“Words into Action” Implementation Guide for Construction Policy
Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:24:00 BST
A Roundtable discussion: on the Direction of the Development of Sendai Framework “Words into Action” Implementation Guide for Construction Policy and Practice, a UNISDR initiative, was held at the recently held 6th International Building Resilience Conference 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, from 7-9th of September, 2016.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction charts the global course over the next 15 years. During the consultations and negotiations that led to its finalisation, strong calls were made to develop practical guidance to support implementation, ensure engagement and ownership of action by all stakeholders, and strengthen accountability in disaster risk reduction. Paragraph 48 (c) of the Sendai Framework calls upon the generation of evidence-based and practical guidance for implementation in close collaboration with States, and through mobilisation of experts; reinforcing a culture of prevention in relevant stakeholders […]”. In order to support the process, a number of targeted Sendai Framework implementation guides shall be developed.
Photo: Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga and Prof. Richard Haigh - in setting the scene
There have also been growing calls for greater engagement of the construction and property sector in disaster resilience building efforts, and a need for greater integration of disaster resilience concepts into the education of construction and property professionals. In recognition of their important role in resilience building efforts, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has recently approved the formation of a working group on ‘Construction policy and practice’ that could support the production of this practical guidance to target key stakeholders linked to construction and property.
It is anticipated that over the coming years, the working group will develop a series of guides that target a range of issues and key stakeholders in construction and property. The first guide will be developed in time for the next Global Platform in May 2017.
The working group will operate of a voluntary basis and will meet virtually, with the support of UNISDR’s prevention web platform. The aim is to identify the target groups for each topic, take stock of existing material, and determine the process for developing each guide, including reviews of their impact down the line.
During the 2016 International Conference on Building Resilience, we took the opportunity to hold an initial meeting with working group members that are in attendance. This enabled us to better explain the plans and to discuss the year one work plan.
Proposed Target stakeholder groups included:
- Clients, consultants and contractors associated with land, property and construction professions
- Professional institutions including national and international bodies of construction2
- Local Government Leaders, Mayors, City Managers and other practitioners
- Schools of property and construction
Photos: some of the workshop participants
