The challenges posed by climate change, including extreme flooding, heat waves, droughts etc. significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards faced by communities and the emergency management systems at various levels of governments serving them. Accordingly, the demand from governments to address emergency preparedness and response as a core development issue, with a focus on engaging a broader number of institutions is increasing.
The Global Program for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) aims to build government capacities to systematically prepare for and respond to emergencies by establishing legal and institutional frameworks for clear mandates and accountabilities, and investing in personnel, facilities, equipment, and information technology to enhance emergency management systems. The Global Program for EP&R provides technical support to task teams and governments and supports institutionalizing and scaling the World Bank’s engagement in Emergency Preparedness and Response investments by supporting task teams in advocacy, design and implementation of EP&R projects or projects with emergency preparedness components.
The program offers two main products: (i) the Lessons Learned Exercise (LLE) as an entry point; and (ii) the Ready2Respond (R2R) diagnostic as an investment planning tool. In addition, the program provides support to teams by connecting regional teams with external expertise and providing operational and technical support.
In the scope of the Understanding Risk Forum, the Program proposes to organize a panel discussion with the World Bank task team leaders and clients on the importance of comprehensive EP&R systems. The participants will discuss the importance of multi-agency collaboration, local-level capacity building and community engagements. The panel will discuss and share experiences from the first phase of the program including lessons learned from engagements in the Caribbean and Bangladesh; what teams learned from COVID-19; and how the program can support regional teams and clients moving forward. The panel discussion will be followed up by a Q&A.
“The main recommendations we learned from Haiti’s experience were: to actively monitor humanitarian response operations from governments and partners, keeping channels open; to work in sectors, to allow for rapid planning and start of the recovery; to have good coordination with the ministries of planning and donors to initiate recovery; also, we need to have assessments that are done quickly, so we can have the data and information required for decision-making. Through all this, we need to harness technology and make sure we are on top of it.”
“In complex response situations, there is no one-size fits all or custom-made solutions. It is always fluid and dynamic, so you must be flexible. But one of the most important things is that you need to keep the people that are affected at the center of the decisions. They are the ones that should motivate and that would always come first in whatever decision or dynamic that you are engaging in. We also need to emphasize, enhance and strengthen the capacity of the local institutions. Reinforce civil protection institutions so they can be better, have more autonomy, and be more impactful should the next event occur.”
