On 13^th October, Wetlands International together with the European Commission, UNISDR, UNESCO will organise a conference on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction.

By holding this event we will join the UNISDR International campaign “Home Safe Home” –Reducing exposure, reducing displacement” to show evidence on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of community-level, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation solutions. As stressed at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, in May 2017, those who suffer disproportionately from natural and made-made hazards are poor and vulnerable people. Disasters further erode livelihood and wellbeing and deplete resilience, thus exacerbating poverty and non-economic losses. Investments in ecosystem-based DRR strategies have a great potential for cost-effective avoidance of damages and casualties from disasters, while offering multiple benefits to society.

The event will seek to provide answers to the following questions:

• How do ecosystem-based DRR and adaptation contribute to achieve the Sendai target B: Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average global figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015?
• How can the implementation of ecosystem-based DRR and adaptation solutions be scaled up most effectively from local to national level?
• What opportunities/positive messages do we have from Eco-DRR in Europe, and can these opportunities be transferred to developing countries?
• How does the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach including CSOs, local and indigenous communities, strengthen Eco-DRR programming and how to increase/mainstream it?

Intended main outcomes of the event:

– show case good practices of ECO-DRR solutions and share knowledge;

– development of key messages to be distributed at relevant international fora (COP23, CBD, SBSTA48 etc) to contributing to ongoing processes  (ie.  guidance on eco-drr under preparation by CBD)

– call for next European Forum on DRR to respond to the key messages

Key messages should highlight the following points:

• ECO-DRR/CCA approaches have to be integrated into strategies on climate change adaptation, DRR and SDG.
• Need of economic case for investment in ECO-DRR/CCA
• Need for appraising and valuing ecosystems services.
• Maintaining and restoring ecosystems, our natural capital should be considered a major opportunity for investment of climate finance including by the private sector which could have a great impact setting examples of and upscaling natural infrastructure solutions.
• Need to consider the full range from ‘hard’ to ‘green’ infrastructure, as well as hybrid solutions, which must be compatible with each other, recognizing that different combinations are needed in different situations
• Attention for communities most at risk, through inclusion of local risk perceptions and community based solutions.

Location: Albert Borschette Congress Center, room 01, Rue Froissart 36 Brussels

Time: 9am – 2pm

Language of the conference: EN/FR

Networking light lunch

To register, click here https://goo.gl/oWX23m

THE EVENT WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED. FOLLOW US ON https://youtu.be/_Zky_Mb4m4E

Second panel discussion can be watched here https://youtu.be/5h8TTmUE_pI

Outcome document