International recovery forum 2013

Cities are engines for development, prosperity, innovation and hope, and soon will be home to two thirds of the global population. However, recent trends show that in the urban context, disasters occur more frequently, affect more people, and cause higher economic damages than ever before. The role of local governments in risk reduction has come to the forefront because local governments are the closest institutional level to the citizens and play the first role in responding to crises and emergencies and in attending to the needs of their constituencies.

The forum is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

1. Further reflect on applying the lessons on recovery from mega-disasters, specifically from the Great East Japan Earthquake to inform Post-2015 Global Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction & Recovery

2. Share knowledge and exchange experience on disaster recovery planning and recovery operations - emphasizing the importance of incorporating disaster risk reduction in urban planning and development as well as community preparedness for the future disasters

3. Present recent experiences on recovery operations and the emerging challenges in cities

There will be also discussions on resilience of cities and the role they play in recovery and reconstruction as well as on lessons from mega disasters and the key messages for the continuing dialogue on the narrative for recovery and reconstruction in the HFA 2.