Time
11:30 am Bangkok time (10:00 am India, 1:30 pm Japan, 14:30 Australia)
Duration
90 mins
Background
As disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, with developing countries bearing the brunt of the impacts, it has been important to enhance investment in disaster risk reduction efforts.
Both national and global level Investments in DRR are not adequately meeting the demands of risk reduction. Major donor countries have significantly cut down the official development assistance (ODA), with only 2% of ODA now dedicated towards disaster preparedness and prevention. International humanitarian assistance to developing countries has also decreased over the years, from 3.6% between 2015 and 2018 to 3.3% between 2019 and 2023 (UNDRR, 2025). Another study (GSDRC) looking at a 20-year period finds that DRR finance is highly volatile and concentrated, with many vulnerable low-income countries, despite facing the highest risk and having low resilience, receiving almost negligible amounts.
The shift of traditional donors’ priorities from humanitarian assistance to other areas has prompted discussions on relying less on Western aid and exploring alternative financing mechanisms within nations or regions.
Adding to the problem, most development planning remains risk-blind, leading to higher impacts. Infrastructure projects, urban expansion, and private investments often prioritise short-term economic gains without integrating risk assessments or climate projections. For example, the UNDRR’s Global Assessment Report 2022 highlighted that over 90% of all major disasters between 1990 and 2021 were climate-related, yet risk considerations are still rarely embedded in investment decisions. As a result, development efforts inadvertently create new risks, compounding the existing vulnerabilities.
The theme for the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), which is commemorated on 13 October, is “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters”. The theme underscores the urgency of increasing funding for disaster preparedness and prevention and embedding risk-informed strategies into development planning. The 2025 IDDRR has emphasised two key calls to action:
- Increase funding for disaster risk reduction, within public budgets and international assistance.
- Ensure all public development and private sector investments are risk-informed and resilient.
The theme aligns with Sendai Framework Priority Three: Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and KO 5: Mainstream gender equality criteria into risk-informed development and
disaster risk reduction investments.
Project SIDRRA and Its Priorities
Supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Strengthening Inclusive Disaster Risk Governance for Climate Resilience in Asia (SIDRRA) project aims to enhance adaptability and strengthen resilience among at-risk communities in Asia and amplify local voices in decision-making processes. It also promotes multi-stakeholder engagement to ensure that adaptation strategies are grounded in the realities of those most affected. By bridging policy and practice, the project helps local knowledge influence regional resilience agendas. Through this mandate, the project contributes to more inclusive and effective climate adaptation policies and practices across Asia, empowering vulnerable communities to better cope with the impacts of climate change and disasters.
The SIDRRA project adopts a comprehensive, multi-tiered approach to promote inclusive disaster risk reduction in the region. It,
- Amplifies local voices of partners and networks to influence decision-makers to fulfil their commitments to inclusive climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction actions;
- Addresses power imbalances that women, marginalised communities, and other vulnerable groups face. Addressing these gaps is an essential step towards ensuring that policies, systems, and actions are equitable and inclusive;
- Advances grassroots adaptive actions so that communities, local governments, and other stakeholders work together towards disaster preparedness and mitigation actions that are specific, customised, and effective.
This consortium-driven project consists of three leading organisations: The International Rescue Committee, Duryog Nivaran, and the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network. Implementation is supported by the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Mercy Malaysia, CWS Japan, and Janathakshan.
To commemorate IDDRR 2025, SIDRRA consortium partners will come together to organise a webinar.
Objectives of the Webinar
The webinar will promote discussions on the importance of investing in preventive measures of disasters and enhancing resilience over reactionary measures of post-disaster services. The discussions will focus on the importance of resilience building through amplifying local voices, promoting localised solutions and community-led disaster preparedness, and strengthening inclusive risk governance.
As we reiterate the importance of funding DRR planning, we will also hear from the financing institutions on the limitations and challenges that have led to the persistent gap between investment in risk reduction and increasing disaster risks, and explore alternative and innovative financing mechanisms that the Asia-Pacific regions must adopt in this shrinking funding landscape. The discussion will also focus on how CSOs/NGOs can support the government in developing strong projects in this scenario.
Modality
The webinar will have two segments of panel discussions; the first one will represent traditional aid sectors such as international financial institutions and donor agencies. This panel of traditional donors will focus on challenges and priorities of traditional institutions in this changing scenario. The second panel will represent alternative/innovative financing mechanisms, such as the private sector and inclusive financing mechanisms, which will discuss how these innovative mechanisms can help meet the increasing demands of disaster risk reduction.