Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Resilience Building and DRR for LRGs
Disaster Risk & Resilience Governance
LE CT U RE 2
This lecture will discuss the quintessential part of risk reduction and resilience building at the local level: disaster risk governance. The lecture will start by discussing why it is important to have a strong ‘risk governance’, with an enabling institutional environment and coordination mechanisms for DRR and resilience at the local level. The discussion will include the challenges and opportunities of achieving strong risk governance, including showcasing the importance of multilevel and multi-stakeholder involvement. The lecture includes examples of organization and coordination in several cities.
Disaster Risk Governance Risk governance should bring forth stakeholder participation across different governmental levels (vertical governance), as well as amongst different sectors of society (horizontal governance).
Creating an enabling environment and having an effective disaster risk governance for the coordination of DRR and resilience building activities are key for achieving sustainable, resilient, and inclusive development. A strong governance system is characterized by laws and policies, institution and coordination mechanisms, strong leadership, clear roles and responsibility, resources, monitoring and accountability that is set up across all sectors, all actors, and at all levels. While an enabling institutional environment with authorities and capacities, and clear coordination systems are a must, disaster risk governance also requires broad participation across sectors and institutions. These include different governmental organizations and sectors, private sector, academic and research organizations, and civil society organizations. Local risk governance that brings forth stakeholder participation across different governmental levels and agencies (vertical governance), as well as amongst different sectors and networks of the society (horizontal governance) and incorporates formal and informal urban contexts is conducive to the success of local-level DRR action (Gencer 2019a). In addition to multi-stakeholder partnerships at the local level, the Sendai Framework, just like the SDGs, has also stressed the importance of the role of international cooperation and global partnership. The exchange of practices, tools, and expertise among cities and partners within an expanding network provides a broader knowledge base to support the resilience building process. Local Government Associations and networks like UCLG and ICLEI, have a critical role to play in strengthening capacity of cities and territories and facilitating international cooperation.
Challenges Many local and regional governments have strong leadership and coordination mechanisms to undertake DRR actions. On the other hand, they
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