The 3rd International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum (IDRLF 2024), held from October 28 to 29, 2024,  in Incheon, South Korea, brought together over 350 leaders from across Asia under the theme, “All of Society Capacity Development and Education for Urban Disaster Risk Reduction.” This event provided a platform for sharing strategies and best practices for disaster risk reduction, emphasizing the critical role of multi-stakeholder collaboration in building resilient cities.

Group photos of the participants © UNDRR ONEA-GETI

 

The forum emphasized the crucial role of local governments and cities in disaster response. “It is essential for cities around the world to collaborate in developing response measures,” stated Mr. Byoung-pil Ha, Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Incheon Metropolitan City. Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief of UNDRR’s Risk Knowledge, Monitoring, and Capacity-Development Branch, added, “The key message of this forum is the importance of building capacity at the local level, as this is where the impact of disasters is most acutely felt.”

 

A highlight of the forum was the focus on the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative, a global framework led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to support cities in becoming inclusive, safe, and resilient. ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, a key partner in advancing the MCR2030 agenda, has been actively collaborating with UNDRR on resilience-building efforts. From 2019 to 2021, ICLEI facilitated training workshops in four Chinese cities, using tools such as the Disaster Resilience Scorecard to equip local governments with strategies for climate adaptation, mitigation, and nature-based solutions. In 2023, six Chinese cities at the district and municipal levels joined the MCR2030 initiative, representing over 28 million people. They are committed to reducing disaster risk and building resilience.

 

The recent China Resilient Cities Report (2024) encapsulates ICLEI’s contributions to MCR2030. This report offers a comprehensive analysis of resilience-building efforts in China, drawing on global frameworks and ICLEI’s extensive experience. It outlines pathways for cities to enhance governance, strengthen disaster preparedness, and address the dual challenges of climate adaptation and urban risk management.The report is available in both Chinese and English, and it includes a Summary for Policy Makers.

 

 

Representatives from ICLEI East Asia Secretariat participated in IDRLF 2024, making an important collaboration with UNDRR ONEA-GETI, demonstrating ICLEI’s ongoing support for our long-standing partners and witnessing the release of the China Resilient Cities report.

Ms. Yeonah Ku (left) from ICLEI East Asia and Ms. Daria Mokhnacheva from UNDRR ONEA-GETI (right) © ICLEI East Asia

 

The summary report books placed at the 2024 IDRLF © ICLEI East Asia

 

ICLEI East Asia’s active involvement in IDRLF 2024 reaffirms its leadership in the urban resilience movement. Through its collaboration with UNDRR on the MCR2030 initiative and participation in forums like IDRLF, ICLEI continues to champion cooperative approaches to disaster risk reduction and sustainable urban development, paving the way for safer, more resilient cities worldwide.