Getting Ahead of Disasters: Launch of a Charter on Finance for Managing Risks

COP
7 November, 2023
Author name:
Lorraine.youds
Getting Ahead of Disasters

The 'Getting Ahead of Disasters'  Charter is now ready for endorsement following an extensive consultation and co-development process. The Charter will be launched by the UAE COP28 Presidency, the Government of Samoa and the UK Government on 3rd December on the Relief, Recovery and Peace Day of COP28. Endorsement of the Charter and the development of concrete commitments towards implementation of its principles can now begin. Further information on the Charter will be available on a dedicated website launching shortly. 

A Charter on Finance for Managing Risks 

Around the world, the escalating effects of climate change are a pressing concern, necessitating proactive actions to mitigate impacts. The Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter, an initiative of the UAE COP28 Presidency, sets the stage for a more resilient future by laying out a set of principles aimed at enhancing the use of finance to mitigate risks and protect the most vulnerable from climate-related disasters. 

The Charter's significance is evident when confronted with the reality of climate change-induced loss and damage. Forecasts indicate that the annual economic toll could climb to a range of USD 290 billion to USD 580 billion by 2030. However, it is the world's low-income nations that are disproportionately burdened by these impacts. Each year, 189 million people in these countries grapple with the devastating repercussions of extreme weather events; a distressing trend that has persisted since 1991. 

The Vulnerable Group of Twenty (V20) economies, for example, have endured a 20% loss in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the past two decades due to insufficient climate action. This loss has jeopardised national economic stability and perpetuated the indebtedness of these countries. 

Simultaneously, the humanitarian sector finds itself grappling with an escalating surge in demands for assistance. Around 83% of the disasters that unfolded during the 2010s were directly attributable to climate and extreme weather events. These events frequently lead to funding appeals that fall significantly short of the essential resources required to alleviate the suffering that they cause. 

Principles of the Charter 

The Charter sets out five key principles to address these challenges: 

1. Acting ahead of disasters to reduce risks 

Shift to proactive measures: Act ahead of disasters by integrating risk information into decision-making, scaling up funding for disaster risk reduction, and planning and acting in advance of disasters. 

2. Coordinating finance across sectors and timelines

Improve coordination: Enhance the alignment of finance across climate change adaptation, development, and disaster risk management, breaking down silos and promoting a holistic approach. 

3. Delivering pre-arranged finance for timely support 

Prioritise pre-arranged finance: Ensure faster, more reliable, and better-targeted support by increasing the use of pre-arranged finance, supporting flexible approaches, and considering debt sustainability. 

4. Improving delivery systems for at-risk communities 

Enhance delivery systems: Support at-risk communities and the most marginalised populations by establishing robust delivery plans, empowering communities to drive the design, development and implementation of support delivery systems, and investing in monitoring and evaluation. 

5. Localising approaches 

Prioritise local leadership: Emphasise government leadership in the allocation and distribution of finance, with greater involvement of local actors, and support the use of local delivery mechanisms and people-centred approaches to improve sustainability of these approaches to reach affected populations. 

Indicative timeline for the launch and implementation of the Charter:

  • November 6th: release of Charter for institutional endorsement ahead of COP28
  • December 3rd: official launch of the Charter at COP28’s Relief, Recovery and Peace Day
  • Post-COP28: discussions on implementing the Charter begin 
  • COP29: progress on implementation of the Charter is shared 

Endorsing the Charter

We are working on setting up a dedicated website which will host a form that you can complete to endorse the Charter, providing brief organisational details and your commitments. Until the website is established, you can fill in the following: Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter pre-COP endorsement form. To have your endorsement and/or commitments recorded, please return this to reap.secretariat@ifrc.org and climate.reliefrecoverypeace@cop28.com.

Please note that your information will be handled in accordance with relevant data privacy policies.

Further information and links: 

Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter website

The Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter

Information note on how the Charter aligns with existing international policy frameworks 

Information note on what successful implementation of the Charter can look like

Frequently asked questions on “Getting Ahead of Disasters: A Charter on Finance for Managing Risks”

For further information, please contact the REAP Secretariat: reap.secretariat@ifrc.org