By Kamal Kishore and Yi Han-kyung
As the climate crisis continues to create more extreme weather events, and with it more destructive disasters, it has become essential for every country to invest in disaster risk reduction. This requires sustained political commitment, building of institutional capacity, allocation of resources, and careful planning and implementation.
In this regard, the Republic of Korea is a shining example for countries around the world.
Almost 10 years after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is the global roadmap for reducing disaster risks and losses by the year 2030, the country’s record speaks for itself.
For instance, in the area of risk governance, which is the process by which governments assess and act on risks, Korea has developed a comprehensive Master Plan for National Safety Management that is updated every five years. This Master Plan provides the basis for all 243 local governments in Korea to annually develop and implement their own safety management plans.
This mosaic of national and local plans is praiseworthy because proper risk governance is foundational to saving lives and protecting livelihoods, as it governs roles and responsibilities, allocation of resources, and the engagement of all government agencies and segments of society, so no one is left behind.
One key outcome of these efforts is that Korea has made great progress in strengthening preparedness for early action in response to immediate threats.
A notable example is the flood warning system that uses real-time observation data such as rainfall and water levels to inform residents of dangerous situations in risk areas. Furthermore, the world’s first LTE-based disaster safety communication network (Safe-Net) has been established to share activities between response agencies.
These are some of the examples of the commendable work that is being led by Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) to keep the people of Korea safe.
That said, threats and risks do not always originate or remain within a country’s borders. In fact, a key lesson of the pandemic is that risks are interlinked, and the impacts of a disaster can cascade across borders and sectors. This means a local disaster event in a faraway country can evolve into a global crisis.
This understanding, coupled with Korea’s commitment to international development assistance – having itself been a former aid recipient, has propelled Korea to become a global leader in promoting disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
From the example of its resilient cities, such as Incheon Metropolitan City, which became the first city in Asia-Pacific to be recognized as a Resilience Hub under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative, to its hosting of international cooperation initiatives, such as the Green Climate Fund and the Global Green Growth Institute.
Indeed, MOIS has been proactive in working with developing countries to share its best practices and technologies, including the technology behind its flash flood warning system which has now been applied in the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam.
This commitment to international cooperation and excellence in disaster risk reduction is why the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has been proud to consider the Republic of Korea one of its strongest global partners.
As part of this partnership, Korea not only provides financial support to UNDRR’s global efforts but also lends its intellectual capital to shape the global agenda on disaster risk reduction. For example, Korea hosts the only dedicated global training institute for disaster risk reduction capacity development, which is UNDRR’s Office of North East Asia and the Global Education and Training Institute. Last year alone, the institute delivered technical training to 6,289 government officials, the majority of whom were from developing countries.
The institute has been instrumental in working with MOIS to export Korea’s success in disaster risk reduction to other countries. One example is the Korean School Safety Programme, which UNDRR has been managing since 2016. In that time, the number of students reached by the programme increased tenfold from 1,099 students in 2016 to 10,168 in 2023, for a cumulative reach of 46,279 students.
Moreover, UNDRR co-hosted with Korean partners the first and second editions of the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum Incheon, which last year brought together over 370 participants, including 75 leaders and representatives of national and local governments from 25 countries.
Last but not least, UNDRR has been glad to support the work of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat and the Trilateral Ministerial Meetings on Disaster Management between the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the People’s Republic of China, including by publishing reports on best practices from the countries.
The Government of the Republic of Korea and UNDRR share a common desire and commitment to see the world become more prosperous through resilience. Now is the time for both Korea and UNDRR to expand and accelerate their partnership to reach underserved national and local governments, and other stakeholders, in the most vulnerable countries. We call on all like-minded countries and organizations to join us in this pursuit.
With less than six years left for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework, developing countries cannot afford to lose any more ground to preventable disasters. Let us work together for a future that is climate and disaster-resilient, and where no country is left behind.
Kamal Kishore is special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Yi Han-kyung, is vice minister for Disaster and Safety Management of the Republic of Korea.
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