Locally‑led resilience takes centre‑stage at the 5th International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum Incheon 2026

Marking its fifth anniversary, the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum (IDRLF) Incheon 2026 convened 350 local leaders, national government officials, technical experts and representatives of international organisations from Northeast, Southeast Asia and across the globe. Held 7‑8 September at Songdo Convensia under the theme “Translating Locally led Resilience into Action in the Age of Complex Risk and Digital Transformation”, the two day flagship event addressed persistent implementation gaps for disaster risk reduction (DRR) as the final five year implementation window of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 2030 got underway.

Hosted by Incheon Metropolitan City, a Resilience Hub under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative; co‑organised with the Incheon Institute and UNDRR Office for Northeast Asia & Global Education and Training Institute (ONEA & GETI); supported by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), Republic of Korea; and in cooperation with the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), the Forum built upon outcomes of IDRLF 2025, the 8th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (Geneva) and the UNDRR Strategic Framework 2026‑2030. It served as a high‑level practical platform to advance digital innovation, risk‑informed investment, community‑centred governance and multi‑level partnerships to turn resilience commitments into tangible local results.

Opening highlights: technology must serve local realities

Ms. Younghee Nam, Vice Mayor for Balanced Development of Incheon Metropolitan City, opened the Forum and expressed her condolences to the Government and people of Nepal following the recent devastating floods. She highlighted the growing complexity of cascading hazards driven by climate change and urbanisation, emphasizing the critical role of local governments in turning AI and digital technologies into tangible resilience. “No city or country can overcome disasters alone,” she said, reaffirming Incheon’s commitment as a resilience hub to fostering practical policies and international cooperation through knowledge-sharing among cities, governments, international organizations and experts.

Delivering congratulatory remarks, Mr. Yong‑kyun Kim, Deputy Minister for Natural Disaster Management, MOIS, warned that climate change is amplifying heat‑waves, torrential rains, wildfires and droughts. In interconnected, densely populated cities, a single hazard can trigger cross sector cascading crises, rendering siloed risk management obsolete.

In his pre recorded video message, Mr. Kamal Kishore, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR, marked the forum’s fifth anniversary, noting that rising systemic risks require cities to turn resilience ambitions into tangible outcomes with adequate policy, finance and partnerships. He added that digital innovation must centre community needs while mitigating new digital‑system risks, calling on participants to build partnerships to move resilience from aspiration to action.

Key thematic discussions

Building on the Geneva Call for Disaster Risk Reduction from GP2025, sessions focused on closing the policy‑practice divide at the subnational level:

1. AI and digital transformation for complex, cascading risks: Panelists explored how artificial intelligence strengthens risk analysis, early warning and operational decision‑making. Discussions moved beyond tool deployment to examine institutionalising AI driven disaster safety management within existing local governance frameworks addressing policy safeguards, data interoperability, ethics and capacity constraints. 
2. Risk‑informed investment for local resilience: A dedicated session tackled one of the major bottlenecks identified in global DRR reviews: insufficient and inflexible local financing. Participants shared practical models for mobilising investment, scaling public‑private partnerships, and systematically integrating climate‑disaster risk into urban planning and municipal budgeting to advance resilient infrastructure and recovery readiness.

Two interactive “City Networking Events” brought together MCR2030 Resilience Hubs and city representatives across Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. Participants exchanged peer‑learning insights on institutional reform, capacity‑building and replicable local‑led DRR practices.

Youth voices take the floor

The popular “Voices of the Future” session featured university students from campuses based in Incheon presenting forward‑looking proposals, including agent‑based risk modelling, youth‑powered flood‑intelligence tools, pre‑positioned emergency medical reserves, and a trilateral youth disaster resilience network for China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Youth participants underscored that young people should be recognised as core partners in long‑term urban resilience design.

Take‑aways

Forum discussions reaffirmed that disaster risk reduction is a shared global responsibility. While resilience‑building must be locally‑led, it demands sustained backing from national, regional and global stakeholders. Stronger linkages between local action and international policy frameworks together with cross sector collaboration across governments, academia, the private sector and communities are essential to tackle compound systemic risks and advance sustainable development.

The IDRLF remains a flagship annual initiative of Incheon Metropolitan City under its commitments as an MCR2030 Resilience Hub.