Project description

Over the last decade, UN Environment established its ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) portfolio to promote global awareness of the role of ecosystems in disaster risk reduction and mainstream ecosystem-based DRR in the global DRR agenda. Between 2012-2016, UN Environment received funding from the European Commission (EC-DEVCO) to implement field project demonstrations to promote the concept of Eco-DRR in countries and globally. With the adoption of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (2015- 2030), UN Environment, together with the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR), largely achieved its Phase 1 objectives.


As a follow-up, EC-DEVCO has awarded UN Environment a second project (2019-2021), together with Partners for Resilience (PfR), to focus on scaling-up Eco-DRR interventions and promote large scale implementation of Eco-DRR in countries. The aim is to develop different models for demonstrating large-scale implementation of Eco-DRR which advance implementation of the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Agenda.


In 2018-2019 UNEP/GRID-Geneva has participated in Phase 1 of the project. The main outputs were:

-Update of global datasets relevant to the Opportunity Mapping tool, in particular related to hazard frequency, exposure, ecosystem coverage and Eco-DRR combinations, including revision of visualization standards;

-Dataset publication into MapX (mapx.org), an open geospatial platform for managing, analyzing and visualizing data on natural resources and the environment;

-Technical assistance to relevant stakeholders in Colombia, with an assessment of capacities for developing in-country level Opportunity mapping.


In 2019-2021 UNEP/GRID-Geneva has supported the project by:

-Providing technical support as for data availability, quality, accessibility and interoperability as well as technical capacity for the development of the Opportunity Mapping process in the Philippines based on an assessment of user needs;

-Publishing global-extent Eco-DRR layers in MapX;

-Facilitating the access to these layers by improving interaction between MapX and the Global DRR platform, and by enabling the download service of the global scale rasters from MapX;

-Developing a flood model at 20mx20m for Kerala including climate change scenario.



In 2022 UNEP/GRID-Geneva has updated the opportunity mapping tool with most recent global datasets on hazards, ecosystems and population; applied the opportunity mapping methodology at national level (Sri Lanka) ; and provided capacity building to local stakeholders. A completely redesigned platform will be released at the end of 2022.