UNITAR Online Catalogue

Urban Risk Reduction: Developing and Implementing Resilience Action Plans for Cities

Deadline
26 Mar 2015
Type
Webinar
Location
Web-based
Date
to
Duration
10 Weeks
Programme Area
Local Development
Website
http://www.unitar.org/dcp
Price
$0.00
Event Focal Point Email
estrella.merlos@unitar.org
Partnership
UNISDR Office for Northeast Asia
Global Education and Training Institute (GETI)

Background

Over the past 20 years disasters have affected 4.4 billion people, caused USD 2 trillion of damage and killed 1.3 million people. Disasters have affected people living in developing countries and, in particular, the most vulnerable communities within these countries.

Particularly in the context of increased urbanization, urban risk continues to rise. The vulnerability of cities to disasters is growing especially as poor people settle in high-risk urban areas. Unfortunately, the planning and development of cities has given little consideration to the consequences of hazards such as earthquakes, hydro-meteorological risks and others. The implication of this reality is the need for countries to focus on creating a safer world for urban dwellers and developing a series of innovative approaches to build resilience. 

Event Objectives

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) together with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Office for Northeast Asia and the Global Education and Training Institute (GETI) are pleased to offer this e-learning course that aims to strengthen the capacities of government officials, especially those at the local level, and disaster management professionals to design and implement plans and programmes that reduce disaster risk and enhance resilience.  

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course participants should be able to:

  • Identify risk reduction concepts, principles and approaches
  • Recognize current challenges and opportunities on risk reduction
  • Describe the Making Cities Resilient Campaign 10 essentials and how to implement them at the local level
  • Assess risk situation in their cities
  • Develop a safe and resilient country/city action plan
  • Describe the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), its progress and possible elements for the Post-2015 Frameowork for Disaster Risk Reduction

Content and Structure

The course is comprised of 8 modules that will be covered over the period of 10 weeks. The average workload per week is estimated at 6 hours.
 
Contents:
Module 1: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Concepts and introduction to current trends
Module 2: Making Cities Resilient (MCR) Global Campaign and tools
Module 3: DRR Assesment and Analysis Tools (LG-SAT and Resilience Scorecard Tools)
Module 4 Part I: Mainstreaming DRR into sectoral programmes (Governance, Financing DRR, Infrastructure, Climate Change Adaptation, Education and Health)
Module 4 Part II: Mainstreaming DRR into sectoral programmes (Housing and Land Use Planning, Ecosystems and Environment, Livelihoods)
Module 5: Developing, implementing, monitoring & evaluating resilient city action plans
Module 6: Developing a strategy for scaling-up resilient city action plans
Module 7: Hyogo Framework for Action and Post-2015 Framework for DRR 

Methodology

This 8-module course is based on UNITAR’s sound adult learning pedagogical principles. The modules include interactive lessons that introduce the participant to the conceptual foundations of disaster risk reduction and urban resilience. Taking advantage of the opportunities of technology-enhanced learning, the learning materials are presented through various media, such as text, graphs, images and video material, which contribute to better retention and enhance the learning process.

Besides the interactive lessons, participants engage in a set of practical exercises, where they can apply the knowledge gained to a real-life situation. Collaborative activities and discussion forums are other core elements of the course, organized to create collective knowledge and to facilitate interaction and experience sharing. The course also includes formative exercises as well as quizzes. A moderator guides participants through all the learning activities. 

Targeted Audience

The course is open to city and local government officials, disaster management professionals, and representatives from academic and training institutions working on disaster risk reduction.  

Additional Information

A certificate of completion will be issued to participants who achieve a minimum total score of 70%. A certificate of participation will be issued to participants who complete all mandatory activities but achieve a final score inferior to 70%.