Side event organised by the Royal Thai Government on the occasion of the Third United Nations World Conference in Sendai

03/03/2015

As a member of the United Nations, Thailand will participate in the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (3WCDRR) to be held in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, during 14-18 March 2015. On this occasion, the Royal Thai Government will organise two side events as follows;

1. Thailand High-level Panel Discussion on “More (Resilience) for Less (Risk): DRR Matters” on 15 March 2015, 13.45 – 15.30 hrs., at Room B101, Lecture Rooms Building, Tohoku University, Sendai The event will be an open forum to share Thailand’s experiences, models and successful practices, as well as to exchange views between representatives of governments and other stakeholders, including the UN system and international organizations, private sector, civil society, academia and communities on Community-based Disaster and Risk Management and all-of-society disaster risk reduction approach. The admission is free. During the event, there will also be a book launch of “10 years on: Remembering the Indian Ocean Tsunami”.
2. Exhibition on “Building Disaster Resilience in Thailand” during 14-18 March 2015, 10.00-20.00 hrs., at the 6th Floor of the Sendai Mediatheque 5, Sendai The exhibition will be held to showcase an all-of-society approach of enhancing disaster resilience, as well as successful risk resilient communities by applying His Majesty the King’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. The admission is free.

For more information, please see the documents below and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MRLRTHAILAND

(Concept Paper)
Public Forum of the Third United Nations World Conference
on Disaster Risk Reduction (3WCDRR)
Thailand High-level Panel Discussion on
“MORE (Resilience) for LESS (Risk) : DRR Matters”
Sunday, 15 March 2015, 13.45 – 15.30 hrs.,
Lecture Rooms Building B, Room B101, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

1. Background

The risk of disasters has been increasing both in terms of frequency and severity due to key drivers including climate change, environmental degradation, unbalanced development and the choices we make for our lives and our environment – and its impact is felt most at the community level.

Disaster risk reduction (DRR), whether through disaster awareness, preparedness, mitigation or management, must be an essential part of one’s life, and should involve an all-of-society approach starting at each individual. To achieve sustainable development, one must be less vulnerable to disasters.

Around the world, including in Asia and the Pacific region where most of the world’s disasters occur, successful measures have been undertaken at all levels to reduce disaster risks and the number of people affected by disasters. This includes building local resilience by supporting people-centered capacity building, leadership at the community level, and Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) which contribute to an effective end-to-end disaster risk reduction scheme, reduce losses both in lives and social, cultural, economic and environmental assets, and allow for swift recovery.

Leading up to the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction, Thailand has actively and constructively contributed to the framework’s elaboration by sharing her experiences and successes in enhancing disaster resilience through people-centred development model guided by His Majesty the King of Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, Community-based Disaster Risk Management approach, as well as investments in resilient infrastructure through innovative public-private partnership.

The Bangkok Declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific 2014, as the outcome of the 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (6th AMCDRR) and the Message from Khao Lak to Sendai: “Ten Years On: The Indian Ocean Tsunami From Learning to Action”, on the occasion of the Remembrance Ceremony of the Indian Ocean Tsunami held in Khao Lak in 2014, both strengthened the focus on building community resilience to disaster risks, including the use of community-based knowledge.

Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction requires a holistic and inclusive process. All relevant stakeholders including governments, UN system and international organizations, private sector, civil society, academia, media and communities, have essential roles in forging and adopting risk-informed growth and development strategies to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from impact of disasters.

2. Objectives

The event will be an open forum to share Thailand’s experiences, models and successful practices, as well as to exchange views between representatives of governments and other stakeholders, including the UN system and international organizations, private sector, civil society, academia and communities on Community-based Disaster and Risk Management and all-of-society disaster risk reduction approach.

The objectives of the event include:

• Raise public awareness on building community resilience to disasters;
• Promote mainstreaming disaster risk reduction at all levels;
• Share successful development and risk resilient community models;
• Encourage public-private partnership, risk-sensitive investments, and incorporation of disaster risk reduction in private sector business strategies and its implementation; and
• Strengthen the focus on community resilience in the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction.

3. Draft programme

4. Exhibition on “Building Disaster Resilience in Thailand”

At the 3WCDRR, Thailand will organize an exhibition on the topic of “Building Disaster Resilience in Thailand” to showcase an all-of-society approach to enhancing disaster resilience, as well as successful risk resilient communities such as the Ban Namkhem Community and the Chaipattana-Thai Red Cross Village in Kuraburi District, Phang-Nga province which have earned strength by applying His Majesty the King’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. The exhibition will be held from 10.00-20.00 hrs. during 14 – 18 March 2015 at the 6th Floor, Sendai Mediatheque 5, Sendai, Japan.

Development Affairs Division
Department of International Organizations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
16 February 2015