Multilevel governance, with clear responsibilities, coordination mechanisms, and competences matched with adequate resources at every level, is a key aspect of disaster risk management and resilience building, and critical to the development of integrated national and local resilience strategies.
This key aspect of resilience, highlighted in the Resilience Learning Module developed by UCLG, UNDRR and UN-Habitat, was at the center of discussion during the most recent Training of Trainers facilitated by UCLG Asia-Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC) in collaboration with Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). We congratulate our UCLG-ASPAC colleagues for guiding the national attention to step into the local shoes, by applying the playful learning resources of the module.
The 2-days training, held between 5th-6th April 2021, brought together participants from BNPB, Indonesia’s Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), the secretariat of Open Government Indonesia administered by National Planning and Development Agency (Kementerian 
PPN/Bappenas), Indonesia’s Association for Provincial Government (APPSI), Indonesia’s Association of Local Government (APEKSI), and the Local Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Bali Province.
It was the first roll-out of the module at a national level, following regional and international training of trainers, and a great opportunity for national agencies to recognize the broader scope and cross-cutting nature of disaster risk management and resilience for and with local and regional governments. This allows the discussion of entry points for them to contribute to the integration of resilience principles in LRGs policy cycles, and it also introduces them to the potential role of Local and Regional Government Associations (LRGAs) to bridge governance gaps, raise awareness, build capacity, and align assessment tools and national policies to local and regional needs.
UCLG-ASPAC will continue to work with BNPB on the roll-out of the module to cities and provinces in Indonesia, looking to foster further action and integration as the country prepares to host the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali in May 2022. This Global Platform will serve to review the Sendai Framework implementation progress, taking into account the particular impacts of COVID-19, which has exacerbated vulnerabilities and risks related to all types of hazards, and highlighted the need for adequate resources, competences and strategies at the local and regional levels.
UCLG looks forward to accompanying this review process, underlining the need for locally-led multi-sectoral, multi-hazard, gender-responsive, inclusive and accessible approaches to strengthening the resilience of communities and ensure people’s livelihoods and sustainable development.
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