Outcomes IDRC Davos 2010
“From Thoughts to Action”
Global Risk Forum GRF Davos ‐ Promenade 35 ‐ CH‐7270 Davos Platz ‐ Switzerland
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3rd International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC Davos 2010
30 May – 3 June 2010
M
AJOR
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ONFERENCE
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UTCOMES
“Risks, Disasters, Crisis and Global Change – From Threats to Sustainable Opportunities”
Conference Topics
The International Disaster and Risk Conference
IDRC Davos 2010 once more subscribed to the
overall motto “From Thoughts to Action”.
Problems of risk and disaster science, risk
prevention, resilience, disaster preparedness, risk
management and governance were discussed
within the context of sustainable development and
global change, i.e. the dynamics of population
pressure and mobility, the various facets of
globalization, economic and financial crises,
climate change, environmental degradation and
erosion of ecosystem services, health and food
issues, and the shifts in ethical, cultural and
behavioural patterns. Urban risks and the issue of
very large‐scale disasters and mega‐catastrophes
were further crucial topics discussed in depth and
with a variety of stakeholders at IDRC Davos 2010.
Featuring an Integrated Risk Approach
IDRC Davos 2010 with its motto “Risks, Disasters,
Crisis and Global Change – From Threats to
Sustainable Opportunities” was another milestone
toward the integration of the ever more complex
and interwoven portfolio of risks, security and
disaster related topics, themes and trends.
Moreover, the conference demonstrated that the
Badaoui Rouhban, UNESCO
community of risk and disaster experts, scientists,
managers and practitioners has experienced itself
a fast process of integration and cross‐fertilization
over recent years, to which the IDRC conference
series has made a very significant contribution.
IDRC Davos 2010 impressively showed that the
globally growing number of crises and disasters,
and the more and more intricate, complex and
multi‐faceted nature of risks require an innovative,
integrated and problem‐oriented approach to risk
and disaster knowledge and management. If
humanity is to steer our planet, its biosphere and
human civilization into a more sustainable future,
the issues of risk, security, development and
sustainability ought to be integrated – in science,
IDRC Davos 2010 – Overview
“We do a lot on know-how and planning,
but how much do we spend on action?”
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policy, management, and business practice. It is
only through a holistic perspective that the
complexity of the risk theme and its entire
phenomenology can be understood, addressed,
conceptualized, and tackled. At the occasion of
IDRC Davos 2010, GRF has successfully organized
within its Risk Academy a continuous education
course on “Integrated Risk Management” that
provided a wide overview over the components of
integrated
risk
management,
including
vulnerability and critical infrastructure assessment,
risk concepts, intervention strategies as well as
response and recovery plans.
A Global and Interdisciplinary Conference
This philosophy inspired IDRC Davos 2010, which –
under the auspices of the Global Risk Forum GRF
Davos – gathered some 850 conference
participants from 100 countries around the world
in a unique setting and atmosphere. Numerous
distinguished experts, officials from governments
and international organizations, practitioners,
media
representatives
and
high‐ranking
delegations from The Gambia, Uganda, and
Republic of the Congo, from the I.R. Iran, from P.R.
China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, just to name a
few, actively participated at the conference and
brought their knowledge and experience to bear
highly on the discussions. Thirteen plenary
sessions, around 50 special and parallel sessions,
side
events,
poster
sessions,
exhibitions,
workshops, training courses and cultural events
provided
the
frame
for
this
worthwhile
undertaking. Looking back to the first IDRC
conference in 2006, it is remarkable to realize how
far the formerly fragmented, global risk and
disaster community has grown into one distinctive
body of excellence.
Interactive Knowledge Platform
Following its motto, and the spirit and notion of an
integrated and holistic perspective, the conference
resulted in a number of tangible thematic and
institutional outcomes. GRF has collected a very
rich and concentrated variety of ideas, actionable
items and themes presented at IDRC Davos 2010
and transformed them into an interactive portfolio
of presentations, recorded plenary sessions and
video statements that allow for an enriched
assessment of the various outcomes of IDRC 2010
(www.idrc.info).
Towards an Integrated Perspective on Risk
In an age of unprecedented global change and
inter‐dependence,
an
integrative
approach
involving all relevant kinds of risks and risk clusters,
disciplines and stakeholders has to be applied and
taken throughout the entire risk cycle in order to
be able to identify viable solutions and promote
good practice ‐ whether in risk preparedness and
reduction, disaster management, or adaptation to
climate change. However, although this view is
now widely accepted, there is also consensus that
sufficient knowledge transfer and full integration
of sectors, stakeholders and especially end‐users
involved in risk reduction and crisis management is
still lacking. IDRC 2010 has therefore taken on the
challenge of not only integrating the various
themes and topics around the risk and disaster
agenda, but also the large variety of relevant
communities, networks and stakeholders.
Francis Musa Ecweru, Minister, Uganda
IDRC Davos 2010 – Thematic Foci & Outcomes
“If we fail – their (African people)
weight will pull all down”
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Among other issues experts have emphasized that
for a holistic approach the capacity of an education
system as a whole needs to be considered in order
to get DRR integrated into education. The main
goals are to live safely and prevent injuries, to
prevent interruption of education and to make
resilience populous.
Sustainable Development & MDGs
IDRC 2010 also for the first time added the
development dimension to the international risk
and disaster discourse. Most notably, the critical
questions of how to enhance the implementation
of the Millennium Development Goals, and that of
what should happen after their expiration in 2015,
enriched the conference debate and showed that
poverty, famine, diseases, lack of education, forced
migration and under‐development pose clear risks
to society and undermine its resilience. It also
became obvious that transforming world economy
on a sustainable basis, i.e. greening business and
economic models are crucial, and that complete
life cycle analysis of products and services should
be mandatory.
Stakeholders from different sectors have agreed
that the financial crisis has a dramatic impact on
the progress of the MDGs and thus especially
addresses the poor.
Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Policy
The conference linked the climate change theme
with questions of financial markets, sustainable
investment strategies and insurance schemes, and
strived to add coherence to the current discourses
on mitigation, adaptation and policy responses. In
particular, new investment opportunities in clean
energy and other mitigation strategies were
discussed in context of developing countries, thus
linking this agenda with the resilience and
adaptation discourse. Moreover, emphasis was laid
on innovative approaches to more North‐South
balance in global climate negotiations.
The need of building up a climate change
adaptation database has been stressed. In this
context several experts have pointed out the
importance of integrating the local perception into
risk assessment. Whereas good data plays a major
role in this undertaking, bad data quality, accuracy
or viability should nevertheless not prevent the
start of such a project.
Carlo Jäger, PIK Potsdam (left) together
with Peijun Shi, Vice-President BNU
Beijing.
Ecosystems, Services and Natural Resources
As to the absence of genuine compensatory
measures, a rule of action should be to prevent the
final ruination of natural assets. Making goods on
the global biological diversity easily and freely
accessible to the public seems to be a valuable
assistance in the preparation and prevention of
accidents or major risks. Investment in low‐cost
public knowledge needs to be made so that the
individual and collective decision‐making may be
taken to a broader and more versatile informed
level. Whereas the consequences are very real, the
individual determination of cause and effect on
individuals is often virtually impossible. Neither
courts nor insurance to those affected fully
indemnify for losses due to irreversible destruction
of ecosystems and their natural resources.
Not only are ecosystems at risk, as seen in different
conference presentations there is also great
potential of developing ecosystem solutions for
DRR. There are ecosystems such as mangroves that
can protect communities from natural disasters.
Experts have however warned that the potential of
such solutions is limited and should not be
overvalued.
Desertification, Land Degradation & Drought
(DLDD)
The topics of desertification and land degradation,
loss in biodiversity, natural resources, food and
“From Brain Drain to Brain Circuit“
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ecosystem services were analyzed and discussed at
length – a novelty at IDRC conferences – and
woven into the conceptual matrix of risk analysis
and assessment, disaster preparedness and
mitigation strategies. Within this context, due
attention was given to the dimensions of energy
options and human security, and their relation
with environmental change. One of the outcomes
was pressing evidence that DLDD is no longer an
issue of the developing world only, but equally
affects industrialized countries, a fact that will be
further aggravated by climate change.
Desertification and lack of natural resources will
cause massive migration. Therefore a variety of
speakers at IDRC Davos 2010 have called for
solutions for the management of drylands. As such
one project has been presented that demonstrates
the combat against desertification by planting
suitable crops that furthermore provide the local
farmers with sustainable jobs.
It has further been stressed that land use practice
and territorial governance play an equally
important role in the management of drylands
since it is much cheaper to invest in prevention
than in emergency measures.
William Sabandar, ASEAN
Mega Catastrophes and Natural Disasters
The Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the
recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and China, or the
recent landslides in Uganda are examples of large
scale natural hazards that have revealed the
existent gaps in disaster preparedness, disaster
response and disaster recovery worldwide. The oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its consequences on
the environment and human livelihoods, or the
volcanic eruption on Island with huge impact on
the travel industries also reveal gaps that draw
significant
challenges
to
the
International
Community. How can these gaps be bridged in an
effective manner? What are examples of good
practices
and
successful
cooperation?
Distinguished experts elaborated on the gaps in
large‐scale disaster management and drew upon
good practices to translate those weaknesses and
opportunities into successful practice. Conference
participants have advocated for a decision
framework that takes the possibilities of low‐
probability large‐scale events into account. From
extraordinary catastrophes as the Oil‐Spill in the
Mexican gulf lessons need to be learned on how to
effectively respond to such disasters in order to
become more receptive for alternative energies
and other solutions.
Critical Infrastructure
Critical infrastructure buildings, components and
services, such as among others energy, water and
food supply, sanitation, hospitals, schools,
transportation by land, air and water, IT and
communication technologies are essential assets
for societies and economies to function. An
impressive
array
of
international
experts
demonstrated
the
significance
of
critical
infrastructure buildings, components, technologies
and services, and that of ICT and technological
innovation also for the fields of risk analysis and
assessment,
risk
prevention,
disaster
preparedness, response and relief strategies.
Experts
have
recommended
reorganizing
infrastructure protection and information systems
on a global level with a top down approach that
adjusts to local target stakeholders. Such a global
system has to integrate co‐operations of suppliers,
governments, operators and other stakeholders in
public private partnership and standardizes
terminologies and methodologies.
Information and Communication Technologies
Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) have an enormous impact on the way public
and private actors gather and share information,
regulate access to relevant knowledge, and
“Together to Humanity“
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communicate with each other. Effectively applied
within society, government, or aid organizations,
ICT can significantly contribute to risk reduction
and disaster management (early warning, crisis
management, rapid disaster loss estimates etc.),
and can serve as a tool to cope with poverty and
foster sustainable development. On the other
hand, the growing dependencies of public
governance and private sector operations on ICT
have generated new types of risks that potentially
undermine security, privacy and stability in many
areas.
There was consensus among IDRC participants that
current technology (internet, media, mobile
phone, etc.) is a useful tool to increase the speed
of responding and decrease error in disaster
response.
Practitioners and experts reported that early
warning systems have evolved a lot during the last
three years. Today an overview about the areas
affected and a damage assessment can be
obtained in about 30 minutes after the disaster.
The key problem remains to successfully warn the
right group of people about the potential threat
just in time. This legal and responsibility issue is an
institutional and not a technical problem that has
to be solved. Data and information are useless if
they are not transferred into knowledge which
leads to action.
Humanitarian Aid & Logistics
The year 2010 started very sadly with a number of
terrifying earthquakes in Haiti, in Chile, and in
China, and with devastating landslides in Uganda,
all together causing far more than 300’000 victims,
and revealing how crucial humanitarian logistics
are to provide timely and adequate support for
rescue operations, and the delivery of food, water,
medicaments, etc. The necessity for a much closer
partnership between the public, civil and military
sector for humanitarian aid became obvious.
Admiral James Stavridis, an internationally
renowned expert stated that there are three major
challenges of humanitarian logistics in the 21st
century. (1) Understanding of the culture,
language, history and geography of all areas in the
world, as humanitarian disasters are happening all
over the world and different regions need different
approaches. (2) New technologies are important
for improved humanitarian logistics, e.g. clean
water and desalination systems or space
technology for remote sensing. (3) Capacity
building and dialogue. The creation of better and
established professional trainings for humanitarian
logistics personnel and workshops is important, as
well as continued discussion and for an increase in
knowledge exchange amongst experts to gain
collective knowledge.
Martin Willhaus, Kühne Stiftung
Urban Risks, Human Security & Mobility
IDRC 2010 put emphasis on the various feedbacks
and inter‐linkages between population dynamics in
a globalized and inter‐dependent world, such as
aging societies, reproductive health and population
pressure,
changing
mobility
and
forced
(environmental) migration, and the ever growing
agenda of human security – expressed as freedom
from want and freedom from fear. A specific role
was allocated to the dynamics of rapid
urbanization and megacities, and the challenges
that these pose to sustainable development and
risk management.
As stated repeatedly at IDRC Davos 2010,
education training is of upmost importance for risk
awareness raising activities. In cities also, urban
planning is an important tool to mitigate risks by
preventing people from settling down in risky
zones and thus reduce their exposure to threats.
Challenges in implementing land use‐plans are to
integrate the general public and different
stakeholders into the decision making process.
“(…) at present, the goal of sharply
reducing the human tragedy of natural
and man-made disasters has been
disappointing.”
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Risk, Culture, Ethics & Behavioural Change
The dimension of ethics, culture and behavioural
change for effective risk reduction and disaster
management, and their critical function toward a
sustainable future was elaborated in a public Open
Forum. Ultimately, the conference converged in a
rich debate on the need for integrated risk
governance and the implications of such an
innovative approach for all sectoral and topical
areas dealt with in the many sessions and panels.
It has been pointed out that the loss in biological
and cultural diversity of this planet has reduced the
resilience of the environmental system that we
depend on. Such a trend is destructive in the long
term especially in combination with high
population growth. But for political and cultural
reasons this issue is not addressed adequately.
Global Risk Governance
Global governance has become a key term for an
effective handling of crucial issues of global
concern through collective action and stakeholder
participation. It is time to apply the global
governance concept to the area of risk and disaster
affairs. Important debates were focusing on
pathways to successfully integrate many still
fragmented policy frameworks, and on questions
of multi‐level and adaptive governance of risks.
Among others, the question arose if a global
convention on risks and security should be
established to provide a more effective and
overarching legal framework to address a
multitude of “civilization‐borne” risks and
disasters, possibly within the context of re‐
organizing the international architecture for
sustainable development.
Global risk identification programmes are seen as a
useful tool to improve the quality and
dissemination of risk information so it can be used
in the decision making process. Standardization of
the risk assessment process as well as the
definitions and terms is thus recommended. The
lack of global guidelines and the end‐users needs
for an efficient information technique is still a
problem in many IDRC participants’ opinion.
Afsana, Wahab
IDRC Davos 2010 Volunteer, Center for Woman
& Child Development, Bangladesh
GRF Specific Outcomes & Follow‐on Activities
In line with GRF’s credo “From Thoughts to Action”
the 3
rd
International Disaster and Risk Conference
has resulted in a variety of new partnerships,
campaigns and concrete follow‐on activities for
GRF and other institutions. GRF Davos will increase
its effort to add value to the UN through ECOSOC
and the Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD). The forum will furthermore increase and
intensify its collaboration with several UN
conventions,
funds
and
programmes,
UN
specialized agencies, the World Bank, regional
development banks, governments and the
European Commission.
IDRC Davos 2010 – “From Thoughts to Action”
“I went to the conference with eagerness
and left with hope; hope that amongst
all the ideas that were tossed around at
least one will be implemented and that
is a beginning.”
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United Nations MDG Summit, New York,
September 20 – 22, 2010
2010 marks an important year. With the review of
the Millennium Development Goals, ten years on
from the start in 2000, taking place in September
in New York in the form of a high‐level special
session of the UN General Assembly, new
momentum could be given to global sustainability
governance and sustainable development. GRF
Davos will ensure that the outcomes of IDRC Davos
2010 will be communicated and dealt with at this
worthwhile summit, and become part and parcel
of the discourse and agenda launched in New York.
The Rio Earth Summit in 2012
In 2012, the international community will celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), called “The Rio Earth Summit”. Since Rio,
international negotiations on sustainability, risk
and crises have experienced backslashes, the most
recent one being the Copenhagen Climate Summit
of December 2009 – while the degradation of
natural resources and ecosystem services, loss of
biodiversity, dangerous interference with the
world climate, poverty, famine and lack of health
resources continue to be on the forefront.
IDRC 2010’s outcomes will add direction and
inspiration toward the Rio +20 Summit scheduled
for 2012. It is critical to use the period up to 2012
for a renewed global effort towards integrating the
still largely fragmented agendas of environmental
sustainability, economic development and human
security into one consistent regime. Such
integration can be facilitated through applying the
lens of risk assessment and risk governance.
Inter‐disciplinary research and science‐policy‐
practice
dialogues
will
make
important
contributions to the process leading to Rio+20 and
beyond. GRF Davos will be actively engaged in
important conferences, workshops, dialogues and
publications geared towards informing, nourishing
and inspiring the political talks ahead of us. The
year 2011 is an opportune time frame to target in
the above context.
UN‐ISDR “Making Cities Resilient”
The Global Risk Forum GRF Davos has become a
partner in UN‐ISDR’s campaign “Making Cities
Resilient – My city is getting ready”. At IDRC Davos
2010, UN‐ISDR has launched the campaign and
Baofeng County (P.R. China), Davos (Switzerland),
Tehran and Mashad (both I.R.Iran) have signed‐up
during the conference.
Joint global dialogue GRF – UNCCD
UNCCD,
the
UN
Convention
to
Combat
Desertification headquartered in Bonn, and GRF
Davos have agreed on launching a joint global
dialogue campaign for sustainable investments for
risk reduction and resilience building in drylands,
to increase the political will to address drought,
desertification and land degradation, and to
provide and support practical solutions.
Intensified participation in UNFCCC Activities
GRF Davos has been present at COP15 in
Copenhagen and will again actively participate as a
(partner) NGO in COP16 in December 2010 in
Cancun.
Ajani Malik
Focus Humanitarian Assistance, Tajikistan
DRR for the G‐8 and G‐12 Agendas
UNESCO is proposing to seek ways to place disaster
risk reduction (DRR) issues on the agendas of the
G‐8 and G‐12 meetings, and to increase the
scientific, technical and political capacity for DRR in
some additional countries each year.
Collaboration between GRF Davos and UNESCO
UNESCO and GRF Davos have agreed to sign a
Letter of Interest in autumn 2010 which shall focus
on science and education in risk reduction and
disaster management.
“Global warming is one of the greatest
threats to humanity and therefore it is
vital for countries worldwide to better
manage Earth’s natural resources. The
IDRC 2010 in Davos provided an excellent
platform for these issues to be shared
and discussed.”
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Memorandums of Understanding GRF – Beijing
Normal University BNU, and GRF – IRG_P
Collaboration frameworks (MoUs) have been
signed during the conference with Beijing Normal
University (BNU), and with the International Risk
Governance Project IRG‐P, also situated at BNU,
Beijing.
GRF Davos to join the ‘Rocky Mountain Initiative’
and a new Dialogue Forum
Following the successful launch of the ‘Rocky
Mountain Initiative on Science, Society and Global
Change’, GRF Davos will be a strategic partner in
this new endeavour, which is geared towards
collaborative research, publications and policy
dialogues around the themes of integrated societal
responses to global change.
Also, GRF Davos joins the effort of establishing a
new ‘Dialogue Forum on Development and Climate
Change’, initiated by a group of research
institutions, GTZ and ADB.
Project Legacy for IDRC Davos 2010 Participants
To enhance knowledge, and to transfer and
implement it, Walter Hays, former USGS chief‐
expert in earthquake engineering and seismology,
is proposing a ‘Project Legacy’. Participants of IDRC
Davos 2010 should join and build their legacy in
the field of disaster risk reduction.
IDRC Biennial Disaster Risk Reduction Award
sponsored by Munich Re Foundation
Munich Re Foundation has announced the “IDRC
Biennial Disaster Risk Reduction Award”, an award
in partnership with GRF Davos and UN‐ISDR, with a
price sum of max 100’000 EURO. GRF Davos will be
responsible for the administrative handling of the
awarding process. The award is due for the first
time at the IDRC Davos 2012 conference. Proposals
for the first award in 2012 have to address projects
for early warning in DRR.
IDRC Davos 2010 Poster Awards
The IDRC Davos 2010 Poster Award winners are:
Mr. Henry Peralta, Columbia. Risk Reduction and
Development from the Andean Worldview in a
Changing Climate.
Ms. Stefanie Hass, Germany. Effective Warning
Management: A multi‐disciplinary approach.
Mr. Malik Mehindi Ajani, Tadjikistan. Fostering
Disaster Resilience in Schools Located in Isolated
Mountainous Environments.
Mr. Nimal Piyasiri Banadara, Sri Lanka. School
Based Disaster Risk Management Program
Implemented by Disaster Management Co‐
ordination Unit of Badulla Districts, Sri Lanka.
GRF Publication: Book on Microinsurance
GRF Davos has edited and launched a new book
‘Microinsurance – An Innovative Tool for Risk and
Disaster Management’. The book contains fifteen
papers in total, all focusing – from different
perspectives – on an integrated approach in risk
and disaster management. Case studies from
Africa, Asia and Latin America involving a broad
variety
of
stakeholders,
institutions,
risks,
methods, and business models, reveal the
enormous potential of microinsurance in particular
also in disaster management.
IDRC Davos 2010 – Conference
Documentation
IDRC Davos Short Abstracts Book
IDRC Davos 2010 Conference Proceedings (CD)
IDRC Davos 2010 Conferene DVD
IDRC Davos 2010 Interactive Conference Programme
containing presentations slides, video statements,
posters as well as short and extended abstracts that
were presented at IDRC Davos 2010 is available on
www.idrc.info.
GRF Edited Volume on Microinsurance
Further information on
www.idrc.info
All items can be ordered at info@grforum.org
GRF Edited Volume (2010):
“Microinsurance – An Innovative Tool for
Risk and Disaster Management”