Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit

Copenhagen, Denmark, 2-4 June 2009

Session on Risk Prevention and Resilience Planning

“Vulnerability reduction and risk prevention – the task for local and regional authorities”

Speech by Gaye Doganoglu, President of the Committee on Sustainable Development of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Mr Chairman,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Natural disasters have been affecting our societies since the dawn of time. However, today the risks of natural or technological disasters are considerably higher, and their intensity and frequency are growing as we face the consequences of global warming and climate change. Our dependence on technology and dense transport networks coupled with the close proximity of some industrial sites to residential areas means the number of potential victims is enormous.

The 2009 UN global assessment report on disaster risk reduction reveals alarming statistics. The report points out that between 1990 and 2007, the number of human and economic losses increased dramatically and that, because of climate change and the degradation of ecosystems, the situation can only get worse. It also highlights the link between governance capacities for disaster prevention and management and the consequences, which are alarming in countries with weak governance and weaker risk reducing capacities. In Europe itself, the vulnerability and resilience of communities varies greatly from country to country and even from region to region, due to disparities not only in economic development but also in attitudes to risk prevention and in institutional capacities.

This is why the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe – which represents more than 200,000 territorial communities in 47 European countries – has been warning about the need for a new governance of risks involving all tiers of government – international, national, local and regional – which puts an emphasis on improving adaptive capacities of local and regional communities in response to climate change.

The Congress is convinced that the negative effects of climate change, such as natural or technological disasters in general, reveal first and foremost the vulnerability of communities and territories. Do you know what an earthquake, a flood, an oil spill and a nuclear accident have in common? The answer is that it is the local and regional communities which are most directly affected by them, and it is local and regional authorities which are in the front line when it comes to coping with their immediate consequences. It is therefore their responsibility to anticipate and be prepared with an adequate response to disasters.

We are also convinced that the human and economic costs of these phenomena are increasing today due to the growing urbanisation and technological sophistication of our societies, which is why issues related to natural and technological disaster management have been high on the Congress’ agenda these past years.

Whereas management of natural disasters is the shared responsibility of different levels of government, citizens turn to local and regional authorities for the initial response, and the gravity of the human and material consequences of disasters depends to a large extent on their preparedness and the prevention measures they have taken. It is for this reason that our proposals for improving governance at local and regional level pay particular attention to building capacity to respond to natural and technological risks. Because in the face and in the wake of disasters, the capacity to respond is expressed in terms of the most precious asset – human life.

It is therefore the task of local and regional authorities – not only as those responsible for spatial planning and management and for urban and rural development, but also as the main providers of public services – to incorporate prevention, adaptation and mitigation measures into their activities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is clear that local and regional authorities cannot bear sole responsibility. The speed and effectiveness of their response is closely linked to the co-ordination of efforts at all levels of governance.

This is the main thrust of the measures proposed by the Congress – direct involvement of local and regional authorities in all aspects of planning and preparing a co-ordinated response to natural risks, including consultation on spatial management issues where decisions rest at national level, and permanent sharing of all information concerning the possible risks and their prevention.

Our proposals have been collated in a handbook which details 40 practical measures for local authorities in managing the consequences of disasters, suggested actions before, during and after the event, and a shared approach and responsibility at all levels of governance.

The Congress is convinced of the need to develop a “risk culture” integrating the knowledge and monitoring of natural phenomena, vulnerability and risk assessment, and awareness-raising of local populations. This awareness-raising is of particular importance because today, we are witnessing a new phenomenon in the public opinion with regard to natural disasters – the search for a distant “guilty party”, be it national governments, nature or God in Heaven, while ignoring one’s own responsibility for the lack of preventive measures and safety concerns.

The Congress has thus asked the governments of the Council of Europe member states to set up programmes promoting greater public awareness and contributing to the development of this “risk culture”, along with training programmes for local and regional elected representatives in the management of emergency situations. We also stressed the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the co-ordination of all of the services involved at the different stages of such situations.

This task has been entrusted to the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement of the Council of Europe, which plays an important coordinating role at European level. The coordination of action at international level, through the sharing of information and experience and the setting up of networks, is playing a growing role in the governance of natural risks. 

The international dimension of risk management is also increasing in importance because the nature of these risks is evolving due to climate change. Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a very real phenomenon which has implications for our environment and our social and economic well-being. This phenomenon demands resolute public action aimed at strengthening the adaptive capacity of local and regional authorities, ensuring the protection of people, property and resources, and, generally, reducing vulnerability.

Today’s climate change policies must take into account the need to “think globally, act locally”, and it is heartening to see the growing recognition of this need at all tiers of governance, and in particular at local and regional level.

Local and regional authorities are Europe’s biggest polluters as they bear the primary responsibility for the development of the local economy, spatial planning and provision of ”polluting” services – such as heating and public transport, for example. When addressing the problems of climate change, we need integrated solutions, we need to address the root causes, by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and we need to adapt the overall capacities of our communities for managing the impact of climate change.

Such adaptation is also closely linked to the question of sustainable development, as it reduces the risk for people, for their environment and for the local economy. Adaptation must take a progressive approach that seeks to anticipate future change, these strategies must be based on assessments of vulnerability to identify risk-prone areas and sectors, and on a cross-sectoral rather than a sector-based approach by for example protecting ecosystems, instituting better urban and regional planning and building design, or improving land use.

We also need to ensure that disaster risk assessment and reduction is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation. Last year, the Congress adopted recommendations calling for the development of climate strategies which put the emphasis on risk assessment and adaptation at all levels of governance, and which must be combined with mitigation policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

While public action on climate change is conditioned by the sharing of responsibilities between different actors, the sheer scale of the challenge and its potential impact on territorial communities compels local and regional authorities to be innovative, expand the remit of their competences, seek external partnerships and foster a new risk culture.

We all know that so-called “natural” accidents are not independent of human activity, and in this context, I wish to highlight the stimulating and co-ordinating role played by local and regional authorities in local and regional dynamics, in spatial planning and urban development, and in the promotion of community awareness and involvement. This role is crucial to risk governance and management, and must be recognised as such by all stakeholders.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

These are the key components of our approach to the new governance of risks, a governance which will not be effective without the concerted efforts of all players – international, national, and territorial – and without the strong involvement of civil society and the economic sector to improve the well-being and quality of our citizens’ lives.

Ensuring the safety of citizens is a key element for the sustainable development of our societies, and hence of our mandate as local and regional elected representatives. It is precisely this safety which is jeopardised by natural and industrial disasters, and that is why risk governance remains central to our concerns. Because, at the end of the day, our prevention and response capacity saves lives.

Thank you.