Side Event at the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 2026
- Date: 25 February 2026
- Time: 11:45 -12:45 ICT
- (Location)/ Format: Virtual event
- Registration: To join this online meeting, please register using the following link: https://meetoecd1.zoom.us/meeting/register/03ZoteMBRzSQS7MbXrccyA
- Partner: Co-organised by the OECD and IGES
Countries across the Asia‑Pacific region face increasingly interconnected risks affecting water security, urban systems, infrastructure performance and the continuity of essential services. Climate‑related hazards, demographic change, rapid urbanisation and resource pressures are creating complex challenges that require more integrated and risk-informed responses.
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) represents a critical entry point for enhancing resilience and safeguarding development gains. When embedded into planning, budgeting, regulation and coordination mechanisms, DRR can strengthen the ability of governments to anticipate shocks, manage interdependencies and protect communities and systems. OECD analysis underscores that embedding disaster resilience into infrastructure and development planning is essential to protect livelihoods and sustain growth, and to secure long-term sustainable development gains. Effective DRR also reinforces progress on several of the SDGs under review at the 2026 High‑Level Political Forum (SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17).
Within this broader context, Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) offers a practical governance approach for connecting policies across sectors and levels of government. PCSD encourages governments to consider interactions across key areas such as water, cities, infrastructure, partnerships and essential services, while acknowledging that countries will pursue diverse pathways based on their national circumstances, including priorities related to resilience, affordability, energy and resource security, and long‑term sustainability.
A panel of senior officials and experts from Asia‑Pacific and OECD countries will engage in an interactive dialogue to:
- Identify practical governance entry points for enhancing policy coherence across water management (SDG6), resilient cities (SDG11), infrastructure (SDG9), and effective partnerships (SDG17).
- Highlight the value of disaster risk reduction and risk-informed planning for safeguarding development gains, and supporting integrated decision‑making across sectors.
- Exchange experiences on cross-sector coordination, multi-level governance and stakeholder engagement that help governments align long-term strategies with everyday policy and investment decisions.
- Showcase replicable solutions of integrated approaches, such as resilient infrastructure planning, strategic foresight, green budgeting, and regulatory coherence mechanisms.
- Share regional insights and perspectives that can support the OECD preparatory work for the 2026 HLPF.