Editor’s choice
This programme aims to enhance regional cooperation on inclusive risk reduction approaches by building on good practice examples and providing scientific evidence and technical assistance on new and innovative methods, tools and practices to key actors in the region.
2018–2022
The building resilience through inclusive and climate-adaptive disaster disk reduction in the Asia-Pacific (BRDR) programme focuses on establishing evidence-based methods, tools and practices for building resilience of the most vulnerable communities in two pilot countries (Nepal and the Philippines) and on sharing the lessons learned at regional forums in order to replicate the approaches across the region.
The programme puts gender equality and rights-based approaches at the forefront of improving disaster risk reduction and seeks to support the implementation of innovative and inclusive measures that link stakeholders engaged in development, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and emergency preparedness.
Additionally, the BRDR programme aims to enhance the role of the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management in supporting member countries in implementing global frameworks and serving as a conduit for South-South learning, transboundary disaster risk reduction, and knowledge sharing.
SEI is currently working in the following areas:
The programme is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and implemented jointly by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, SEI, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.
Perspective / Urban planning for disaster risk reduction in Asia risks neglecting the rights of poor and vulnerable groups.
16 January 2023 / About Disaster Risk
SEI report / The study suggests that WEHRDs' knowledge, skills and activism have the potential to break the relationship between maldevelopment and disasters.
27 December 2022 / About Adaptation and Disaster Risk
Perspective / The recent RCC meeting emphasized the need for gender equality and human rights for effective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
16 December 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Feature / This is an excerpt of a podcast conversation with Indira Shreesh and Kakay Tolentino for the second episode of the miniseries "Women Environmental Defenders".
18 November 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Feature / This is an excerpt of a podcast conversation with Tami Alvarez and Lia Mai Torres for the first episode of the miniseries "Women Environmental Defenders".
8 November 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Perspective / SEI is working with women environmental defenders in Nepal and the Philippines to understand their lived experiences and approaches to reduce disaster risk.
3 October 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Past event / The forum will provide a safe space for environmental defenders and their allies to discuss successes, challenges and priorities for the Asia-Pacific region.
25 October 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Past event / SEI will participate in the 2022 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Brisbane, Australia from 19-22 September.
19 September 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Feature / SEI and ICoE-TDDR will participate in the Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Bali, Indonesia from 23–28 May 2022.
23 May 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Perspective / On the occasion of World Cities Day, SEI Research Associate Minh Tran reflects on urban planning from a health emergency and risk reduction perspective.
31 October 2021 / About Cities, Climate policy, Disaster Risk, Pollution and Transport
Past event / A new young adult novel based on interviews with indigenous women environmental human rights defenders in the Philippines shines a light on their struggles.
11 September 2021
Feature / Two e-learning courses aim to support the integration of human rights and gender equality in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
13 January 2023 / About Disaster Risk
Feature / This is an excerpt of a podcast conversation with Indira Shreesh and Kakay Tolentino for the second episode of the miniseries "Women Environmental Defenders".
18 November 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Feature / This is an excerpt of a podcast conversation with Tami Alvarez and Lia Mai Torres for the first episode of the miniseries "Women Environmental Defenders".
8 November 2022 / About Disaster Risk
Perspective / SEI is working with women environmental defenders in Nepal and the Philippines to understand their lived experiences and approaches to reduce disaster risk.
3 October 2022 / About Disaster Risk
The Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE) offers a guiding framework to promote the integration of human rights and gender equality into disaster risk reduction and climate resilience measures.
Disasters and climate change are not natural phenomena; they are induced and exacerbated by human activities under different environmental, social, economic and cultural contexts. Policies and institutions governing wider development processes, such as urbanization, natural resource use, and poverty reduction, play a critical role in shaping disaster risks.
Social inequality is a key driver of exposure and vulnerability. It leads to unequal distribution of benefits and costs of economic processes, disasters and climate change impacts, as well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience (CR) measures. Marginalized groups who do not equally benefit from economic development face higher levels of risk and vulnerability.
Human rights and gender equality are core principles reflected in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, as well as other frameworks that make up the post-2015 development agenda, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals. However, approaches that have been developed to promote the integration of human rights and gender equality into DRR and CR, and sustainable development more generally, tend to focus on one, with limited engagement with the other.
These briefs present FIRE and its applications in the Building Resilience through Inclusive and Climate-adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific (BRDR) Programme. The FIRE approach, consisting of six dimensions, is intended as a guiding framework for DRR and CR decision-makers at national, sub-national and local levels to use in the development and implementation of laws, policies, procedures and practices related to DRR and CR.
FIRE is an output of the Building Resilience through inclusive and climate-adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific (BRDR) Programme, jointly developed by the BRDR consortium partners consisting of SEI, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.
Under the BRDR programme, SEI spearheads the initiative, ‘Together Defenders’, a quarterly newsletter that gives updates on environment and human rights issues in Asia and on the work conducted by defenders in the region, with a focus on Nepal and the Philippines. The content of the newsletter is based on submissions from our partner organisations.
If you wish to send the contents for this newsletter, please contact us at [email protected].
Feature / SEI and ICoE-TDDR will participate in the Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Bali, Indonesia from 23–28 May 2022.
23 May 2022 / About Disaster Risk
SEI brief / In the Asia-Pacific region, policies that address disaster risk reduction and health increasingly recognize the synergies between the two sectors.
17 January 2022 / About Adaptation, Climate policy, Climate services, Disaster Risk and Public policy
SEI report / This paper provides context, baseline information and a 'state of knowledge' on disaster risk science.
21 January 2022 / About Disaster Risk
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