Niels Holm-Nielsen
Practice Manager, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), World Bank
With climate-related disasters becoming more frequent and severe, building back better is insufficient. We must focus on building better before disaster strikes.
To sustainably manage climate and disaster risks, communities and governments must invest in ways adapted to their climate goals.
Disaster and climate risk management
The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) at the World Bank has been pivotal in advancing disaster and climate risk management for impact over the past 18 years. It collaborates with governments, communities and the private sector to tackle complex global challenges. Through technical expertise and strategic grant funding, it enables local and national governments to plan, prepare and implement policies and projects to manage disaster risk.
The biggest challenge for climate
adaptation is in rapidly urbanising
countries in Africa and Asia.
School safety and wetland conservation
Alongside the World Bank, GFDRR has made 121 million students in 564,000 schools across 35 countries safer. Over 600 classrooms in Mozambique were retrofitted with climate-resilient standards as of 2023. In Türkiye, schools withstood the 2023 earthquakes and became a refuge for affected communities.
Moreover, a study revealed Colombo’s wetlands in Sri Lanka can store over 27,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water during rainfall. In response, the Government conserved these areas, with GFDRR supporting sustainability. The wetlands prevent floods, serve as public spaces and provide income for the urban poor.
Climate adaptation in urbanisation
The biggest challenge for climate adaptation is in rapidly urbanising countries in Africa and Asia. By the turn of the century, the global population is expected to increase by 3 billion, with most new residents in African cities. Efficient urban planning is crucial for a livable planet. Governments need support to develop, finance, implement and manage infrastructure and spatial planning solutions.
In Bamako, Mali, 63% of residents live in informal settlements and are highly vulnerable to floods. GFDRR’s City Resilience Program has helped the city develop and implement better spatial plans and flood mitigation investments. Similar work is being supported in Dar Es Salam, Abidjan, Dakar, N’Djamena, Kinshasa and over 100 other cities across Africa and Asia.
Amid climate change and conflict, it is imperative to focus resources on providing people with the knowledge, technology and financing needed for disaster and climate risk before catastrophe strikes.
