Call to Action to Build Back Better by Investing in Recovery Readiness

The document presents a regional call-to-action urging countries in Asia and the Pacific to enhance recovery readiness as a prerequisite for building back better after disasters. It outlines the region’s high exposure to hazards and highlights gaps identified in the Sendai Framework Midterm Review, including limited national capacities, insufficient financing, and inadequate pre-disaster planning.

It details seven priority action areas: assessing institutional readiness, strengthening leadership for recovery, establishing pre-arranged financing strategies, enhancing local and national capacities, enabling private sector and civil society engagement, improving data systems, and institutionalizing lessons from past disasters. The document also outlines a way forward through regional consultations, development of a recovery readiness framework, peer learning mechanisms, and progress reviews.

These measures aim to help governments and stakeholders better understand requirements for resilient recovery, identify gaps, and strengthen systems for coordinated, inclusive, and evidence-based post-disaster action. The document frames recovery readiness as essential for reducing vulnerabilities, shortening recovery timelines, and advancing equitable and sustainable development in line with regional and global DRR commitments.