The Fourth Global Expert Forum for Producers and Users of Disaster-related Statistics was held from 28 October to 1 November, 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was the first time that this Global Expert Forum took place in the continent of Africa.
More than 80 disaster risk reduction, national statistics, climate change and geospatial information experts attended the Forum in person, in addition to online participants from across the world.
The Forum provides a platform where producers and users of disaster-related statistics from different expertise and domains collaborate and share knowledge in advancing disaster data and statistics.
A consortium of United Nations organizations collaborated to bring the Forum to Addis Ababa, to accelerate the production and use of disaster-related statistics, as part of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Disaster-related Statistics (IAEG-DRS) of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
This disaster-related statistics Global Expert Forum was organized back to back with the ninth session of the Statistical Commission for Africa (STATS-Comm Africa), and the tenth meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (GGIM-Africa), further highlighting its importance and relevance in the overall official statistics community in Africa and globally.
The Forum was hosted by United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), and opened by Mr. Oliver Chinganya, director of the African Center for Statistics, ECA, and the co-chairs of the IAEG-DRS: Mr. Animesh Kumar, Head of Office, UNDRR Bonn, Ms. Rikke Munk Hansen, Chief of Section, Statistics, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), and Ms. Kanza Ahmed, Global public health advisor and epidemiologist, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
At his opening remarks, Mr. Chinganya emphasised the significant impacts of disasters and hazardous events on societies and economies worldwide. The ability to understand, monitor, and respond to these events is crucial for effective disaster risk management and mitigation efforts. Disaster-related statistics plays an important role in informing decision-making, formulating policies, and allocating resources for disaster prevention, preparedness and response.
There is often a disconnect between the producers of this data, such as statisticians, and the users, including policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Establishing a platform where producers and users can come together to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and collaborate on improving the quality and accessibility of disaster-related statistics is essential.
The co-chair of the IAEG-DRS, Ms. Hansen highlighted in her speech that statistics can add value to data by offering agreed terminology, definitions and classifications that enable comparison across disasters, over time, and in different locations, and improves other quality dimensions such as accuracy. This enables investigation of patterns, trends and correlations crucial for risk-informed development and long-term disaster risk reduction. Ms. Hansen also informed participants about the progress on the development of a common statistical framework for disaster-related statistics and invited all interested experts to contribute to the drafting process of the framework as well as the related global consultation within their capacities.
Developing disaster statistics and risk metrics support evidence-based policy and decision making and improve monitoring and reporting of progress towards internationally agreed goals and targets including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Agenda 2063, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Forum structure and events
The Forum was structured around the following themes:
- Using big data and data science for addressing disaster-related statistics;
- The current landscape of disaster-related statistics;
- Collaboration and partnerships;
- Communicating disaster statistics for effective decision-making;
- Strengthening capacity and resources;
In addition, associated events were also organized, broadening the scope and landscape of disaster-related statistics and its key role in official statistics:
- The role of disaster-related statistics in stimulating the development of early warning systems (Co-organized by UNDRR and WMO);
- Disaster data and statistics for climate change adaptation (Organized by UNDRR);
- From disaster response to disaster risk reduction: The complementary roles of “quick and dirty data” and official statistics (Organized by ECE, ESCAP, UNEP and UKHSA);
- Navigating the nexus between DRS and civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems for risk-informed development (Organized by ESCAP, UNEP, and ECE).
Forum outcomes
Participants recognized the importance of collaboration among the users and producers of disaster-related statistics and data, and noted the central role in establishing a global common framework for disaster-related statistics as essential to guide countries in determining key data needs, standardizing methods for data collection, analysis, and dissemination, and harmonizing definitions, terms, and concepts. This common approach would enable more cohesive, comparable and reliable disaster statistics worldwide.
The Forum called for closer integration in new and innovative technologies across all phases of data production, and the incorporation a geospatial dimension into data and statistics is essential for effective planning and decision-making. A diverse stakeholder involvement and multi-partner engagement ensure the smooth and success collaborations for disaster-related statistics.
The need to bridge communication gaps between data producers, users, and stakeholders can be achieved via practices in disaster data analysis, visualization, and storytelling, by addressing misinformation and aims to foster interactive dialogue among the diverse backgrounds of participants.
The Forum also highlighted the vital role of disaster-related statistics in addressing climate change, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, and establishing the Global Goal on Adaptation. Disaster-related statistics provide essential information to policymakers to understand the risks, and to mitigate the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters.
By informing adaptation strategies, disaster-related statistics can help support national efforts to track resilience-building as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Additionally, disaster-related statistics may improve early warning systems by identifying vulnerable domains, areas and sub-populations, ensuring timely alerts and effective responses. This will enhance national multi-hazard early warning systems, and reinforce the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Forum organizers
The Forum was co-organized by the African Center for Statistics (ACS) and Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Development (TCND) of ECA, African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN regional commissions: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC).