Background

The Latin America and the Caribbean region is among the most exposed to both geophysical and climate-related hazards. Although in 2023 the region accounted for only 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it faces a growing frequency and intensity of events such as storms, floods, and wildfires, in addition to recurring geophysical events such as earthquakes. In this context, it is essential that countries strengthen information and statistical systems on disasters that are timely, reliable, and decision-oriented, in order to support disaster risk management and the design of evidence-based public policies.

This webinar will focus on the experiences of Latin American and Caribbean countries in developing and using tools and platforms to monitor disaster-related statistics. Participating countries will present recent progress in their national information systems, share innovations in data production and dissemination, and showcase concrete examples of how these platforms support the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of disaster risk management policies. In this context, the webinar will seek to answer the following guiding question: How are countries using disaster-related statistics monitoring platforms to strengthen the design and implementation of public policies on disaster risk management?

These advances are the result of several years of international cooperation and coordination in the development of disaster-related statistics. Joint work between national statistical offices (NSOs), disaster risk management agencies (DRMAs), and various international organizations culminated, in early 2026, in the endorsement of the Global Framework for Disaster-related Statistics (G-DRSF) as the first global statistical framework dedicated specifically to this area. Within this framework, the Sixth Global Forum of Experts on Disaster-related Statistics, to be held on 3 and 4 September 2026 in hybrid format, will bring together experts and country representatives to exchange experiences and promote the application of the G-DRSF. This webinar is part of a series of events preparatory to that forum, which aims to raise awareness of the G-DRSF framework, highlight national experiences, and foster regional exchange on its practical implementation.

General Objective

To facilitate a regional exchange on the development of action-oriented data systems based on reliable disaster statistics, drawing on concrete country experiences. The objective is to explore how monitoring tools and platforms strengthen disaster risk management and support public policy formulation, as well as to reflect on the role of the G-DRSF in guiding and promoting this work.

Specific Objectives

Share good practices in the development of tools and platforms for monitoring disaster-related statistics

Examine how countries are leveraging disaster data and statistics to inform decision-making, guide disaster risk management, and strengthen policy responses

Foster dialogue and peer learning between producers and users of disaster-related statistics in the region

Promote the dissemination and adoption of the G-DRSF, and explore how it can support and harmonize national data systems

Understand how countries are approaching the implementation of the G-DRSF in practice, including the challenges and opportunities encountered

Participants

National statistical offices, environmental ministries and agencies, institutions responsible for disaster risk management, public policymakers, international organizations, academia and research centers, and users of statistical, geospatial, and environmental information.

Expected Outcomes

• A shared set of regional good practices in the development of tools and platforms for monitoring disaster-related statistics, based on concrete country experiences
• Greater understanding among participants of how disaster data and statistics can be leveraged to inform decision-making, guide disaster risk management, and strengthen policy responses
• Strengthened dialogue and peer connections between producers and users of disaster-related statistics in the LAC region
• Greater awareness of the G-DRSF and its potential to support and harmonize national data systems
• Greater clarity on how countries are approaching the implementation of the G-DRSF, including the challenges and opportunities encountered, to contribute to the Sixth Forum of Experts