United Nations Development Programme
Disaster Risk Reduction
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
An average of 60,000 people died per year in the past decade due to natural disasters according to Our World In Data. In 2018, there were 315 natural disaster events recorded with 11,804 deaths and over 68 million people in total affected. There are many types of natural disasters, therefore there will have to be many different solutions for each type of disaster. All countries are susceptible to the effects of natural disasters, regardless of the geographical location.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) coordinates frameworks for states to follow, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This agreement recognizes that the state is primarily responsible the reduce disaster risk but that the responsibility should also be shared with other branches, such as local government. UNDRR also educates the younger generation by integrating natural disaster safety into the education system. They work to involve them in the decision-making process for disaster risk reduction. In 2001, the General Assembly decided to maintain the observance of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction on the second Wednesday of October to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness.
Equatorial Guinea is especially susceptible to floods and droughts. It is a member and partner of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), along with countries such as Angola, Chad, and Cameroon. The EECAS is working to working to increase the efforts to attain better control of the impact of hazards amid rising pressure from climate change. There is a high level of public investment in disaster risk reduction in Equatorial Guinea, as reviewed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)-Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Equatorial Guinea helped draft National Adaptation Action Plan (PANA) with the help of UNDP, following the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CMUCCC). Equatorial Guinea supports efforts to decrease disaster risks.
The delegation of Equatorial Guinea believes that possible solutions to Disaster Risk Reduction are education, better systems of warning, and locations where people can go and seek shelter. Educating the public would build local resilience to disasters, such as climate change or earthquakes. Better systems of warning for natural disasters coming would prove to be very beneficial, to allow people time to get to safe places. Apps such as the Disaster Alert™ App would allow people to receive alerts directly to their phones, which many people around the world use daily now. Education on public safe places for natural disasters could save many lives, and the UN should work towards saving as many people as possible in as little time as possible, as people are dying now and the UN cannot wait. Equatorial Guinea looks forward to working with other countries to decrease natural disasters risks.
- Audrey Wong
