Special Event: DRR in Small Island Developing States

SIDS are among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Due to their small size, remoteness, spatial isolation and dependence on trade, SIDS are particularly vulnerable to external shocks and stressors, including from a range of hazards. This session will focus on the critical challenges faced by SIDS in the face of climate change and latent multiple hazards leading to disasters. It will explore the how to scale up DRR action and investment in SIDS, across the priority areas for SIDS reflected in the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS with a focus on economic resilience, water, food and energy security, environmental protection, and mainstreaming DRR in building resilient SIDS.

UNDRR Focal Points:

• Mr. Jair Torres
• Ms. Isabel Njihia
• Ms. Gabrielle Emery

Guiding Questions:

1. What are the most significant challenges faced by SIDS in building resilience to climate change and disasters, and how can these challenges be addressed through integrated disaster risk reduction strategies?
2. How can economic resilience, water and food security, and environmental protection be strengthened in SIDS, and what role can governments, private sector, and civil society play in supporting these efforts?
3. What innovative approaches, technologies, or tools can be leveraged to enhance disaster risk reduction and resilience in SIDS, and how can these be scaled up and replicated across different contexts?
4. How can mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development actions be achieved in SIDS, and what policy, legislative, and institutional changes are needed to support this process?
5. What financing mechanisms and partnerships can be established to support the implementation of integrated disaster risk reduction strategies in SIDS, and how can the international community provide effective support to these efforts?

Moderator:

• Heidi Schroderus-Fox, Permanent Representative of Permanent Missions in Geneva, Finland

Speakers:

• Ms Gina Bonne, Chargée de mission, Indian Ocean Commission
• Ambassador Walter Webson (Check SPELLING), Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations
• Ms. Misha Lobban Clarke, Executive Director, Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Location

Plenary B
CICG