Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation Working Group

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation Working Group (DRRA-WG) brings together the GEO Work Proragmme, DRR and climate change experts nominated from GEO Members, Participating Organizations (POs), Associates, and other relevant stakeholders to promote the integration of Earth Intelligence into disaster management and climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The DRRA-WG promotes the scaling up of EO use in the context of global policy frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework and the Paris Agreement, aligning and promoting activities with GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy.

With disasters increasing in frequency and intensifying due to climate change, and countries facing challenges in utilizing Earth observations effectively, the DRRA-WG addresses critical gaps by highlighting accessible Earth observation tools, data, and best practices for countries to enhance their climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies and implementation, such as those under the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative.

The escalating frequency of extreme events and the narrowing window for impactful climate action underscore the urgency of the DRRA-WG’s mandate. Climate change amplifies disaster risks, making cohesive strategies for adaptation and resilience-building indispensable. The working group’s efforts are pivotal in translating international goals into actionable plans, equipping countries to improve EO integration, strengthen policy coherence, and reduce vulnerabilities.

Key outcomes of the DRRA-WG include providing inputs for policy-related documents to increase the adoption of EO tools and knowledge in disaster and climate planning. Considering the previous role of GEO’s former Working Groups on DRR, climate change, and capacity building, the new DRRA-WG conducts activities to enhance stakeholder capacity through knowledge-sharing, and to improve coordination within GEO to be aligned with global policy frameworks.

The DRRA-WG aims to foster connections among GEO Members, POs, and GWP across all Focus Areas to enhance the uptake of EO through climate adaptation and mitigation planning efforts and disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and recovery: