Addressing Urban Risk Reduction For Addressing Urban Risk Reduction For Women and Vulnerable GroupsWomen and Vulnerable Groups

‘‘The role of Women in Humanitarian Disasters – The role of Women in Humanitarian Disasters – challenges for Norwegian Policy”challenges for Norwegian Policy”

UN-HABITATUN-HABITAT

Urban Risk: ‘Vulnerability to disasters due to Urban Risk: ‘Vulnerability to disasters due to location of settlements’ location of settlements’ – Often in an urban setting ‘Often in an urban setting ‘natural disasters are natural disasters are

anything but natural’ anything but natural’ Urban Vulnerability: ‘Level of Vulnerability to Urban Vulnerability: ‘Level of Vulnerability to

risk’risk’– degree of exposure of people, infrastructure and degree of exposure of people, infrastructure and

economic activities to a physical event or hazardeconomic activities to a physical event or hazard

Urban Risk and Vulnerability Urban Risk and Vulnerability

Unfortunately…Unfortunately…

Reality shows that Reality shows that poor and poor and vulnerable groups vulnerable groups are most risk- due are most risk- due to substandard to substandard housing and housing and construction construction practices, lack of practices, lack of infrastructure, infrastructure, secure tenure.secure tenure.

Women and Vulnerable Women and Vulnerable GroupsGroups

1.1. Poverty reduces choice- Poverty reduces choice- poor often live in marginal poor often live in marginal disaster prone areasdisaster prone areas

2.2. Poor, women, children, the Poor, women, children, the elderly and disabled are elderly and disabled are often the most vulnerable often the most vulnerable and affected the worst as and affected the worst as they tend to have less they tend to have less access to services and access to services and alternative coping alternative coping mechanismsmechanisms

3.3. Unplanned urbanization- Unplanned urbanization- contributes to contributes to vulnerability of vulnerability of communities, particularly communities, particularly women to disasters. For women to disasters. For instance in 2001 SSA had instance in 2001 SSA had 71,9% of its population 71,9% of its population living in slums. living in slums.

Disaster risk reduction is about tackling Disaster risk reduction is about tackling the the fundamental elementsfundamental elements of disaster risk of disaster risk

Reducing vulnerability is about Reducing vulnerability is about understanding and addressing understanding and addressing underlying process of impoverishmentunderlying process of impoverishment

Disaster risk and vulnerability Disaster risk and vulnerability

reductionreduction

Opportunities for Risk Reduction Opportunities for Risk Reduction Women and Vulnerable groups Women and Vulnerable groups

Pre disaster: reduce Pre disaster: reduce vulnerability vulnerability (livelihood, equal (livelihood, equal access to information, access to information, mainstream gender mainstream gender into ongoing research)into ongoing research)

Post Disaster: Build Post Disaster: Build their capacities to their capacities to manage risk manage risk (mainstream gender in (mainstream gender in relief and relief and reconstruction reconstruction activities) activities)

Sadly…Sadly…

Both national and Both national and international international priorities for priorities for disaster risk disaster risk reduction tend to reduction tend to be low only until a be low only until a disaster happens. disaster happens. However there are However there are opportunities to opportunities to overcome this… overcome this…

Hyogo Framework for ActionHyogo Framework for Action2005-20152005-2015

World Conference on disaster reduction (19-22 World Conference on disaster reduction (19-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo Japan)January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo Japan)

3 goals3 goals– More effective integration of disaster risk consideration More effective integration of disaster risk consideration

into sustainable development policiesinto sustainable development policies– Building capacities of institutionsBuilding capacities of institutions– Systematic incorporation of risk reduction into design Systematic incorporation of risk reduction into design

and implementation of disaster management and implementation of disaster management Comprehensive integration of gender.Comprehensive integration of gender. But reporting status shows there is still a long But reporting status shows there is still a long

way to go…way to go…

Policy Implications for Norway Policy Implications for Norway Forefront on fronting the Hyogo framework in all Forefront on fronting the Hyogo framework in all

its development cooperation frameworkits development cooperation framework In Humanitarian relief emphasis on ‘building back In Humanitarian relief emphasis on ‘building back

better’ in line with UN-Habitat SR&R approach;better’ in line with UN-Habitat SR&R approach; Mainstream gender within humanitarian and Mainstream gender within humanitarian and

development cooperation, including early development cooperation, including early warming, indicator developmentwarming, indicator development

Focus on urban vulnerabilities for women, such as Focus on urban vulnerabilities for women, such as lack of secure tenure and economic opportunitieslack of secure tenure and economic opportunities

Ensure coordination in the UN system on gender Ensure coordination in the UN system on gender mainstreamingmainstreaming