The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to strengthen disaster recovery capacity in selected countries across Asia and the Pacific.

The agreement was signed by ADB Director General for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Woochong Um and UNDP's Assistant Administrator and Director for the Crisis Bureau Asako Okai, said an ADB release.

The partnership will work with countries to strengthen capacity to ensure disaster-resilient measures are incorporated into post-disaster reconstruction efforts, by supporting post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) training for government officials, focusing on infrastructure-related sectors, the utilization of contingency and recovery tools and plans, improving financial preparedness planning, and enhancing post-disaster budget execution capabilities."

Disasters triggered by natural hazards are an ever-present threat in Asia and the Pacific and threaten the long-term sustainability of development in our region," said Woochong Um. "

Laying the foundations for the principles to 'build back better' ahead of time can result in a more equitable and sustainable recovery that avoids regenerating disaster risk," added the ADB Director General. UNDP's Assistant Administrator Asako Okai said. "

The adverse impacts of extreme weather events such as 2020's Tropical Cyclone Harold, the 2019 floods in Cambodia, and 2017 floods in Sri Lanka are painful reminders on how vulnerable people, their lives and livelihoods, and infrastructure services are to disasters,"

"Recovery preparedness planning is therefore vital for protecting people and their assets and making infrastructure resilient to disasters, particularly in the Asia and Pacific region due to its huge infrastructure investment needs over the next 20 years," added the UNDP official.

The partnership between ADB and UNDP is for two years and is being financed by the Government of Japan. It will implement a series of trainings and the development of disaster recovery plans in selected ADB developing member countries.