UNITAR

An emergency becomes a disaster when it exceeds the capability of the local resources to manage it. With ever increasing population and housing densities, the world continues to experience ever increasing danger and damages from natural and manmade disasters. Deaths, injuries, and loss of property will increase around the world due to disasters, unless changes are made in the manner we respond to disasters. Effective disaster management and response demand rapid utilization of information and data from many sources. Visualization and spatial applications are critical during pre and post-disaster management and response. The ability to seamlessly integrate and distribute digital data into spatially explicit forms for situation, rapid assessment and analysis during and after a disaster remains a challenge.

To meet this challenge UNOSAT is offering a course on integrated approach to how info management and sharing is enhanced by use of GIS tools in disaster situations. The GIS database can be accessed for damage assessment or to locate critical infrastructure. To get an overview of the disaster situation it is crucial for disaster managers to be equipped with these basic tools.

On completion of the course, students will be able to critically analyze the prerequisites and challenges for effective situation, rapid maps and preliminary damage assessments. This could include identifying, collecting, preparing, analyzing and creating maps which will match the needs arising from anticipated future disasters.

Learning Objectives:

The aim of the course is to prepare the students so that they are able to work with basic GIS tools in preparation of situation maps.

At the end of the course the students must:

• understand the role of Geo information in the response phase of a disaster
• be able to collect various disaster related information including GIS
• be able to use basic GIS tools to prepare situation maps
• be able to do a preliminary damage assessment after a disaster based on the available spatial information
• be able to collect GIS information from web and prepare, analyze and produce maps for a disaster situation

Governments around the world have been at the forefront in the fight against global crises, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the disruptive nature of the COVID-19 crisis has exposed a deeper level of vulnerability in our communities, by creating unprecedented socio-economic and cultural implications. During the crisis, public servants have been faced with the unparalleled urgency to formulate new ways of thinking; adapt to new realities and prepare for the unknown future.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize some of the current challenges faced by public officials due to COVID-19
• Identify contextual challenges due to a crisis and ensure business as usual policies in the public sector
• Discuss different processes involved in crisis management, including soft skills related to communication strategies and leadership
• Respond to governance challenges in post-crisis situations to ensure resilience for future crises

Over the past 20 years, disasters have affected billions of people, caused USD$ trillions of damage, and killed millions of 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, the 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 have 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.

On the basis of these needs, UNITAR in partnership with UNDRR has developed the e-learning course “Making Cities Resilient: Developing Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Strategies”.

This e-learning course aims to strengthen the capacities of government officials, especially those at the local level, and disaster management professionals to design and implement plans and programs that reduce disaster risk and enhance resilience.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Raise awareness about the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative services and tools
• Identify initiatives and best practices on how to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adoption into urban planning
• Assess the risk management situation in their cities by using a tool
• Develop a safe and resilient country/city action plan
• Analyze the purpose, the goals, and the outcome of the Sendai Framework for DRR

In line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, SDG 11.B and SDG 3.D, this e-Learning Course offered by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) aims to contribute to strengthening the capacity of local government officials for risk reduction and resilience planning inclusive of health threats management.

In view of current and emerging risks to public health and the need for more effective coordination and management of resources, this course presents two frameworks that provide guidance on how to integrate public health systems and disaster risk management:

UNDRR’s Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities: Public Health System Resilience - Addendum Consultative Version 2.0 aims to serve as a tool to strengthen the local governance resilience by ensuring that public health issues are taken into consideration when planning for disaster risk reduction/resilience.

WHO’s Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (Health EDRM) provides a comprehensive approach that can be applied by all actors in health and other sectors who are working to reduce health risks and consequences of emergencies and disasters, and build the resilience of health systems, communities and countries.

Learning objectives

At the end of each module, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities
• Recognize and utilize the Public Health Addendum as a supplement to UNDRR’s Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, developed to help address the public health implications of major disasters
• Identify policy considerations to reduce risks and consequences of emergencies and disasters
• Recognize concepts, guiding principles, components, and functions of effective Health EDRM
• Utilize the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities: Public Health System Resilience Addendum Consultative Version 2.0 as a tool to strengthen and integrate coverage of the many aspects of public health that are relevant to disaster planning, mitigation and response, helping to ensure the integration of public health issues in disaster risk management