WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY RESILIENCE?

INVITATION TO A ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION

A panel composed of high level policy experts and experienced practitioners will discuss the impacts of climate change and the social, cultural and economic shifts on people’s vulnerability to disasters. What is being done
to strengthen preparedness at national and international levels?
Are we investing enough and do we reach the people in need?

Due to the effects of climate change, disasters related to extreme-weather events are increasing in terms of frequency, severity and magnitude.
• By 2015, an expected 375 million people will be affected by climate-related disasters each year.
• By 2030 annual disasters costs are estimated to reach 316 billion Euros.
Although natural hazards, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis are largely unavoidable, they only become disasters when a population is unable to cope with them.
While humanitarian disaster relief arrives once a disaster strikes, strengthening Resilience starts
earlier and is a long-term effort. Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness activities before, during and after natural hazards, help to strengthen coping mechanisms, reduce losses and recover faster.
Furthermore, investing in Resilience is cost-effective. For every Euro spent on Disaster Risk Reduction activities, 4-7 Euros are saved that would otherwise be spent on responding to disasters.

PROGRAMME
Welcome and Introduction
• Gerry Foitik, Federal Commander in Charge,
Austrian Red Cross
Key Note interventions on building resilience to disasters
• Joaquin Toro, Disaster Risk Management,
The World Bank Group
• Slobodanka Curic, Disaster Management Expert,
Independent Consultant
On the round table you will find
• Gerry Foitik, Austrian Red Cross
• Michael Obrovsky, ÖFSE
• Representative from DG ECHO (tbc)
• Our Keynote speakers

Moderation by Andrea Reisinger, Austrian Red Cross

The Event is a part of the “Disaster Resilience Experience” campaign, run by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) and 12 European Red Cross Societies to raise awareness about the importance of strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience in light of increasing vulnerability to disasters. As part of the 6-week campaign, an interactive documentary that examines how individuals, communities and countries around the world are strengthening their resilience: The Disaster Resilience Journal will be launched on 22 September 2014.

Camera: Bernhard Martinak, Kilian Fellinger
Director: Armin Fauland
KHD Dokuteam Wien