08:30 – 09:00 Participants’ arrival and welcome coffee
09:00 – 09:30 Plenary Session | Lessons from the “DANA” floods: how Spain is navigating reconstruction and long-term recovery
This opening plenary sets the scene through a reflection by Spain on the critical decisions taken in the immediate aftermath of the “DANA” crisis and in nearly two years since. It explores how Spain has been: navigating the tension between speed and quality; ensuring that reconstruction decisions reflect local priorities; and approaching long-term recovery as a responsibility to rebuild in ways that are more resilient and better prepared for challenges ahead.
09:30 – 10:45 Parallel sessions on disaster reconstruction and recovery
Participants can choose between two simultaneous sessions focusing on different dimensions of disaster management: priorities for short-term reconstruction, and planning for long-term recovery.
A) Breakout panel | What to rebuild first: priorities for post-disaster reconstruction
This session explores the challenges of reconstruction after a major disaster: restoring critical infrastructure, making housing available, and restarting local economic activity as quickly as possible. It considers how to prioritise among competing urgent needs when resources are stretched, and how to mobilise and manage funding and financing for reconstruction effectively. It also examines how to manage the tension between the pressure to act quickly and the need to plan carefully, avoiding decisions that lock in the vulnerabilities of the past or foreclose options for building longer-term resilience. Throughout, the session reflects on what it takes to engage affected stakeholders (e.g. businesses, social enterprises, civil society organisations) in reconstruction decision-making.
B) Interactive masterclass | Rebuilding for the future: OECD experiences on long-term recovery
Recovery from a major disaster is not just about restoring what existed before. It is also an opportunity to reform, adapt and rebuild differently. This session takes the longer view, exploring how affected regions can use the recovery period to strengthen resilience to future shocks, rethink their economic structures, and restore and enhance their attractiveness to residents, investors and visitors. Central to this is the question of who shapes recovery decisions: ensuring that local communities, businesses and other key stakeholders have a meaningful voice in choices that will define their region for years to come. Drawing on cases where ample time has passed since the immediate emergency, the session examines what recovery actually looks like several years on: what worked, what did not, and what conditions made a difference.
10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break
11:15 – 12:15 Plenary session | Voices from the ground: a dialogue with disaster-affected communities
This session features a dialogue among victims of recent disasters, offering a space for testimonials, shared reflection and mutual learning. Personal testimonies from those most directly affected by disasters are a powerful reminder of why a place-based approach to disaster management matters. They highlight how public policies and institutional co-ordination are experienced on the ground, and what is at stake when they fall short. This perspective is essential: future disaster-risk management efforts must be informed not only by technical expertise but also by the voices and experiences of those most directly impacted. By integrating firsthand experience into the broader policy discussion on disaster-risk management, the session brings a local-level perspective that complements policy and practitioner discussions throughout the conference.
12:15 – 13:45 Plenary session | Mis- and disinformation during emergencies
This session examines how mis- and disinformation shape crisis management, and how these information challenges can affect public trust and the effectiveness of disaster prevention, preparedness, response and reconstruction efforts. Particular attention is paid to the role of digital platforms, traditional media and information gaps in fast-moving emergency contexts, where uncertainty is high and decisions must be taken rapidly. The session also highlights the challenge of ensuring that essential public communication messages cut through noise and misinformation and effectively reach affected populations at the right time.
13:45 – 14:00 Closing remarks
The closing remarks will highlight the main insights and emerging priorities identified throughout the conference discussions. The session will also mention the next steps for the OECD Platform for Regional Disaster Resilience and opportunities for continued engagement.
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch break
15:30 – 18:00 Field visit
Optional guided visit to the areas most affected by the “DANA” crisis. Registration in advance is required.
