Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)

The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), through the City Resilience Program, is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Gates Foundation. This collaboration brings together GFDRR’s deep expertise in urban resilience harnessed through CRP’s work and the Gates Foundation’s commitment to fostering innovative solutions for global challenges, including climate change. Together, we aim to advance practical, data-driven approaches to help cities and their most vulnerable communities adapt to growing climate risks. Over the next two years, this partnership will focus on: ✅ Scaling up proven solutions to strengthen urban climate resilience.  ✅ Integrating risk and resilience data into urban planning, governance, and financing to address the needs of vulnerable communities.  ✅ Developing tools and methodologies to support evidence-based decision making for climate-resilient urban development. This new partnership reflects a shared commitment to building safer, more climate-resilient cities. We look forward to leveraging this collaboration to accelerate progress toward protecting urban communities. https://lnkd.in/d5kuGj8i Ross Eisenberg Christian Eghoff Manuela Chiapparino Ana Campos Garcia Zoe Trohanis Niels Holm-Nielsen Leonardo Valente Charles-Antoyne Hurstel Victoria Schreitter SECO Economic Cooperation and Development Rob Pilkington, CFA Natalia Romero Ming Zhang Guangzhe Chen Resilient Cities Network Brenden Jongman Edward Anderson Pierre Chrzanowski Boris van Zanten Marie-Flore Michel Tanner Lewis Ariel I. Delaney, M.A. Marisa Ruoss

🏢♿🤰🏽 At GFDRR, we believe that inclusion must be incorporated into every aspect of the built environment. But many buildings still present challenges for people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, and children. Small design choices can make a big difference in ensuring spaces are accessible to everyone. The Building Code Checklist for Universal Accessibility is a practical tool to help architects, engineers, and policymakers review building codes with inclusivity in mind. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dQwhSDih Keiko Sakoda Ana Campos Garcia Zoe Trohanis Mirtha Liliana E.

In this op-ed for Kuensel, Bhutan’s national newspaper, Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Bhutan's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Cecile Fruman, Acting Country Director for Bhutan and Director for South Asia Regional Integration at The World Bank, reflect on 10 years of collaboration between Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), the World Bank, and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This partnership has supported the NCHM's evolution into an autonomous agency, delivering vital weather, water, and climate services to enhance resilience against climate risks. As Abhas Jha, Practice Manager for South Asia Infrastructure Resilience Policy and Finance at the World Bank, highlighted in his own recent op-ed for Kuensel, the stakes in Bhutan are particularly high. Half the workforce depends on agriculture, leaving them highly vulnerable to climate shocks. The country's economy relies on hydropower exports to India, yet these critical installations face increasing risks from extreme weather events and geological hazards. As we celebrate this milestone, the path forward is clear: to continue building resilience and safeguarding Bhutan’s future. Read the full op-ed to learn more about this inspiring journey. https://lnkd.in/dB_WHQmE Naho Shibuya

I am proud that the Gates Foundation has chosen to join Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the City Resilience Program, to work with us to strengthen urban resilience. We know that any funder with interests in resilience have literally hundreds of choices among delivery partners. The GFDRR offers strong technical grounding, proven delivery capacity, innovation, and ability to influence large amounts of development finance to drive measurable impact. Partnerships like Gates Foundation are essential to enable local and national governments tackle the growing risks in cities related to natural disasters in a changing climate. Looking forward to the innovative solutions and impactful outcomes this collaboration will bring. https://lnkd.in/ebuQHG3E  @Victoria Schreitter  @SECO Economic Cooperation and Development  @Tanner Lewis   @Ariel I. Delaney, M.A.   @Marisa Ruoss 

About 10 years ago, I had the fortune to visit Tonga for a week with a World Bank team and some experts from Arup to start work with the Government to improve the quality of its school infrastructure to withstand disaster shocks. In a small way, we contributed to Tonga's work over the past decade to improve the resilience of its school infrastructure. And we created some of the foundation for Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) safer schools program that since has supported safer school construction and maintenance in more than 35 countries. In Tonga GFDRR has since contributed advisory for scoping, preparation and implementation of investments led by the Government helping protect thousands of students from disasters.     Our technical expertise is still informing the Tonga Safe and Resilient Schools Project, which includes recently approved $15 million in additional financing from The World Bank to build disaster-resilient schools. This investment will help protect over 2,000 students by upgrading education facilities to withstand future weather extremes.    The Tonga Safe and Resilient Schools Project is already making a difference with new disaster-resilient classrooms completed for hundreds of students and more upgrades on the way. Beyond infrastructure, we're supporting comprehensive maintenance programs to ensure these investments deliver long-term benefits for Tongan communities.    This collaboration between GFDRR, the World Bank, the government of Tonga, and development partners demonstrates our shared commitment to building resilience in the Pacific, where climate and disaster risks pose significant challenges to education infrastructure.    Over the past decade, GFDRR has provided extensive support to Tonga, including conducting detailed assessments of the physical damages caused by the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcanic eruption and tsunami, analyzing the gender gap in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in Tongan schools, and leveraging aerial technology to accelerate disaster recovery efforts. At the GFDRR Partnership Days held in Himeji in June 2024, we heard from Mafua-’i-Vai’utukakau Maka, Director of Tonga’s National Disaster Risk Management Office, about how impactful GFDRR support has been for the country.    We look forward to continuing our engagement with Tonga.    Learn more about how GFDRR is supporting the country:     https://lnkd.in/d_3eDZ7G    https://lnkd.in/dVXyPcBg    Jian Vun Simone Esler Cristina Otano  Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Jo da Silva DBE Hayley Gryc Denis Jordy Carina Fonseca Ferreira Angeles Martinez   #DisasterResilience #Education #Pacific #Tonga #GFDRR

In an unpredictable world, crisis preparedness is not merely optional — it’s essential. This Crisis Preparedness Gap Analysis report for 🇧🇹 Bhutan identifies key gaps and opportunities to enhance the country’s readiness for crisis events. By focusing on five critical components — legal frameworks, risk monitoring, financial preparedness, primary response, and social and livelihood support — the report provides insights on building resilience across sectors. Let’s prioritize preparedness before the next crisis strikes. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/dpkv_tKJ  Naho Shibuya Cecile Fruman  Abhas Jha

🌐 Exciting New Partnership! 🤝 As we begin this new year, we are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership that will advance the work of urban resilience globally. The City Resilience Program and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) are partnering with the Gates Foundation to address the growing challenges posed by climate change in urban areas. This collaboration will combine our proven expertise in urban resilience with the Gates Foundation’s commitment to advancing global public goods in the fight against climate change. Together, we’re setting ambitious goals to protect vulnerable urban communities from climate risks. Over the next two years, we will: ✅ Scale proven solutions to help cities strengthen their climate resilience. ✅ Empower vulnerable communities by driving the adoption of urban risk and resilience data into urban planning, financing and governance. ✅ Pioneer data-driven approaches by developing new tools and methodologies to enable cities to make evidence-based decisions for climate resilient development.️️ This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to create more resilient urban futures. By combining our resources and expertise, we’ll accelerate the implementation of practical solutions that help cities adapt to climate change while protecting their most vulnerable residents. Follow us to stay updated on the transformative work ahead. #UrbanResilience #ClimateAction #SustainableDevelopment Tanner Lewis Ariel I. Delaney, M.A. Ross Eisenberg Christian Eghoff Manuela Chiapparino Andrey Shanin Ana Campos Garcia Zoe Trohanis Niels Holm-Nielsen Rui Su Sara Farhoudi Leonardo Valente Charles-Antoyne Hurstel Aline Kodaira Marisa Ruoss Victoria Schreitter SECO Economic Cooperation and Development Rob Pilkington, CFA Ned Hercock Natalia Romero Ming Zhang Guangzhe Chen Resilient Cities Network City Resilience Program Brenden Jongman Edward Anderson Pierre Chrzanowski Boris van Zanten Marie-Flore Michel

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was one of the deadliest disasters in modern history, leaving behind unimaginable loss. But for Indonesia, it was also the beginning of a profound shift — a commitment to building a future where communities are better prepared, safer, and more resilient.  At the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), we’ve had the privilege of standing alongside Indonesia on this journey, helping them not only build back better, but build better even before disaster strikes again. Indonesia’s achievements in disaster risk management are a testament to what’s possible through determination and collaboration.  Resilience is not achieved overnight. It is built over time — through hard decisions, strategic investments, and a shared vision for protecting lives and livelihoods. Indonesia’s story reminds us why GFDRR’s work matters and why we must continue advancing our mission for a more resilient world.  Explore Indonesia’s path to resilience through this feature story: https://lnkd.in/dVdNsumY   Jian Vun 

In 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami took over 230,000 lives, forever altering communities and exposing critical vulnerabilities in disaster response systems worldwide. For Indonesia, it was a catalyst for transforming its approach to disaster risk management. Since then, Indonesia has collaborated with global partners, including The World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen institutions, and foster resilience.  At GFDRR, we are committed to supporting countries in building resilience — not just to rebuild after disasters but to reduce risk and protect lives before disaster strikes. Explore Indonesia’s path to resilience and the transformative power of global collaboration here: https://lnkd.in/dD-fcZPr  #drm #disasters #climate #resilience

The devastating floods of 2022 in Sindh, #Pakistan left communities struggling to rebuild their lives. At the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), we are deeply committed to supporting recovery efforts that prioritize resilience and long-term adaptation.  Through our work, we’ve contributed to the Government led Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, which will receive $450 million in additional financing from The World Bank. Across our grants, GFDRR has funded and provided technical support for a thorough post-disaster needs assessment, advise on the implementation of geo-enabled management systems for housing reconstruction, and provided critical technical assistance to guide the project’s design and additional financing. Social #inclusion was emphasized in these contributions, with targeted interventions for women-led households, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. These efforts have been vital in shaping a recovery plan that not only restores homes but also enhances inclusive climate resilience, ensuring a safer future for the people of #Sindh. As we move forward, we remain focused on helping communities recover and adapt to the changing climate with a renewed sense of purpose. Learn more about our work in Pakistan:  https://lnkd.in/eWx2f7Up   https://lnkd.in/eXeusA4V     GFDRR’s support for the 🇵🇰 Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project has been crucial in driving resilient recovery. Through our technical assistance, we’re helping rebuild homes & strengthen climate resilience in Sindh after the 2022 floods. http://wrld.bg/IefT50UBQj8  Tags: Kamran Akbar Zoe Trohanis