In recent years, we have witnessed increasing damage caused by climate change and natural disasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Frequent floods, stormy winds, forest fires, and dry periods remind us how fragile our existence is and the importance of urgently integrating disaster risk management into development policies and processes at all levels of government.

"The Una-Sana canton implements strategic activities to reduce the risk of disasters, and in the coming period, further development of measures is planned by involving relevant sectors in order to ensure the integration of disaster risk management into the policies of higher levels of government," 

said Mustafa Ružnić, Prime Minister of the Una-Sana Canton and pointed out that a lot still needs to be done in the direction of risk management through preventive action, so that they can respond in a timely manner when the protection of human lives and property is at stake.

"Civil protection has great support through the digitization of the system, which has already taken root in the territory of the Una-Sana Canton. We are continuously working on collecting and supplementing all information and data to build a stable platform that is the basis of effective response in the event of a disaster," 

emphasized Dževad Livaković, director of the Cantonal Administration of Civil Protection of the Una-Sana Canton.

The theme of DRR Day 2023, "Fighting Inequality for a Disaster Resilient Future", focuses on the reciprocal relationship between disasters and inequality. Inequality and disaster vulnerability are two sides of the same coin: unequal access to services, such as finance and insurance, creates greater disaster risk and vulnerability, while the consequences of disaster exacerbate inequalities and push the most vulnerable deeper into poverty.

Damir Muslić, head of the UNDP office in Bihać, noted the importance of building a comprehensive response to disasters and preparedness through dialogue between relevant actors of all levels of government, but focusing on the most vulnerable categories of society, and emphasized that this is a process that requires time, but strong foundations have already been laid by implementing the activities of various UNDP projects.

The panel conference participants pointed out that if local communities, the private sector, and public institutions are not ready for mitigation and efficient response, dangers can easily turn into disasters that threaten the sustainable development of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The panel conference was organized as part of the Sustainable Development Week in BiH 2023/SDG Week, a platform for activities, consultations, and discussions supporting the SDGs' advancement in BiH.