Virtual Study Tour:  Prepare Better, Build Back Better: Towards a More Resilient Algeria 

Overview

The Government of Algeria, in collaboration with the World Bank, is organizing a virtual study tour aiming to bring together Algerian stakeholders with Disaster Risk Management (DRM) experts from around the world.

This series of virtual knowledge-exchange events will focus on successful DRM case studies from countries that share Algeria’s disaster risk profile around issues such as earthquakes, floods, and forest fires. As such, the discussions will provide Algerian delegates with an opportunity to discuss DRM prioritization and international best practices in disaster preparedness, reduction and response.

Webinar 2

Title : Building resilience to floods: Good practices from France and South Asia

Algeria, France and South Asia share a common challenge: flooding. The floods in Algeria continue to take lives and cause an average annual loss of about US$178 million. Likewise, thousands of people have died in South Asia from flooding and landslides caused by the annual monsoon. In France, floods constitute the first natural risk due to the extent of the damage it causes, the number of municipalities concerned, the extent of the flood-prone areas and the populations residing in these areas.

During this second webinar, participants will dive into what works and does not work in the flood risk prevention and will discuss best practices to build resilience to floods.

Time: 09:00 EDT (20 May)

Webinar 3

Title : Resilient cities: Preparing for disasters and pandemics

Natural disasters and climate change have a devastating impact on cities and their inhabitants. By 2030, without significant investment into making cities more resilient, climate change may push up to 77 million more urban residents into poverty. In addition, urban areas contribute up to 80% to global GDP and are the engine of global growth. However, the same factors of population density, jobs and assets that so largely determine the success of cities, also contribute to making them extremely vulnerable to the wide range of natural and manmade shocks and disturbances that increasingly affect them.

This third webinar aims to strengthen the understanding of urban resilience and present a real success story of its implementation in the city of Amman, Jordan. The event will also discuss the role of cities to plan not only to reduce risks, but also to invest in building urban resilience, in order to enable systems, services and people to cope with the multiplication of disasters they face, including pandemics, to adapt to shocks and stresses, and to recover.

Time: 09:00 EDT (26 May)

Webinar 4

Title: Forest fire prevention and presentation of the findings of the diagnosis on disaster risks in Algeria

During the period 2010-2019, Algeria recorded an average of nearly 3,000 fires per year, covering an average annual burnt area of more than 30,000 ha. Several studies have shown that climate change favors forest fires. This is because the frequency and intensity of periods of heat and drought, among others, are increasing under the effect of climate change, which will increase the risk of fires. Preventing wildfire will be the focus of the discussions during this event that will take participants to a virtual study tour in Portugal and France, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences in dealing with forest fire.

To conclude this series of webinars the panelists will present the findings of the rapid diagnostic on Disaster and Climate Risk Management in Algeria. The study provides a disaster and climate risk profile and quantifies macro-economic impacts of disasters. It identifies strengths and challenges in the regulatory and institutional framework for disaster and climate risk management and assesses resilience to risk by studying key sectoral plans and strategies.

Time: 09:00 EDT (27 May) 

Speakers 

1. Abdelhamid Afra is the national delegate for major risks at the Ministry of the Interior in Algeria. He is Professor at the National School of Public Works in Algiers and previously Professor at the National Center for Integrated Building Studies and Research. He holds a PhD from the National School of Bridges and Roads in France.
2. Kazım Gökhan Elgin is the Founder Director of Istanbul Project Coordination Unit (IPCU) leading the international organizations funded Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Management Project (ISMEP) with a budget of 2.3 Billion Euro that aims to improve the city of Istanbul’s preparedness for a potential earthquake.
3. Anil Pokhrel is the Chief Executive at the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority, Government of Nepal. He has previously worked on multiple projects and technical assistance on disaster risk reduction, and management and climate change in multiple countries in South Asia, East Asia, Central and West Asia.
4. Mikio Ishiwatari is Visiting Professor at The University of Tokyo and Senior Advisor in disaster management and water resources management for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He has also served as a government engineer at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan, as an Urban Development Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, and as a Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank.
5. Nuha Qtaish is an architect and urban planner currently holding the position of Executive Director of Planning at Greater Amman Municipality (GAM). She has previously served as Director of Zoning Department, and Director of Construction Licensing Directorate at the Free Development Zones Authority (JFDZ). She has contributed to authoring both the Amman Zoning By-law and the Amman Municipal Law.
6. Fantina Tedim is Assistant Professor at the University of Porto. Her research focuses on disaster risk as an interaction between society and environment as well as vulnerability and resilience in a multi-hazard approach and risk communication.