17 June 2025

Strengthening the Disaster Resilience of SMEs

Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

UNDRR

Project overview

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of economies, representing over 90% of business, 60 to 70% of employment and 50% of GDP worldwide [1]. Yet when a disaster strikes, they are hit harder, suffer longer, and are slower to recover than larger businesses. UNDRR's work on SME resilience recognizes that a better prepared private sector strengthens the resilience of the whole society, yet experience has shown that further action is needed to help businesses - SMEs in particular - adopt risk-informed business strategies and embed adaptability into their decision-making.

To this end, UNDRR is implementing a project on "strengthening the disaster resilience of SMEs" in Barcelona (Spain), Bridgetown (Barbados) and Sendai (Japan). By mobilizing the public and private sector, the objective is to improve the capacity of SMEs to make risk informed decisions, plan for and invest in disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Key focus areas

Conducting a landscape assessment study to gain insights into the state of SME resilience in each of the three cities
Convening city-level dialogues and workshops to
- Increase understanding and produce localized recommendations for improving DRR planning and investment among SMEs and across sectors, including actions for women-owned firms and persons with disabilities
- Strengthen alignment with UNDRR initiatives with the private sector and urban resilience, as well as with the efforts of local authorities and other key stakeholders
- Turn the focus from managing disasters to managing risk
Supporting SMEs in drafting (and testing) business continuity plans to improve their operational readiness and resilience in the face of disruptions
Training trainers to build sustainability beyond the project duration
Sharing lessons and impact stories to inspire others to take action, highlighting opportunities for replicability