and facilitating their implementation.
• Increases funding opportunities by meeting the expectations of international and bilateral agencies and partners for efficiency and coherence between these various frameworks.

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