Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks

Session title: Reducing disaster risk in humanitarian response: Lessons from the field

Organizer(s): Global Shelter Cluster, UNDRR, IFRC, others TBC

19 Mar 25 13:00-14:00 UTC+1

SessionAbstract

An overlapping and increasing number of disasters and crises are taking a growing toll on people’s lives and livelihoods. While there is a general recognition that disaster risk reduction (DRR) plays a critical role in increasing resilience, the lack of funding, time and capacity, makes it challenging to effectively integrate DRR in humanitarian response. At the same time, the growing awareness of the interconnectedness between environmental factors, climate change, and disaster risk is offering opportunities to increase the focus on disaster and climate risk in humanitarian operations. Renewed focus on climate commitments, along with associated tools and funding, also supports efforts. Specific tools and approaches linking to preparedness, anticipatory action, and risk mitigation are equally making a difference, yet need to be systematically applied and scaled up.

This session will highlight how humanitarian and development actors are coming together to address environmental and disaster risk in fragile, conflict and violence -affected countries, including through humanitarian response. Specifically, it will showcase how development and humanitarian actors like UNDRR, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Global Shelter Cluster are joining forces on mainstreaming DRR and environment in humanitarian response. It will share examples from the field of how DRR approaches are applied in humanitarian planning and programming and highlight necessary changes to scale up action.

The session is open to anyone working on DRR, environment and climate change in humanitarian contexts.