G20 and Disaster Risk Mitigation Strategies [UPSC Notes]

In order to limit fallout from natural disasters, G20 can take the lead in formulating disaster risk mitigation strategies. In this article, you can read more about the need for disaster risk mitigation strategies and how the G20 can take the lead in this regard. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam GS papers II and III.

G20 and Need for Risk Mitigation Strategy

The G20 nations have a population of 4.7 billion and face risk from asset concentration and vulnerability to natural disasters.

• Also, four out of the top 10 vulnerable countries are from G20 members in the world risk index.
• The combined estimated annual average loss is equivalent to 9 per cent of the average annual investment in infrastructure totalling $218 billion for G20 countries.
• Thus such kind of socio-economic losses can be mitigated by reducing risk through various measures such as:
  • Better economic and urban development choices and practices
  • Protection of the environment
  • Reduction of poverty and inequality
  • Setting up early warning systems
  • Undertaking periodic risk assessments
  • Constructing disaster-resilient infrastructure     

Measures Taken By India:

• India has initiated a new workstream in G20 to highlight the importance of disaster risk reduction.
• Recently, a second Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group meeting was held in Mumbai.

Also read: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Steps that need to be taken for disaster risk mitigation

• There is a need for innovative financing measures as the budget has constraints associated with fiscal deficit targets. In this context, innovative financing tools such as creating reserve funds, dedicated lines of credit and tapping resources globally should be explored.
• Since the government budgets emphasise capital expenditure there is a need to ensure that the infrastructures such as roads, rails, airports, and electricity lines created are resilient to disasters which will require incremental funds.
• There is a need to have differential strategies to deal with intensive risk (from low-frequency and high-impact events) and extensive risk (risk of losses from frequent but moderate impacts).
• Since extensive risk events account for a large portion of losses there is a need to have a targeted approach to deal with extensive risk events.
• There is a need to bring convergence between disaster risk reduction measures and climate change adaptation efforts.  For example, building flood-management structures under disaster risk reduction strategies will have synergies with adaptation efforts.
• Access to early warning systems, which is one of the important aspects of the Sendai Framework, should be treated as a global public good. The UN Secretary General’s initiative on early warning for all should be the guiding principle.
• The disaster risk must be viewed as a multi-tiered and multisectoral effort and measures must be taken to integrate the efforts vertically across governments and horizontally across sectors. G20 must take the initiative to create a strategy. 
• The Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction is an opportunity for the G20 to take a lead in the implementation of the Sendai framework over the next seven years.

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