Resilient Businesses for Resilient Nations and Communities
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[PROVISIONAL COVER PAGE]
RESILIENT BUSINESSES FOR RESILIENT
NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE AND POTENTIAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC BUSINESSES IN
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT
DISCLAIMER:
The contents of this document have not been peer-reviewed. While to the best of the authors’
knowledge the information and data presented are correct and accurate, those intending to
reference the information contained herein or make decisions based on this information are
advised to wait until the peer review process is completed. The authors are fully and solely
responsible for the contents herein presented.
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“…we cannot envision a resilient society without resilient businesses. To that end, the
private sector must stand up and be counted as a major component in the post-2015
disaster risk reduction framework.”
– Eduardo Batac, Undersecretary of State, Philippines.
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Foreword
Disaster risk management is increasingly being recognized as a priority area in order to protect
the hard-earned development gains in Asia Pacific region. However, businesses and the private
sector have not yet been sufficiently involved in disaster risk management. The private sector is
estimated to hold 70-85% of the investment globally in most national economies and makes over
US$80 trillion worth of institutional investments on an annual basis. Clearly, the global community
can no longer pursue a disaster risk management agenda without involving the active
participation of the private sector. In turn, the private sector needs to step up to the challenge,
through multi-stakeholder partnerships, to build its own resilience, to contribute more to the
resilience of the global economy, and to attain safer nations and societies.
The present publication is built on an almost two year collaboration by the agencies involved in
promoting the increased involvement of the private sector in DRR. After a decade of promoting
public-private partnerships, including those in the ESCAP Business Advisory Council, a partnership
between UNESCAP, UNISDR and ADPC produced two studies on DRR and the private sector. The
first study on ‘Engaging Asia-Pacific Businesses in Disaster Risk Management’ (2014) was
generated following a series of engagements with the private sector to develop the Asia-Pacific
inputs into the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. The second study (2014) served
as the basis for a technical session on ‘Public-Private Partnerships’ at the 6th Asian Ministerial
Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangkok, Thailand. Subsequently, this latter paper was
brought to the broader regional platform at the Asia Pacific Business Forum held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka towards the end of 2014.
As the world prepares for the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction, there is a strategic
opportunity to establish a clear set of responsibilities and measures of accountability for
meaningful private sector engagement in disaster risk management. This will also involve the
broadening of the current paradigm from the responsive conventional Corporate Social
Responsibility to include disaster risk reduction and ultimately, disaster risk prevention.
Implementation of the HFA2 in Asia-Pacific will require careful consideration as more than 90% of
businesses in the region are micro, small or medium enterprises (SME) which tend to be highly
exposed to risks. Establishing an approach which involves major multinational corporations,
alongside strengthening SMEs, will be critical for the effective engagement of the private sector in
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disaster risk management. As such, the provision of an enabling environment with sound legal
and regulatory frameworks which are actively implemented and enforced, the establishment of
sound monetary and non-monetary incentive schemes and increased accessibility to risk finance,
insurance and information will be key. In addition, the promotion of multi-stakeholder
partnerships among the public and private sectors, nonprofit organizations and academic bodies,
will need to be further promoted.
The next challenge will be in translating the post-2015 framework on DRR into actions. As public
policy makers will need to make informed choices, private sector leaders will also need to
embark on multi-stakeholder dialogues to integrate disaster risk management into their business
processes and, more importantly, in their investment decisions thus preventing the exacerbation
of existing risks and the creation of new risks.
Involvement of private sector in DRM is still in formative stage and goods practices are yet to be
systematically accumulated. Notwithstanding, first steps have to be taken to begin documenting
the evolving thoughts and practices particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Therefore, this
publication provides an invaluable reference point on the private sector’s crucial role to close such
gaps and to improve our understanding of the private sector’s involvement in disaster risk
management. It offers the Asia-Pacific perspective on business and disaster risk management, the
public sector’s role, and the collaborative arrangements in promoting resilience. It also offers best
practices, case studies, and examples.
We believe this study will prove useful in the implementation of future disaster risk reduction
agendas that seek the full engagement of the private sector. Our organizations, and those other
dedicated partners with whom we work, look forward to joining you in making a safer and more
resilient Asia-Pacific region.
Mr. Shane Wright
Executive Director
Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center
Shamika Sirimanne
Director, Information and
Communications
Technology and Disaster
Risk Reduction Division, UN-
ESCAP
Ms. Jainey Bavishi
Executive Director
R3ADY Asia-Pacific
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Acknowledgements
This publication is the result of a joint effort between the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
(ADPC) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
with financial and technical support from R3ADY Asia-Pacific.
On ADPC’s side Pedro J. M. Edo led the research and writing team under the supervision of Bill
Ho, with Kilian Murphy providing outstanding research assistance and inputs. On ESCAP’s side,
key team members comprised Puji Pujiono, Nia Cherrett, Alf Bilkberg, Sung Eun Kim and Emma
Johnston under the overall guidance of Shamika Sirimanne, of the Information and
Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division (IDD). Danate Donparadorn of
ADPC and Mei-Ling Park of ESCAP were responsible for the excellent layout and graphic design
of the publication.
Masato Abe of ESCAP’s Trade and Investment Division (TID) provided both supervision and
substantial technical inputs during the preparation of the two papers which this book is built on.
In particular, he appreciated Soka University of America for providing valuable research facilities
to the study. Other important contributions during this phase came from Deanna Morris and
Teemu Puutio, consultants at TID, ESCAP. Chanidabha Yuktadatta and Aslam Perwaiz (ADPC)
provided extensive contributions on BCP and SMEs throughout the papers. ESCAP interns Toni
Reyes, Jeroen Schillings, Timothee Pouzet and Yiqun Li, provided useful research assistance.
The team is also grateful to Brigitte Leoni and Natalia Tostovrsnik from UNISDR Asia-Pacific
Regional Office for providing funding and guidance for the two papers, as well as Marc-Olivier
Roux, also from UNISDR Asia-Pacific Office for his comments on the final phase of the project.
This publication was made possible through the kind contributions of the following partners: Maki
Yoshida of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC); Takeshi Komino of Church World Service
(CWS) and the Japan CSO Coalition for 2015 WCDRR (Japan Platform, NGOs & Companies
Partnership Promotion Network, and The Network of Civil Disaster Re
