Common Ground Between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework

Introduction

GIDRM Summary of the OECD report "Common Ground Between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction"

The adoption of several global agendas in 2015, among others the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement, introduced a clear mandate to strengthen coherence between national approaches to climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR). While each agenda has its respective targets and objectives, their common goal is to build a more sustainable and resilient future. The concurrent implementation of these agendas provides a clear window of opportunity to foster cooperation, coordination and coherence vertically across all levels and horizontally between the institutions and stakeholders from different sectors (OECD, 2020). The recent OECD report on the “Common Ground Between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction” provides valuable insights into breaking down administrative and sectoral silos to tap into potential synergies. Here, the key findings are summarized.

Key findings

Drawing on the experiences of the case study countries Ghana, Peru and the Philippines, the report highlights five entry points to increase strategic, operational and technical coherence in the planning and implementation of climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction:

  1. Policy and governance: Political support, capacity development and awareness raising are vital to develop the human, institutional and financial capacities needed to identify potential synergies and align coherence efforts across all levels and between institutions and stakeholders involved. The linking of “responsibility for co-ordination with responsibility for implementation” strengthens horizontal coherence to ensure that national strategies on CCA and DRR “are integrated in local development plans” (OECD brief, 2020, p.3). While DRR can benefit from the current international spotlight on climate change and accompanying resources, its long-standing and established approach offers valuable lessons for CCA.
  2. Data and information: To better understand disaster risks, the availability and accessibility of data on hazards, exposure and vulnerability must be increased by introducing incentives for data owners to make it available on centralised public platforms. The capacities of stakeholders on robust risk assessments and how to use the available data to conduct risk analysis needs to be strengthened. To ensure that gathered data informs decision-making processes, it is key to “make tailored climate information readily available to support evidence-based policy” (OECD brief, 2020, p.4).
  3. Implementation: As the stakeholders involved in planning are not necessarily involved in the implementation, capacity building, peer learning and support for local governments need to be fostered to understand possible challenges and ensure that the “political commitment to greater coherence” is “translated into implementation” (OECD brief, 2020, p.5).
  4. Financing: Financing CCA and DRR involves complex decision-making processes. Capacities to conduct risk assessments and economic analysis need to be increased to support funding allocation for coherent implementation of CCA and DRM. “Budgeting tools, ex-ante financing plans and greater transparency in public spending” can also help “optimise long-term funding allocation across different risks” (OECD brief, 2020, p.6).
  5. Monitoring, evaluation and learning: Data governance and associated capacities of national statistical offices have to be strengthened to ensure dissemination of lessons learned and facilitate their consideration in subsequent decision-making processes (OECD brief, 2020, p.7).

The report also examines the role of development co-operation in supporting partner countries in strengthening coherence for CCA and DRR.

Disclaimer

Summary by GIDRM of OECD (2020), Common Ground Between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3edc8d09-en. © OECD 2020
The additional opinions expressed and arguments employed in the summary are those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the OECD or to its member countries.

Please find the full report and the brief here.