Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Margareta Wahlström to discuss the challenges and opportunities for building risk resilience to disasters of nations and communities. It is a great opportunity to have someone held in such high esteem as Ms Margareta Wahlström to address the House. Every Member of Seanad Éireann is privileged to have her here to debate the issue. It is not often we have the opportunity to debate such an issue. I speak on behalf of all Members when I say that we welcome warmly this departure.

The increasing frequency and intensity of disasters is posing a major threat to the long-term development and economic progress of the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries. Large-scale emergencies have occurred every year over the past decade, from the Darfur conflict, which started in 2003, to the earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and China in 2010. In 2011, there was a food crisis in the Horn of Africa and in 2012 a major food security crisis in the Sahel region of Africa, where acute food shortages devastated the area. This was driven by chronic poverty, malnutrition, high food prices, drought and low agricultural production. It affected almost 18.7 million people across the region.

It is clear there is some degree of repetition and predictable crises require co-ordinated and predictable responses. Whether a natural disaster or a conflict situation, it is more cost-effective to prevent and prepare for a situation crisis than to wait for it to happen. It is estimated that every US$7 spent on responding to natural disaster could be offset by US$1 preparing for it through early warning. Likewise, US$1 spent on conflict resolution saves US$4 in humanitarian response. There is a significant saving and it makes sense to avoid such disasters or, at least, to have a risk management plan in place. In these situations, it is increasingly accepted that consistent investments in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian and development intervention will result in more resilient communities that are able to anticipate and recover from risk, shock and distress of this nature.

Many of the advances made throughout the development assistance have been eroded or lost due to the increasing frequency and recurring nature of the crises we have seen. There is some degree of repetition. It is predicted that the nature and intensity of natural hazards will continue to increase as climate change generates more severe weather related events. The world also faces new types of hazards, such as soaring fuel and food prices and the threat of pandemics and increasing conflict. Disaster damages infrastructure and affects productivity and growth. In 2011 alone, 302 disasters claimed 29,782 lives and affected 206 million people and inflicted damage worth a minimum of US$380 billion. The reality is that the poor and marginalised die in greater numbers and endure higher economic losses because of these disasters. Their food and nutrition security is more at risk because they eke out their livelihoods in the riskiest environments.

In situations of conflict, in drought prone areas, in swamps and flood prone riverbanks of congested urban settlements, scarce resources are diverted from development programmes to rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and escalating food import bills. At household level, a succession of crises deepen poverty and increase food insecurity and undernutrition. The effects of undernutrition can be devastating, as referred to earlier. Maternal and child undernutrition during the crucial 1,000 day period between pregnancy and a child's second birthday can have a permanent impact on the physical and cognitive development of children.

Disasters rarely just happen, they often result from failures of development, which increase vulnerability. As the number of predictable crises increase, the need for a plan for them as part of a development assistance becomes more critical. It is vitally important that reducing disaster risk is of central concern to our development, as well as our humanitarian work. It is most cost effective to prevent and prepare for a crisis rather than wait for it to happen.

Internationally, the 2005 Hyogo framework for action, to which Ireland is a signatory, provides the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction efforts. It called on states to work jointly on the issue of disaster risk reduction and a common approach is quite clearly more effective than separate national approaches. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, of which Ms Margareta Wahlström is a member, serves as a focal point for the implementation of the framework for action. Ireland supports this and all that is done in this initiative. We have played our part in intensifying collective efforts to fulfil our obligations in promoting a more systematic approach to disaster risk reduction in disaster prone developing countries.

In putting flesh on the bones of the commitment, I understand Ireland has provided €900,000 to support the UN international strategy for disaster reduction 2012-13 biennium. I am over time and I appreciate the endurance of the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I appreciate and commend Ms Wahlström on all she has done in this important aspect of development and change. Disasters are shattering the lives of poor people throughout the globe. Without the guidance and foresight provided by Ms Wahlström, there may have been no attempt at prevention. It is something we must recognise and acknowledge. Ms Wahlström is a fantastic individual for all she has done in this regard. Through investing in the reduction of risks, we are putting in place a plan for before a disaster strikes. This pays huge dividends.

I strongly commend Ms Wahlström on all her efforts in this regard.