Empowering local governments for effective disaster management and climate resilience

As frontline responders to disasters, local governments must address policy gaps and capacity challenges to achieve their long-term goal of building resilient and sustainable communities.

In the Philippines, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and management at the local level is constrained by policy implementation challenges, lack of technical capacities, mismatch between the required and available skill sets, fragmented resources, and low utilization of local disaster risk reduction and management funds.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government launched the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program, encompassing strategic policy reforms and capacity-building initiatives to effectively implement disaster risk reduction and management and climate change mandates. The reforms include jointly coordinated and adopted policies to address structural and coordination bottlenecks while strengthening institutional capacities at the national and local levels.

Addressing Vulnerabilities

The Philippines, an archipelago with 7,641 islands, is highly susceptible to natural hazards, including typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Climate change exacerbates this vulnerability, affecting 74% of the population and exposing 60% of the land area to multiple hazards. Recent disasters triggered by natural hazards have underscored the urgent need for robust disaster risk reduction and management strategies.

The country's disaster risk reduction and management policy framework has significantly evolved from a reactive stance to a proactive, all-hazard approach emphasizing active local participation. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act and the Climate Change Act have fortified the country's institutional foundation for disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation. Moreover, the devolution of disaster risk reduction and management functions and services to local governments under the Local Government Code of 1991 and reinforced by the Mandanas ruling in 2018 mandating further decentralization, presents significant opportunities and challenges to mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and management at the provincial, municipal or city, and barangay/community levels.

To enhance readiness and support local governments in assuming greater responsibilities in line with decentralization, the Agence Française de Développement, in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, formulated a comprehensive policy-based loan and technical assistance framework. This initiative builds on previous efforts to enhance local capacities for disaster resilience. It is designed to integrate disaster risk reduction and management into local planning and infrastructure investment, addressing current vulnerabilities and future risks.

The Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA), a multidonor trust fund managed by the Asian Development Bank, supported the Agence Française de Développement through the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program. The comprehensive strategy provided the cornerstone for designing the policy-based loan and accompanying technical assistance.

The program's primary goal is to strengthen the local governments' capacity to manage disaster risks effectively and improve their resilience by formulating a monitoring and evaluation framework with foundational work and financial plans. The program aligns with the broader institutional and capacity development roadmap led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and other national agencies.

Building Resilience through Disaster Management Reforms

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Reform Agenda

With support from Agence Française de Développement and CDIA through the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program, the Philippine government formulated its reform agenda, which includes several key components aimed at strategically addressing specific gaps while taking advantage of new opportunities:

• Policy evolution. The national disaster risk reduction and management framework and plan outline a comprehensive approach to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Going beyond response and recovery, local governments now have a strong foundation for implementing prevention, mitigation, and preparedness, which were not addressed in past policies.
• Local government role. Local governments are at the forefront of disaster risk reduction and management implementation. While the Local Government Code of 1991 grants them significant autonomy in disaster management, the reform agenda will enable them to address key bottlenecks such as limited funds, high staff turnover, and inadequate access to financing for disaster risk reduction activities, which hampered previous efforts.
• Funding and support. Funding for disaster risk reduction and management has been increasing, with local governments mandated to allocate at least 5% of their revenue to disaster management. Meanwhile, international support (e.g., ADB's Disaster Resilience Improvement Program, World Bank's Development Policy Financing, and Japan International Cooperation Agency's Post-Disaster Standby Loan) provides crucial financial assistance. Local governments must be able to tap and utilize these resources effectively for disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation.
• Capacity building. The Department of the Interior and Local Government is pivotal in developing the local governments' disaster risk reduction and management capacities. The Agence Française de Développement and Department of the Interior and Local Government partnership has implemented projects to enhance disaster preparedness and resilience at the local level. However, the continuing devolution of functions from national agencies to local governments necessitates extensive technical and capacity development support.

Strategic Reforms

Considering the reform agenda, specific courses of action were identified to enhance the management of disaster risk at the local level. These include:

• Strengthening risk-informed planning. The lack of knowledge and skills in hazard and risk information generation and data management are addressed through synchronized policy circulars and training activities. The objective is to optimize the use of existing platforms such as GeoRiskPH for climate and disaster risk assessment, and community-based management systems for formulating local plans.
• Scaling up Local Resilience Readiness Monitoring Framework (LRRMF) implementation. LRRMF, built on the disaster preparedness audit, will be promoted to a wider scale to ensure that local governments are well-prepared for natural hazards. Its initial rollout in 49 local government units has shown promise, paving the way for the development of a nationwide implementation plan. This reform aims to enhance the Department of the Interior and Local Government's ability to coordinate and support local governments in undertaking comprehensive capacity development interventions.
• Formulating institutional and capacity development strategy. This aims to harmonize and integrate various capacity development efforts across agencies. It ensures that learning and development initiatives are not isolated but contribute to broader climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management goals. The strategy emphasizes coordinated efforts to build capacity, particularly in harder-to-reach areas.
• Increasing utilization rate of disaster risk reduction and management funds. Historical data indicate low utilization rates of local disaster risk reduction and management funds. The strategy includes targeted training and technical assistance to improve the government's ability to effectively use these funds, develop disaster risk reduction and management programs attuned to local contexts, and enhance procurement processes to ensure timely resource utilization.
• Mainstreaming gender-sensitive and socially inclusive approaches. This involves ensuring that disaster response facilities, such as evacuation centers, adequately address the needs and safety of the vulnerable sector and the public health safety of all evacuees against infectious diseases.
• Monitoring and evaluation framework. This outlines the annual target outputs for each reform area. It provides a structured approach to monitor and evaluate the progress of disaster risk reduction initiatives, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.

Effective Local Disaster Management

The successful implementation of the program strategy will have significant implications for disaster resilience in the Philippines, such as:

• Enhanced preparedness. The Department of the Interior and Local Government, as the supervising entity of local governments, will be better equipped to train them just as the local governments will be better equipped to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters. This reduces the potential impact of natural hazards on communities, saving lives and reducing economic losses.
• Increased funding efficiency. By improving the utilization of disaster risk reduction and management funds, local governments can implement their programs more effectively and timely, enhancing their overall disaster response and recovery efforts.
• Strengthened institutional capacity. The harmonization of capacity development initiatives under the institutional and capacity development strategy ensures a more coordinated and impactful approach at the national and local levels. This builds the technical skills of local personnel and fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
• Sustainable development. Integrating disaster risk reduction into local planning and development processes promotes sustainable development, ensuring that infrastructure and community services are resilient to future climate and disaster risks.

Multistakeholder engagement is crucial for the holistic and effective implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program. Its strategy highlights the importance of a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders (national government agencies, civil society organizations, and local communities) to achieve the targeted objectives.

Disaster Risk Reduction at the Local Level Technical Assistance

In March 2024, the Department of Finance, Department of Interior and Local Government, European Union, and Agence Française de Développement launched the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program technical assistance to improve the local governments' capabilities in key disaster risk reduction and management areas. It addresses critical gaps in:

• Risk-informed planning
• Integrated capacity development strategies
• Effective utilization of local disaster risk reduction and management funds
• Gender-sensitive and socially inclusive disaster response to protect citizens, especially the vulnerable.

The program also aims to facilitate high-level policy dialogues among government and nongovernment stakeholders to set key policy directions and foster co-ownership and accountability.

Co-funded by the European Union and Agence Française de Développement, the €4.28-million technical assistance supports the programmatic policy-based loan of €250 million provided by the French government to the Philippines in 2021. An additional €.6 million from Agence Française de Développement will structure the technical assistance, bringing the total grant to €4.88 million.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Technical Assistance Program will be implemented from 2024 to 2027 in close partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government units, national agencies, and French institutions.