Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction
The JBF supported the Resilience through Investing in Ecosystems- Knowledge, Innovation and Transformation of Risk Management Kit project, a global initiative that focused on biodiversity and Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR).
Biodiversity plays an important role in ecosystem health, and the degradation and destruction of ecosystems can limit their ability to serve as protective barriers against the physical impacts of a disaster event and to provide goods and services for basic needs as well as livelihood opportunities.
The aim of the project was to document linkages between biodiversity and environmental disasters, and to mainstream Eco-DRR to support countries in its integration in national risk reduction strategies and actions on the ground by developing knowledge products for policy makers, practitioners, and other relevant stakeholders.
During the project, awareness and capacity development activities were delivered to 160 government officials from 80 countries, national and regional policies were assessed, and action plans were developed. The project set up a global network of senior technical level government officials in the field of biodiversity and disaster risk reduction. Six regional assessments were conducted, covering 51 focal countries in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, South America, West and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The aims of the assessments were to generate knowledge on the role that biodiversity plays in DRR; to develop capacities, facilitate networks, and catalyze action to protect biodiversity for DRR; and to inform policies for integrated approaches to DRR, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation. The Secretariat's voluntary guidelines and sectoral briefs, developed and disseminated during the project for the design and effective implementation of Eco-DRR, support its integration into policy at national and sectoral levels.
