NGI signs agreement with the World Bank

A Memorandum of understanding for a collaborative alliance on disaster risk reduction related to various natural hazards was signed this week. The agreement paves the way for NGI support to GFDRR in the implementation of preventive measures to reduce the consequences of natural disasters in high risk prone countries identified by the World Bank.

The agreement was signed at NGIs office in Oslo on the 25 of March 2009, in connection with the World Banks participation in the IPCC Scoping Meeting on Climate Change held in Oslo 23-26 March 2009.  For the signing ceremony the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by Ambassador Arman Aardal.

National assistance and strengthening
The agreement paves the way for NGI support to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) in the implementation of preventive measures to reduce the consequences of natural disasters in high risk prone countries identified by the World Bank.  The collaboration, which will have a global scope, is foreseen to include technical assistance to national organizations for better hazard and risk mapping and also institutional strengthening of national organizations.

NGIs extensive international experience
Climate change adaptation will in this context also play an important role. The agreement also includes technical support to the World Bank for post disaster risk and damage assessment for dams and various infrastructures. NGI was selected by the World Bank as partner for collaboration because of NGIs extensive international experience within natural hazards. 

GFDRR is a unique facility set up by the World Bank to mark a proactive approach for disaster prevention and mitigation. This is in contrast to allocating the majority of the funds to recovery after a disaster has happened. GFDRR, which was created at the end of 2006, is supported by the World Bank and 13 donor countries, including Norway. As of October last year, donors have committed 83 million USD to the facility.

Many countries on the candidate list
The next step for GFDRR and NGI will be to agree upon the nations which should be prioritised to serve as pilot countries for NGI to help in the build-up of capacity for natural hazard reduction. GFDRR has a long list of countries on the candidate list covering East and South Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. The challenge will be to select the countries where NGI can make a strong contribution.

NGI's Deputy Managing Director, Oddvar Kjekstad, with experiences from previous work and contacts with the World Bank has been instrumental in the preparations leading up to this important  agreement.  Following up of the Agreement with the World Bank will be handled by Senior Engineer Dr. Rajinder Bhasin.