Applying science and technology to policy and practice in DRR
Description
Reducing disaster risk is an issue cutting across different sectors, which requires trans-disciplinary approaches with the support of the natural and social sciences, including for natural hazards and applied fields such as health, agriculture, economics, environment, engineering and technology. Science and technology can and should play an important role in reducing risk and building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.
In the 1990s, the International Decade for National Disaster Reduction promoted the importance of natural science and technology in disaster risk reduction. The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in 2005 introduced a strong emphasis on political and social factors in disaster risk reduction and set expectations for the well-balanced and close integration of scientific/technical aspects with the political/social aspects.
Science has helped to increase understanding of hazards and risks, and to create new insights and methods for reducing risk and building resilience. However, this has not necessarily led to science-based policies and programmes for disaster risk reduction. This will require better cooperation between scientists and policy makers, better transformation of scientific knowledge for public use, and stronger scientific and technical support capacity to support policy making and programmes for reducing risks and building resilience to disasters.
Dialogue between scientists and policy makers builds trust for the application of science to decision making processes, to ensure that decisions on reducing future disaster risk will be scientifically sound.
The Featured Event offers an opportunity for scientists and policy makers to discuss how to improve the transformation of scientific knowledge and know-how for public use in decision making and programming, and how to improve the application of science and technology to policy making, especially at national level.
Session Objectives
The session aims to encourage lively dialgoue and debate between/among scientists and policy makers to identify ways forward for effective cooperation between scientists and policy makers, more specifically:
To identify existing ‘disconnects’ of science, policy and practice in disaster risk reduction that hamper effective cooperation among them;
To gain insight into the challenges for applying science and scientific knowledge to policy-making and practice for disaster risk reduction; and
To identify areas of priority action for the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Discussion agenda and structure
The Session will be a total of 90 minutes, of which 30 minutes is for speakers (5 minutes for each speaker) and 50 minutes for dialogue, debate and discussion. 10 minutes will be reserved for the Chair’s opening and closing.
Suggested questions for discussion:
1. How and to what extent have science and technology contributed to risk reduction and resilience building in recent years?
2. What kind of underlying factors hinder the effective application of science and technology in policy-making process and practice in DRR?
3. What are the missing links between scientific research results and policy-making processes?
4. What should be done to improve these links?
5. How do we increase trust and understanding between the scientific communities and the policy-makers?
6. How have scientific research and knowledge been transformed for the purpose of public understanding and policy-making?
7. What priorities should the Post-2015 Framework for DRR include for promoting science-based policy-making?
Background documents (attachments coming soon)
The Government Office for Science, London (2012): “Foresight Reducing Risks of Future Disasters Priorities for Decision Makers”. Final Project Report.
UNISDR STAG (2013): “Reducing Risks and Disasters through Science and Technology: Issues and Actions”, Report to the UNISDR Global Platform.
2013 Report of UNISDR Science and Technology Advisory Group.
GRF Davos (2013): “Outcomes of IDRC Davos 2012”.
IPCC (2012): IPCC Special Report Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX).
WHO/ WMO (2012): “The WHO/WMO Atlas of health and climate”.
NL (2012): “The Netherlands Delta report”.
"Understanding Risk: Best Practices in Disaster Risk Assessment. Proceedings from the 2012 Understanding Risk Forum".
https://understandrisk.org/page/understanding-risk-2012-forum-proceedings.
Other information
News items will be regularly published on the Global Platform homepage at:
https://www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/2013/
Expected Outcomes
- Better understanding of the usefulness of science and technology in supporting policy and practice in DRR among participants.
- Gaps and challenges identified for forging better cooperation between scientists and policy makers
- Inputs provided for Post-HFA (list of areas of priority action, formats for new ways of collaboration, evidence-based DRR research, etc.).
Background Papers
Presentations
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The STAG report and lessons of disaster in Japan (99.37 kB)
Speaker: Dr. Takashi ONISHI Member of STAG/UNISDR President, Science Council of Japan Professor, Keio University
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Disaster Risk Reduction - developments in science since 2011 (2.48 MB)
Speaker: Professor Virginia Murray, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, Public Health England Member of UNIS,DR Science and Technical Advisory Group
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Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR): An Introduction (766.02 kB)
Speaker: David Johnston, Director Joint Centre for Disaster Research, GNS Science/Massey University
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applying science and technology to policy and practice in drr (796.62 kB)
Speaker: Walter J. Ammann, CEO, Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, UNISDR STAG Member
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Applying Science to Practice in DRR - Experiences from Indonesia (2.14 MB)
Speaker: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Center for Data, Information, and Public Relations National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB)
