Advancing Locally Led DRR: Highlights from the First APP Meeting of 2025

The Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP) Secretariat hosted its first APP meeting of 2025 with the National Preparedness Partnerships (NPPs) from Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Held virtually on February 21, 2025, the meeting celebrated the progress made by APP partner countries so far and provided guidance for anchoring the implementation of APP activities in 2025. This aligns with the goal of localization, strengthening national and local actors to lead and execute their prioritized DRR actions

Highlights of the Meeting:

• Positioned the APP model within ADPC’s strategic priority for localization, emphasizing the importance of empowering national and local stakeholders to drive the implementation of identified priorities in each country.
• Provided guidance on using ADPC’s localization indicators to support APP implementation across countries.
• Defined reporting frequencies and shared templates for improved reporting.
• Reviewed progress reports from NPPs, offering feedback on their efforts to consolidate and sustain their partnership.
• Recommended the next step in the development and finalization of strategic plan and partnership arrangement for each NPP.
• Announced the save-the-date and venue details for the 9th APP Regional Steering Committee Workshop and Meeting.

The APP member countries and the Secretariat are dedicated to fostering collaboration and driving meaningful change across the region. Monthly meetings have been scheduled with each NPP to bring together government, civil society, and private sector representatives to share progress on the joint implementation of locally led priorities in target communities. These exchanges aim to promote collaborative planning and learning, ensuring a whole-of-society approach to disaster risk reduction and resilience building in the region.