Key Message: UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20)

Natural disasters continue to increase in frequency and intensity; exacerbating the vulnerability of the poorest. Since the first Rio summit in 1992, more than 4 billion people have been affected by natural disasters and nearly 1.5 million people have been killed - 35% of them in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Meanwhile, no low-income fragile or conflict-affected country has yet achieved a single Millennium Development Goal. Countries affected by violence account for 60% of all undernourished people, 77% of children not in primary school, and 70% of infant deaths. Unless we focus our efforts on the most vulnerable people, reduce their vulnerability to disasters and conflict and increase their resilience, the global goal of sustainable development for all will remain elusive.

1. Focus on the most vulnerable. Global poverty reduction efforts have not benefited the poorest people and the poorest countries, especially countries affected by fragility. People living in countries affected by conflict and humanitarian crises are being left behind. Poverty is increasingly concentrated in fragile states. The proportion of global poor living in fragile states is expected to increase from 20 % in 2005 to a projected 50 % in 2014. A post-2015 development framework must focus on those countries and people that are the most vulnerable – often women and girls – and deliver tailored solutions to help them out of poverty.

2. Reduce the impact of disasters. Most deaths from disasters occur in poorer nations. Each time disaster strikes, the devastating losses slow down or reverse a country’s development. Yet investment in preparedness – especially in the highest risk countries – is woefully inadequate. Only 1% of all development aid is spent on reducing disaster risk and in 2009, 68% of DRR financing came from humanitarian funds. A massive scaling up of disaster preparedness in high risk, low capacity countries will help reduce the impact of humanitarian crises.

3. Reduce extreme hunger and malnutrition. A large number of countries continue to suffer from chronic food and nutrition insecurity, with associated severe impacts on health and development. Reductions in poverty have not led to commensurate reductions in food insecurity. Since the first Rio summit in 1992, the number of undernourished people in the world has remained close to 850 million. In LDCs, the number of undernourished people has increased by 25% to 264 million. Sustainable improvements in agricultural productivity must be complemented by expanded social protection mechanisms that can improve the resilience of the most vulnerable.

4. Work together. Ensuring that the most vulnerable can benefit from sustainable development will require closer integration of humanitarian and development strategies, programming and funding - involving women and men from local communities, governments, regional organizations, private businesses, development agencies and many other partners. We cannot do this alone - prevention, emergency preparedness, early recovery and livelihood interventions are all fundamental to increasing the resilience of vulnerable people. Immediately addressing humanitarian needs following a disaster while simultaneously building the foundations for longer-term development will reduce the shock communities experience and improve their chances for a quick recovery; helping them back on the path to sustainable development.