Disaster Preparedness Network (DPNet) Nepal, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) and other stakeholders and with the technical and financial support of USAID/Tayar successfully concluded the first and historical two-day Learning & Sharing National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (NCDRR) in Soaltee Hotel, Kathmandu on February 24-25, 2022.
The highly inclusive conference aimed to bring out DRR stakeholders in a single platform to discuss and share the contextual issues related to DRRM and to prepare for upcoming 'National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction', 'Global Platform for DRR' and 'Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRRM'. In the context of not being able to sit down and discuss in one place, the conference brought together more than 350 DRRM stakeholders.
Discussion on 15 peer reviewed paper, panel discussion, market place observation, essay competition, duet folk song and formal program clarified the links between legal tools, blueprints and other policy documents and carried out local, provincial and federal assessments of the vulnerable population; the ecosystems and ecosystem services most at risk; adaptation and mitigation options available in DRR sectors and the links between them; and how other drivers of change relate disaster impacts. Similarly, conference tried to highlight the need to develop indicators (social, economic, environmental and institutional) for disaster mitigation and adaptation and to support for information dissemination and sharing of experience among the DRR stakeholders.
In a nutshell, highly inclusive and accessible NCDRR event established a practice of organizing national conference on annual basis and to share good practices and challenges from the ground. Similarly, it has successfully reviewed the current status of policy implementation including DRRM Localization and to produce relevant materials to prepare national position paper to participate in the upcoming Global Platform for DRR in May 2022 and Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRR in September 2022.
There are a number of lessons that can be taken from this conference to foster effective disaster risk reduction activities to encourage partner support. Details of the conference including conference proceedings can be accessed at https://dpnet.org.np/ncdrr.